West Branch junior quarterback Jeremiah Thomas is the Northeast Inland District Division IV offensive co-player of the year after compiling 2,902 yards of total offense and accounting for 44 touchdowns. (Morning Journal/Ron Firth)

CANTON — West Branch, coming off a fifth straight Eastern Buckeye Conference title and a fifth 10-0 regular season in school history, had some of the top football players in Northeast Ohio.

The Warriors, led by junior quarterback Jeremiah Thomas, feature six Division IV first-teamers on the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association 2024 All-Northeast Inland District football team.

Thomas was named the Division IV offensive co-player of the year after guiding the Warriors to an 11-1 record and an average of 38.5 points a game.

He is joined on the first team by five fellow Warriors — senior running back Boston Mulinix, senior receiver Joey Jackson, senior offensive lineman Dom Slimon, senior defensive lineman Cam Summers and senior linebacker Jack Flickinger.

In his first season at quarterback, Thomas completed 124 of 200 passes (62%) for 1,969 yards and 29 touchdowns with three interceptions and ran for 933 yards and 15 touchdowns on 112 carries (8.3).

Mulinix had his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season as he totaled 1,438 yards and 15 touchdowns on 190 carries (7.6).

Jackson had a team-high 50 catches for 803 yards (16.1) and 12 touchdowns.

Slimon helped pave the way up front for the high-scoring offense, while Summers did so on defense as he had 87 tackles with six for losses and one fumble recovery.

Flickinger totaled 101 tackles with 6 1/2 for losses and three fumble recoveries.

Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference champion United, Southern and East Palestine each have two first-teamers.

First-team honorees include Salem senior offensive lineman David Manges in Division IV; Crestview senior running back Max Hawkins in Division V; United senior offensive lineman Trent Ellyson, United senior defensive back Parker Newburn and Columbiana senior running back Spencer Pruitt in Division VI; and Southern senior defensive lineman Noah Chase, Southern senior defensive back Timmy Potts, East Palestine senior quarterback Owen Jurjavcic, East Palestine senior offensive lineman Logen Guy, Lisbon junior running back Ashton Hinchliffe and Wellsville senior linebacker Tyrell Watkins.

Manges is Salem’s two-time captain and graded at 94.9% with 44 knockdowns and 11 pins.

Hawkins ran for 1,369 yards and 23 touchdowns on 162 carries (8.5) along with 11 two-point conversions. He scored 160 points in eight games before suffering season-ending ACL injury.

Ellyson was three-year starter for the run-oriented Eagles. He graded out at 94% and led the team with 38 pancake blocks.

Newburn helped anchor a United defense that limited opponents to an average of 15 points a game. He had 42 tackles with three interceptions.

Pruitt ran for a school-record 1,637 yads and 16 touchdowns on 215 carries (7.6) and had two touchdown receptions.

Chase and Potts led the defensive charge for the Indians. Chase totaled 73 tackles with 41 solos and three sacks. Potts collected 36 tackles with 25 solos, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Jurjavcic ran for a school-record 2,147 yards and 31 touchdowns on 289 carries (7.4) and completed 78 of 132 passes (59%) for 846 yards and seven touchdowns with six interceptions. He added nine two-point conversion runs and scored a school-record 204 points.

Guy graded at 92% as East Palestine’s best offensive lineman as he led the way for Jurjavcic up front.

Hinchliffe scored a team-high 78 points as he ran for 1,385 yards and 12 touchdowns on 234 carries (5.9) along with three two-point conversions.

Watkins a 89 tackles with 64 solos and seven tackles for a loss –all team highs. He also had an interception and two fumble recoveries.

Second-team selections were Crestview junior quarterback Jake Noling and Crestview junior linebacker Mikey Proctor in Division V and West Branch senior receiver Anthony Perry and West Branch senior linebacker Garin Harland in Division IV.

Receiving honorable mention are Salem’s Cletis Monroy and Troy Gibson and West Branch’s Jax Brooks, Carson Graham, Gain Gregogory, Hayden Martin and Zach Coffee in Division IV; Crestview’s Wyatt Hart in Division V; United’s Logan Wood and Levi Lucas in Division VI; and Southern’s Landen Heffner and Brody Brown, East Palestine’s Kyler Bourne and Anthony Lehman, Lisbon’s Luke Kraft and Marcus Miller and Leetonia’s Carson Brock in Division VII.

See page B6 for the complete All-Northeast Inland District football team.