KNOX COUNTY – With one week of regular season football left, the playoff picture is far from set. Several area teams moved closer to a playoff bid last Friday night, while several others were mathematically eliminated.
Read about what happened last week, where each KMAC and OCC team stands heading into Week 10, and more in this week’s roundup:
Highland 50
East Knox 7
On a rain-swept, frigid night at Fishburn Family Field, in a game with major postseason and KMAC title implications, Highland dominated from start to finish.
STORY: Highland dismantles East Knox in crucial late-season matchup
The Scots jumped out to a 36-0 lead at halftime as they rushed for 401 yards in the first half, led by senior tailback Brock Veley and his monstrous offensive line. Veley ran for four touchdowns and 215 yards on eight carries in the first half. The 5-foot-8, 155-pound speedster had scoring runs of 10, 65, 62 and 38 yards.
Meanwhile, Highland limited an East Knox offensive attack that had averaged 48 points per game heading into Week 9. Bulldog quarterback Kadden Lester, who had thrown for over 2,000 yards in the first eight weeks, completed eight of his 21 passes for 66 yards. Senior tailback Kasson Krownapple provided the Bulldogs’ lone score on Friday night, as he ran into the end zone from five yards out with 43 seconds left in the third quarter to get the visitors on the board.
In total, Highland finished with 468 yards of total offense, including 454 rushing yards. After Veley, Highland received typical production from the rest of its backfield quartet – Brody Matthews ran for 117 yards, Jack Weaver had 107 and Tobin had 15. Both Weaver and Tobin recorded touchdowns as well.
East Knox mustered just 165 total yards of offense and turned the ball over four times, although three came in the final minutes of the game.
Highland (8-1, 6-0 KMAC) will play Northmor (9-0, 6-0 KMAC) in Marengo for the KMAC title on Friday night. East Knox (7-2, 4-2 KMAC) will host Danville (4-5, 4-2 KMAC) in the Devil-Dog Game.
Northmor 34
Centerburg 0
The Golden Knights kept pace with Highland atop the KMAC leaderboard with a dominant performance of their own on Friday night, a 34-point win against struggling Centerburg (4-5, 2-4 KMAC).
Northmor led 28-0 with 6:56 to play in the first quarter and found itself up 34-0 by halftime. Junior running back Conor Becker scored three touchdowns, including two within a two-minute span in the first quarter.
Centerburg recorded just 70 yards of total offense on Friday night. The Trojans ran 42 plays and averaged 1.7 yards per play.
Northmor quarterback Hunter Mariotti threw 7-of-11 for 101 yards and a touchdown, as he found Blake Miller for a 49-yard scoring strike just 45 seconds into the game. Becker finished with 188 yards and three touchdowns on just 23 carries, averaging 8.2 yards per rush.
The clock ran the entire second half.
Danville 48
Mount Gilead 0
Danville represented Knox County’s lone KMAC win on Friday, as the Blue Devils smacked visiting Mount Gilead (0-9, 0-6 KMAC) on Senior Night.
Danville led 41-0 at halftime and finished with 474 total yards of offense – 142 rushing, 332 passing. Mount Gilead totaled 95 offensive yards as its losing streak ran to 21 games (dating back to October 2016).
The Blue Devils were led by senior quarterback Dalton David, who threw 12-of-16 for 332 yards and four touchdowns. He also had two scoring runs (and 50 rushing yards), as he accounted for six of Danville’s seven touchdowns on Friday night.
Senior running back Chris Greenawalt carried the ball 10 times for 24 yards and added a three-yard touchdown scamper early in the second quarter. Senior wideout Corbin Hazen had nine receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns. At one point, David connected with Hazen on five consecutive passes.
Mount Gilead quarterback Nathan Rodgers passed 9-for-15 for 71 yards.
Like the Highland and Northmor games, the clock ran the whole second half.
Cardington-Lincoln 28
Fredericktown 6
The Pirates (1-8, 1-5 KMAC) got in the win column on Friday by pounding Fredericktown (1-8, 1-5 KMAC) on the road.
Junior running back Mason Goers ran for all four of Cardington-Lincoln’s touchdowns, as he finished with 199 of the team’s 267 yards. The Pirates completed no passes on Friday (they attempted just two), but averaged a steady 5.3 yards per play on the ground.
The game was close after one quarter, as Cardington led by just eight points. Fredericktown quarterback Terry Fearn answered Cardington’s initial punch with an 80-yard touchdown run, his fourth rushing score of the season.
But the Pirates began to pull away in the second quarter, as Goers scored on a two-yard touchdown plunge with 6:14 left until halftime. Cardington-Lincoln proceeded to hold Fredericktown scoreless for the last three quarters of the game, as the Freddies finished with just 148 total yards of offense.
Goers put the icing on the cake with a five-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, pushing the Pirate lead to three scores.
Fearn went 6-of-15 passing for 50 yards and an interception, while also leading Fredericktown in rushing yards with 75. The Freddies have scored just 20 total points over the last three weeks. They have been held to single digits six times this season.
Mansfield Senior 33
Mount Vernon 19
Mansfield Senior led 14-7 at halftime before turning on the jets in the second half, snapping its three-game home losing streak on Senior Night with a comfortable 14-point win.
STORY: Grose’s 3 TDs help Tygers roll Mount Vernon
The Tygers (4-5, 2-3 OCC) were led by senior wideout Angelo Grose, who scored three touchdowns and averaged more than 40 yards per catch. He took a short pass and ran 88 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, which pushed the Tyger lead to two scores. He also lined up in the backfield from time to time, as he scored his third touchdown on a nine-yard scamper late in the game.
Mount Vernon (1-4, 3-6 OCC) scored in the first half on a 60-yard touchdown strike from Noah Hubbard to Cory Berg, and the Jackets complimented the aerial attack with a solid running game – Wyatt Gregory finished with 104 yards on 26 carries, while Austin Kerr tallied 26 yards on six rushes.
But Mount Vernon’s offense stalled in the second half, as it did not score after the Berg catch. The visitors scored on two safeties in the fourth quarter and Isaiah Mickley returned a kickoff 59 yards for a touchdown.
Mansfield Senior quarterback Cameron Todd scrambled for a 19-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the Tygers a 14-7 lead, and Amajeon Robertson caught a 4-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter (following a Grose score) to stretch the lead to 27-7.
With the win, Mansfield Senior stayed alive in the playoff hunt, hanging on by a thread. The Tygers are rated 10th in Joe Eitel’s Division III Region 10 unofficial ratings, two points behind eighth-place Bowling Green. They will finish their season at cross-town rival Madison (1-8, 0-5 OCC), while Mount Vernon will host West Holmes (7-2, 3-2 OCC) this week on Senior Night.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
KMAC
Still in contention: Northmor, Highland, Danville
Mathematically eliminated: East Knox, Centerburg, Cardington-Lincoln, Fredericktown, Mount Gilead
- Northmor (9-0) stayed at second in Joe Eitel’s Division VI Region 23 unofficial ratings after its win over Centerburg on Friday night. The Knights are still less than a point behind first-place Paint Valley and less than a point ahead of third-place Fort Frye. The top five teams in the region have clinched a playoff bid, according to Eitel’s calculations. If the playoffs were to begin today, Northmor would host seven-seed Fairbanks (6-3) in the first round.
- Highland (8-1) rose from 10th to seventh in Joe Eitel’s Division IV Region 14 unofficial ratings after beating East Knox last week. Less than one point separates sixth place from 10th place in the region. The Scots will likely need to beat Northmor on Friday to guarantee a playoff bid. If they stumble, things could get complicated.
- Danville (4-5) stayed at 11th in Joe Eitel’s Division VII Region 27 unofficial ratings after defeating Mount Gilead. The Blue Devils are still two points out of eighth place with one regular season game remaining – at East Knox (7-2). The good news for the Blue Devils is that, of the teams standing in between them and a playoff bid, they will face the toughest opponent in Week 10 (based on record). 10th-place Southern faces a 4-5 team, ninth-place River faces a 2-7 team and eighth-place Caldwell faces a 4-5 team. If Danville can upset East Knox on Friday, it may be able to sneak into the playoffs – but it will likely need some help along the way.
- East Knox (7-2) fell out of playoff contention last week after taking its second loss of the season. The Bulldogs were ultimately doomed by a weak schedule, as their wins have come against opponents with a combined record of 8-55. They lost both of their games against teams with winning records – Northmor and Highland – and are now on the outside looking in heading into Week 10. Centerburg (4-5) was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention last week with its loss to Northmor, while Cardington-Lincoln (1-8), Fredericktown (1-8) and Mount Gilead (0-9) were eliminated two weeks ago.
OCC
Still in contention: Wooster, Lexington, West Holmes, Mansfield Senior
Mathematically eliminated: Ashland, Mount Vernon, Madison
- Wooster (7-2), which began its season 1-2, continued to climb up the regional ratings last week. The Generals went from eighth to fifth in Joe Eitel’s Division II Region 7 unofficial ratings after taking care of Firestone (2-7), 44-12. Wooster will still likely need to beat Ashland (5-4) this week, however, as only one point separates fifth place from 10th place in the region. If the Generals lose, they will need some help to make it in.
- Lexington (5-4) rose from seventh to fifth in Joe Eitel’s Division III Region 10 unofficial ratings after beating Madison, 42-16. The Minutemen began the season 0-3, but are now in control of their own playoff destiny with one week left to play. They sit over a point ahead of sixth-place Sandusky and three points behind fourth-place Tiffin Columbian.
- West Holmes (7-2) crept closer to the playoff picture last week with a 56-49, double-overtime win against Ashland. The Knights are now ninth in Joe Eitel’s Division III Region 9 unofficial ratings heading into Week 10, fractions of a point behind eighth-place Aurora for the final spot. Aurora will face Mifflin (2-7) this week, while West Holmes will head to Mount Vernon (3-6). If both teams win, it’s hard to say who gets in. The Knights will need to rely on previous opponents (especially non-conference opponents) playing well to boost their strength of schedule. At this point, every hundredth of a point counts.
- Mansfield Senior (4-5) went from 13th to 10th in Joe Eitel’s Division III Region 10 unofficial ratings after pounding Mount Vernon last Friday. In an extremely wide-open region heading into Week 10 (only 10 of the region’s 26 teams have been mathematically eliminated), the Tygers are still alive. They are more than two points behind eighth-place Bowling Green, and will need to beat Madison (1-8) and receive lots of help to make it in. But there’s still a chance.
- Ashland (5-4) was eliminated from playoff contention in heartbreaking fashion on Friday, as it lost to West Holmes by seven in a double-overtime thriller. After starting the season 5-1, the Arrows have dropped three straight. All three losses have come by a touchdown or less. Mount Vernon (3-6) and Madison (1-8) were eliminated from playoff contention two weeks ago.
Official OHSAA ratings are released every Tuesday until October 28, following Week 10, when the playoff field is announced. The top eight teams in each region will make the playoffs.
WHAT’S TRENDING
The KMAC title game… And then there were two. With Highland’s win over East Knox last week, the Scots stayed tied with Northmor for first place in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference. The conference’s top two teams will square off on Friday in what will serve as the KMAC Championship at Fishburn Family Field. Highland hasn’t lost since opening night, when it fell to Bloom-Carroll, 44-22. Northmor hasn’t lost since November 3, 2017, when the five-seed Knights fell to Fort Frye in the first round of the playoffs, 6-0. Highland will look to continue its recent dominance on Friday, as the Scots have scored 46 points per game and given up just nine in KMAC play. Over the last four weeks, they have led by a combined score of 165-0 at halftime. Highland hasn’t surrendered a first-half point since Week 5, when Centerburg scored its lone touchdown in a 36-6 rout.
Meanwhile, Northmor has remained steady all year long. The Knights have shown their ability to win close games, as they won on a last-minute scoring drive at East Knox in Week 7. They also boast three impressive non-conference wins – against Elgin (5-4), playoff hopeful Worthington Christian (6-3) and playoff lock Lucas (7-2). Last year, Northmor beat Highland, 34-12. With the loss, Highland settled for a share of the conference title with Danville. Northmor finished one game back from first place. Both Northmor and Highland advanced to the playoffs.
The OCC’s unexpected contenders… Heading into Week 8, no Ohio Cardinal Conference teams fell within the playoff picture. There had been upsets – and a consequent changing of the guard – that caused the conference to plateau momentarily. Heading into Week 10, those upsets have held true and the conference’s new leadership is primed for playoff contention. Wooster and Lexington, which got off to 1-2 and 0-3 starts, respectively, are now in the driver’s seat for playoff berths. The Generals and Minutemen have done it with consistency – they’ve won a combined 10 straight games – and respectable strength-of-schedule. Despite their slow starts, the combined record of the two schools’ non-conference opponents is 41-31. If both teams win in Week 10, they will likely keep their respective five-seeds heading into Week 11.
Knox County Rivalry Week… Put playoff ratings aside. Throw records out the window. It’s Week 10, and it’s time for Knox County’s two most intense rivalry games – Danville vs. East Knox and Centerburg vs. Fredericktown. This year’s Devil-Dog Game will be played in Howard, and it will hold a different meaning for each team. For Danville, it’s a must-win if the Blue Devils plan to sneak into the playoffs. For East Knox, it’s one last time between the lines, one last time suiting up in the purple and white for the team’s seniors. East Knox has not beat Danville since 2005. The Blue Devils beat the Bulldogs last year by a score of 21-14.
Meanwhile, Fredericktown will head to Centerburg this week in what has been a dead-even matchup over the last five years. During that time span, the series has alternated winners each year. While Fredericktown won last year’s game by 35, the five previous games (the two teams met twice in 2014, once in the regular season and once in the playoffs) since 2013 were all decided by a touchdown or less. Two games went into overtime. This year’s matchup could provide similar excitement, as both teams will be hungry to cap off their season with a rivalry win. The Trojans began the season 3-1 but have lost four of their last five, while Fredericktown has lost four straight since beating Mount Gilead in Week 5. Kickoff for both rivalry games will be at 7 p.m.
WHAT’S NEXT
KMAC standings
1. Northmor (6-0, 9-0)
1. Highland (6-0, 8-1)
3. East Knox (4-2, 7-2)
3. Danville (4-2, 4-5)
5. Centerburg (2-4, 4-5)
7. Cardington-Lincoln (1-5, 1-8)
7. Fredericktown (1-5, 1-8)
8. Mount Gilead (0-6, 0-9)
Week 10 matchups
- Northmor (9-0) at Highland (8-1) – 7 p.m.
- Danville (4-5) at East Knox (7-2) – 7 p.m.
- Fredericktown (1-8) at Centerburg (4-5) – 7 p.m.
- Cardington-Lincoln (1-8) at Mount Gilead (0-9) – 7 p.m.
OCC standings
1. Wooster (5-0, 7-2)
2. Lexington (5-1, 5-4)
3. West Holmes (3-2, 7-2)
5. Mansfield Senior (2-3, 4-5)
5. Ashland (2-3, 5-4)
6. Mount Vernon (1-4, 3-6)
7. Madison (0-5, 1-8)
Week 9 scoreboard
- Lexington beat Madison, 42-16
- West Holmes beat Ashland, 56-49 (2 OT)
- Mansfield Senior beat Mount Vernon, 33-19
- Wooster beat Firestone, 44-12*
*non-conference game
Week 10 matchups
- Ashland (5-4) at Wooster (7-2) – 7 p.m.
- West Holmes (7-2) at Mount Vernon (3-6) – 7 p.m.
- Mansfield Senior (4-5) at Madison (1-8) – 7 p.m.
- Canton South (2-7) at Lexington (5-4) – 7 p.m.*
*non-conference game
