It may not be the biggest election of 2024, but you voted on the top high school football players in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky by position on cincinnati.com and the results are finally in.
The Enquirer ran eight polls at the bottom of our stories on the city’s top position players from special teams groups and defensive secondary players to linebackers and quarterbacks. Here are your top vote-getters.
Defensive lineman
Most votes: Gordy Sulfsted, St. Xavier (57.4%)
Runner-up: Austin Alexander, Cooper (8.28%)
Sulfsted, a Notre Dame commit, had 41 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a junior in 2023. In a 10-0 win over Lakota West in the season opener, he had five tackles and a pair of sacks.
More: Greater Cincinnati top 10 defensive linemen in high school football
Defensive back
Most votes: Ace Alston, Anderson (68.19%)
Runner-up: Micah Rice, Moeller (9.92%)
Alston was just a freshman last season when he played 15 games, accumulating 46 tackles (two for a loss), a fumble recovery an interception and 11 pass defenses. He has a number of Division I college offers from schools in the Big Ten and SEC.
More: Greater Cincinnati high school football top 10 defensive secondary players
Running back
Most votes: Durrell Turner, Anderson (37.5%)
Runner-up: Cole Koops, Harrison (27.27%)
One of the top rushers in Kentucky’s Class 6A for Simon Kenton last season, Turner is not up north for Anderson who runs a top-notch offense that can lead to big numbers for a player that already had 1,400 rushing yards in 2023.
More: Here are Greater Cincinnati’s best 10 running backs in high school football in 2024
Quarterback
Most votes: Matt Ponatoski, Moeller (27.93%)
Runner-up: Alex Amburgy, Waynesville (19.37%)
A top recruit as both a football and baseball player, Ponatoski can sling it. As a sophomore last year, he threw for over 3,300 yards with 29 touchdowns while leading Moeller to the Division I state semifinals.
More: Here are Cincinnati’s best high school football quarterbacks ahead of 2024
Linebacker
Most votes: Grant Beerman, Lakota West (33.33%)
Runner-up: Maddox Arnold, Elder (20.99%)
Beerman is a Purdue commit that is listed as a top-20 player in the state for the 2025 class by 247Sports. He led Lakota West’s stellar defense with 79 tackles in 2023.
More: Here are Greater Cincinnati’s top 10 linebackers in high school football in 2024
Receiver/tight end
Most votes: Trace Jallick, Anderson (17.65%)
Runners-up: Luke Erdman, Beechwood/Luka Gilbert, Lakota West (13.73%)
Jallick was a big part last year in sending Anderson to the state semifinals for the first time since 2008. A target for Ivy League and Mid-American Conference programs, Jallick had 120 receptions for 1,267 yards and 12 scores last season.
More: Best 10 wide receivers/tight ends in Cincinnati high school football in 2024
Offensive lineman
Most votes: Jess Hauer, Wyoming (45.71%)
Runner-up: Tucker Kattus, St. Xavier (28.57%)
A two-way force on either line for Wyoming, Hauer was selected as first-team All-Ohio in Division IV last year for his work on the offensive line.
More: Here are the best 10 offensive linemen ahead of 2024 high school football season
Special teams
Most votes: Carter Rummer, Wyoming (65.74%)
Runner-up: Antonio Hunter, Princeton (22.17%)
As a junior last season, Rummer was a stellar 43-44 on extra points as he scored 76 total points in 2023. Against Aiken last year, Rummer had his best game when he was a perfect 5-5 on extra points while also nailing all three field goals he attempted.
More: Here are Cincinnati’s best 10 special teams players in high school football in 2024
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: High school football: Cincinnati voters chose top position players
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