Salem High School graduates Lucas Adams (left) and Will Harmon are playing in the Penn-Ohio Stateline Football Classic after leading the Salem track and field team. (Morning Journal/Ron Firth)

COLUMBIANA — Salem High School graduate Lucas Adams was getting ready to jump into the pool Monday afternoon after a record-setting weekend at the state track and field meet.

Then Salem head football coach Ron Johnson called.

“I thought he was calling to congratulate me on state,” Adams said. “He asked if I wanted to play in another football game. Sure, it’s the greatest game there is.”

In less than a half an hour, Adams arrived at Crestview High School in time for Ohio’s team photo day at 6 p.m. Monday.

Adams joins fellow Salem track standout Will Harmon on the Ohio All-Stars, who are preparing for the 47th annual Penn-Ohio Stateline Classic on Thursday, June 18, at Geneva College.

Both are expected to see time at defensive back and receiver, but Adams is still talking about the state track and field meet.

“We tried to make the trip memorable,” he said.

He did. Adams became the third Columbiana County Athlete in the 118 years of the state meet to place in the state long jump and high jump in the same year.

“It was very inspirational, seeing how far he has come,” Harmon said. “I’ve known him my whole life.”

Adams was fourth in the Division III long jump last Friday night with the best rbi jumps in Salem history (23-feet-4 and 23-2 1/4).

“Placing in the long jump means so much to me,” Adams said. “I always wanted to do something great in the long jump and I did. The high jump was surprising. I never took it seriously before.”

Adams followed with an eighth-place finish in the Division III high jump (6-4) on Saturday morning.

But the record-setting long jump competition is what will be remembered for a long time.

Cleveland Glenville senior Jay’vier Kerr was first (24-6) and Wheelersburg senior Kanyon Evans was second (24-1 1/2). Kerr had four jumps over 24 feet.

“That final was pretty insane,” Harmon said. “No one was expecting that.”

On Saturday night, the Salem girls reached the top of the podium as freshman Chaya Murray was state champion in the 200-meter dash.

“I knew Chaya would win, but she gapped them,” Adams said. “That goes to show how strong she is in the 200.

“I believe if she ran the 100 at state, she’d be a two-time champion. She’s going to go get it next year. I believe she will be a four-time champion in the 200.”

Harmon also enjoyed success on the track as the Columbiana County champion in the 100 and 200 dashes.

But the Quakers’ three sprint relay teams fell short of getting to the regional finals.

“We were ninth three times in the prelims,” Harmon said. “It stunk, but we won county again and I was a two-time champion. I knew we’d do well as a team, but I didn’t know I’d win.”

Harmon was the leading tackler on a Salem football team that 7-5 and lost to eventual state champion Cleveland Glenville, 49-0, in a Division IV second-round playoff game.

“The season was amazing,” he said. “Glenville was pretty tough, but to get there was good.”

Now the Quakers are getting used to being teammates with their West Branch rivals.

“It will be good to talk to them and pick their brains,” Harmon said.