West Branch seniors Jeremiah Thomas and Zach Coffee changed positions and it worked for the Warriors’ football team and themselves.

Both were named to the All-Ohio Division IV first team by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association on Tuesday.

“What it says about JT to be All-Ohio in two different positions is crazy,” West Branch coach Tim Cooper said. “He is one of the best players I have coached.”

Thomas made the first team as a receiver and Coffee as an offensive lineman.

They led the Warriors to a 10-2 season and a sixth straight Eastern Buckeye Conference championship.

Thomas was a triple-threat for the Warriors as a receiver after being a first-team All-Ohio last season.

“We had some conversations after the Glenville game last year and were missing a big chunk of our receiving yards and weapons out there,” Cooper said. “We could get him out there in one-on-one situations by himself.”

He responded by averaging 10.3 yards every time he touched the ball.

Thomas had 71 catches for 1,022 yards (14.4) and nine touchdowns, ran for 400 yards and 13 touchdowns on 75 carries (5.3) and completed 9-of-13 passes (69%) for 101 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned 15 kicks for 272 yards (18.1) and a touchdown.

All told, Thomas had 1,795 yards of offense and scored a team-high 146 points.

“He’s a great kid and is willing to do everything for the team,” Cooper said. “There were some issues with fans who didn’t support the move, but it didn’t matter to him. We’re going to miss him a lot.”

How will the Warriors replace someone like Thomas?

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Cooper said. “There will be a lot of challenges for us.”

Coffee led the way up front for a West Branch offense that averaged 36.2 points and 374 total yards a game.

” Zach played tight end his whole life and we moved to tackle,” Cooper said. “In March, we said ‘There was a chance we might move you to the offensive line. He was like, what?’ He never played there before, but he quickly adjusted.

“He was a cerebral player for us. It didn’t take him long to figure out what to do on the offensive line.”

Cooper said Coffee gained 25 to 30 pounds of muscle during the offseason to help with the position change.

“No one grows up and dreams of playing offensive line,” Cooper said. “But to see him step in there like he did, I can’t speak enough about his character.”

Coffee also was the Warriors’ leading tackler with 78 total, including 56 solos, a school-record 16 for losses, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

“I know he made first-team all-state on the offensive line, but he turned out to be our best defensive lineman,” Cooper said.

Cooper said a couple of Division II colleges stopped by the school recently about them, but is unsure if they will play football at that level.

“We’re going to miss both of them tremendously,” he said.

West Branch also had a pair of second-team All-Ohioans with junior quarterback Grady Hirst and senior defensive lineman Gavin Gregory, while Salem senior quarterback Cletis Monroy was named to the third team.

Hirst took over at quarterback, completing 182 of 288 passes (63%) for 2,660 yards and 25 touchdowns with three interceptions (he had four interceptions defensively). He also was the leading rusher with 533 yards and seven touchdowns on 119 carries (4.5).

Gregory — who signed with the University of Toledo — had 45 tackles with 22 solos, five for losses and two fumble recoveries. At tight end, he was the Warriors’ second-leading receiver with 38 catches for 714 yards (18.8) and eight touchdowns.

Monroy, who shared the Eastern Buckeye Conference Player of the Year honors with Jeremiah Thomas, accounted for 2,625 yards of total offense and 39 touchdowns this season.

He led the Quakers to 7-5 season. They were beaten in the second round of the playoffs by eventual state champion Cleveland Glenville, which featured six first-team All-Ohioans.

Monroy ran for 1,385 yards and 22 touchdowns on 180 carries (7.7). completed 105 of 162 passes (65%) for 1,240 yards and 14 touchdowns with three interceptions and scored a team-high 150 points. He added touchdowns by reception, kickoff return and punt return. He also averaged 40.2 yards on 20 punts.

Monroy compiled 5,871 yards of total offense and 67 touchdowns in his three seasons as a starter.

In the secondary this year, Monroy made 48 tackles with five for losses, forced four fumbles, recovered three fumbles and had an interception.

Receiving honorable mention were Salem senior offensive lineman Matthew Austin and East Liverpool junior receiver Dre’Keim Abercrombie.

Austin was the top lineman on a Quaker team that averaged 35.3 points and 372 total yards a game.

The 6-foot-4 Abercrombie was a big target for the Potters. He had a team-high 40 catches for 641 yards (16.0) and nine touchdowns.

The All-Ohio Divisions II and III teams will be announced Wednesday.