Recruiting is said to be the lifeblood of college football. This series will countdown the top 100 high schools in Ohio that have provided the Buckeyes with football players. The rankings are based on how many times a player from each high school has been listed on Ohio State's roster between 1970 and 2018.

No. 46, Mayfield

Qualification

Six players from Mayfield have been listed on 18 Ohio State rosters. Robert Sapanero was the first Wildcat to make a Buckeye roster. The defensive tackle made the team roster as a junior in 1970, but did not make the stat sheet Sapanero was not on the squad for the '71 season. 

DT Timothy Sawicki (1976-80) spent his first three seasons on the bench and injured. He became a starter in the '79 season and recorded 58 tackles and 12 tackles for loss as a redshirt junior. Sawicki did not have any stats for the '80 season. At Mayfield, he was greater Cleveland's Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

HB/WR Mike Lanese (1982-85) will always be remembered for "his diving, twisting reception of a third and 12 pass while double covered against Michigan, was one of the memorable receptions in Ohio Stadium history." That catch came in the 1984 version of The Game, which the Buckeyes won.

At Mayfield, Lanese played tailback where he rushed for 1,417 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

G/DT/C Paul Long (1987-92) had an Ohio State career that was, well, long. He was considered a "tough, durable football player...who is not flashy, but very steady in everything he does." Although Long was on the '87 roster, he did not enroll at Ohio State until January of '88 because of a shoulder injury in preseason drills. Long started all 12 games as a junior and was the only center on the roster his senior season.

At Mayfield, he was named the Ohio Lineman of the Year as a senior and came in fifth place as a heavyweight wrestler and in the shot put. 

Wide receivers Luciano and Gage Bican worked out for Ohio State in January of 2018 and made the team. The twins started their collegiate careers at Lake Erie, but grew up dreaming of playing for the Buckeyes. They missed the walk-on tryouts for the 2017 season, but sure they didn't miss their shot for 2018. The Bicans are listed as juniors, but have three years of eligibility. For more on their walk-on journey, go here.

Back To School

Mayfield is located in Cuyahoga County and is a member of the Western Reserve Conference. The team completes in Division II, Region 5. The Wildcats went 5–5 in the regular season and made the playoffs in 2018. They traveled to Archbishop Hoban and lost, 49-0, in the first round of the playoffs. It was the second straight season Mayfield was defeated to Hoban in the first round. 

Notable

Mayfield previously competed in the Northeast Ohio Conference until it was dissolved after the 2014-15 season.

Famous Alumni

Famous names you may know: NFL player Andy Isabella, singer/songwriter Alina Baraz and Ohio's first poet laureate Amit Majmudar. 

Explanation of the Rankings
School "A" had 14 players appear 16 times on Ohio State's roster. School "B" had 11 players appear 20 times on Ohio State's roster. School "B" will have the higher ranking. Why? Even though school "B" has less players, those players played for more years. 

If two or more schools have the same number of appearances, the tie will be broken by the school with the highest average of roster appearances per player. If there is a tie in the average, the tie breaker will be the school with the most prominent Ohio State player. 

2,789 days since Ohio State has not defeated That Team.
137 days until The Game.

Are you a former player, graduate, live near or have something to add about today's featured high school? Please share your story with us in the comments. What makes the 11W community unique is the amount of great information everybody is willing to share.