Moeller's Matt Ponatoski named Ohio Mr. Football

Moeller head coach Bert Bathiany will never forget the first time he saw Matt Ponatoski throw.Bathiany was planning to throw routes to Moeller tight end Eli Jacon-Duffey in a 2022 practice. Instead, then-freshman Ponatoski stepped in and the rest was history."It was just coming off his hand differently. The way I describe it is that when he throws it, you hear it. You hear it cut through the wind, and it is on point every time," Bathiany said. "He has all the tools."Ponatoski has showcased all of those tools this season in leading top-ranked Moeller to the state championship game. The junior, who is Moeller's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, has thrown for 4,075 yards and 56 scores through 15 games.Ponatoski was the Greater Catholic League South and Southwest District Division I Offensive Player of the Year. On Thursday, the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association named him Ohio Mr. Football."They said it was a tight vote, and I won," said Ponatoski, who thought he was in trouble when he was pulled from anatomy class and given the news. "I didn't really think anything of it until (finalists) were announced. It's a great surprise."From unknown to Ohio Mr. FootballPonatoski was most known as a Missouri baseball commit ‒ he has since decommitted ‒ when he made his first varsity start at quarterback two years ago.Many surveyed their program when then-Moeller coach Mark Elder sent Ponatoski in for his first varsity start as a freshman in the Division I regional championship game against Lakota West in 2022.Cool, calm and collected, Ponatoski completed 4-of-5 throws for 66 yards and a touchdown to Jacon-Duffey to lead Moeller to a regional title that night.Two years later, Ponatoski needs no introduction.In fact, he was one reason Bathiany was so excited to become the ninth head coach in Moeller history in March 2023."Before I was hired, I knew they had a freshman starting at Moeller. I recruited this school for a number of years and had plenty of teammates and friends who went here. For a freshman to be starting here, you knew he had some talent," Bathiany said. "If he (Elder) made that decision, you knew he had something special in him. I was excited about that."Ponatoski was a third-team All-Ohio selection as a sophomore, throwing for 3,344 yards and 29 touchdowns while helping steer Moeller to another regional crown.He's found a different level this season. Ponatoski's 56 touchdown passes rank tied for 14th all-time in a single season, according to the OHSAA record book. In five playoff games, Ponatoski has combined to go 78-of-104 for 1,391 yards with 18 touchdowns (one rushing) against just one interception.In Moeller's 49-10 win over Centerville in the state semifinals, Ponatoski threw for 431 yards and tied his school record with six touchdown tosses."It goes through him (Ponatoski). He's bought into that and he's excelled in that. He does a great job getting the ball in the hands of the best players," Bathiany said after the win. "It's everyone doing it together as a team. That's who he is."Ohio Mr. Football Award stays on Montgomery RoadIn his first full season as a starter, Ponatoski knew he had one of the nation's top running backs to lean on.Jordan Marshall, who is now at Michigan, totaled nearly 2,000 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns last season and was the first in school history to be named Ohio Mr. Football.With Thursday's announcement, Moeller becomes the third school to ever boast back-to-back Ohio Mr. Football winners. Moeller is the first to have two different winners in consecutive years with Euclid's Robert Smith (1988-1989) and North Canton Hoover's Erick Howard (2008-2009) going back to back.After a 27-year run without an Ohio Mr. Football, Greater Cincinnati has now had the state's top player in four of the last six seasons as Ponatoski joins Wyoming's Evan Prater (2019), Roger Bacon's Corey Kiner (2020) and Marshall (2023).'The job is not finished yet.'Entering this season, Ponatoski knew he had to grow into the vocal leader Moeller needed when Marshall left for Ann Arbor.Ponatoski authored a flawless transition where Moeller has kept a razor-sharp focus on the No. 1 goal while ignoring the outside noise.Last Sunday, two days after beating Centerville for its first state title game berth in 11 years, Moeller was back in the weight room like normal, getting in a competitive lift as a team."I bet anyone who walked in that room (Sunday) would be like, 'That's why they're here,'" Bathiany said. "The expectation hasn't changed."The expectation is that Moeller will win its 10th state championship in program history and first since 2013 when they play Olentangy Liberty (13-2) Friday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton."Coming into this season, I just wanted to win a state championship. We're on our way to doing that right now," Ponatoski said. "My eyes are focused on a state championship and once we finish the job, I can sit back, look at this and be like, 'Wow, I had a great season.'"I'm excited but I know more work has to be done because the job is not finished yet." Ohio Mr. Football Winners (including college choice):1987: Buster Howe, RB-DB-K-P, Zanesville, Ohio State1988: Robert Smith, RB, Euclid, Ohio State1989: Robert Smith, RB, Euclid, Ohio State1990: Bobby Hoying, QB, St. Henry, Ohio State1991: Derek Kidwell, QB-DE, Fostoria, Bowling Green1992: Marc Edwards, RB-LB, Norwood, Notre Dame1993: Curtis Enis, RB-LB, Mississinawa Valley, Penn State1994: Charles Woodson, DB-RB, Fremont Ross, Michigan1995: Andy Katzenmoyer, LB, Westerville South, Ohio State1996: Derek Combs, RB-DB-KR, Grove City, Ohio State1997: Tony Fisher, RB, Euclid, Notre Dame1998: Ryan Brewer, RB, Troy, South Carolina1999: Bam Childress, DB-WR-KR, Bedford St. Peter Chanel, Ohio State2000: Jeff Backes, RB-DB, Upper Arlington, Northwestern2001: Maurice Clarett, RB, Warren G. Harding, Ohio State2002: Ben Mauk, QB, Kenton, Wake Forest/Cincinnati2003: Ray Williams, RB, Cleveland Benedictine, West Virginia2004: Tyrell Sutton, RB, Archbishop Hoban, Northwestern2005: Delone Carter, RB, Copley, Syracuse2006: Brandon Saine, RB, Piqua, Ohio State2007: Bart Tanski, QB, Mentor, Bowling Green2008: Erick Howard, RB, North Canton Hoover, Akron2009: Erick Howard, RB, North Canton Hoover, Akron2010: Akise Teague, RB-DB-KR, Youngstown Ursuline, Cincinnati2011: Maty Mauk, QB, Kenton, Missouri/Eastern Kentucky2012: Mitch Trubisky, QB, Mentor, North Carolina2013: Dante Booker Jr., LB, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Ohio State2014: Joe Burrow, QB, Athens, Ohio State, Louisiana State2015: Keishaun Sims, RB-DB, Massillon Perry, Ashland University2016: Michael Warren, RB, Toledo Central Catholic, University of Cincinnati2017: Joey Baughman, QB, Wadsworth, Elon University2018: Cade Stover, SS-RB, Lexington, Ohio State University2019: Evan Prater, QB, Cincinnati Wyoming, University of Cincinnati2020: Corey Kiner, RB, Cincinnati Roger Bacon, Louisiana State2021: Drew Allar, QB, Medina, Penn State2022: Lamar Sperling, RB, Akron Archbishop Hoban, Buffalo2023: Jordan Marshall, RB, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller2024: Matt Ponatoski, QB, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller