There were no shortage of highlight-reel plays for Toledo-area sports in 2023.
Here is a look at the nine plays with local connections that made the SportsCenter top 10 plays segment this calendar year.
Brendan Furry (Jan. 14)
The St. Francis de Sales graduate and former Minnesota State hockey player was the No. 7 play for his goal in a win against Arizona State. Furry was fed a long pass on a breakaway, and went left-to-right to beat the goalie and give his team a 2-0 second-period lead.
Jaden Dottin (Nov. 24)
The University of Toledo wide receiver had a leaping, one-handed touchdown catch in the end zone against Central Michigan. Dottin had a defender face-guarding him in the right corner of the end zone, but went up high with his right hand and landed just in bounds, on his left side to complete the 29-yard touchdown.
Javonte Hill (Aug. 18 and Dec. 22)
A senior at Findlay High school, Hill turned in not one, but two plays on the list — both landing at No. 2. On Aug. 18, Hill, at wide receiver, turned a leaping one-handed catch at the line of scrimmage into a 40-yard catch-and-run touchdown in a loss against Central Catholic
Most recently, Hill unleashed a display of three dunks against Whitmer on Dec. 22. His left-handed putback dunk came on a missed 3-pointer and made the list.
Brandon Hawkins (Aug. 8)
The Toledo Walleye forward is no stranger to the top 10 list and did so for the fourth time in his career. Hawkins, playing in a 4-on-4 summer league game in Columbus, had nobody in front of him when he made a full spin with the puck on his stick, before dumping it over the goalie for a score and a No. 2 spot.
Chris Bassitt (May 17)
The Genoa High School graduate and Toronto Blue Jays pitcher came up with a No. 6 play. New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino hit a broken-bat roller to the first base side. Bassitt, covering first base, had to glove the throw on his right side and reverse direction for a full-extension tag of Trevino just before the bag.
Finn Hogan (Sept. 30)
A memorable catch in an equally memorable win came from the Bowling Green State University sophomore in an upset win at Georgia Tech. The 6-foot-5 wide receiver leapt backward at the goal line and snared the football one-handed with full extension and a defender draped all over his waist. Hogan’s 14-yard touchdown gave the Falcons a 17-10 lead with 2:37 left in the first half, propelling BGSU to an eventual 38-27 road victory.
Isaac Sexton (Sept. 29)
Sexton, a senior at Southview High School, posted the one of two top-10 plays on this day from the gridiron, landing at No. 10. Bowling Green’s Jackson Shafer got past everyone on the defense and raced to the end zone with a good 5 yards on everyone down the center of the field. However, Sexton closed the gap, catching Shafer at the 10-yard line and stripped the ball away at the 5, which his teammate recovered in the end zone.
The play was also named the No. 4 high school football play of the season nationally by MaxPreps.
Mason Heintschel (Sept. 29)
One spot later, Clay’s quarterback took the shotgun snap and darted out to his left before retreating back right and eluding three Fremont Ross defenders to get around to the left edge. Once in open field, Heintschel beat one defender to the pylon for a lengthy 9-yard touchdown scamper.
The nine SportsCenter top plays this year was two more than 2022. Stay tuned in 2024.
First Published December 30, 2023, 3:00 p.m.
