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Local Sports

Friday, November 20, 2009

Jackson, Buenger lead gridiron all-stars
Diamond Mine Direct
By DAVE HANNEMAN

STAFF WRITER

The only thing that might slow down Ada’s Heath Jackson and Patrick Henry’s Justin Buenger is graduation.

Jackson and Buenger rolled up phenomenal numbers this season, and both shared offensive player of the year honors in their respective divisions of the Associated Press all-Northwest Ohio selections released Thursday.

Two other area players earned top honors as well. Liberty-Benton linebacker Brett Pasche sharing defensive player of the year honors in Division V and Ottawa-Glandorf’s Brent Sager was named the lineman of the year in Division IV.

Jackson started the 2009 season as one of the most highly regarded receivers in the state. He’s ending it as one Ohio’s most explosive quarterbacks.

Jackson caught 46 passes for 781 yards and 7 touchdowns in Ada’s first four games. But when quarterback Mitchell Faine was lost for the season to a knee injury, Jackson proved he was more than one-dimensional. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior took over for Faine and Ada never slowed down. In helping the Bulldogs cap off a 10-0 regular season and a Northwest Conference championship, Jackson completed 85-of-143 passes (59 percent) for 1,455 yards and 15 TDs. He also rushed for 690 yards and another 15 touchdowns, returned a punt and a kickoff for scores and had 52 tackles and 4 interceptions playing defense.

Buenger has been racking up record-breaking numbers at Patrick Henry, too.

The 5-11, 180-pound senior has established new PH season records for rushing yards (1,734) and touchdowns (31). He also owns the school’s career rushing record and will keep adding to it in every playoff game the Patriots take part in, including today’s Division V regional final in Defiance against Tinora.

Like Jackson, Buenger did more than just carry the pigskin. He caught 16 passes for 319 yards and 4 TDs and averaged 26.5 yards on kickoffs and 10.9 yards on punt returns. Buenger intercepted three passes on defense, and also threw a pass. Naturally, he completed it.

Pasche has been a defensive mainstay in a Liberty-Benton program that has gone 44-8 and made two state semifinal appearances in his high school career. The 2009 Blanchard Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Pasche had 91 tackles and 3 interceptions this season. He had 6 sacks, 17 other tackles for losses and amassed over 2,600 yards passing and rushing and 29 TDs as L-B’s quarterback.

Pasche had 189 tackles his junior year, including 8 tackles and an interception against Youngstown Ursuline in last year’s Division V state championship game.

Sager was the only returning full-time starter for Ottawa-Glandorf’s offense this season. The 6-4, 250-pound senior left tackle has anchored an impressive showing by the Titans, however. With Sager leading the way, O-G averaged 206.4 yards a game rushing and 107 passing.

Hanneman: 419-427-8408,

Send an e-mail to Dave Hanneman


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