Six Boardman High School gridders have earned All American Conference Gold Tier first team all-star honors, the league announced this week. Left off that top list was the Spartans leading defensive player of the season, inside linebacker Zach Hillard, who gained honorable mention laurels.
      Tapped as first team offensive picks were three-year starting quarterback Mike O’Horo, tailback Joe Ieraci and wide receiver Che Trevena.
      First team defensive picks were three-year starter and tackle Tino Arcuri, linebacker Kareem Hamden and end Alex Huzicka.
      Joining Hillard as an honorable mention pick was center Jimmy Hoffman.
      O’Horo, 6-1, 200 lbs., connected on 101 of 190 passes this season good for 1314 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also rushed for 324 yards and 8 touchdowns. On his career with the Spartans, O’Horo passed for more than 3500 yards and rushed for another 1500. Combining his passing and rushing stats, he accounted for some 50 career touchdowns.
      Ieraci, 5-9, 170 lbs., served as a hard-nosed tailback for the Spartans, rushing for 600 yards this season on 128 carries for a 4.6 yard per carry average and three touchdowns. A sparkplug on the defensive side of the ball, Ieraci had eight tackles in playoff action against Maple Heights.
      Trevena, 6-1, 165 lbs., paced the Spartans receiving corps this season with 33 grabs, good for 444 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
      Arcuri, 6-3, 265 lbs., was an anchor the past three seasons for Boardman on both sides of the ball. This year he finished with 49 tackles, including a team-high six sacks, as well as seven tackles for a loss and two hits that caused fumbles. He had his best game in playoff action against Maple Heights with eight takedowns.
      Hamden, 5-7, 190 lbs., rated second for the Spartans on defense with 85 tackles on the season. He spiced his play with one interception, four pass break-ups, three hits that caused fumbles, three fumble recoveries, four sacks and nine hits for losses.
      Huzicka, 6-3, 240 lbs., who set a new school mark for defensive ends in career hits for minus yards (33), finished the season with 62 tackles, (16 resulting in minus yardage). He had a pair of pass break-ups, two hits that caused fumbles and a pair of sacks. He also made a contribution on the offensive side of the ball, with 17 pass receptions good for 217 yards and a TD.
      Hillard, a 5-9, 175 lbs. linebacker, keyed the Spartans defense since last year’s playoff game against Massillon Jackson when he finished as the game’s leading tackler.
      This season, Hillard led Boardman with 96 takedowns, including a team-high 59 solo tackles, He posted eight hits for minus yards, had three sacks, as well as a fumble recovery, a pass break-up and a hit that caused a fumble.
      Hoffman, a 6-0, 240 lb. lineman, started at center for the Spartans this year.
      “Jimmy Hoffman took over the reigns at Center as a senior. He worked extremely hard. He is a kid that suffered from asthma. Couldn’t get through sprints. Kept working to the point where he didn’t even need his inhaler and could finish every workout. He is a fierce competitor,” said Head Coach Joe Ignazio.
      Arcuri and Huzicka also earned first team Northeast Ohio Inland District laurels, while Hamden was a second team pick. Honorable mention went to O’Horo, Hillard and Trevena. Arcuri was selected to the Inland all-star team as an offensive lineman, while Huzicka was picked for his play at defensive end.
      The Spartans, under Ignazio, finished the season with a 6-5 mark and made it to the Div. II playoffs for the second year in a row.
      All American Conference
      2018 All-Star Picks
      Player of the Year
      Kay’ Ron Adams, Warren Harding
      1st Team Offense
      Maurice Moore, Warren Harding, OL
      Jaquahn McIntosh, Warren Harding, OL
      Tommy Leskovac, Austintown Fitch, OL
      Jarrett Lenney, Warren Harding, OL
      Collin Smith, Austintown Fitch, OL
      Che Trevena, Boardman, TE
      Ralph Fitzgerald, Austintown Fitch, WR
      Jakari Salter, Warren Harding, WR
      Michael O’Horo, Boardman, QB
      Kay’Ron Adams, Warren Harding, RB
      Joe Ieraci Boardman, RB
      1st Team Defense
      Tino Arcuri, Boardman, DL
      Alex Huzicka, Boardman, DL
      Jared Zilinger, Warren Harding, DL
      Simahjay Warfield, Warren Harding, DL
      Jose Reynoso, Lakeside, LB
      Alex Payavlas, Warren Harding, LB
      Kareem Hamdan, Boardman, LB
      Dom Montalbano, Austintown Fitch, LB
      Maleek Cheatham, Austintown Fitch, LB
      Gavin Bish, Lakeside, DB
      Troy Jakubec, Warren Harding, DB
      Cory Vernon, Austintown Fitch, DB
      Mike Clauss, Warren Harding K,
      Bobby Cavalier, Austintown Fitch, K
      Honorable Mention
      Deondre’ McKeever, Austintown Fitch
      Roddell Bebbs, Austintown Fitch
      Zach Hillard, Boardman
      Jimmy Hoffman, Boardman
      Johny Anservitz, Lakeside
      Isaiah Fleming, Lakeside
      Jeremy Wilson ,Warren Harding
      Chris Chew, Warren Harding