Medina's Matt Spatny to play football at Lehigh

Matt Spatny was a hot commodity among Football Championship Subdivision and Division II schools. Some saw him as a linebacker, others as a defensive end. The position didn't matter to Spatny, who was simply looking for a school that is supportive of its football program. The hulking Medina senior found that at Lehigh, and the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Spatny selected the Eastern Pennsylvania school Monday over Ashland, Lafayette (Ind.), Notre Dame College and Findlay. Unlike most schools in the Patriot League, Lehigh awards athletic scholarship and Spatny earned a full ride thanks in large part to a 3.9 grade-point average. "A full ride was a very big deal to me because they're a really smart school," Spatny said. Spatny will play defensive end and major in business finance for the Mountain Hawks, who went 3-8 overall and 3-3 in the Patriot last season and were known locally for their recruitment of Medina running back Jason Suggs following the 2010 season. "Lehigh has a lot going for it," Spatny said. "They're in a perfect location between New York City and Philadelphia, and I can tell they just love football." Spatny was honored as the Greater Cleveland Conference and Division I Northeast Inland District Defensive Player of the Year before being selected first-team All-Ohio after the season. He compiled 70 tackles (14½ for loss, 7½ sacks) as the Bees (13-1) broke the 1922 and 1923 school record for victories and captured their first league title since 1973. "When I was on (the Lehigh) campus, everybody was excited about the football program," Spatny said. "It seemed like a very close-knit group." Spatny's commitment came one day after defensive backs Jajuan Jackson and Keon Johnson committed to D-II Walsh. Jackson was first-team All-Ohio after racking up four interceptions while catching 37 passes for 768 yards and seven touchowns, while Johnson had 66 tackles (5 for loss), four interceptions and a Medina County-leading 11 pass breakups. Walsh went 2-9 overall and 1-6 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.