Vote for the 2024-25 Akron-area high school boys athlete of the year

With the Akron-area OHSAA 2024-25 sports season complete, we're going to spend the next several months looking back at the best of high school sports during the school year.

Your votes will determine the Akron-Area Best of the School Year for teams, coaches and athletes.

This week we want to know who you think was the best high school boys athlete for the 2024-25 school year. Each athlete's credentials are listed above the poll — which will be live until 5 p.m. July 24. The winners will be announced in the morning July 25 on BeaconJournal.com.

Now, let's meet the candidates, who were selected by the Beacon Journal sports staff.

Here's a look at the nominees for the Akron-Area Boys Athlete of the Year, in alphabetical order: 

Wade Allen, Coventry

Wade was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards Boys Bowler of the Year and set a school record with his 225.4 season average. He was named the Metro Athletic Conference Bowler of the Year after leading the Comets to a second straight league title. He also helped Coventry finish as the state runner-up in 2024 and return to the state tournament this past season. Allen had top-five finishes at sectionals and districts before placing 15th at state.

Brady Catanzarite, Walsh Jesuit

Catanzarite was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Catanzarite scored 22 goals and had 23 assists to earn All-Ohio honors. He helped Walsh finish as the Division II state runner-up. He was the Greater Akron Division II District Player of the Year. He graduates as Walsh’s all-time leader in assists and points. He was named an All-American by the United Soccer Coaches Association.

Josh Ellenberger, Walsh Jesuit

Ellenberger was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards Boys Ice Hockey Player of the Year after helping lead Walsh Jesuit to a Great Lakes Hockey League title with a perfect 8-0 record. He earned first-team all-league honors as a goalie and was the Great Lakes Hockey League Player of the Year. A second-team All-Ohio pick, Ellenberger recorded 7 shutouts in 31 games this season, saving 93.6 percent of the shots he faced.

Eli Lee, Archbishop Hoban

Lee was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards Football Defensive Player of the Year. Lee was the Ohio Defensive Player of the Year last fall in Division II and the Greater Akron Defensive Player of the Year. The Ohio State recruit totaled 122 tackles. He made 23 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 3 interceptions, two forced fumbles and scored one touchdown. He anchored a Hoban defense that limited 11 of its 15 opponents to two touchdowns or less. Lee helped the Knights (12-3) win their fifth regional title in a row and make a state semifinal appearance.

Matthew Mansbery, Walsh Jesuit

Mansbery was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards Baseball Player of the Year. Mansbery entered the postseason hitting .476 with an .875 slugging percentage. The junior shortstop had made just two errors defensively while taking part in eight double plays. Through 19 games, 14 of his 30 hits had been for extra bases, including eight doubles and three home runs. He’d scored 15 runs and struck out just three times in 71 plate appearances. Mansbery is a Michigan commit who helped Walsh reach the Division II state tournament.

George Marshall, St. Vincent-St. Mary

Marshall was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards Boys Swimmer of the Year. Marshall became the first St. Vincent-St. Mary swimmer to qualify for the state meet and the first to earn All-Ohio status. He finished eighth in the 500-yard freestyle to become a first team All-Ohioan, and was the lone Greater Akron swimmer to reach the podium at the state meet. He also earned All-Ohio honors in the 200 freestyle.

Keller Moten, Walsh Jesuit

Moten was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards Football Offensive Player of the Year. Moten led Walsh to its first undefeated regular season since 1998, earning first-team All-Ohio in Division II. Moten was a finalist for Ohio’s Mr. Football Award. He shared the Ohio Offensive Player of the Year award in Division II with senior quarterback Nolan Good of state champion Avon and senior quarterback Justice Burnam of state runner-up Cincinnati Anderson. Moten completed 116 of 193 passes for 1,686 yards with 17 touchdowns and five interceptions, and ran for 1,286 yards and 23 touchdowns on 149 carries (8.6 average) as Walsh (13-1) advanced to a regional final.

Chris Pollak, Archbishop Hoban

Pollak was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards Boys Golfer of the Year and won the Division I state championship last fall by two shots. His victory led Hoban to its second team state championship in the last five seasons. The Florida Southern College recruit finished in the top 16 at the state tournament in each of his three previous trips before his victory as a senior. He began this postseason by finishing as the sectional runner-up in helping Hoban win a sectional team title.

EJ Sopata, Nordonia

Sopata was named the 2024-25 Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards Boys Volleyball Player of the Year and the Division II Region 7 Player of the Year this past spring. He led the Knights to the Division II state tournament and a 20-win season. Sopata totaled 446 kills, 131 digs and 69 service aces during the season.

A look at the 2024-25 Akron-Area High School Teams, Athletes and Coaches of the Year winners

• Date - girls winner | boys winner
• June 20 - Girls Team of the Year: Walsh Jesuit soccer
• June 27 - Boys Team of the Year: St. Vincent-St. Mary volleyball
• July 4 - Girls Coach of the Year: Bill Zufall III, Highland soccer
• July 11 - Boys Coach of the Year: Logan Jennings, St. Vincent-St. Mary volleyball
• July 18 - Girls Athlete of the Year: Mackie Stickler, Hudson

Editor's note: Winners of the Akron-Area Athlete of the Week in the spring are not eligible to win it again until the fall sports season begins. Coaches and athletic directors: Submit nominees for Akron-Area High School Athlete of the Week at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron-Area Boys Athlete of the Year for 2024-25, vote now