MOUNT VERNON — The coaches and players dare not utter a word, but those of us who are mere high school football fans are allowed to freely dream.
Those in Danville who fit that description are dreaming huge about a path that leads to Canton in December.
It may be absurd to dream of a state title date in August, but the Blue Devils’ talented roster and a stunning Week One performance make such thoughts seem within reach.
Cyren Wallace rushed for 130 yards and four touchdowns, and Jacob Byers made 14 tackles as Danville opened a highly-anticipated season with a stunning 48-12 win over Dalton. The Blue Devils led 26-0 after the first quarter.
What made this so noticeable was the opposition.
Dalton is three years removed from a trip to the Division VII state championship game. The Bulldogs fell to juggernaut Marion Local 38-0 in the final in 2023. Along the way, Dalton knocked off Danville in the Region 25 championship game, 31-8.
Last fall, the Bulldogs reached the Division VI, Region 21 semifinals last fall.
In the opener, this perennial Wayne County Athletic League powerhouse was no match for the Division VII Blue Devils in a running clock affair.
Wow.
-Elsewhere in Knox County, Carter Waggoner answered a few questions Friday night. Making his first career start at quarterback for Centerburg, Waggoner completed 11-of-13 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Utica. Waggoner replaced first-team All-Ohioan Blaine Ball.
Here’s a look around the state at the top performances from opening night:
-Three teams from Richland and Crawford Counties got the high school football season off to an explosive start last weekend.
Players from Ontario, Colonel Crawford, and Plymouth (in 8-man football) returned the opening kickoff of the 2026 season for touchdowns.
Colonel Crawford’s Parker Weithman returned his 99 yards for a score while Ontario’s Cam Powers and Plymouth’s Keegan Beverly returned the opening kickoff back 80 yards for scores in their Week 1 victories.
Ontario’s Gavin Miller had a superb all-around game with 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, 33 yards passing with a TD and 64 yards rushing with a score during the Warriors’ 35-7 victory over Lexington. Teammate Liam Smith had 10 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery and Max Ciroli ran for 116 yards and a score while also adding a sack on defense.
Football players from all over Ohio put up some amazing performances in the first week of the season. Here, the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association compiles the best of the best with the OPSMA High School Football Notebook.
Let’s take a look around the state from Ohio’s prep football season openers:
-The Clear Fork Colts leaned heavily on the run game in a 28-14 win over Granville running for 266 yards and four touchdowns on 42 carries. Trey Sellers ran for 121 yards and a score while Marcus Hoeflich added 86 yards and two TDs in the victory.
-Ontario’s Gavin Miller had an insane all-around game with 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, 33 yards passing with a TD and 64 yards rushing with a score during the Warriors’ 35-7 victory over Lexington. Teammate Liam Smith had 10 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery and Max Ciroli ran for 116 yards and a score while also adding a sack on defense.
-History was made within the Shelby football program during a 54-0 win over Madison in Week 1. Senior wide receiver Brady Bowman caught six passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns to become the record holder for career receiving yards at Shelby. Bowman now has 3,305 receiving yards for his career. He needs just two catches for the career receptions record. The game featured three defensive touchdowns by the Whippets, believed to be the first time in the 132-year existence of the program the Whippets scored three defensive TDs in a game. Griffin Yeager returned an interception for a score and Casyn Koch and Brady McQuillen had fumble returns for scores. Offensively, Michael Shepherd completed 13-of-17 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns while running for 64 yards on 11 carries with a score.
-Lucas’ Brady Guegold carried the ball 19 times for 174 yards and three touchdowns and also added 10 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in the Cubs’ 29-13 Week 1 victory over Steubenville Central Catholic. Carter Cox added 72 yards on eight carries and a score.
-Colonel Crawford’s Roen Thew had a dream debut at quarterback for the Eagles ripping off an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game. He proceeded to finish with 125 yards rushing two touchdowns on 11 carries while also completing 10-of-16 passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns; and on defense he had six tackles, one interception, and a forced fumble. Parker Weithman caught four passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns along with a 99-yard kickoff return to cap off the scoring. Avery Powers logged nine carries for 114 yards and a touchdown.
-Buckeye Central’s Collin Perry scored a pair of touchdowns and had six tackles on defense to power the Bucks past Crestline. Chance Hawley rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown in his varsity debut, Madden Alt had 12 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown, Austin Bogner 13 rushes for 60 yards, Nash Rose was 5-of-5 kicking extra points in his first football game.
-Wynford’s Braylon Wells was untouchable in the Royals’ win over Cardington-Lincoln completing 5-of-7 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown to Gage Massey along with rushing for 213 yards and a trio of touchdowns on 18 carries. Deegan Lutz had 15 carries for 112 yards and a touchdown.
-Galion’s Kane Hay made his debut under center for the Tigers going 11-of-23 for 164 yards and a touchdown to twin brother Kurt, along with rushing 16 times for 90 yards and a touchdown; he also had eight tackles on defense. Kale Early logged 20 carries for 121 yards, Jamesen Glew caught five passes for 109 yards, Ian Sumpter led the defense with 8.5 tackles, Blake Chelski had 6.5 tackles and a sack.
-Hillsdale’s Kael Lewis picked up right where he left off as the program’s career passing leader, he was 14-of-29 for 231 yards and four touchdowns while also adding 53 yards on the ground. Three of those touchdowns went to his twin brother Knox who finished with seven catches for 93 yards. Freshman Mason Sloan took over for brother Owen — the program’s career rushing leader — rushing 13 times for 55 yards and a touchdown along with seven tackles and a blocked punt, Ayden Salyer had three catches for 60 yards and a touchdown, Drew Daughtery led the team with 10 tackles, Carston Stephens had eight tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery.
-Loudonville’s Collin Caley looks to be the perfect replacement for a departed All-Ohioan after logging 17 carries for 161 yards and two touchdowns, two catches for 10 yards, two punt returns for 117 yards and a touchdown, and five tackles on defense. Nic Buzzard recorded 10 tackles and a 43-yard pick six, Harrison Ross-Patrick had a game-high 16 tackles, one for loss, and a fumble recovery.
-Ashland’s Liam Hubacher may have suffered a broken nose in the first quarter of the Arrows’ win over Bay but returned and had himself a debut to remember taking over for Nathan Bernhard — arguably the program’s greatest QB ever who is currently battling for the backup gig at Maryland as a true freshman — going 13-of-21 for 151 yards and a touchdown in the passing game and 120 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Grayson Baith logged 12 carries for 75 yards, Killian O’Brien had seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, Brayten Stuart and Logan Cooke each had an interception, Bryden Bolen forced a fumble that Bodie Smith recovered.
-Black River’s Dom Bell got into a groove in the second half finishing 16-of-32 for 195 yards and two touchdowns, rushed 11 times for 28 yards and a touchdown, and led the defense with 13 tackles, one for loss, and an interception. Hunter Varney caught both touchdowns and an additional three receptions for 66 yards, Colton McCune caught five passes for 67 yards.
-Crestline’s Lucas Bauwens led the team with 16 tackles in a tough loss to county rival Buckeye Central. Weston Clark had the lone touchdown of the game on a 64-yard reception finishing with two catches and 70 yards with two tackles, Kody Lawhorn was 9-of-21 for 119 yards adding three tackles on defense, Kaleb Silverwood had eight tackles, two for loss, Colt Rawlins nabbed an interception.
-Bucyrus’ Da’Shawn Cosey had the highlight of the game with a 74-yard kick return as the Redmen’s first touchdown of the season albeit in a loss to a quality North Baltimore team.
-Mapleton’s Cameron Nichols had the longest touchdown of the game, a 78-yard pick six, while also catching four passes for 26 yards. The Mounties’ other score came on a 17-yard connection from Keith Donley (9-of-16, 64 yards) to Landon Jenkins.
-South Central’s Greyson Fisher was all over the place with six rushing attempts for 45 yards, two receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown, and eight tackles, two for loss. Justin Gillum co-led with 15 tackles, two for loss; Wyatt Martin matched him with 15 tackles; Isaac Lamoreaux had two tackles, a forced fumble, and recovery. Brayden Viock was 9-of-16 passing for 154 yards and the touchdown to Fisher, also with rushing in a score.
-New London’s Jackson Mitchell caught five passes for 42 yards and the team’s lone touchdown of the night, along with two tackles, against a very good Woodmore team on the road. Shane Dobias recorded 10 tackles to lead the defense and rushed 12 times for 45 yards.
-Leipsic opened their season with a convincing 40-3 win over Tiffin Calvert, powered by a big night from quarterback Marc Kirkendall. Kirkendall completed 20 of 23 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Marquise Williams caught six passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns while adding 32 rushing yards and another score on two carries. Grady Bryan finished with six receptions for 69 yards.
-Lima Senior’s Jeff Williams had 17 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-13 win over Piqua in Week 1, setting a school record for receptions in a single game.
-Of the 10 longest losing streaks entering the 2026 season, five were snapped on Friday night. No. 1 Swanton (37 straight, 13-12 vs. North Central), No. 5 Zanesville (26 straight, 30-13 vs. Maysville), No. 7 Troy Christian (21 straight, 41-0 vs. Twin Valley South), No. 8 Newton Falls (20 straight, 56-13 vs. Wellsville) and tied at No. 10, Rockford Parkway (18 straight, 27-14 vs. Brookville) and North Lewisburg Triad (40-2 vs. Ridgedale) all got off the skid. The longest losing streak statewide is now held by Cambridge at 32 straight.
-Leipsic opened their season with a convincing 40-3 win over Tiffin Calvert, powered by a big night from quarterback Marc Kirkendall. Kirkendall completed 20 of 23 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Marquise Williams caught six passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns while adding 32 rushing yards and another score on two carries. Grady Bryan finished with six receptions for 69 yards.
-Lima Senior’s Jeff Williams had 17 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-13 win over Piqua in Week 1, setting a school record for receptions in a single game.
-Cyren Wallace rushed for 130 yards and four touchdowns, and Jacob Byers made 14 tackles as Danville opened a highly-anticipated season with an impressive 48-12 win over Dalton. The Blue Devils led 26-0 after the first quarter.
-Oliver Ninno, Walsh Jesuit: Went 4-for-4 on field goals with a long of 51 yards. The 51-yarder was three off the record set in 1982 by Hal Von Wyl.
– Carter Jones grabbed 11 receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown in Lakota West’s 41-14 win against Centerville.
– Impressive numbers defined Fairfield’s 35-25 win against Wayne. The Fairfield defense forced six turnovers with Tristan Nett returning a fumble for a touchdown. Stone Butler also had two fumble recoveries and returned a kickoff for a touchdown after Wayne’s James Dyer IV went 94 yards for one himself. Dyer IV also caught five passes for 131 yards and 2 TDs. Corrious Booker ran the ball 17 times for 150 yards and 2 TDs for Fairfield. Kobe Lewis starred defensively with six tackles, three for loss, two sacks, and two pass deflections.
– Kicking in football for the first time ever, Beavercreek’s Jackson Dahl made a 20-yard field goal with six seconds left to propel his team to a 17-16 win over Xenia. The game had been delayed Friday night into Saturday morning due to lightning.
– Triad snapped an 18-game losing skid in a 40-2 win against Ridgedale. Blayk Thomas passed for 342 yards and 5 TDs, two going to Wyatt Smith and three to Caleb Jordan. Smith had 184 yards receiving and Jordan amassed 141.
– Danny Hoke of Graham got 29 carries and ran for 248 yards and 2 TDs and also had an interception as Graham defeated Kenton Ridge 34-24. Jakob Hoke also had three touchdowns and 124 yards rushing and a fumble recovery on defense.
– Indian Lake defeated Lima Bath 54-43. The teams combined for 1,131 yards of offense and 33 first downs, but it was three interceptions by the Indian Lake defense that helped them overcome a fourth quarter deficit.
– Dayton Dunbar’s Nazir White had 5 TD passes and 303 yards in the air on only eight completions during a 32-23 win against Columbus Briggs.
– Meadowdale’s defense and special teams made the biggest plays in an 8-6 win over Columbus Independence. Amari Jones blocked a punt and scooped it for a touchdown in the first half. Dearonn Daniel stuffed a two-point conversion run attempt with a little more than three minutes remaining to help the Lions hold onto the lead.
-For the third consecutive season, the annual Defiance-Napoleon rivalry game was decided by one point. After a 35-34 OT win by Napoleon in 2024 and a 20-19 Defiance win last year, Defiance kept the River Rock Trophy another year by winning 9-8 in a game featuring both teams scoring safeties when punts were snapped out of the endzone. The deciding points came when Napoleon bobbled the hold on a game-tying PAT attempt with 4:08 left.
-Liberty Center put together perhaps the most dominant effort in its 36 all-time games against season-opening rival Tinora, out-gaining the Rams 469-14 and allowing negative-14 rushing yards in a 61-0 demolition. Tinora ran 44 plays (0.4 yards per play) while the defending D-V state champions got their total on just 34 plays (13.8 ypp).
-Replacing two-time all-Ohio QB William Zeedyk might not be as daunting a task as Fairview thought as sophomore QB Gavin Brown completed 23-of-30 passes for a whopping 546 yards in a 56-26 win vs. Wauseon with five TD passes, no interceptions along with 44 rush yards and a score. Logan Olinger caught 10 passes for 199 yards and two TDs while Gavin Meade had three receptions, 140 yards and two scores.
-Patrick Henry quarterback Tristen Rosebrook had as many touchdown passes (four) as incompletions, throwing for 252 yards in the Patriots’ 42-21 home win over Milan Edison. After trailing 14-7 with 5:13 left in the first half, PH scored on five straight possessions to secure the home win.
-Drew Cripps had a big opening night Thursday in leading Alter to a 14-7 win over Fairmont. The senior running back ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns as the Knights knocked off the Firebirds for the second consecutive season. Cripps had a 50-yard TD run in the first quarter and then ripped off a 63-yarder in the third quarter to give his team a 14-0 lead.
-Freshman quarterback Luke Thomas was 12-for-18 for 221 yards and four touchdowns in his debut leading Carlisle to a 43-12 win over Milton-Union. In the same game, Alex Collins rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown and had 98 yards receiving with two touchdowns for the Indians.
-Hudson Kreke had six catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns in Fenwick’s narrow 28-26 loss to Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.
-Brody Schmidt threw for 114 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 101 yards in Dayton Christian’s loss to Miami East.
-Springboro quarterback Max Miller completed 21-of-25 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers 33-0 shutout over Mason. He also rushed for a touchdown and receiver Noah Bilinski had nine catches for 157 yards.
-At long last, Swanton got to taste victory on a Friday night as the Bulldogs snapped the longest losing streak in the state at 37 straight games by defeating Pioneer North Central 13-12 in overtime. The win is the first for Swanton since a 35-20 win at Toledo Rogers on Sept. 2, 2022 with the 37 games marking the 14th longest streak in state history.
-New Bremen senior quarterback Gavin Dicke celebrated his 18th birthday in a big way, leading the Cardinals to a 35-0 victory over Wayne Trace in the season opener Friday. Dicke ran for 103 yards over seven carries, including touchdown scampers of 27 and 52 yards, while throwing for 73 yards and two touchdowns in completing six of a dozen passes. Dicke connected with Tommy McNaughton for a 27-yard toss for a score while throwing 34 yards to Grayson Timmerman for another touchdown strike.
-Eastern Pike (Beaver) senior receiver Boston Webb picked up where he left off last season, hauling in six receptions for 187 yards and three touchdowns in Friday night’s game versus South Point. South Point also ended Eastern’s 32-game regular season win streak when Ezra Young connected on a 31-yard game winning field goal with two seconds left, securing a 30-27 victory.
-The Hillsboro Indians had two standout performances during Friday night’s Week 1 loss to Western Brown. Senior running back Tre Captain had 14 carries for 126 yards and a 60-yard touchdown. Junior running back Jonathan Malone finished with 22 carries for 142 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown.
-McClain Tigers junior quarterback Hudson Lovett was impressive all game in McClain’s 37-8 Week 1 win over Adena. Lovett completed 18-of-26 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns; he also rushed for 82 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. Also for McClain, senior Leiland Bond caught four passes for 124 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown. Junior Gavin Anderson finished the game with six catches for 114 yards and two touchdown receptions (47 and 32 yards).
-Van Wert defeated Bryan 41-6 on Friday and the Cougars posted some impressive numbers. Junior quarterback Zach Crummey completed 22-of-26 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns. Crummey, who already has MAC offers as a tight end, also rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown. Junior running back Xavier Kelly scored four touchdowns in the game, two on the ground and two via receptions. He finished with four catches and 94 yards, plus 34 yards rushing. Senior wide receiver Keaten Welch caught seven passes for 175 yards and a touchdown.
-Coming off a 10-0 regular season, Paulding’s defense came ready to play on Friday. The Panthers forced five (Convoy) Crestview turnovers, including three fumbles and two interceptions. One of the fumbles occurred just as Crestview was about to score. The second interception came with 2:34 left in the game, when junior defensive back Emmet Barnes picked off a Crestview pass and raced 80 yards for a touchdown, sealing an 18-6 victory for Paulding.
-Bellaire’s Raekwon Pettigew returned two punts for touchdowns (88 and 70), caught a 24-yard TD pass, hauled in a two-point pass, ran the ball twice for 19 yards and had two receptions for 31 yards and the aforementioned TD in the Big Reds’ 43-13 rout of Buckeye Local. He only played the first half.
-Shadyside’s Jayden Johnson accounted for five touchdowns in the Tigers’ 49-13 win at East Palestine. Johnson ran for four scores and passed for another.
-Barnesville’s Trey Toliver carried the ball 26 times for 188 yards and reached the end zone four times as the Shamrocks defeated host John Glenn, 34-19.
-Martins Ferry’s Walkquem Cox had four TD runs among his 128 yards on 15 carries as the Purple Riders made the long trip to Mt. Gilead a successful one, 42-19.
-Monroe Central’s Cooper Howell ran for two TDs and passed for another pair in the Seminoles’ 33-14 win over Liberty Union. Howell was 14 of 22 for 200 yards through the air and ran for 63 on 13 carries.
-Logan’s Carson Tootle made seven catches for 139 yards and 2 TDs against Athens in Week 1. Tootle is a converted QB to WR this season.
-Mentor’s Logan Berwald scored a 64-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Brogan Jones gave the Cardinals the lead for good in their 38-17 win against Olmsted Falls. Berwald hauled in 12 passes for 235 yards and two TDs. Jones completed 20 of 31 passes for 285 yards.
-The flu couldn’t stop Rocky River’s Tristin Hughes, who ran for two TDs, including a 66-yard score in the Pirates’ 28-7 win at Manchester. He made an early case for Mr. Football with 12 touches for 265 yards, including 186 yards on nine carries and 79 yards on three receptions. The Kentucky commit even had to throw up in the second quarter. Despite that, he also played safety. Hughes totaled 11 tackles and forced a fumble on that side of the ball. He also forced a fumble and recovered it.
-Oregon commit Brayton Feister and junior brother Brydon Feister made their Massillon debuts, combining for 27 total tackles, 13 TFL and six sacks. Brayton paced the defense at inside linebacker, while Brydon brought the pass rush from defensive end. The Tigers limited Glenville to 146 total yards and just 54 yards in the first half of a 31-18 victory.
-Brunswick senior quarterback Connor Jamison celebrated an early homecoming in his return to Brunswick after transferring from Holy Name. Jamison threw the winning TD pass with 33 seconds left to beat Berea-Midpark on the road, 47-42, as he found Jake Tamosiunas to cap a fourth-quarter comeback. The Blue Devils scored 20 unanswered points, and Jamison finished with 414 yards with five TDs (six scores counting one rushing) on 30-of-46 passing. Adin Evert was his top target with 165 yards on nine receptions.
-Ohio State commit Deontay Malone of Massillon shined on both sides of the ball in the Tigers’ 31-18 win against Glenville. His 82-yard touchdown reception from junior quarterback Rasmus Haines pushed the Tigers in the first quarter. Malone finished with 149 yards (most of Haines’ 186 yards passing) on five receptions. Add in Malone’s special teams, and he compiled 217 all-purpose yards. Oh, and he helped shut down Glenville’s passing game at cornerback. Malone is going to Ohio State for his defense, after all.
-Bishop Watterson ran its winning streak to 31 games with a 35-0 win at Anthony Wayne. The Eagles were led by first-time starting quarterback Dash Hoy, who ran for two scores and threw for a third. Miami commit Carter Bellisari hauled in four passes for 81 yards and Michigan State recruit Jack Schuler tallied two tackles for loss.
-The Ironton Fighting Tigers, which won the 2024 Division V state championship but were removed from the Ohio High School Athletic Association state playoffs last season, shut out host Williamsburg 42-0 in their season opener on Thursday night. The Fighting Tigers defense allowed just five total yards – including minus-12 rushing yards and zero first-half total yards. Kayden Edwards, – a Boston College verbal commit – caught a 65-yard touchdown pass, rushed four times for 19 yards, and set up the Fighting Tigers’ opening touchdown with a 44-yard punt return.
-The defending Division V state runner-up Wheelersburg Pirates pitched a 63-0 season-opening shutout of the visiting Portsmouth Trojans on Friday night at Ed Miller Stadium. This was the first game in the regular season between the longtime Scioto County rivals since 2016. Wheelersburg scored on every possession and rolled up 473 total yards, with quarterback Jack Doerr completing 10-of-11 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns. The Pirates had 10 different ballcarriers and eight different receivers.
-The Rock Hill Redmen rolled the visiting Minford Falcons 49-20 in the season opener on Friday night, marking a coaching victory for Rock Hill graduate Trey Wilds in his head coaching debut. The Redmen returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown – by senior Braylon McClellan, who also caught five passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Jarrod Bridges completed 10-of-14 passes or 264 yards and three scores, with Kelan Davidson recording the other receiving touchdown on a 64-yard screen pass. Cam Howard converted 7-of-7 extra-point kicks.
-The Portsmouth West Senators made it a second consecutive season-opening win over the Fairland Dragons on Friday night – as Wes Ratliff returned a punt 48 yards for a touchdown with two minutes remaining, breaking a 13-13 tie en route to a narrow 19-13 win. The Senators’ senior standout running back Anthony Bishop rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, scoring on a 4-yard run in the third quarter and 51-yard run in the third quarter to erase a 7-0 Fairland lead.
-The South Point Pointers snapped the 32-game regular-season win streak of the Pike Eastern Eagles on Friday night, winning 30-27 in a game played at Piketon High School – due to Eastern’s home field being deemed unplayable. Senior placekicker Ezra Young made a 31-yard field goal with two seconds remaining, giving new South Point head coach Brian Wroten the victory in his head coaching debut. The Pointers’ first score came on a 96-yard screen pass to senior standout running back Landon Vance.
-The Franklin Furnace Green Bobcats snapped a 10-game losing streak on Friday night, defeating the visiting Federal Hocking Lancers 38-32 in three overtimes.
-Arcadia’s Tripp Brubaker, who missed his sophomore season because of an injury, returned to the Redskins’ lineup in a big way on Friday, rushing for 141 yards, passing for 105, and accounting for five touchdowns in a 41-14 win over Cory-Rawson.
Flip the script
Two teams that went 0-10 in 2026 buried those bad memories in a big way on Friday. Ottawa-Glandorf, with former assistant Ben Kaufman, now the head coach, pulled off one of the biggest shockers by beating Liberty-Benton 52-7. L-B had blanked the Trojans 35-0 last season in going 12-1. (Mount Blanchard) Riverdale, also 0-10 last season, elevated a former assistant – Tyson Speyer – to head coach and he guided the Falcons to a 30-6 win over Ridgemont, ending a 12-game losing streak extending back to the ninth week of the 2024 season.
-With just 12 players on the roster, a special meeting of administrators, parents and fans was held at Vanlue to decide if the program could continue its current course, possibly consider 8-man football or fold all together. It was decided to continue on, so low numbers or not, Vanlue suited up for its 102nd consecutive season of 11-man football on Friday. The Wildcats hosted Ottawa Hills, a Division VI school in Toledo in its opener, and lost 62-8.
-Senior quarterback/defensive back Tayte Giesige completed 13-of-19 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns, rushed 14 times for 101 yards and another score, and had a team-high 15 tackles in Bluffton’s 42-27 win over Benjamin Logan.
-Waterford quarterback Avery Pottmeyer threw four touchdown passes in the Wildcats’ 36-0 victory at Vinton County. For the game, Pottmeyer completed five of seven passes for 137 yards. Gavin Heiner caught three of the TD passes for 57 yards.
-Beverly Fort Frye’s Grady Hesson had a rushing TD and threw a scoring strike in the Cadets’ 19-14 victory over Ridgewood in an opening-season battle of Division V, Region 19 playoff contenders.
-McConnelsville Morgan Senior Tanner Bankes rushed for 230 yards and three first-half scores as the Raiders held off the Marietta Tigers 35-32. It was a victorious return to the Historic Athletic Field for the Raiders, which was the home of Morgan and their predecessors, the M&M Big Reds, from 1939-2022, until moving to their new on-campus stadium in 2023. However, a mid-July storm damaged the turf at Raider Stadium, precipitating Morgan’s return.
-Maumee senior Eli Dodson caught six passes for 138 yards and two scores, including a 39-yard score in the second quarter, and returned two kickoffs for 77 yards in the Panthers 20-14 loss at Holland Springfield. Dodson also led Maumee with six tackles.
-Dunbar junior quarterback Nazir White threw for 303 yards and five touchdowns in a 32-23 win over Briggs. Wide receiver Rajai Hampton caught two touchdowns on three receptions for 82 yards. Jonas Gibson had 10 tackles, while JayMal Whitfield also recorded 10 total tackles to lead the defense.
-Belmont recorded its first shutout since the Earl White era as they blanked Woodward, 29-0.
-Meadowdale outlasted Independence with a stout defensive effort, winning 8-6.
-Butler dominated as quarterback Drew Seuss accounted for three touchdowns and running back Jace Love rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-7 win over Fenwick.
-Stebbins quarterback Devin McCormick put on a show with five total touchdowns as the Indians defeated Carroll, 41-6. McCormick threw two touchdowns, both to Marcel Jefferson, who had four receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns. McCormick also ran for three touchdowns on 15 carries for 175 yards. Junior defensive tackle Ryland Ray had four sacks and 10 total tackles to lead the defense.
-Alter defeated Fairmont, 14-7, as the Knights’ defense held up in the fourth quarter. Miami of Ohio commit Drew Cripps led Alter in the contest. The win ended a losing streak against Fairmont.
-Badin continued to dominate with a new leader at the helm as they defeated Hamilton in the rivalry game. Badin rushed for 223 total yards as junior running back Chase Evan ran for 96 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Senior running back L.T. King added an 80-yard touchdown run, while the defense held Hamilton to fewer than 150 total yards.
-McNicholas stopped Turpin, 31-10, as junior running back Joe Reuss rushed for 159 yards and sophomore running back Tyler Richardson scored three touchdowns in the big win.
-Senior linebacker Sam Whitcomb had five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, while junior defensive back Jack McGhee recorded five tackles and an interception to lead the defense.
-Fairfield forced Wayne into five turnovers, while Corrious Booker rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-25 win.
-Running back Tylus Bettendorf rushed for three touchdowns as Miamisburg ran for 277 total yards in a 44-14 win over Chaminade Julienne.
-Springfield senior quarterback C.J. Wallace connected with elite wide receiver Braylon Keyes, and the Wildcats stopped Winton Woods on a two-point conversion attempt to win 14-13.
-Quarterback Nile Knutson threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns as Lakota East rolled past Centerville, 41-14. Carter Jones caught 11 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in the win.
-Cartae Ligon, Chillicothe — The junior had 14 carries for 171 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-0 win over Circleville. He also tallied eight tackles, a 64-yard interception return for a score and added a 30-yard reception to his totals.
-Brayden Burns, Chillicothe Southeastern — In a 28-0 win over Fairfield Christian, the senior was 4-of-7 passing for 203 yards and three touchdowns. He added 57 rushing yards to his totals and picked off three passes on the defensive end — tying the school’s single-game record.
-Brice Johnson, Zane Trace — The Pioneers’ workhorse carried the football 22 times for 220 yards and five touchdowns, tying his own single-game record. Defensively, he also contributed with six tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.
-Yusef Wilson, Unioto — In a season-opening win over Jackson, Wilson tallied five tackles, one for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a 50-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. He also carried the ball 22 times for 70 yards and a score.
-Isaac Beam, Unioto — The senior receiver had six catches for 148 yards and a score in a 35-21 win over Jackson.