The Ohio Prep Sports Media Association released its 2026 All-Southwest District football teams on Thursday, November 12, with Elder quarterback Kaden Estep and Lakota West running back Kenyon Norman sharing Division I Offensive Player of the Year honors, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The honors, chosen by a media panel that includes The Enquirer, are based on regular-season accomplishments only — which makes the numbers behind them worth a look before this weekend’s regional semifinals. Estep has thrown for 2,783 yards and 27 touchdowns and rushed for 864 yards and 11 scores for the 9-2 Panthers. Norman rushed for 1,642 yards and 32 touchdowns for 9-2 Lakota West, The Enquirer reported.
Division I’s Defensive Player of the Year is Springfield linebacker Jahmiere Daniels. Little Miami’s Nate Mahon and Beavercreek’s Trace Smitherman are the Co-Coaches of the Year; Mahon led the Panthers to a 7-4 record and their first winning season since 2019, according to The Enquirer.
Division II belonged to Anderson. Quarterback Owen Scalf, who has thrown for 3,524 yards and 43 touchdowns for the 10-1 Raptors, is the Offensive Player of the Year; linebacker Antwoine Higgins, the team leader in tackles with 5.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and three interceptions, is the Defensive Player of the Year; and head coach Evan Dreyer is the Coach of the Year, The Enquirer reported.
In Division III, Tippecanoe quarterback Larkin Thomas is the Offensive Player of the Year, Bellbrook defensive back Jack Kosins the Defensive Player of the Year and Bellbrook’s Jeff Jenkins the Coach of the Year. Division IV honors include Wyoming quarterback David Dupee as Co-Offensive Player of the Year — 2,415 passing yards and 31 touchdowns for the 9-2 Cowboys — and North College Hill coach Tyler Williams as Coach of the Year after the Trojans went 9-1 and outscored opponents 510-3 in the regular season, The Enquirer reported.
The smaller divisions produced some of the day’s biggest stat lines. In Division VI, Deer Park’s Tink Sellers — a defensive back who also plays quarterback — is the Defensive Player of the Year after intercepting eight passes and returning three for touchdowns, and Deer Park coach Tucker Berger is Coach of the Year after the Wildcats won their first Cincinnati Hills League title at 10-1. In Division VII, Cincinnati Country Day junior Thomas Huckleby is a Co-Offensive Player of the Year with 683 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns plus 61 catches for 677 yards and five scores, The Enquirer reported.
The district panel also selected the nominees the district will place on the official Ohio Mr. Football ballot, which is usually announced in late November, The Enquirer reported. For the players named Thursday, though, the immediate business is on the field: many of the honorees, including Estep’s Elder Panthers and Scalf’s Anderson Raptors, play regional semifinal games this weekend with state semifinal berths on the line.
Photo: Hayden Schiff, CC BY