A-C's Jordan Leasure is Male Athlete of the Year
AMANDA – Playing three sports doesn't always give an athlete time to reflect on their successes.
Amanda-Clearcreek's Jordan Leasure had a season to remember as he excelled in football, wrestling and track, but it wasn't until recently the outstanding junior thought about all that he accomplished this past season.
Leasure, who has had to overcome several injuries, especially in football, was finally healthy, and it showed. He had a record-breaking season, rushing for area-leading 1,860 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Leasure was at his best in the Aces' biggest games of the season. In Week 10, Amanda-Clearcreek had to win against Circleville to secure a spot in the playoffs. In that game against the Tigers, Leasure broke the Aces' single-game rushing record with 284 yards on 34 carries and three touchdowns.
He followed that up with 172 yards on 30 carries in first-round playoff game against Marion-Franklin. Leasure earned first-team All Mid-State League-Buckeye Division and first-team all-district honors, as well being selected second-team All-Ohio.
"He is an everyday worker and he leads by example," Amanda-Clearcreek coach Scott Hinton said. "He is a kid that works hard in everything he does. He always gives a lot of credit to his teammates, and the fact that he is so humble and willing to share his successes and is so genuine with it, says a lot about him."
In wrestling, Leasure -- who had a 45-3 record and topped 100 career wins -- qualified for the state meet for the third consecutive year. He was first-team All-MSL and district champion in the 195-pound weight class. In track, he qualified for the state meet in the 110 hurdles.
For his efforts, Leasure is The Eagle-Gazette's 2015 Male Athlete of the Year.
"To be honest, I didn't look back at it as a whole until I got this award," Leasure said. "I was thinking about everything and four words came to mind: blessed, grateful, determination and challenging. All four of those thought fit right into it the season I had.
"I was blessed to have a great season, grateful for what I accomplished, was so determined that no matter came my way I was going to fight through it, and challenging – everything was a challenge."
The challenging part came late in the season in wrestling. The week of the district tournament, Leasure was in the hospital for two days because of appendicitis, but he was still able to win a district title.
To make matters worse, Leasure suffered a broken hand in his district semifinal match, which ultimately more than likely cost him a higher finish at the state tournament.
"The fact that he was even able to wrestle in the district tournament because he was in the hospital, and then get two wins with a broken hand, speaks volumes about him," Amanda-Clearcreek coach Travis Smith said. "But nothing he does surprises me. He is one of the best kids you will ever meet. His work ethic is incredible, and he is extremely intelligent."
Leasure said playing three sports can be tough sometime because he never gets a break, but this season he and his coaches wanted him to take a little time off between seasons. He said it made a huge difference, not only physically, but mentally as well.
"I've always played three sports, so I'm used to it, but it is tough because you have injuries that drag on from season to season," Leasure said. "That's something me and my coaches really focused on was to take time off and rest my body. It gave me a chance to heal a little more and it enabled me to get my mental state back."
Leasure also said he benefited from each sport.
"They all fit hand and glove with each other," Leasure said. "I ran track to get faster in football, and I wrestled to get stronger for football. I just know I couldn't have accomplished all of this with the help of my coaches, teammates and family, as well as my mom."
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