OPSMA High School Football Notebook: Week 4

Recapping the top performances from around the state in the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association's Week 4 High School Football Notebook:
 
• Ontario’s Ohio State-bound Bodpegn Miller ran for 212 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown and completed seven passes for 68 yards and a score as the Warriors knocked off River Valley 27-14 to open Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference play. Running back Mason Vantilburg ran for 126 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown while Landon Foltz caught a 40-yard touchdown pass to highlight the offense. Defensively, Landon Sowards had a team-high eight tackles with a sack.
 
• Shelby’s do-it-all QB Brayden DeVito was sensational in the Whippets’ 33-14 win over Marion Harding running for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries while throwing for 113 on five completions with a TD. Running back Marcus Gumbert ran for 136 yards on 22 carries with two scores while Karsen Homan led the defensive effort with 10 tackles, four sacks and four tackles for loss and Hunter Oney added 10 tackles with a TFL.
 
• The Madison Rams got in the win column in a big way with a 35-24 win over Wooster. Khris Adkins-Tolbert ran for 180 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while also adding 37 receiving yards. Quarterback Cam Kun threw for 171 yards and two TD completing 10-of-11 passes and running for eight yards and a score while also recording an interception on defense. His favorite target was Cam Moysi, who caught five passes for 121 yards and two TDs, while Eli Lewis led the defensive effort with 13 tackles and a fumble recovery.
 
• The Lexington Minutemen got in the win column for the first time this season, beating Akron North 49-6 behind quarterback Joe Caudill’s big day as he completed 6-of-8 passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns while running for 68 yards on eight attempts with a score. Gage Powell was his top target with three catches for 64 yards and two TDs, while Camden Boozer ran for 65 yards and a TD.
 
• The Lucas Cubs (Division VII) picked up a massive 21-14 win over Division IV Warrensville Heights in Week 4 as Brady Guegold ran for 125 yards on 17 carries with a TD, Dan Hockensmith ran for a pair of scores and Bobby Grover picked off a pass in crunch time for a complete effort.
 
• Mohawk used big plays, including an 80-yard punt return by Kaleb Bish, to defeat Colonel Crawford 35-7. Kahne Hayman added a 5-yard touchdown run later in the first quarter and Bish caught a pair of passes from quarterback Ben Bogner covering 28 and 32 yards that put the visitors up 28-7 at halftime. Brayden Holt found Connor McMichael on a 65-yard scoring strike down the left sideline for the Eagles' lone score.
 
• Ethan New completed 14-of-16 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns to lead Sidney past Fairborn 37-27. Zyaire Cavitt rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries for Fairborn.
 
• Sophomore Larkin Thomas completed 16-of-23 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns to lead unbeaten Tippecanoe past Piqua 35-10. Tipp led 14-10 at halftime.
 
• Gavin McManus completed 16 of 24 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns to lead Xenia past 49-6. Deaunte White added 92 rushing yards and three touchdowns to raise his season totals to 721 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.
 
• Twins Tayven and Braylen Crump continue to make big plays for unbeaten Vandalia-Butler in a 41-7 win over Greenville. Tayven caught two touchdowns and had 93 receiving yards on three catches. Braylen caught three passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. Braylen, a linebacker, led the defense with seven tackles including one for a loss, and Tayven had a pass deflection.
 
• Parker Johnson scored his fourth touchdown on a 1-yard run with 2:57 left to give Centerville a 31-21 lead and an eventual 31-28 victory over Kettering Fairmont.
 
• Max Miller threw for 168 yards and Mattias Brunicardi rushed for 122 yards in Springboro’s 28-6 win over Wayne, which is still without injured quarterback Tyrell Lewis.
 
• Brent Upshaw returned from injury to lead Springfield to a 40-9 win over Miamisburg. Upshaw completed 16-of-23 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. Braylon Keyes, who had been filling in for Upshaw, caught four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
 
• Senior Garrett Lundy had a monster game in Waynesville’s 56-29 win over Brookville. He carried the ball 14 times for 172 yards and three touchdowns, caught five passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, made 10 tackles and forced a fumble.
 
• Sandusky shut out Parma Padua, 28-0, for the first win of the season and first under coach Jamaris Brown. The Blue Streaks only scored one offensive touchdown, but got a school-record 97-yard kickoff return by Amir Aaron and defensive touchdowns from freshman Dante Shipp Jr. (92-yard fumble recovery) and Keelan Lockhart (67-yard interception return) to aid the win.
 
• Huron quarterback Landon Hohler completed 13-of-16 passes for 146 yards and four touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown as the Tigers topped Dayton Dunbar, 49-14, on Saturday. Receiver Jackson McNulty caught two touchdown passes and blocked a punt to help Huron improve to 3-1.
 
• Ironton’s Kayden Edwards carried four times for 90 yards and one touchdown, completed 2-of-4 passes for 46 yards, and caught one pass for 25 yards in the Fighting Tigers’ 56-19 win over St. Francis from Buffalo, N.Y. on Saturday night. The game was part of the annual Ironton Gridiron Classic at historic Tanks Memorial Stadium. The undefeated Fighting Tigers scored three touchdowns on their first eight plays.
 
• Fairland’s Ethan Wall completed 22-of-26 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Dragons’ 49-14 win over Rock Hill on Friday night.
 
• South Point’s Brayden Hanshaw completed 16-of-25 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns in the Pointers’ 44-8 victory over Symmes Valley on Friday night.
 
• The Minford Falcons captured their first victory under first-year head coach Jordan Michael —a 22-21 Southern Ohio Conference Division II triumph over Oak Hill on Friday night. The Falcons won despite being penalized 17 times for 145 yards, part of 21 accepted penalties total. Quarterback Curtis Glenn rushed 18 times for 131 yards, and Mason Bradley added 101 yards on 14 carries and all three Falcon touchdowns plus two extra-point kicks. Minford’s only other points came on a safety.
 
• The Portsmouth Trojans, spearheaded by Chase Heiland’s 126 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, blanked the Gallia Academy Blue Devils 47-0 on Friday night in the Ohio Valley Conference opener. Heiland has rushed for at least 111 yards and two touchdowns in each of the Trojans’ four games this season. It was also Portsmouth’s first win over Gallia Academy since 2016, as the two teams did not play in 2021.
 
• Centerville’s win over Fairmont was its 26th in the last 27 meetings between the two schools. Junior Parker Johnson had four touchdowns for the Elks.
 
• Not one, but two Valley View running backs ran for more than 100 yards in the Spartans 50-20 win over Carlisle. Tristan Smith had 9 carries for 142 yards and Brodie Hopkins had 5 touches for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Valley View totaled 366 rushing yards in the win.
 
• Max Brunicardi had his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game with 122 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in leading Springboro to a win over Wayne.
 
• Middletown is 4-0 for the first time since 2011. That year, the Middies finished with an overall record of 10-2 including a playoff win over Centerville before losing to Moeller.
 
• Sam Wiles threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 128 yards in leading Lakota West to a 50-14 win over Fairfield.
 
• Hamilton senior Gracen Goldsmith ran for 164 yards, his first 100-yard game of the season, including an 80-yard touchdown as Big Blue knocked off Mason 7-3.
 
• Sophomore Brody O’Banion ran for a career-high 219 yards and two touchdowns in leading Edgewood to its first win of the season. It was also first-year coach Trace Reynolds’ first win as a head coach. Sophomore Jordan Crider also had 8 catches for 186 yards and two scores for the Cougars in its 34-14 win over Talawanda.
 
• Waynesville quarterback Alex Amburgey completed 9-of-16 passes for 323 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Spartans win over Brookville. Two receivers — Garrett Lundy and Trenton Davis — combined for all of it. Lundy with 195 yards and two touchdowns and Davis with 128 yards and three touchdowns. Lundy also rushed for 172 yards and three scores.
 
• Fairmont’s Brock Baker was 7-of-10 passing for 203 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Centerville. Kameron Thornton had two catches for 112 yards and a TD.
 
• Week 4 saw Hillsboro junior Jeven Hochstuhl have a balanced game on offense, finishing with six carries for 70 yards with three rushing touchdowns, and he also had four receptions for 71 yards in a 48-41 loss to Williamsburg.
 
• Williamsburg’s Troy Harris finished Week 4 with four total touchdowns (two rushing, two receiving), on eight carries for 81 yards and four receptions for 90 yards in the Wildcats’ 48-41 victory at Hillsboro. The win also saw Williamsburg quarterback Michael Corcoran throw four touchdowns, finishing 13-of-19 for 267 yards.
 
• Returning after missing the previous week, McClain senior Owen Sykes rushed for four touchdowns in the first half of a 42-0 Tigers win over East Clinton, as it was McClain’s first win of the ’24 season.
 
•  Freshman quarterback Landon Echelberry knew he would be replacing Ryan Montgomery in the Findlay High lineup. He didn’t know he’d be replacing Montgomery in the school record books as well. Forced into the starting quarterback role when Montgomery, a four-star recruit who has signed with Georgia, suffered a season-ending injury in Findlay’s first game, Echelberry broke Montgomery’s single-game passing record when he threw for 562 yards in Friday’s game at Oregon Clay. Montgomery had broken Ben Roethlisberger’s single-game record just the year before when he threw for 491 yards in a win over Sylvania South. In his second varsity start, Echelberry completed 29-of-42 passes and fired five touchdown passes. Senior receiver Jacob Ragland had a record-breaking night of his own, catching 14 passes for 309 yards and TD receptions covering 14, 59 and 94. Sophomore receiver Carter Imke caught nine passes for 207 yards and a score.
 
• Despite Findlay’s record-setting performances, the night belonged to Oregon Clay and Pitt recruit Mason Heintschel, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior who generated 482 yards total offense in leading the Eagles to a 54-40 win in a Northern Lakes League cross-over matchup. Heintschel completed 19-of-26 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns and rushed and/or scrambled for 187 yards and two scores, both of them on runs of over 50 yards. Heintschel even attempted one of Clay’s three punts in the game. It went 60 yards and rolled out of bounds at the Findlay 1-yard line.
 
• Ottawa-Glandorf head coach Ken Schriner joined the 200-win club on Friday when the Titans beat Elida 28-7. In his 29th season as O-G head coach, Schriner owns a 200-118 career record that includes 16 playoff appearances and two trips to the state semifinals.
 
• Edgerton’s Joel Walkup was a dual threat for the Bulldogs, rushing for 166 yards and three TDs on 19 carries on offense while tallying 11 tackles, a sack and an interception as Edgerton rallied for a 42-21 win over Antwerp.
 
• Defiance’s Jordyn Wright had a 55-yard rushing touchdown, a 71-yard receiving touchdown and an interception in the red zone as the Bulldogs snapped a seven-year losing streak in their 112th meeting with Van Wert, 41-14.
 
• Liberty Center scored 44 of its 51 points in the first half, racking up 439 offensive yards on only 44 plays in a 51-0 demolition of Archbold. Grady Miller had two completions, both TDs, for 96 yards while rushing for 103 yards and a score on just two carries. Garrison Kruse had six carries for 86 yards and two TDs and also caught a 57-yard touchdown pass.
 
• Despite a 37-13 loss to county rival Tinora, Hicksville’s Brant Langham had a stellar day with seven catches for 171 yards while returning a kickoff 92 yards to paydirt.
 
• Indian Hill sophomore running back Devlan Daniel had 11 carries for 139 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-0 win over Mariemont. His second touchdown, a 77-yard run, was his fourth TD of at least 50 yards this season.
 
• Meadowbrook quarterback Justice Huey threw for more than 300 yards, accounted for five TDs and became the school's all-time passing leader in a 40-20 win over Crooksville.
 
• New Lexington quarterback Isaiah Stephens finished with more than 300 yards and four TDs through the air, including the game-winning scoring strike to Carson Kellogg in a 38-35 victory over West Muskingum.
 
• Sheridan’s Evan Anderson scored on a pick six and a 95-yard kickoff return in a 38-0 win at Maysville. He’s the first General to accomplish both in the same game since at least 1992.
 
• Philo quarterback Jack Lincicome was 6-of-6 passing for 239 yards and four TDs in a 61-0 win at River View.
 
• John Glenn quarterback Owen Edwards went 10-of-11 for 148 yards and five TDs in a 49-14 victory over Coshocton.
 
• Wadsworth freshman Brysen Hall completed 22-of-30 passes for 329 yards and five touchdowns in a 55-10 win over Twinsburg.
 
• Manchester's Phil Partin finished with 148 yards on 22 carries, one catch for 25 yards and a 1-yard touchdown and an interception in a 29-22 win in overtime at Northwest.
 
• Manchester's Yadin Sharp contributed 15 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns and completed 6 of 12 passes for 90 yards in a 29-22 win in overtime at Northwest.
 
• Keller Moten of Walsh Jesuit finished 7-of-14 passing for 159 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 14 times for 97 yards in a 42-7 win over St. Ignatius.
 
• Nordonia's Ben Chesser completed 14 of 19 passes for 129 yards and one TD and ran for 32 yards and three TDs in a 45-7 win over Solon.
 
• Hudson's Reno Ferri totaled 137 yards rushing and three TDs on 16 carries in a 46-7 win over Stow.
 
• Tallmadge's Ryan Loveless finished with 235 yards and three touchdown passes on 12-of-24 passing in a 40-7 win over Barberton.
 
• CVCA's Charley Levak rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries in a 47-7 win over Tuslaw.
 
• Green's Tyson Hunka completed 13 of 22 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns in a 21-19 win over North Canton Hoover.
 
• Milan Parris of Walsh Jesuit had two catches for 98 yards — touchdowns of 63 and 35 yards — in a 42-7 win over St. Ignatius.
 
• Northmor's Cowin Becker ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries, plus caught nine passes for 145 yards and two more scores in a win over Centerburg.
 
• Cardington's Wyatt Denney rushed 21 times for 254 yards and two touchdowns, plus made 13 tackles in a loss to Fredericktown.
 
The Ohio Prep Sports Media Association is an organization of 233 high school sports media members from all over the state. This list is compiled by those members. Visit the website at https://www.ohsaa.org/news/OPSWA.
 
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