Scouting service has Fry on list

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, September 5, 2001

It’s the Ohio high school football Top 50, and Roman Fry is on the list.

Wednesday, September 05, 2001

It’s the Ohio high school football Top 50, and Roman Fry is on the list.

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The Ironton Fighting Tigers senior lineman has been listed as one of the top 50 high school football players in Ohio by the Scouting Evaluation Association which is based in Fallbrook, Calif.

The SEA evaluates talent across the country to aid colleges in their recruiting efforts.

The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Fry is a three-year starter for Ironton and was All-Ohio special mention last season. He has already been offered scholarships from several Division I schools including Rutgers and Indiana and has drawn the interest of Ohio State, Kentucky, Ohio, and Notre Dame.

Being recruited as an offensive lineman, Fry’s 40-yard time speed is listed at 5.1 seconds.

But Fry is not the only familiar name listed.

Portsmouth halfback Jo Jo Parker is one of the runners. The 6-foot, 180-pound Parker is listed as running the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.

Ironton could have had a second player on the list if Ken Fritz’s job had not transferred to the Columbus area.

Eric Fritz, Ken’s son, is a 6-5, 310-pounder who runs a 5.3 in the 40.He is listed as an offensive or defense lineman. The Dublin Coffman senior has already been offered by Pittsburgh and is being recruited by numerous schools including Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Two other names on the list are running backs who have tested the Ironton defense in post season playoffs.

Coshocton’s Bryan Davis and Cincinnati Wyoming fullback P. J. Pope are both among the Ohio elite.

Davis, a 5-10, 170-pounder who runs a 4.5 in the 40, has 94 yards on 12 carries and scored Coshocton’s only touchdown in a 27-6 loss to Ironton last season in the regional semifinals.

The 5-10, 215-pound Pope, who runs a 4.6 in the 40, played against Ironton two years ago in the first round of the playoffs. As a sophomore, Pope had just three carries and did not gain a yard in a 28-14 loss to the Fighting Tigers.

There are just two quarterbacks on the list, Massillon’s Justin Zwick and Cincinnati Xavier’s Marty Mooney. Zwick has already given a verbal commitment to Ohio State.

Bedford Chanel has three players on the top 50 list while Akron Buchtel, Cincinnati Reading, and Lakewood St. Edward have two players each.