​With the Akron-area OHSAA 2025-26 sports season complete, we’re going to spend the next several weeks looking back at the best of high school sports during the school year.Your votes will determine the Akron-Area Best of the School Year for teams, coaches and athletes.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWe continue this week with who you think was the best high school boys coach of 2025-26. Each coach’s credentials are listed above the poll — which will be live until 5 p.m. Thursday, July 16. The winners will be announced Friday morning, July 17, on BeaconJournal.com.Now, let’s meet the candidates, which were selected by the Beacon Journal sports staff.Watch Ohio High School Sports Live on the NFHS Network all seasonLed the Warriors to an 11-2 season, capped by a 35-7 rout of five-time state champion Archbishop Hoban in a Division II regional final to advance to the program’s first state final four this century before a loss to Avon in the state semifinals.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLed the Royals to a 12-1 season, capped by a run to their first state final four with a 42-7 regional final win over Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph before a 21-20 loss to Toledo Central Catholic in a Division III state semifinal.Led the Knights to a 20-8 season, capped by a run to the state final four for the fourth time in program history before a 60-58 loss to Steubenville in a Division III state semifinal.Led the Bulldogs to a Division III state championship with a dominant performance at the state meet, where they beat runner-up West Liberty-Salem 65-162 for their record 11th state title — all since 2006.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLed the Irish to an 18-10 season, capped by a fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament and a a 3-0 sweep of Independence in a Division II state semifinal before a 3-0 loss to Franklin Bishop Fenwick in the title match.Led the Explorers to an 21-6 season, capped by a state runner-up finish in Division I with a 3-0 win over Olentangy Berlin in a state semifinal and a 3-0 loss to Cincinnati Moeller in the final.Led the Comets to their third consecutive state tournament and a seventh-place finish in Division II.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDate – girls winner | boys winnerSept. 6 – Abby Alden, Archbishop Hoban soccer | Buddy Willig, Norton footballSept. 12 – Ava Brooks, Norton tennis | Donevan Noah, Tallmadge cross countrySept. 19 – Addison Hovey, Woodridge tennis | Angelo Gotto, Barberton footballSept. 26 – Gabriela Iler, Revere tennis | Atticus Sloan, Woodridge cross countryOct. 3 – Bree Carpenter, Ellet soccer | Marlin Engram Jr., East footballOct. 10 – Maggie Gerschutz, Wadsworth cross country | Phil Partin, Manchester footballOct. 17 – Makayla Martuccio, Tallmadge cross country | Anderson Seredick, Nordonia cross countryOct. 24 – Elizabeth Coleman, Highland golf | Crew McDaniel, Hudson cross countryOct. 31 – Brooklynn Hampton, Archbishop Hoban soccer | Nick Myers, CVCA soccerNov. 7 –