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Daniels, Price ready for Big Ten

After three trips to the state track meet, Fitch’s Billy Price is familiar, comfortable and excited about Columbus.

He’s about to make it his home for the next four years.

The Ohio State football commit will spend this weekend in the capital city, make a quick return home to Austintown, then it’s back to Columbus next weekend for good. A camp for freshman begins on June 10.

“It’ll be sad,” Price said. “I have tons of family and friends here who I’m going to miss. This has been my life for the past 18 years and now it’s on to something new.”

Rivals.com rated the 6-foot-4, 280-pound Price as teh ninth-best prospect in the state and the 13th-best defensive tackle in the country.

One day, he might get to stare down another Big Ten local – Warren G. Harding’s LeShun Daniels.

The 3-star running back scored 16 touchdowns, with 1,604 rushing yards in his senior season for the Raiders. He’ll add some yellow to his color scheme as he’s heading to Iowa. Camp begins on June 18 in Iowa City.

“I’m excited,” Daniels said. “I’m not really nervous, just ready to get things going on the road.”

Daniels, Dalyn Gattison, Kevonte’ Jordan and Keemari Murry make up the Harding 4×100 team, which qualified for state with a fourth place finish with a time of 42.72. This is Daniels’ second time to the state meet.

“My speed has really improved this season,” he said. “That helps in football so much. It’s just been great going against the top competition and we get it again this weekend.”

One of the fastest high school athletes in northeast Ohio is Cleveland Heights’ Shelton Gibson. A West Virginia recruit, who was once high on the Buckeyes’ radar, earned a berth in the state track meet at Jesse Owens Stadium for the fourth-straight year.

He was runner-up in the 100-meter relay in 2012 and placed third at the Austintown regional meet on May 31 with a time of 10.74. Gibson also is participating on the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.

“Football is a passion,” Gibson said, “but you have to love to be a runner. Obviously, it helps on the football field but natural running events like these are amazing.”

Gibson must fill the speedy shoes left behind by Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. The former WVU products were both picked up by the St. Louis Rams in the first and third rounds of the NFL draft, respectively. The receiving tandem combined for 228 catches, 2,911 yards and 37 touchdowns in the Mountaineers’ first season in the Big 12 Conference.

“It puts a lot of pressure on me, but that’s what I’m good for,” Gibson said. “That’s how I want it to be. I don’t want the offense to miss a beat. I’m ready for the heat.”

In a Nov. 21 game against Oklahoma, Austin broke an NCAA record with 572 total yards in a game with 344 on 21 carries.

“I’ll be filling in to Tavon’s spot,” Gibson said. “I’m a bit taller, so my height allows me to go inside, outside and in the backfield. I can catch up past the Big 12 defenses.”

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