Hornets’ Mall did dirty work
Two-sport standout excelled on defensive side
Jake Mall, a defensive standout on Highland’s football and basketball teams, is The Post‘s Highland Male Athlete of the Year for 2016-17. Photo by BRUCE BILLOW
In sports, it is usually the offensive player who receives all the attention and glory.
That being the case, you can consider Jake Mall’s selection as The Post’s Male Athlete of the Year for Highland as striking a blow for the gritty, lockdown defensive player.
In both his basketball and football career, Mall has demonstrated a penchant for that side of the ball, making a name for himself with his put-the-team-first defensive play.
“I would love to score a lot, but when it comes down to it, I always wanted to get the win and if that took me playing defense on their best players, that’s what I would do,” Mall said.
In football, Mall’s move to playing on the island that is known as cornerback came during his first season on the varsity squad.
“My junior year, I started out as safety, but we had a lot of injuries and we needed somebody to step up so they moved me to corner,” Mall said. “So I had a week to practice at corner and then I had to go out and play.”
Mall performed so well the move became permanent as he became the Hornets’ boundary corner, the secondary position receiving the least amount of safety help, for the remainder of his career.
Highland, which notched six victories both of Mall’s years as a starter, advanced to the Division II playoffs following Mall’s junior season.
For his career Mall registered 88 tackles, two interceptions, 13 passes broken up, eight tackles for a loss and one sack. As a senior, Mall earned first-team all-Suburban League honors as well as honorable mention on the All-Northeast Ohio Inland District team.
Mall’s hustle and standout defensive efforts translated well to the hardcourt.
“Jake was playing football and usually it takes guys a little while to get in the flow of basketball season,” Hornets’s basketball coach Adam Cestaro said. “But it seemed liked Jake literally stepped right off the football field, switched out his cleats for high tops and was talking and directing traffic in every drill and when our first game rolled around it was easy to see Jake was our coach on the floor.”
Again, Mall’s defensive tenacity shone through.
“Every game, I would guard their best player, as long as he was a guard or a forward,” Mall said. “I couldn’t guard the centers; I couldn’t guard 6-10 guys, but anybody else, I was always on their best player.”
Cestaro raved about his player’s selflessness on the court.
“Jake was great breaking down opposing defenses and setting up teammates averaging nearly four assists per game,” he said. “He had a few big scoring nights and always drew our opponent’s best perimeter scorer on the defensive end.”
Mall, the only senior starter on a 13-12 Highland squad that advanced to the sectional finals, also assumed the mantle of team leader.
“I don’t like to get in people’s faces but I’m definitely a vocal leader,” Mall said. “I make sure everybody is accountable, including myself.”
For his efforts, Mall, who will attend Ohio State University to study marketing, made second-team All-Suburban League American Conference while also receiving honorable mention in the Division I Inland District.
That being the case, you can consider Jake Mall’s selection as The Post’s Male Athlete of the Year for Highland as striking a blow for the gritty, lockdown defensive player.
In both his basketball and football career, Mall has demonstrated a penchant for that side of the ball, making a name for himself with his put-the-team-first defensive play.
“I would love to score a lot, but when it comes down to it, I always wanted to get the win and if that took me playing defense on their best players, that’s what I would do,” Mall said.
In football, Mall’s move to playing on the island that is known as cornerback came during his first season on the varsity squad.
“My junior year, I started out as safety, but we had a lot of injuries and we needed somebody to step up so they moved me to corner,” Mall said. “So I had a week to practice at corner and then I had to go out and play.”
Mall performed so well the move became permanent as he became the Hornets’ boundary corner, the secondary position receiving the least amount of safety help, for the remainder of his career.
Highland, which notched six victories both of Mall’s years as a starter, advanced to the Division II playoffs following Mall’s junior season.
For his career Mall registered 88 tackles, two interceptions, 13 passes broken up, eight tackles for a loss and one sack. As a senior, Mall earned first-team all-Suburban League honors as well as honorable mention on the All-Northeast Ohio Inland District team.
Mall’s hustle and standout defensive efforts translated well to the hardcourt.
“Jake was playing football and usually it takes guys a little while to get in the flow of basketball season,” Hornets’s basketball coach Adam Cestaro said. “But it seemed liked Jake literally stepped right off the football field, switched out his cleats for high tops and was talking and directing traffic in every drill and when our first game rolled around it was easy to see Jake was our coach on the floor.”
Again, Mall’s defensive tenacity shone through.
“Every game, I would guard their best player, as long as he was a guard or a forward,” Mall said. “I couldn’t guard the centers; I couldn’t guard 6-10 guys, but anybody else, I was always on their best player.”
Cestaro raved about his player’s selflessness on the court.
“Jake was great breaking down opposing defenses and setting up teammates averaging nearly four assists per game,” he said. “He had a few big scoring nights and always drew our opponent’s best perimeter scorer on the defensive end.”
Mall, the only senior starter on a 13-12 Highland squad that advanced to the sectional finals, also assumed the mantle of team leader.
“I don’t like to get in people’s faces but I’m definitely a vocal leader,” Mall said. “I make sure everybody is accountable, including myself.”
For his efforts, Mall, who will attend Ohio State University to study marketing, made second-team All-Suburban League American Conference while also receiving honorable mention in the Division I Inland District.