DANVILLE — The Knox Morrow Athletic Conference championship won’t be won in September, but it could be lost before the leaves begin to change color.
Danville took its first step toward the KMAC crown with last week’s 28-7 win over fellow KMAC title contender Fredericktown. The Blue Devils pulled off the gutsy win despite being without five starters, three of them two-way linemen.
Danville will face an even bigger challenge when they visit Northmor on Friday. The Golden Knights
“The KMAC top to bottom this year is a tough conference, so we’ve just gotta prepare and plan each week, and put our kids in the best position to win,” Danville coach Matthew Blum said after last week’s win. “(Northmor is) a tough team. They have another great running back and another good offensive line that we have to game plan and prep against. But we know it’s gonna be a four-quarter war against them as well.”
Danville (3-1, 1-0) at Northmor (4-0, 1-0): Kaiden Colopy did a little bit of everything in last week’s win over Fredericktown. He caught five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown, carried the ball five times for 62 yards and a score and intercepted two passes. Quarterback Walker Weckesser completed 7 of 14 passes for 134 yards and two TDs. Peyton Horn had a pair of catches for 60 yards and a score.
The Golden Knights pulled away from Cardington-Lincoln in the second half for a 27-13 win. The game was tied 7-7 at the half before Northmor got untracked offensively. Quarterback A.J. Bower is the KMAC’s most accurate passer, completing 32 of 52 passes for 542 yards and five touchdowns. Hunter Fulk has 15 catches for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Standing running back Max Lower didn’t play last week, but Caleb Schnuerer and Paul Cramer combined for 142 rushing yards and three short TD runs in Lower’s absence.
Centerburg (3-1, 1-0) at Loudonville (2-2, 0-1): The Trojans made a statement with a 42-7 win over East Knox, their third straight win. Quarterback Tyler Johnson threw for a pair of touchdowns and rushed for another, while running back Caylan LeMaster rushed for two touchdowns. Johnson is the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference’s second leading rusher with 625 yards and six touchdowns on 96 carries. The dual-threat QB has completed 33 of 72 passes for 357 yards and eight TDs. LeMaster has run for 433 yards and two TDs on 53 carries. Jesse Rings has 12 catches for 179 yards and a score and has picked off two passes.
The Redbirds didn’t allow a passing yard in last week’s 18-13 loss at Mount Gilead, but surrendered 243 yards on the ground. Defensive back Baylor Weiser is second in the KMAC with 42 tackles, while linebacker Aiden Wolford is second in the conference with four sacks. Offensively, quarterback Matt Sprang leads the KMAC with 788 passing yards while completing 55 percent of his passes. Zach Frankford has 19 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown and returned a punt 72 yards for Loudonville’s first score against Mount Gilead. Micah Simpson has 11 catches for 126 yards and a TD.
Mount Vernon (1-3, 0-1) at Ashland (2-2, 0-1): The Yellow Jackets head to Ashland’s Community Stadium after a disappointing 30-7 loss at Lexington. Mount Vernon’s lone score came late in the fourth quarter on sophomore wideout Luke Hubbard’s 26 yard touchdown reception. Hubbard led the Jackets with three catches for 61 yards. Do-it-all junior Jonny Askew caught five passes for 50 yards and rushed for 52 yards on six carries.
The Arrows’ normally high-octane passing attack was grounded in last week’s 15-7 loss to Ohio Cardinal Conference newcomer New Philadelphia. Ashland managed just 153 yards through the air as the Quakers intercepted three passes. Ashland’s lone touchdown came on an 8-yard run by Landon McFrederick midway through the fourth quarter. Cayden Spotts rushed for 29 yards on 10 carries and has a team-high 383 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 64 carries. Luke Bryant and Nathan Bernhard has shared the quarterbacking responsibilities this fall. Bryant has completed 40 of 86 passes for 529 yards and three touchdowns, while Bernhard has completed 31 of 42 passes for 513 yards and four TDs. Jonathan Metzger has 23 catches for 391 yards and three touchdowns, while McFrederick has 22 catches for 268 yards and two scores. Parker Grissinger continues to lead the defense with 38 tackles.
