OPSMA High School Football Notebook: Week 6

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2024 high school football season is 60 percent in the books.

Before we turn the page to Week 7, let’s take a look at some of the biggest performances from around the state with the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association High School Football Notebook.

• Ontario’s Bodpegn Miller was unstoppable in Ontario’s 49-0 win over Galion in Week 6 throwing for 167 yards on 10-of-14 attempts and a touchdown. He also ran for 224 yards and four touchdowns on nine carries while James Mahon added 36 yards and a TD on seven touches as the Warriors ran for 303 yards. The defense pitched a shutout allowing just 84 yards of total offense.

• Lexington’s Joe Caudill had a big day in a 19-6 win over Mansfield Senior throwing for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 11 completions while running for 30 yards on 13 carries. Camden Boozer also ran for 23 yards including a touchdown while Seven Allen caught four passes for 83 yards and a score and Brayden Fogle added four catches for 65 yards. It was Lexington’s first win at Arlin Field since 2018.

• Shelby’s Brayden DeVito accounted for five scores, (three rushing and two passing) finishing with 221 yards through the air and an interception, and added 89 more on the ground while Marcus Gumbert finished with 115 yards and a score in the Whippets’ 41-6 win over Highland.

• Crestview saw the resurgence of running back Ayden Reymer who is finally healthy as he rattled off 111 yards on the ground on 15 carries while the Cougars scored seven rushing touchdowns in a 47-6 win over South Central. Bransen Hider had 55 yards on five carries with a touchdown while Marcus Chancey added 51 yards on three carries with a score, Gavin Barker ran for 36 yards on five carries and three TDs and Liam Kuhn ran for 34 and two scores. Kuhn also completed 7-of-10 passes for 94 yards through the air helping Crestview nab its second straight win.

• Danville beat Loudonville 22-0 in first-year Loudonville head coach Ed Honabarger's return to Danville. Honabarger was the head coach at Danville from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2010 to 2019, compiling a 132-60 record with four regional championships (1999, 2004, 2015, 2017) and 12 playoff appearances in 16 seasons. The fieldhouse at Danville was named in Honabarger's honor in 2020. Danville limited Loudonville to 98 yards of offense. LInebacker Josh Byers had 17 tackles, while fellow linebacker Blake Colopy made 15 stops. Danville running back Aidan Burke rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

• Howard East Knox beat Mount Gilead 20-0 behind the passing of quarterback Jaxon Lester and his stable of receivers. Lester completed 20-of-34 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Five different pass catchers had at least two receptions and 30 receiving yards.

• Athens' Anthony Sutton rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns on a massive 36 carries in the Bulldogs' 27-14 victory over Vincent Warren on Saturday. The Bulldogs are now 6-0 for the first time since 2014 — Joe Burrow's senior season at Athens.

• Cordis Berard rushed for 176 yards on 13 carries and scored a career-high five touchdowns to lead Eaton to a weather delayed 34-3 win over Middletown Madison Saturday, Sept. 28, in a Southwestern Buckeye League Buckeye Divsion game. Eaton improved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the SWBL Buckey with the win.

• Piketon senior running back Buddy Wilson accounted for more than two-thirds of his team's yardage in the 21-12 loss to the Unioto Shermans. Wilson used 14 carries to cover 184 yards and scored both of Piketon's touchdowns. His longest came on an 80-yard run to the house. Wilson also caught one pass from quarterback Luke Gullion for 13 yards, bringing Wilson's total yardage for the day to 197.

• Waverly senior receiver Mason Pollard had another big week for the Tigers. In Saturday's 41-0 win against Oak Hill, Pollard used two receptions from quarterback Mason Pollard to cover 118 yards. That follows up a 171 yard day from the previous week at Portsmouth West.

• Deaunte White of Xenia continued his strong season, gaining 183 yards on 18 carries and scoring 4 touchdowns in a 43-7 win over Fairborn. Ronnie Butler was around the ball constantly on defense, making 22 tackles on Fairborn's 44 snaps from scrimmage.

• Cooper Payton gained 145 yards, his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, and scored two touchdowns for Greeneview in a dominating 27-0 win against Greenon Saturday morning. The Rams ran the ball on all 51 offensive plays in the rain and muddy conditions. The game switched venues due to a power outage in Jamestown.

• Riley Ferrin connected on two field goals during the second half in Friday's heavy rain and wind, the first coming from 45 yards out, helping Bellbrook break through after a scoreless halftime battle to prevail at Edgewood 13-0.

• Fairview’s William Zeedyk had just 175 total yards of offense but had a hand in all three Apache touchdowns with two passing and one rushing score in a 21-19 win over previously-unbeaten Paulding.

• Patrick Henry quarterback Lincoln Creager had one pass attempt, a 24-yard touchdown, while rushing for 147 yards on 12 carries in a 44-0 win over Wauseon.

• Napoleon’s Trey Rubinstein had six catches for 115 yards, 42 rushing yards and a touchdown, returned a punt 52 yards to paydirt and blocked two extra points in the Wildcats’ 26-20 loss at Fremont Ross.

• Edgerton QB Maddox Baker was 8-of-9 passing for 144 yards and two TDs while rushing for 73 yards and a score on eight carries as the Bulldogs beat Ayersville, 39-7.

• Tri-Valley senior quarterback Max Lyall tied his own record, throwing for six TDs, all in the first half, of a 66-20 victory against Maysville. Lyall finished with 317 yards passing, and Keaton Hahn caught three of those among his five catches for 102 yards for the undefeated Scotties.

• New Lex’s Isaiah Stephens finished with 325 yards passing with three scores and added a 60-yard TD run in a 51-14 win at Coshocton. Bentley Hanson grabbed all three of those scores and finished with six receptions for 175 yards for the Panthers.

• Meadowbrook’s Justice Huey executed the 2-minute drill to perfection, hitting Brayden Black for a touchdown with 12 seconds left to complete the 21-17 comeback win over John Glenn. He finished with 286 yards through the air.

• Philo’s Talon Preston had more than 250 total yards and found the end zone twice in a 37-7 win against Crooksville.

• Ridgewood’s Grant Lahmers had 185 yards and three TDs on 19 carries and Aiden Sparger ran seven times for 109 yards and a pair of scores as Ridgewood remained undefeated with a 42-7 rout of Tusky Valley.

• Rosecrans’ Brody Zemba had more than 200 total yards and accounted for three TDs in a 35-18 win over Fisher Catholic.

• West Muskingum’s Carter Winland ran for more than 200 yards and scored three times in a 42-0 rout of Morgan.

• Sheridan’s Luke Link had TD runs of 65 and 44 yards and returned an interception 15 yards for a score in a 62-0 victory against River View.

• Perkins running back Isaac Bunts ran 35 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and caught a touchdown pass, as the Division IV, No. 1 Pirates topped Clyde, 28-7. Bunts has already amassed 139 carries for 1,012 yards and 17 touchdowns this season through six games.

• Perkins wide receiver Braylon Collier, who will play WR collegiately at Michigan State, caught three passes for just 39 yards as the Pirates defeated Clyde, 28-7. What was more impressive was Collier completed a double pass to keep a drive alive, intercepted a Clyde pass when the Fliers were driving to tie the game, and averaged 53 yards a punt.

• Nelsonville-York’s Landen Inman was 5-of-6 passing for 68 yards with three touchdown passes, carried eight times for 81 yards and one touchdown, made a 10-yard touchdown reception, and had nine tackles on defense with one interception in the Buckeyes’ 42-14 win over Meigs. Alec Thompson tacked on three receptions —all touchdowns —for 86 yards with one interception and three pass break-ups on defense.

• Coal Grove’s Kaden Murphy rushed 13 times for 232 yards with two touchdowns, and Caden Turner tacked on 10 carries for 124 yards and four two-point conversions, in the Hornets’ 46-8 Ohio Valley Conference victory over Gallia Academy.

• Portsmouth senior running back Chase Heiland rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries in the Trojans’ 45-8 Ohio Valley Conference win at Chesapeake on Saturday. Heiland has rushed for at least 111 yards and two touchdowns in each of the Trojans’ six games this season. Portsmouth (5-1, 3-0 OVC) plays host to undefeated Fairland (6-0, 3-0) on Friday night for outright first-place in the OVC.

• Portsmouth West sophomore Anthony Bishop amassed 227 rushing yards and four touchdowns on a hefty 30 carries — in the Senators’ 24-0 win at Minford on Saturday night in Southern Ohio Conference Division II play. Bishop had all four of the Senators’ touchdowns for all 24 team points, as the game was played on a muddy grass field at Minford High School. The week before, Bishop rushed for 260 yards and four TDs on 39 carries in West’s 35-28 win over Waverly.

• Lucasville Valley’s Jaylen Bender kicked a game-winning 46-yard field goal as time expired on Friday night, lifting the host Indians to a thrilling 38-35 victory over McDermott Northwest in Southern Ohio Conference Division II play. It was the Indians’ first win of the season, as Bender broke his own school record with his game-winning 46-yarder. He was also a perfect 5-of-5 on extra-point kicks. Valley’s Anthony Aaron added 139 rushing yards and one touchdown on 22 carries —with 133 of those yards and 21 carries in the second half. Aidan Waughtel, the junior quarterback, threw two touchdown passes and rushed for two more — as Braxten Conaway caught those two TDs, part of his five receptions for 105 yards. For Northwest in a hard-fought losing effort, senior running back Carter Runyon rushed for a massive 273 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries. Maddix Spriggs made all five of his extra-point kicks. The game was tied five times (7-7, 14-14, 21-21, 28-28 and 35-35), before Bender booted his walkoff winner. The Mohawks have won only once against Valley since 2000, which was two years ago.

• Rayland Buckeye Local quarterback Alex McDiffitt had a big night to lead the Panthers to a 36-31 victory over Shenandoah. He rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries and completed 17 of 22 passes for another 119 yards and an addition score.

• Wintersville Indian Creek tailback Zion McGee continued his strong season for the now 5-1 Redskins in a 40-26 win at Bellaire, rushing for 139 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. He now has 12 touchdowns and 683 yards on the season.

• Richmond Edison quarterback JD Henderson had a big night to lead the Wildcats to a 35-19 rivalry win at Toronto, passing for 204 yards and two scores and rushing for an additional 79 yards and a touchdown.

• Steubenville Catholic Central senior tailback Jimmy Hernon rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns, including a 72-yarder, and caught a touchdown in a 48-0 blowout of previously unbeaten rival Weirton (W.Va.) Madonna.

• West Carrollton junior Devin Byrd had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career last week carrying the ball 10 times for 108 yards in the Pirates Thursday night loss to Stebbins.

• Parker Johnson had his second multi-touchdown game of the season for Centerville. The junior running back ran for three touchdowns and 119 yards as the Elks dominated Beavercreek 48-13 by scoring 41 points in the second quarter.

• Fairmont sophomore Logan Doty collected his second straight 100-yard rushing game and third this season with a 163-yard effort against Miamisburg. Doty also had four touchdowns to lead the Firebirds in a 34-0 victory.

• Valley View sophomore receiver Brodie Hopkins caught three passes for 128 yards and a touchdown, while junior running back Anthony Valenti ran for 147 yards and two scores in the Spartans’ 20-6 win over Oakwood on Saturday.

• Hillsboro senior fullback Ryan Burns finished the Indians’ Week 6 game against Miami Trace with 17 carries for 181 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 10.6 yards per carry. Defensively for Hillsboro, senior Nic Burns had two interceptions, giving him a total of four interceptions in six games thus far in this season.

• Call them the Cardiac Cats. Licking Valley improved to 5-1 with a 28-22 win at Licking Heights, when sophomore quarterback Brody Rodgers scored on a 1-yard run with 5 seconds left. In Week 3, the Panthers, won 20-14 at Bishop Ready on a Rodgers TD pass with 20 seconds to play. On the other hand, Heights now has two heartbreaking last-second losses, the other coming 16-15 to Buckeye Valley.

• Johnstown senior Nana Owusu carried 33 times for a career-high 233 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-13 win against Heath. The Johnnies (5-1) equaled their win total for all of 2023.

• Johnstown Northridge had scored a total of 21 points in its last 3 games, but in its 42-20 win against Newark Catholic, the Vikings scored 28 points in the fourth quarter. It was their first win against the Green Wave since 2017, improving to 4-2 for their best start since that same season.

• Granville linebacker Kyle Kirby, who made All-Ohio last year as a sophomore, had two tackles for loss in the 31-14 win against Watkins Memorial, giving him 10 for the season to go with 41 tackles, 32 of them solo. He also caught a 31-yard TD pass as the Blue Aces improved to 6-0 with their 19th consecutive regular season win and 13th in a row at home.

• With rainy conditions and hurricane-like winds, the Wapakoneta Redskins were forced to flip their offensive approach and pulled away late for a 28-0 Western Buckeye League shutout win over Lima Shawnee, powering them to an undefeated 6-0 on the season and first place in league standings. Redskin junior quarterback Caleb Moyer was 12 of 14 passing for 213 yards. Moyer also rushed for 82 yards on 16 carries and had two touchdowns. Jarrett Mullen, a junior running back, rushed for 84 yards on 16 carries and had two touchdowns. Mullen also had four receptions for 74 yards for Wapakoneta. Junior wide-receiver Kaden Page managed seven receptions for 122 yard, 72 of which came right after the halftime break when he ran a pass down to the visiting Indian’s one yard line.

• Vanlue, the smallest school in the state still playing 11-man football, has just 15 players on its roster and is not having a banner season (0-6). But that hasn’t kept senior running back/linebacker Landon Saltzman from etching his name in the state record books. In a Sept. 20 game against Northwood, Saltzman tied a state record by blocking three kicks. All were PAT kicks, one in the third quarter and two in the fourth, of the Wildcats 67-8 loss to the Rangers. For an encore, Saltzman blocked two more PAT kicks in Friday’s game with (Pioneer) North Central.

• Columbus Grove’s Trenton Barraza, a first-team all-Ohio pick in 2023, carried 25 times for 308 yards and four touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 38-13 win over Allen East.

• (Dola) Hardin Northern is off to a 5-1 start and Nolan Hopson has had a lot to do with it. One week after rushing for 214 yards and four TDs in a 38-15 win over Lima Perry, Hopson carried 35 times for 271 yards and five TDs in a 42-0 win over (Morral) Ridgedale.

• Pandora-Gilboa quarterback Cory Gerten threw five touchdown passes in the Rockets’ 34-0 win over Elmwood.

• Sophomore quarterback Tayte Giesige completed 6-of-7 passes for 89 yards and one TD and rushed for 165 yards and four scores in the Pirates’ 35-0 win over Lima Central Catholic. Bluffton is 6-0 and averaging 49.5 points a game but it is defense that is once again the linch pin of a program that last season pitched nine shutouts and allowed a total of 65 points in 14 games. Friday’s win was only Bluffton’s second shutout this season, but the Pirates have allowed just three touchdowns and 24 total points in six games.

• McComb came out on top, 7-3, in Friday’s Blanchard Valley Conference game with Van Buren. The real winner, though, may have been Mother Nature as wet, windy conditions contributed to 22 penalties, 14 punts and seven turnovers.
 

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