CINCINNATI — Purcell Marian High School’s Dee Alexander and Moeller High School’s Matt Ponatoski were named Sunday as the Buddy LaRosa’s High School Sports MVPs of the Year for the 2024-25 school year.
The LaRosa’s High School Sports Hall of Fame also plans to induct its newest members Sunday afternoon. The hall of fame is celebrating its 50th year.
Alexander, who is a University of Cincinnati freshman, is one of the most decorated student-athletes in Ohio high school sports history. Alexander is a three-time Ohio Ms. Basketball recipient.
Alexander is the first student-athlete in the history of the LaRosa’s MVP of the Year program to be recognized as the MVP in back-to-back years. The McDonald’s All-American scored 2,375 career points during her high school career. That is No. 13 on the Ohio High School Athletic Association scoring list.
Alexander became the second individual to win Ohio Ms. Basketball honors three times. In March, Alexander was named the Gatorade Ohio Girls Basketball Player of the Year for a second straight season. Alexander helped to lead Purcell Marian to a fourth consecutive state championship this past March.
“I tell people all the time — she’s a better kid than she is a basketball player,” Purcell Marian coach Jamar Mosley said this past season. “When your best player is your hardest worker. When your best player is your leader on and off the floor. When your best player does everything the right way in the classroom, in the community, on the court — it makes your job that much easier. When I say your job — I’m talking about myself. It makes my job that much easier to coach a bunch of 15- and 16-year-old girls. She’s just been phenomenal for our program.”
Ponatoski, the 2024 Ohio Mr. Football recipient, is one of the top two-sport prospects in the country after receiving numerous college scholarship offers in football and baseball.
Ponatoski, a four-star quarterback, earned an Elite 11 Finals invitation. The junior shortstop was also named the Gatorade Ohio High School Baseball Player of the Year this spring.
Ponatoski joins a rare list of athletes who have won the Gatorade state awards for two team sports in the same school year. It’s more common for an individual to win for cross country and track or a team sport and track.
That short list includes National Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer (Minnesota, baseball/football) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (West Virginia, football/basketball). Gatorade is in its 40th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes.
Ponatoski was 281 for 405 in passing attempts for 4,217 yards and 57 touchdowns this past football season, according to Moeller Assistant Athletic Director George Smith. Ponatoski had 30 carries for nine yards and a touchdown.
Ponatoski helped to lead Moeller (14-2) to the Division I state final Dec. 6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. Moeller completed its season as the Division I state runner-up.
“He’s unbelievable,” Moeller football coach Bert Bathiany said this past season. “I get to see that every day in practice. He’s unbelievable. He’s the best player in Ohio in my mind. He absolutely is."
In baseball, Ponatoski hit .440 with four home runs, seven doubles, one triple and 38 runs batted in, according to the Greater Catholic League website. Ponatoski had 12 stolen bases, too. He had a .538 on-base percentage.
The Moeller baseball team (25-4) was a Division I regional finalist.
The newest LaRosa's Hall of Fame individual inductees are:
Yancy Gates, Withrow High School, Class of 2008, Basketball
Amanda Gruber, St. Ursula Academy, Class of 1994, Soccer-Basketball-Softball
Annette Gruber, St. Ursula Academy, Class of 1997, Soccer-Basketball
Danny Milligan, St. Xavier High School, Class of 2008, Football
Kelsey Mitchell, Princeton High School, Class of 2014, Basketball
Swim Coach Tim Beerman, Ursuline Academy-St. Xavier HS, 1996-2009, 2016-2021.
