River View grid stars excited for college futures

WARSAW — River View's top football players in 2022 earned plenty of recognition in the Muskingum Valley League and beyond, including two players chosen for the Ohio North-South Football Classic played last month.

It was an example of the Black Bears' individual talent in one of the program's most productive senior classes in recent memory.

Five of those players made their college choices recently in a ceremony at the high school before a modest local congregation.

Two-way standouts Cruz Mobley, Jamal Watts and Brady Winner chose Youngstown State and Ashland, respectively, while Preston Yoder picked Anderson (Indiana). Lineman Connor Sabrosky also picked Ashland. All five players graduated with GPAs better than 3.5.

Mobley earns preferred walk-on with Penguins

Mobley, a 6-3, 215-pound running back and linebacker, was a three-year starter on both sides of the ball and flourished statistically. Defense was his calling card as a senior, where he collected 109 tackles, including 15 1/2 for losses playing on the outside. He also had 4 1/2 sacks.

He ran for only 390 yards as a senior after being the focus of the offense as a junior, but Watts' big play ability fueled first-year coach Thom Lesiecki's multiple wing-T offense.

Mobley said the Penguins, who are welcoming him as a preferred walk-on, will use him at linebacker.

Penguins linebackers coach John Haneline sought Mobley out on social media in December and again in late April, which eventually led to a visit to campus and official walk-on invite. It was there he met Haneline and head coach Doug Phillips, who has ties to current Wisconsin and former Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell and Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.

Mobley said he enjoyed his experience with the coaches and other elements of his visit, such as the campus and football facilities.

"The area is nice and their football program is stellar," Mobley said. "It's an FCS school, but you'd never know it by walking around. I toured Ohio State and their stuff is in the same ball park. Their coaches are really down to Earth and they don't blow smoke. They're real when you talk to them."

Mobley is encouraged by the fact that YSU has historically given scholarships to older players who grow through the program as walk-ons. Two of the players in the linebacker room are senior graduates.

"They told me I should make an immediate impact on the team on special teams," Mobley said.

Mobley has been enrolled in post-secondary classes at Zane State College and plans to pursue an education major at YSU. He hopes to coach football or wrestling, the sport in which he also thrived as a two-time state qualifier.

Ashland, Ohio Dominican and West Liberty (West Liberty), all Division II programs, also expressed interest. He said each school that pursued him said his long, athletic frame has plenty of room for growth.

"They said they liked to recruit and develop, and I really like that about the program," Mobley said.

Ashland signees excited for possibilities

While Mobley wanted to pave his own path, three of the team's other key starters stayed together and won't be going far. Ashland is located about an hour from Warsaw.

Watts was among the MVL's most explosive running backs at 6-0, 190 pounds, amassing 1,033 yards with 13 touchdowns on just 82 carries. He also had a 99-yard kickoff return for a score.

The 6-4, 285-pound Winner was one of the league's top two-way linemen, good enough to earn a North-South invite after earning second-team All-East District honors in Division II.

He and Sobrosky, who joined him in the trenches, helped pave the way for a productive, balanced offense. Sabrosky will join the Eagles as a walk-on.

Watts said he is being recruited as a cornerback with a glut of running backs on the current roster. He has the speed to play the position, having been timed between 4.4 and 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash and :11.0 in the 100 meters. He will run the 200 meters this week at the Division II regional at Muskingum.

"It wasn't really planned on my part, but my friends were going there," Watts explained. "I took a visit and really liked the environment, the people, what they had to offer when we went to camp. It just caught my eye. I was kind of leaning back and forth (between playing), but I just made the decision."

He was among more than a dozen Ashland signees in the North-South Game, which allowed him to learn about some of prospective teammates. That he showed his strong coverage skills in the game against quality competition certainly didn't hurt his outlook.

Owner of a 3.8 GPA, he plans to major in marketing.

"It was definitely a huge confidence boost, but I'm still going to be humble about it," Watts said. "When I get up to Ashland, hopefully I can go up there and compete."

All three players expressed their appreciation for the Eagles' campus. Winner, who played defensive tackle in the North-South Game, hopes to eventually work his way into the line rotation.

"Ashland has always stood out to me," Winner said. "I think I will look pretty good in purple (and white)."

He was renowned as one of the strongest linemen in the MVL and easily one of its most athletic. He was a district placer in wrestling at heavyweight despite not taking up the sport until his senior season, adding that the sport really helped his football.

Like Watts, he showed his potential with two tackles-for-loss in the North-South Game, one that helped force a first-half field goal. Owner of a 3.7 GPA and 25 on the ACT, he will major in exercise science.

"I'm excited, obviously," Winner said.

Sobrosky echoed Winner's feelings, but he knows his situation as a walk-on will be different and likely require patience to prove his place among the linemen. He's nontheless excited, however, and hopes to get an opportunity to eventually prove himself.

"Hopefully by my third year I am able to do that," Sobrosky said.

He will major in sports management.

"I really fell in love with the place," Sobrosky said. "It just really made me feel at home. ... I love the school and love the program."

Yoder found Hoosier State to his liking

Yoder, also a second-team All-District hauled in 20 passes for 359 yards as a receiver, then had 30 tackles on defense. He also was a starter in basketball.

Anderson, with an enrollment of just more than 1,000, is a private Christian university located almost equidistant from northeast Indianapolis and southwest Muncie. He also visited Calvin (Michigan) University.

The Division III school plays in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference with the likes of Ohio schools Bluffton, Defiance and Mount St. Joseph. Yoder likes the combination of faith, academics and football at Anderson.

"It's a nice school, a good Christian school and that's what I was looking for," Yoder said. "They just got a new coach (Johnathan Coddington) and I really liked the visit. The football program is looking really good going forward, I think."

Yoder, who will major in sports management, said he is being recruited as a wide receiver. He is encouraged about the direction of the program despite a 1-9 record in 2022. He hopes to eventually work his way into playing time, but he knows it will be a process that takes time.

Academics will be his top priority, he said.

"I know they're all going to be really good," Yoder said. "I just want the opportunity to go over there and see what I can do."

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: River View High School football stars excited for college futures