Marion Harding at Mount Vernon: Chuck Williamson takes over at Marion Harding and is the fourth head coach since 2020. Williamson inherits a program that ranked last in the eight-team Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference in scoring defense, allowing 36.7 points a game. Linebacker Justin Long returns after leading the MOAC with 128 tackles last fall. Fellow linebacker Landon Adams was in on 87 stops last year, but suffered a preseason knee injury and is sidelined indefinitely. Defensive tackle Mike Williams had seven sacks last fall. Offensively, Alex Stokes returns at quarterback after throwing for 1,175 yards and nine touchdowns last year.
Mount Vernon coach Jay Campbell has one of the top athletes in the Ohio Cardinal Conference at his disposal in senior back Jonny Askew. The defensive back and receiver/running back is a two-time All-Ohio honorable-mention selection in Division II and has offers from Mercyhurst and Notre Dame College. The offensive and defensive lines should be stout with the return of Dakota Wagner, Logan Moore and Reese Schonauer. Junior receiver and defensive back Luke Hubbard is primed for a big season.
Utica vs. Centerburg, at Highland: The Trojans stubbed their toe in the opener at Utica last year, a 25-19 loss. It was Centerburg’s only regular season defeat. Centerburg lost Knox Morrow Athletic Conference Player of the Year Tyler Johnson to graduation, but coach Andrew Colella welcomes back running back Caylan LeMaster, who rushed for 1,184 yards and 10 TDs last year. Jesse Rings returns after catching 33 passes for 422 yards and three TDs, while Mason Turske had 22 catches for 367 yards and seven scores. Defensively, Rings led the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference with five interceptions.
Junior quarterback Hayden Piper will trigger the Utica offense. Gavin Chinn returns after catching nine TD passes last year, as does fellow senior wideout Logen Fisher. Senior running backs Justin Giffin and Tyler Collura will split carries in the backfield.
The game was moved to Highland earlier this week because of poor field conditions at Centerburg.
Highland at Fredericktown: Highland running back Dane Nauman is back for his senior year after rumbling for 2,380 yards and 28 touchdowns on a whopping 295 carries last year. Junior quarterback Kolton Stover returns after throwing for 567 yards and six touchdowns before being sidelined by a broken arm late last season. Defensively, Zach Church and Hayden Kline both return to patrol the secondary. Church led the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference with five interceptions, while Kline had four picks.
The Freddies lost a talented senior class to graduation. That group included running back Teegan Ruhl, the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference’s leading rusher and a Division V second-team All-Ohioan. Ruhl rushed for 1,739 yards and 23 touchdowns on 240 carries during the regular season. Sophomore Blake Sipes will take over at quarterback and senior Grant Hartley returns at receiver. Senior two-way lineman Cameron Koelb is a four-year starter. Defensively, Trevor Bellman returns at linebacker after making 58 tackles last year. Fellow returning linebacker Carter Mill was in on 47 stops.