COLUMBUS – Week 1 of the 2024 high school football season is in the books.
Just because it was early didn’t mean there weren’t any fireworks. Let’s take a look at some of the top performances from all around the state with this week’s Ohio Prep Sports Media High School Football Notebook.
-The Ontario Warriors scored 31 unanswered points in a 31-14 win over Lexington. Mason Vantilburg ran for 105 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns while Noah Poole caught two passes for 79 yards and two scores. Ohio State-bound Bodpegn Miller threw for 94 yards and two touchdowns while running for 96 yards and a two-point conversion.
-Shelby’s Brayden Devito amassed 480 total yards and four touchdowns. The junior threw for 405 yards and 2 touchdowns. Devito also rushed for 75 yards and two touchdowns in Shelby’s 40-14 week one victory over Madison.
-The Lucas Cubs traveled four and half hours away for a Week 1 matchup at Smethport (PA) and came away with a 48-12 victory behind 552 yards of total offense. The Cubs ran for 446 yards on 50 carries and threw for 106 yards on four completions. Senior Buck Arnold also recorded a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown to put the final touches on a 36-point victory.
-The Plymouth Big Red defense was lights out in a 31-0 victory over Oberlin in Week 1. Plymouth did not allow a single first down and only allowed 16 yards of total offense while creating two turnovers. Offensively, Plymouth piled up 288 yards of offense led by Ethan Keefe with 107 rushing yards. He scored a rushing touchdown and added a 19-yard TD catch for good measure.
-Crestline snapped a 29-game losing streak (last win Oct. 30, 2020) beating county rival Buckeye Central 44-27. The Bulldogs totaled 444 yards of offense, the most in five years. Cian Glennon had 222 rushing yards and three touchdowns, Kody Lawhorn was 11-of-18 for 201 yards and four touchdowns, Parker Bowman caught three passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
-Galion junior Jacob Chambers caught 8 passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns as Galion defeated Wynford 49-13 in Week 1. Galion amassed 342 yards of total offense, while holding Wynford to 201 yards.
-Colonel Crawford’s Connor McMichael logged 11 carries for 168 yards and three touchdowns, also adding 43 yards through the air on two receptions. His partner in the backfield Dom Dean also rushed in a trio of touchdowns in the Eagles’ big 55-13 win over Hannibal River.
-Field High School head coach Matt Furino captured the 100th win of his career. The Falcons defeated the Mogadore Wildcats, 14-12, in the first game on Field's new field turf at Kenneth Lohr Stadium.
-Kent Roosevelt and Ravenna met for the 110th time. The Rough Riders earned a 14-7 over their longtime rivals in one of the state's longest-standing and most competitive rivalries. Ravenna now leads the all-time series 54-53-3. Remarkably close considering the longevity of the series.
-In Cleveland Browns Stadium, Avon displayed an impressive performance in a 42-21 win over Cleveland St. Ignatius. The defending Division II Region 6 champions had a defense that did not allow a Wildcats first down until eight minutes left in the first half. This was led by a front seven, in which linebacker Ryan Stolarski was named the game's Most Valuable Player by the Cleveland Browns. The Eagles defense held St. Ignatius running back Grant Washington (Minnesota commit) to 32 rushing yards and the team to 90. Avon's Division II first-team All-Ohioan quarterback Nolan Good made his return from a shoulder injury that sidelined him in the 2023 playoffs. He threw for 193 yards and ran for 67. Good scored touchdowns in the air and on the ground. He was one of five Avon players to score a rushing touchdown.
-First-year football player Mason Cerovac became the hero for Olmsted Falls. The sophomore blocked the potential game-tying field goal with four seconds remaining for the Bulldogs to defeat Solon, 16-13, on the road. He ended up with two blocked field goals, along with nine tackles and two TFLs.
-Mount Gilead's Cam Vickers ran for 161 yards and a touchdown in their 46-19 week one win over Triad. He also recovered a blocked punt for a score while recording three sacks on the defensive side.
-Jeromesville Hillsdale quarterback Kael Lewis broke a single-game record when he threw six touchdown passes in the Falcons' 44-12 win over Sullivan Black River. A sophomore making his first career start, Lewis completed 9-of-13 passes for 238 yards as the Falcons built a 44-0 halftime lead.
-Northmor quarterback A.J. Bower lit up the skies over North Bloomfield Township in their 48-14 victory over Upper Sandusky going 10-13 passing for 322 yards and three touchdowns. Bo Landin was the big play receiver catching 4 passes for 160 yards.
-Even though Newark Catholic lost its opener 51-19 to Bishop Ready, senior Mikey Hess had a game to remember. On the Green Wave’s first two plays from scrimmage, he scored on a 65-yard pass from Miller Hutchison, then on a 65-yard run. Later, he caught a 61-yard scoring pass from Hutchison and finished with 218 of NC’s 294 total yards. He also broke a kickoff return for 40 yards.
-Bishop Ready senior Anthony Campbell, who missed most of last year with injury, piled up 208 yards on 27 carries and scored four touchdowns in a 51-19 win against Newark Catholic. The Silver Knights amassed 504 yards total offense (323 passing, 171 passing).
-In his first game as a varsity starter, Newark junior Bodie Smith hit on 19 of 30 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-21 win against Licking Heights. Senior Drayson Peterson caught seven passes for 149 yards and two scores.
-In his first game as a varsity starter, Heath junior Braden Peterson was nearly perfect, completing 14 of 16 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown in a 50-7 win against Liberty Union. Senior Connor Corbett, starting for a fourth season, ran 13 times for 171 yards and four touchdowns.
-Coldwater honored senior center Cale Wenning, who died on Thursday (8/22) from injuries suffered in a bicycle accident before Friday’s 38-0 victory over Germantown Valley View. Fans on both sides wore orange and black — as did student sections from other Midwest Athletic Conference and Grand Lake area schools — and Coldwater took to the field with a flag bearing Wenning’s jersey number 70. Wenning, also a standout pitcher in baseball, was an Honorable Mention All-Ohio selection last season.
-Maria Stein Marion Local extended the nation’s longest active winning streak to 49 with a 45-6 win at Linton-Stockton High School in Indiana, a four-plus hour bus drive from Maria Stein. Justin Knouff passed for three first-half touchdowns and the Flyers forced three interceptions and had a fumble recovery as the game was 35-0 at halftime to trigger the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s running clock rule with the 35-point lead margin.
-Celina senior kicker Karsyn Smalley, also a member of the soccer team, went 6-for-6 on extra points and kicked two field goals, including a school-record 44-yarder, in the Bulldogs’ 55-13 victory over Columbus South. The 44-yarder broke the record of 42 yards shared by Matt Zimmerman (1999) and Zach Greber (2023).
-St. Marys Memorial gained all 405 of its offense via the rush in beating St. Henry 33-14. The Roughriders’ two 1,000-yard rushers from a season ago accounted for all five St. Marys touchdowns as Dominik Osborne rushed for 193 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns while Colton Mabry rushed for 115 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns.
-In Beloit West Branch's 27-7 win over Canfield, senior running back Boston Mulinix scored the 42nd rushing touchdown of his career, and 45th overall, establishing new school records. Also, senior Anthony Perry's 48-yard field goal set a school record.
-New Miami senior running back Dalson Hayes ran for 197 yards and two touchdowns in a 14-8 win over Gamble Montessori on Friday night at Mara Field.
-Arlington’s Ayden Cavinee carried 14 times for 165 yards and three touchdowns, caught two passes for 76 yards and another score, and returned an interception for a pick-six fifth TD in the Red Devils’ 53-33 win over Hardin Northern.
-Villa Angela-St. Joseph RB Lamar “Bo” Jackson. In a 42-7 win over GlenOak, Jackson, a 4-star Ohio State commit, ran the ball 13 times for 172 yards and three touchdowns, including TD runs of 45 and 46 yards. He also caught a 21-yard screen pass.
-Cedarville senior Colt Coffey rushed for a career-high 209 yards, had a four touchdown game for the second time, and made four tackles for loss on defense in a 42-0 win at Fayetteville. The Indians as a team averaged better than 10 yards per carry.
-Hillsboro senior Dom Smart — who missed all of 2023 with a knee injury — had 10 carries for 105 yards and one touchdown, including an 80-yard touchdown run in a 42-39 last second loss to the host Western Brown Broncos in Week 1. Hillsboro junior Jeven Hochstuhl played a balanced game, totaling six carries for 87 yards and two rushing touchdowns, plus he had one reception for a 94-yard touchdown.
-Western Brown senior quarterback Brady Sutton was 25-of-36 for 264 yards passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions, plus he had 24 carries for 167 yards rushing with one touchdown in a 42-39 Week 1 win at home vs. Hillsboro. Western Brown junior Justin Morgan had 33 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns. WBHS senior Lucas Powell finished with 10 receptions for 118 yards, including a 50-yard reception.
-Waterford's Hayden Jones scored four rushing touchdowns in the Wildcats 40-0 victory at Albany Alexander.
-Freshman quarterback Tucker Coleman made his first career start and completed 8-of-9 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, leading Tiffin Calvert to a 28-27 win over Mohawk.
-Senior wide receiver Kahne Hayman hauled in eight catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns, but Mohawk lost, 28-27, to Tiffin Calvert.
-Clyde's defense shut out Bellevue for the first time since 2013 in a 34-0 thrashing of the Redmen. It is the first time Clyde has defeated Bellevue four straight times in a series where the first game was played in 1897.
-Bellefontaine senior quarterback Tavien St. Clair, an Ohio State commit, threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-21 victory over Sidney. Senior Braylon Newcomb, playing in his first game for the Chieftains after transferring from Centerville, caught 13 passes, scored three touchdowns and set a school record with 235 receiving yards.
-Tippecanoe beat Bellbrook 28-7 and sophomore quarterback Larkin Thomas passed for 199 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a touchdown in his debut. Tipp outgained Bellbrook 344-90.
-Xenia junior Deaunte White rushed for 130 yards on 13 carries in a 26-7 win over Beavercreek. Zane Platt rushed for 144 yards on 23 carries for the Beavers.
-Janias Hall threw for 286 yards and four touchdowns to lead Lima Senior past Piqua 35-20. Jericho Burns led Piqua with 138 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
-Marcell Jefferson returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown with 32 seconds left to lift Stebbins to a 35-34 win over Springfield Shawnee. Stebbins trailed 28-13 before rallying to tie. Shawnee scored to regain the lead before Jefferson’s return. Stebbins sophomore Devin McCormick was 15 for 23 for 350 yards and four touchdowns.
-Julian Daniels was 13 for 17 for 229 yards and four touchdowns to lead Kenton Ridge past Mechanicsburg 35-21. Jackson Patton rushed for 115 yards on 22 carries.
-Grady Lantz passed for 218 yards and four touchdowns to lead Urbana past Springfield Northeastern 44-35.
-Cedarville senior Colt Coffey rushed for 209 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries in a 42-0 win over Fayetteville-Perry.
-Max Miller passed for 226 yards and two touchdowns to lead Springboro past Little Miami 31-0. Brayden Wilhite caught nine passes for 125 yards.
-Teaunn Hunter, a receiver who filled in for injured starting quarterback Tyrell Lewis, rushed for 181 yards on 10 carries, including a 73-yard touchdown, and Isaiah Thompson rushed for 177 yards on 20 carries to lead Wayne past Fairfield 31-13.
-Aiden Lowery rushed for 147 yards and Malachi Maddox-Ringer rushed for 135 to lead Dayton Chaminade-Julienne past Miamisburg 21-10.
-Coach Tiger LaVerde won his 250th career game (and 230th game at Kirtland) with a 55-34 win over Dalton in a game that pitted the defending Division VI state champion Hornets against reigning Division VII state runner-up Bulldogs. Including a 20-10 record as head coach at Franklin, Pa., to start his coaching career, LaVerde's overall career record is 250-30 (.893), meaning LaVerde could go 0-10 for 22 straight seasons and still have a .500 career winning percentage. At Kirtland, he is 230-20 (.920) with seven state championships and five state runner-up finishes in 19 seasons. Highlighting his father's 250th career win was his son, quarterback Jack LaVerde (who is 30-2 as the team's quarterback). He carried 16 times for 341 yards and three scores in the win over Dalton.
-Hawken coach Mark Iammarino won his 200th career game in the Hawks' 42-0 win over Cleveland Rhodes. Iammarino won 186 games as the head coach at Chagrin Falls, including a pair of state runner-up finishes, before retiring. He was hired three years later as Hawken's head coach, where he has 14 more wins and counting.
-Ridgedale running back not only scored both touchdowns in the team’s 14-13 victory at Hilltop, but he ran it 31 times for 233 yards. Teammate Evan Rickets ended with 11 tackles with six for loss and two sacks, while Caiden Daniels picked off two passes.
-Marion Harding’s Parker Davis made 11 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns, the final one being a 78-yarder for what proved to be the winning touchdown with 6:36 in the 31-27 win over Mount Vernon.
-Portsmouth senior Chase Heiland rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries in the Trojans’ 15-12 win at Lucasville Valley on Thursday night. In the 2023 opener for the Trojans against Valley, Heiland had 258 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 25 attempts. Portsmouth and Valley, sans the COVID-19 impacted season of 2020, have opened their seasons every year since 2012 by playing on a Thursday night. The Trojans’ 2024 win was their eighth consecutive in the series, as the 27 points was the lowest combined point total in those dozen meetings.
-The Fairland Dragons’ 34-0 defeat of Portsmouth West on Friday night featured a three-headed monster of sorts. Quarterback Ethan Wall, in making his first varsity start, was 15-of-19 passing for 214 yards and three touchdowns. Jack Hayden’s two receptions resulted in touchdowns of six and 36 yards, as Hayden also rushed for a 20-yard score —with all three touchdowns coming in the second quarter. Keegan Smith scored the Dragons’ other two TDs —a 48-yard reception only a minute and four seconds into the game and a 51-yard interception return with 20 seconds left in the third quarter. It was Fairland’s fourth win in a row over West, as the first three meetings were decided by a combined five points — with the 2023 victory coming on the game’s final play.
-The Franklin Furnace Green Bobcats defeated the Federal Hocking Lancers 42-0 on Friday night, as legendary Larry Hall made his head coaching debut for the Bobcats. Hall has been involved in coaching football for over 50 years, as 2024 marks his 20th season as a head coach. He was last a head coach for one season at Sciotoville East in 2008, leading the Tartans to the Southern Ohio Conference Division I championship that year. He followed the legendary Ed Miller at Wheelersburg in the 1990s, winning 64 games, seven SOC II championships and making six state playoff appearances in his seven seasons there. He also coached at Preble Shawnee in the early 1970s for four years, at Ashland in Kentucky for four years following his seven at Wheelersburg, and at McDermott Northwest from 2003 thru 2005. He spent the 2009 thru 2003 seasons assisting his son Andy Hall at Jackson, serving as the Ironmen’s defensive coordinator. Hall’s head coaching record is now 127-75-4.
-Ironton senior Shaun Terry terrorized the host Wheelersburg Pirates on Friday night. That’s because Terry, the returning Southeast District Division V Offensive Player of the Year and University of Missouri commit, scored three touchdowns and 20 total points —as Ironton scored the final 30 points in the Fighting Tigers’ 37-7 victory. Terry began the game with an interception on defense on the third play from scrimmage, then proceeded to score three offensive touchdowns —a 50-yard reception, a 32-yard run and a 43-yard reception. All three TDs came in a span of 18 minutes of game time. Terry also caught a two-point conversion pass on the Fighting Tigers’ final score —a 63-yard punt return by sophomore Kayden Edwards. Terry, a wide receiver, caught seven passes for 128 yards —as Ironton won its fifth straight regular-season matchup against archrival Wheelersburg. The two storied and tradition-rich Southeast District programs play every season opener, and are just 22 miles apart. Ironton owns now 745 all-time program wins, while Wheelersburg has won exactly 600 all-time games.
-Portsmouth Notre Dame junior Bryce McGraw, making his debut as the Titans’ starting quarterback, completed 15-of-23 passes for 288 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in the Titans’ 60-48 season-opening victory over visiting Fairfield Christian Academy on Saturday. His 407-yard effort, accounting for seven Titan touchdowns and two two-point conversion runs, resulted in a passer rating of 147.73.
-The Federal Hocking Lancers played their first football game on Friday night since an 0-8 campaign in 2021 —a 42-0 loss at Franklin Furnace Green.
-Napoleon senior running back/linebacker George Eggers had a hand in every aspect of the Wildcats’ 35-34 win over rival Defiance. Eggers rushed for 75 yards and three TDs, caught five passes for 65 yards and two scores and also led the Napoleon defense with 13 tackles and two tackles for loss while wiping out a Napoleon interception by stripping the Defiance interceptor and recovering the fumble as Napoleon snapped a three-year losing streak in the 102-game series.
-Kayden Winslow of Antwerp found the endzone multiple ways, catching four passes for 44 yards and a touchdown while tallying six tackles and two interceptions, including a 97-yard TD return, in the Archers’ 34-0 win at Montpelier.
-Maumee senior running backs Keishon Midcalf and Cody Wulf combined to rush for 230 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers beat host Holland Springfield, 41-8. Junior quarterback Ben Kubicz threw for three touchdowns and 154 yards while the Panthers defense came up with four turnovers. It is the first time Maumee has won season-opening games in back-to-back years since 2016-17.
-Medina Buckeye's Troy McCann had 298 rushing yards and six touchdowns before being pulled with 8:21 left in the third quarter of a 49-21 victory over Seville Cloverleaf.
-Camden Sokolowski and Tallen Hulvey had back-to-back interception returns for touchdowns a mere 5:16 apart to help turn Medina's 14-all tie with Stow into a 42-14 rout.
-Hamilton Badin's 38-game regular-season winning streak came to a halt Saturday night with a 15-0 loss to Hamilton.The Rams had been tied for Maria Stein Marion Local for the longest active regular-season winning streak in Ohio.
-Hamilton Ross quarterback Emory Severance carried the ball 35 times for 236 yards and a touchdown in a 28-14 loss to Cincinnati Wyoming.
-Hamilton New Miami ended a 21-game losing streak with a 14-8 victory over Cincinnati Gamble Montessori.