Whiteford’s Division 8 state championship football team made quite an impression on the 2022 Associated Press All-State football voters.

Shea Ruddy was named the Division 7/8 Player of the Year and earned first team All-State honors. He is joined on the AP first team by lineman Brayden Luse and linebacker Jake Iott. Hunter DeBarr and head coach Todd Thieken were named to the AP Second Team All-State list.

Ruddy completed his career as the top passer in school history in nearly every category. This season he set school records for touchdown passes in a game (5) and season (19), while passing for 1,241 yards and rushing for 789 more. He scored 19 rushing touchdowns and directed the Bobcats on the state-championship winning drive, finishing it off with a seven-yard touchdown run with 1:59 left in the game to lift the Bobcats to a 26-20 win over previously undefeated Ubly.

Iott shattered the school’s single season tackle record with 205 stops on the season, breaking the previous record of 172 held by Joe Butz since 1986. Iott also had 14 tackles for loss, eight quarterback sacks, forced three fumbles and recovered five. On offense, Iott rushed for more than 1,000 yards, scored 21 touchdowns and made 36 two-point conversions.

Luse is a three-year starter on the Bobcat line and helped push the Bobcats to more than 4,515 yards rushing and 68 rushing touchdowns.

DeBarr earned second team honors after leading the Bobcats in rushing with 1,212 yards and catching 18 passes for 391 yards. He scored two touchdowns in the state championship game.

Thieken took over as the Bobcat head coach in early June and set a goal of winning the Division 8 state championship from the start. The Bobcats did just that, averaging 47.4 points a game while giving up just an average of 12.7 points a game.

The Michigan Asscociated Press Division 7-8 All-State football team.

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DIVISION 7-8

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Player of the Year

Shea Ruddy, Ottawa Lake-Whiteford, Sr.

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Quarterbacks

Shea Ruddy, Ottawa Lake-Whiteford, Sr.  

Wyatt Nausadis, Traverse City St. Francis, Sr.

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Running Backs

Ethan Wissner, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, Sr.

Derrick Walker, Jackson Lumen Christi, Sr.

Bart Laretz, Napoleon, Sr.

Brenden Haisenleder, Marine City Cardinal Mooney, Sr.

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Wide Receivers

Ethan Hull, Ithaca, Sr.

Dakobe White, Evart, Jr.

Jaxon Childers, Benzonia Benzie Central, Jr.

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Linemen

Tristan Duncan, Detroit Central, Sr.

Hunter Nysen, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, Sr.

Jon Brzezinski, Clarkston Everest Collegiate, Sr.

Sam Gallo, North Muskegon, Sr.

Nolan Collins, Lawton, Jr.

Brayden Luse, Ottawa Lake-Whiteford, Sr.  

Zac Affholter, Reading, Sr.

Michael Stevenson, Montrose, Sr.

Jaden Curry, New Lothrop, Sr.  

Canden Peruski, Ubly, Jr.

Ben Straus, Beal City, Sr.

Parker Peruski, Ubly, Sr.

Mike Humphreys, Napoleon, Sr.

Mack Bontekoe, McBain, Sr.

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Linebackers

Jake Iott, Ottawa Lake-Whiteford, Jr.

Mikel Good, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, Sr.

Joey Donahue, Traverse City St. Francis, Sr.

Easten Strodtman, Hudson, Sr.  

Tagg Gott, Schoolcraft, Sr.

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Defensive backs

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Dontez Hicks, Detroit Central, Sr.

Luke Wolfe, Iron Mountain, Jr.

Jacob Hamilton, Reading, Sr.

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Specialist

Hunter Hogan, Ravenna, Sr.

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Kicker

Rease Teel, Perry, Sr.

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Punter

Troy Wertman, Pewamo-Westphalia, Sr.

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Coach of the Year

Herb Brogan, Jackson Lumen Christi

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SECOND TEAM

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Quarterbacks:

Second Team

Preston Wallace, Evart, Jr.

Jack Kulhanek, New Lothrop, Jr.

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Running backs:

Cole Hopkins, Evart, Sr.

Kyler Maiorana, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, Jr.

Hunter DeBarr, Ottawa Lake-Whiteford, Jr.

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Wide receivers:

Grayson Ackels, Carson City-Crystal, Jr.  

Jaxon McGuigan, Manchester, Sr.  

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Linemen:

Luke Braun, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, Sr.

Brandon Pass, Ithaca, Jr.

Evan Curtiss, Fowler, Jr.

Ethan Morgan, Traverse City St. Francis, Sr.

Grayson Orr, New Lothrop, Sr.

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Linebackers:

Garrett Hathaway, Traverse City St. Francis, Sr.

Seth Miller, White Pigeon, Sr.

Kaleb Peska, Ithaca, Sr.  

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Defensive backs:

Charlie Martyn, Ithaca, Sr.

Patrick Sterrett, Charlevoix, Sr.

Connor Boyer, East Jordan, Sr.

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Specialist:

Joe Lathers, Jackson Lumen Christi, Sr.

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Coach:

Todd Thieken, Ottawa Lake-Whiteford