Picking an all-time Akron City Series football team is daunting. We tried anyway | Opinion

Picking an all-time Akron City Series football team is daunting. We tried anyway | OpinionStory byAkron Beacon JournalNate Ulrich, Akron Beacon JournalTue, November 25, 2025 at 11:02 AM UTC·14 min read

The phrases Herculean task and mission impossible cannot adequately describe the degree of difficulty in voting for an all-time Akron City Series football team.

The main challenge is Akron Public Schools has produced too many great players since the City Series began play in 1911 to narrow them down into a manageable list without omitting dozens of worthy candidates.

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Despite those realities, the Beacon Journal is attempting to celebrate the City Series, honor its rich history and provide local sports fans with nostalgia by tackling this project with a nod to an old Thanksgiving tradition. In 1990, Buchtel defeated Garfield 26-22 in the final Turkey Day title game. The 35th anniversary is this year.

Several members of the Beacon Journal's sports staff filled out ballots for an all-time City Series football team. We asked legendary guest panelists to do the same. We also received help with research from APS Athletics Hall of Fame coach Mike Buckner, who was a star player at East before he served at the helm of Buchtel from 1971-78 and worked as the APS athletic director from 1992-2002, and former longtime Beacon Journal sports editor and reporter Larry Pantages, an Ellet graduate.

All involved conceded a perfect ballot is unattainable.

The good news is we want to hear from you about which players slipped through the cracks during our voting process. Check out our ballots below and send your name, city of residence and feedback to [email protected]. If there are enough responses, a follow-up will be published. Learning and having fun are among the goals.

Buchtel High School star Ricky Powers hops through the hole in the City Series Thanksgiving Day Championship against Ellet on Nov. 23, 1989, at the Rubber Bowl. Ellet won 7-6.

Each panelist was asked to vote for 30 players — 11 on offense, 11 on defense, a kicker, a punter and six who fill flex spots. Any combination of positions could be used for the flex spots. Adjusting for different offensive and defensive schemes was permitted. For example, a panelist could construct a ballot for an offense featuring two or three running backs and for a 4-3, 3-4, 5-2 or nickel defense.

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Individuals who did not play in the City Series were not eligible for selection. It's why you won’t find Kenmore running back Cliff Battles or Ellet quarterback Jacky Lee on any ballots. Battles is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he played for Kenmore in the 1920s when it competed in the Trolley League. Lee played in the AFL from 1960-69, yet his Ellet teams were in the Metropolitan League. Battles and Lee would have been popular picks had they played in the City Series.

Even with the exclusion of Battles and Lee, there are more than 50 former City Series players who appeared in at least one NFL or AFL game. Of the names we unearthed, a whopping 16 played running back.

Without further ado, the ballots ...

Do you know about All-American and College Football Hall of Famer Howard Harpster, who was an All-City QB at West?

Voter: Nate Ulrich, Beacon Journal sports columnist and features writer and member of the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame board of directors who played City Series football for Firestone from 1999-2002 before covering the league and interviewing countless APS legends

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• OFFENSE

• Quarterback: Dave Buckey, Kenmore

• Running back: Ricky Powers, Buchtel

• Running back: John Wooldridge, Central-Hower

• Wide receiver: Jim Lash, Garfield

• Wide receiver: Thomas Lewis, Garfield

• Tight end: Doug Marsh, East

• Line: Eric Cunningham, South

• Line: Levert Carr, Buchtel

• Line: Henry Allison, South

• Line: Les Olsson, Central

• Line: Tobin Buckner, Buchtel

Inductee Whitney Mercilus and Tobin Buckner, inductee Mike Buckner’s son, at the Akron Public School Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony in Akron, on Oct. 18, 2025.

• DEFENSE

• Line: Mike Fox, North

• Line: Jeff Merrow, Firestone

• Line: Sonny Gandee, Garfield

• Line: Greg Morton, Central-Hower

• Linebacker: Whitney Mercilus, Garfield

• Linebacker: Jay Brophy, Buchtel

• Linebacker: Brad Jackson, Firestone

• Cornerback: Antoine Winfield Sr., Garfield

• Cornerback: Dave Brown, Garfield

• Safety: Jarrod Wilson, Buchtel

• Safety: Ramon Walker, Buchtel

Denver Broncos ring of fame alumni Gene Mingo speaks to the media during training camp activities at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

• SPECIALISTS

• Kicker: Gene Mingo, South

• Punter: Howard Harpster, West

• FLEX

• RB: Chris “Beanie” Wells, Garfield

• RB: Larry Poole, Garfield

• RB: Charles Gladman, Garfield

• RB: Don Clark, Central

• TE: Dave Young, East

• TE: Steve Craig, Garfield

• Comments: A favorite discovery during this exercise is West’s Howard Harpster played quarterback, safety, kicker and punter for Carnegie Tech in the late 1920s, leading a famous upset win over Knute Rockne’s Notre Dame. Beacon Journal archives have his punts averaging “close to 50 yards” in 1926 and one traveling “65 yards in the air.” He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a QB, so imagine how dangerous he would be on fake punts. ... The Beacon Journal reached out to the College Football HOF. According to its records, three other inductees played in the City Series. Dave Brown (Garfield) went in as a player and Ara Parseghian (South) and Gary Pinkel (Kenmore) as coaches. … Selecting Whitney Mercilus as a LB is just one reminder about lines being blurred at many positions. He played DE at Garfield and Illinois before spending most of his 10 NFL seasons as an outside LB. Either way, he’ll be consistently rushing off the edge for this team. ... Other examples are Garfield icons Dave Brown and Antoine Winfield Sr. They have safety and CB in their backgrounds.

Chris Wells of Garfield, left, runs past Dave DeMarco of GlenOak to score a touchdown on Sept. 3, 2005, at Fawcett Stadium in Canton.

East's Doug Marsh took his blocking and receiving prowess to the University of Michigan and the NFL

Voter: Ron Linger, an All-City center and Turkey Day champion with East in 1975 who went on to become Central-Hower's football coach and athletic director, East's athletic director, an APS assistant athletic director and a member of the APS Athletics Hall of Fame's executive committee

• OFFENSE

• QB: George Lee, East

• RB: Ricky Powers, Buchtel

• RB: Charles Gladman, Garfield

• RB: John Wooldridge, Central-Hower

• WR: Don Buckey, Kenmore

• WR: Thomas Lewis  Garfield

• OL: Eric Cunningham South

• OL: John Brockett, Garfield

• OL: Carl Hilling, Central

• OL: Henry Allison, South

• OL: Doug Marsh, East

• DEFENSE

• DL: Sonny Gandee, Garfield

• DL: Jeff Merrow, Firestone

• DL: Whitney Mercilus, Garfield

• DL: Mike Fox, North

• LB: Charlton Keith, Buchtel

• LB: Dean Moore, East

• LB: Jay Brophy, Buchtel

• DB: Antoine Winfield Sr., Garfield

• DB: Ramon Walker, Buchtel

• DB: Dave Brown, Garfield

• DB: Jarrod Wilson, Buchtel

Dec 6, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars safety Jarrod Wilson (26) looks on prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

• SPECIALISTS

• K: Gene Mingo, South

• P: Kelly Clark, Central-Hower

• FLEX

• RB: Chris "Beanie" Wells, Garfield

• RB: Jemarulin Suggs, East

• RB: Larry Poole, Garfield

• RB: Ray Matthews, Garfield

• RB: Don Clark, Central

• TE: Dave Young, East

• Comments: Played with Doug Marsh at East and saw his dominance as a blocker firsthand. Hence, the decision to use him on the O-line, even though he's a TE by position. ... East's Dean Moore played middle guard in high school and moved to LB at Iowa and in the NFL. ... Best City Series player of all time: Antoine Winfield Sr. All-City head coach: Tim Flossie (just my opinions). ... It's very difficult to leave off guys like Steve Craig, Jim Lash and a host of others.

John Wooldridge shakes the hand of a Central-Hower football teammate in an undated photo.

List of elite City Series running backs includes John Wooldridge and Ricky Powers, both of whom played for coach Tim Flossie

Voter: John Wooldridge, an APS Athletics HOF and Summit County Sports HOF inductee (and a member of the SCSHOF's board of directors) who was a legendary RB at Central-Hower, winning the Turkey Day championship and being named the Beacon Journal player of the year in 1981 and then playing for Ohio State and signing with the Dallas Cowboys before suffering a career-ending injury

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• OFFENSE

• QB: George Lee, East

• RB: John Wooldridge, Central-Hower

• RB: Ricky Powers, Buchtel

• RB: Lonnie Johnson, North

• WR: Thomas Lewis, Garfield

• TE: Doug Marsh, East

• OL: Levert Carr, Buchtel

• OL: Carl Hilling, Central

• OL: Gerald Reeves, Kenmore

• OL: Eric Cunningham, South

• OL: William “Billy” Graves, Central-Hower

Former Buchtel High School, University of Miami and NFL linebacker Jay Brophy sits in his old field house office at St. Vincent-St. Mary surrounded by Miami Hurricanes memorabilia in 2002.

• DEFENSE

• DL: Whitney Mercilus, Garfield

• DL: Leland Jones, Buchtel

• DL: Elliot “Big E” Williams, Central-Hower

• DL: Mike Fox, North

• LB: Jay Brophy, Buchtel

• LB: Brad Jackson, Firestone

• DB: Mike Buckner, Buchtel

• DB: Dave Brown, Garfield

• DB Antoine Winfield Sr., Garfield

• DB: Ramon Walker, Buchtel

• DB: Johnny Adams, Buchtel

• SPECIALISTS

• K: Gene Mingo, South

• P: Kelly Clark, Central-Hower

Central High School football legend Don Clark in 1969.Former Garfield and Kent State football player Larry Poole played running back for the Cleveland Browns from 1975-78. This photograph of Poole is from his time at KSU in 1973. He'll be inducted into the Akron Public Schools Hall of Fame on Oct. 18, 2025, in Akron.

• FLEX

• RB: Don Clark, Central

• RB: Moses Denson, South

• RB: Antonio Pittman, Buchtel

• RB: Larry Poole, Garfield

• RB: Chris "Beanie" Wells, Garfield

• WR: Nate Harris, Central-Hower

• Comments: This has been an incredibly fun but very challenging task, simply based on the ridiculous amount of unspeakable talent that has been in this league over the many decades. Until you go through an assignment like this, you don’t truly realize just how many unquestionable stars have traveled down the hallowed halls of Akron City Series high school football. I would most certainly like to add that I’m so incredibly blessed to have been included in this unfathomable selection of high school football greatness, while being mentioned with this group of all-time Akron City Series football All-Stars.

Harry Welch, 92, who played football for the University of Southern California in the 1953 Rose Bowl, shows his basement full of newspaper clippings photographs and other items.

Before Harry Welch became a USC cornerback and Rose Bowl champion, he starred for Kenmore in the late 1940s

Voter: Richard Stallsmith, longtime Beacon Journal sports editor

• OFFENSE

• QB: Dave Buckey, Kenmore

• RB: Ricky Powers, Buchtel

• RB: John Wooldridge, Central-Hower

• WR: Jim Lash, Garfield

• WR: Thomas Lewis, Garfield

• TE: Doug Marsh, East

• OL: Horace Bell, East

• OL: Levert Carr, Buchtel

• OL: Les Olsson, Central

• OL: Henry Allison, South

• OL: Jim Flower, Central

Central-Hower football star Greg Morton in 1971.

• DEFENSE

• DL: Whitney Mercilus, Garfield

• DL: Mike Fox, North

• DL: Jeff Merrow, Firestone

• DL: Greg Morton, Central-Hower

• LB: Sonny Gandee, Garfield

• LB: Jay Brophy, Buchtel

• LB: Robert "Bud" Bond, Garfield

• DB: Antoine Winfield Sr., Garfield

• DB: Dave Brown, Garfield

• DB: Jarrod Wilson, Buchtel

• DB: Harry Welch, Kenmore

More City Series football: Garfield graduate Whitney Mercilus enters APS Athletics Hall of Fame

• SPECIALISTS

• K: Gene Mingo, South

• P: Frank "Doc" Wargo, South

Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian on the sidelines with Joe Theismann at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

• FLEX

• RB: Ara Parseghian, South

• RB: Chris "Beanie" Wells, Garfield

• RB: Larry Radcliff, East

• TE: Gary Pinkel, Kenmore

• OL: Bart Pignatelli, North

• DB: Ramon Walker, Buchtel

• Comments: There weren't many shoo-ins on this team. The incredible number of talented players who have graced City Series fields over a century-plus saw to that. Who was the better player? Ricky Powers or Chris Wells? Harry Welch or Ramon Walker? It's truly hard to say, especially when comparing players from different eras. But when they are all this good, there are no wrong answers.

New York Giants' Thomas Lewis (R) catches the ball for a long gain while falling backwards as the New England Patriots' Otis Smith (L) defends in the first quarter at Giants Stadium.

Thomas Lewis starred at Garfield High School and for Indiana University football before the New York Giants drafted him

Voter: Ralph N. Paulk, an author, a retired Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose career included covering the City Series for the Beacon Journal and a member of the APS Athletics Hall of Fame's selection committee

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• OFFENSE

• QB: Dave Buckey, Kenmore

• RB: Ricky Powers, Buchtel

• RB: Don Clark, Central

• WR: Bob Cherry, South

• WR: Thomas Lewis, Garfield

• TE: Jim Lash, Garfield

• OL: Eric Cunningham, South

• OL: John Brockett, Garfield

• OL: Horace Bell, East

• OL: Henry Allison, South

• OL: Brandon Hayes, Buchtel

A 1986 Firestone High School graduate, Mac Stephens has had a long coaching career. His most recent jobs have been as the head coach of the Cleveland Heights and Garfield Heights high school football teams.

• DEFENSE

• DL: Whitney Mercilus, Garfield

• DL: Mike Fox, North

• DL: Eric Graves, Buchtel

• DL: Lu David Wims, South

• LB: Kelvin King, Buchtel

• LB: Mac Stephens, Firestone

• LB: Ramon Walker, Buchtel

• DB: Antoine Winfield Sr., Garfield

• DB: Charles Parnell, Garfield

• DB: Eric Cherry, East

• DB: Dave Brown, Garfield

Ramon Walker when he was a 17-year-old football player at Buchtel High School.

• SPECIALISTS

• K: Gene Mingo, South

• P: Marty Rogers, Buchtel

• FLEX

• Return specialist: Fred Gissendaner, Buchtel

• QB, DB: Burt Thornton, Buchtel

• RB: Larry Poole, Garfield

• TE: Steve Craig, Garfield

• DB: Leonard Humphries, North

• RB: Chris "Beanie" Wells, Garfield

• Comments: Lewis was a first-round draft pick (No. 24 overall) of the New York Giants. ... Graves had the game-clinching sack in Buchtel's 1988 state championship win over Steubenville. ... Cherry was a state champion in track. ... Rogers made clutch kicks during Buchtel's 1987 and 1988 state title runs.

Ricky Powers runs the ball for the Buchtel High School football team in 1989.

Akron City Series always has football stars from the Buckey twins to Ricky Powers to Whitney Mercilus

Voter: Michael Beaven, Akron Beacon Journal sports writer who graduated from Firestone High School in 2001 and the University of Akron in 2006, played baseball and basketball growing up, lettered in baseball at Firestone and has interviewed hundreds of City Series athletes and coaches from 2004 to the present

• OFFENSE

• QB: Dave Buckey, Kenmore

• RB: Ricky Powers, Buchtel

• RB: Larry Poole, Garfield

• RB: Charles Gladman, Garfield

• WR: Thomas Lewis, Garfield

• TE: Doug Marsh, East

• OL: Henry Allison, South

• OL: Eric Cunningham, South

• OL: Les Olsson, Central

• OL: Levert Carr, Buchtel

• OL: Dutch Wallace, South

Former Garfield and Kent State football player Larry Poole played running back for the Cleveland Browns from 1975-78. This photograph of Poole is from his time at KSU in 1973. He'll be inducted into the Akron Public Schools Hall of Fame on Oct. 18, 2025, in Akron.

• DEFENSE

• DL: Whitney Mercilus, Garfield

• DL: Mike Fox, North

• DL: Jeff Merrow, Firestone

• DL: Sonny Gandee, Garfield

• LB: Jay Brophy, Buchtel

• LB: Brad Jackson, Firestone

• LB: Mac Stephens, Firestone

• DB: Antoine Winfield Sr., Garfield

• DB: Dave Brown, Garfield

• DB: Jarrod Wilson, Buchtel

• DB: Ramon Walker, Buchtel

• SPECIALISTS

• K: Gene Mingo, South

• P: Frank "Doc" Wargo, South

• FLEX

• RB: John Wooldridge, Central-Hower

• RB: Chris "Beanie" Wells, Garfield

• WR: Jim Lash, Garfield

• WR: Don Buckey, Kenmore

• TE: Dave Young, East

• TE: Steve Craig, Garfield

• Comments: Wow, there have been so many good football players in Akron Public Schools. Look at all the Garfield players in these ballots. ... Everybody picked Powers from the 1987 and 1988 Buchtel teams that won Division II state championships. I also considered Donald Futch, Eric Graves, Burt Thornton, Kelvin King, Ron Shannon, Lester Carney and Markus Jennings. ... A lot of other Buchtel players come to mind, including Marlon Oden, Shaquille Riddick and the Blackwell twins ... I also considered the following players: Firestone's Trenton Lykes, Scott Peterson, Tommy Brown, Cody Grice, Jerome Lane Jr., Jovahn Fair and Bryce Harris; Ellet's Kevin Shuman and Kevin Richardson; East's Curby Smith, Jemarulin Suggs, Bangally Kamara, Eric Holley and Ziaire Stevens; and Garfield's Ron Tate and Renard Harmon.

Kenmore quarterback Dave Buckey in 1970.

Jeff Merrow, Dave Brown became NFL stars in the 1970s, '80s after first starring in the City Series

Voter: Chris Beaven, USA TODAY Network Northern Ohio regional sports editor since 2020, in addition to Canton Repository sports editor since 2010. Thanks in large part to my late grandpa — thank you, Bill Rodgers — I grew up attending City Series football games at the Rubber Bowl in the late 1970s and throughout the '80s (including some cold Turkey Day games), attending Akron Public Schools throughout and graduating from Firestone in 1986.

The front and back of Doug Marsh's 1984 Topps football card.

• OFFENSE

• QB: Dave Buckey, Kenmore

• RB: Ricky Powers, Buchtel

• RB: Charles Gladman, Garfield

• RB: John Wooldridge, Central-Hower

• WR: Jim Lash, Garfield

• TE: Doug Marsh, East

• OL: Henry Allison, South

• OL: Tobin Buckner, Buchtel

• OL: Eric Cunningham, South

• OL: Carl Hilling, Central

• OL: Les Olsson, Central

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Jeff Merrow (75, second from left) starred at Firestone High School. He's joined on the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers by teammates Jim Laughlin (51), Don Smith (65) and Jeff Yeates (79) at Fulton County Stadium.Seattle Seahawks great Dave Brown pauses to sign some sports cards for a fan at his induction to the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame in Akron.

• DEFENSE

• DL: Jeff Merrow, Firestone

• DL: Mike Fox, North

• DL: Sonny Gandee, Garfield

• DL: Whitney Mercilus, Garfield

• LB: Jay Brophy, Buchtel

• LB: Mac Stephens, Firestone

• LB: Steve Cockerham, Ellet

• DB: Dave Brown, Garfield

• DB: Antoine Winfield Sr., Garfield

• DB: Charles Parnell, Garfield

• DB: Harry Welch, Kenmore

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More City Series football: Akron's Mike Fox enters Summit County Sports Hall of Fame

• SPECIALISTS

• K: Gene Mingo, South

• P: Frank "Doc" Wargo, South

• FLEX

• QB-DB: Howard Harpster, West

• RB-DB: Larry Poole, Garfield

• TE: Dave Young, East

• TE: Steve Craig, Garfield

• WR: Thomas Lewis, Garfield

• WR: Don Buckey, Kenmore

• Comments: Let me first say, really regret not telling Nate to give us at least 50 selections for this. Guessing a team of the guys we left off (starting with my 31st and 32nd players, Chris Wells and Fred Gissendaner, and the assorted heavy hitters of the mid-90s Griffins) could beat the teams we put together. That said, this was a fun trip into the past. First guy I thought of when we talked about this project was the late Dave Brown, who I first knew of from a game program at some point in the '70s that featured pictures of NFL guys from Akron. For some reason, that stuck with me. I couldn't wait to get a football card of him with the Seattle Seahawks, where he remains their career leader in interceptions. Then I saw Jeff Merrow of the Atlanta Falcons was from Firestone. Soon, I watched the next generation of City legends and was amazed by the likes of Charles Gladman. So those guys were my starting point, as the picks here come from personal memories, research and word of mouth over the years.

Panthers defensive end Mike Fox sacks Falcons quarterback Jeff George during Carolina's inaugural NFL regular-season game Sept. 3, 1995, in Atlanta. The first-quarter sack by Fox was the first in franchise history.Akron South High School football legend Eric Cunningham in 1979.

Which players received the most votes on the Akron Beacon Journal's all-time City Series football ballots?

The following players are unanimous selections by our seven voters: defensive back Dave Brown (Garfield), defensive lineman Mike Fox (North), wide receiver Thomas Lewis (Garfield), defensive end/linebacker Whitney Mercilus (Garfield), kicker Gene Mingo (South), running back Ricky Powers (Buchtel) and defensive back Antoine Winfield Sr. (Garfield).

The following players received six of seven possible votes: offensive lineman Henry Allison (South), linebacker Jay Brophy (Buchtel), offensive lineman Eric Cunningham (South), tight end Doug Marsh (East), running back Larry Poole (Garfield), defensive back Ramon Walker (Buchtel), running back Chris "Beanie" Wells (Garfield) and running back John Wooldridge (Central-Hower).

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The following players received five of seven possible votes: quarterback Dave Buckey (Kenmore), defensive lineman/linebacker Sonny Gandee (Garfield), wide receiver Jim Lash (Garfield) and defensive lineman Jeff Merrow (Firestone).

The following players received four of seven possible votes, meaning they appeared on a majority of our ballots: offensive lineman Levert Carr (Buchtel), running back Don Clark (Central), tight end Steve Craig (Garfield), running back Charles Gladman (Garfield), offensive lineman Les Olsson (Central), defensive back Jarrod Wilson (Buchtel) and tight end Dave Young (East).

Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Beacon Journal votes on all-time City Series football team

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