The East Palestine Bulldogs were going to rely on senior quarterback Owen Jurjavcic, they just didn’t know how much.

Jurjavcic had a record-setting season as he earned first-team Division VII All-Ohio honors Monday from the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.

“I expected him to be our featured back this year,” East Palestine coach Michael Demster said. “We knew the time he put in the weight room and all the work he had done, so I anticipated him to have a breakout season. He did more than that. At the same time we weren’t surprised.”

Jurjavcic becomes the third East Palestine player ever to earn first-team All-Ohio honors — joining receiver Mark Cox in 1992 and John Holland in 1988.

“At the beginning of the year you’re trying to figure out what you’re good at,” Demster said. “It take us long to figure out Owen needed to get the ball more.”

Jurjavcic put up school records that may last a long time.

He ran for a school-record 2,147 yards and 31 touchdowns on 289 carries (7.4) and completed 78 of 132 passes (59%) for 846 yards and seven touchdowns with six interceptions. He added nine two-point conversion runs and scored a school-record 204 points.

“After his week one performance, he had 24 carries for 228 yards, I remember thinking that was 24 carries,” Demster said. “He came in the next day and he was fine. He could have played another game. We’ve got to get him the ball.”

He led the Bulldogs to a 6-5 record on the way to their first winning season since 2017.

“I am proud after all the career he had, especially because of how rough it was at the start,” Demster said.

The Bulldogs finished his freshman season with 14 players and this year they were 40 strong.

“I hope he becomes the model for our program,” Demster said. “His desire to win and be great is not like many I’ve ever coached.

“He’s also a really humble kid. No matter what yards he put up, it was always about the team and always about winning.”

United senior offensive lineman Trent Ellyson was a second-team selection in Division VI, while Columbiana senior running back Spencer Pruitt, Southern senior defensive lineman Noah Chase and Southern senior defensive back Timmy Potts were named the Division VII third team.

Ellyson was three-year starter for the run-oriented Eagles that finished 9-2. He graded out at 94% and led the team with 38 pancake blocks. He was a big reason why the Eagles averaged 7.2 yards per carry and 35.4 points a game. United ran for 3,087 yards on season, which accounted for more than 82% of the offense.

Pruitt ran for a school-record 1,637 yards and 16 touchdowns on 215 carries (7.6) and had two touchdown receptions.

Chase and Potts led the defensive charge for the Indians. Chase totaled 73 tackles with 41 solos and three sacks. Potts collected 36 tackles with 25 solos, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Receiving honorable mention were United senior defensive back Parker Newburn in Division VI and Lisbon junior running back Ashton Hinchliffe, East Palestine senior offensive lineman Logen Guy and Wellsville senior linebacker Tyrell Watkins in Division VII.

Newburn helped anchor a United defense that limited opponents to an average of 15 points a game. He had 42 tackles with three interceptions. He also was the starting quarterback, running for 957 yards on 141 carries (6.8) and was 46 of 87 passing for 663 yards (53%), while accounting for 16 touchdowns.

Guy graded at 92% as East Palestine’s best offensive lineman as he led the way for Jurjavcic up front.

Hinchliffe scored a team-high 78 points as he ran for 1,385 yards and 12 touchdowns on 234 carries (5.9) along with three two-point conversions.

Watkins recorded 89 tackles with 64 solos and seven tackles for a loss –all team highs. He also had an interception and two fumble recoveries. The team’s leading rusher and receiver, Watkins had a 1,716 all-purpose yards and scored a team-high 94 points.

See page B2 for the complete Division VI-VII All-Ohio teams.