Bio

Whether he was a towering presence in the pocket, or an imposing figure on the hardwood, Ben Elwell left his mark in the history books of Midview athletics. A two-year starter at quarterback and a three-year starter in basketball, Elwell’s legacy as a tremendous player and leader is now cemented with his induction into MAHOF.

Ben’s first full season at starting quarterback for the Middies was a special one. The 1998 squad finished the regular season 9-1, and advanced to the playoffs against Revere. In a heart-stopping contest, the Middies earned their first-ever playoff win, a thrilling 27-21 victory, as Elwell led them down the field for the game winning score in the final minutes. Coach Bill Albright said “on that final game winning touchdown drive, Ben was as cool as a cucumber”. On the year, Elwell engineered an offense that dazzled, averaging nearly 36 points per game, while racking up a shade under 400 yards per game. In 1999 the Middies roared through a perfect regular season, before dropping their opening round playoff game, a 42-35 classic contest to Wadsworth. Ben shined throughout the year, and again, the offensive numbers were eye-popping, as the Middies routinely rolled up 40 points and 500 yards per game. Following both his junior and senior seasons, Elwell was first team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-County.

Ben was tremendous on the basketball court too. At 6-6, he shot with accuracy and rebounded with tenacity. As a three-year starter, Elwell was the model of consistency, averaging a shade under a double-double each campaign. As a sophomore, Ben averaged just below 12 points and 8 rebounds per game, while as a junior, he scored 11 per game while grabbing a hair below 10 boards per contest. His senior season, Elwell averaged 13 points and just shy of 10 rebounds per game. He was the team MVP and Ben was also named first team All-Conference, and second team All-County

Ben was recruited to play defensive end at Ohio Northern where he competed for two years, before a collarbone injury ended his college career in his junior season.