Let’s take a look:
- Shelby’s Brayden DeVito was at it again completing 12-of-20 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns while running for 77 yards on eight carries with a TD in the Whippets’ 56-14 Week 1 win over Madison. Brady Bowman hauled in seven catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns while Luke Blevins led the team in rushing with 89 yards on seven carries and a score. Gavin Baker added six carries for 63 yards and two TDs in the win.
- Clear Fork’s Nash Evans was the hero of Week 1 as he booted a 28-yard field goal as time expired to help the Colts beat the 2024 Division IV state runner-up Perkins Pirates 17-14. Evans made two extra points and a field goal while adding 21 rushing yards and eight receiving yards. Marcus Hoeflich completed 12-of-22 passes for 124 yards and a score while running for 44 yards on nine attempts. Ben Campbell caught a touchdown pass and Brayden Hayes added a rushing TD to help the Colts pull off the upset.
- Lexington’s Joe Caudill ran for 82 yards and two TDs on 18 attempts and completed 10-of-18 passes for 208 yards and a TD in the Minutemen’s 36-16 win over Ontario. Seven Allen caught five passes for 115 yards and a score and Dantrell Hughes caught a 49-yard TD. Brandon Reaves ran for 65 yards and a score on 13 attempts to complement Caudill in the run game. Avery Crawford came up with two interceptions on defense to lead a night where the Minutemen picked off four passes.
- Lucas’ Tim Daley and Brady Guegold were quite the pair in a 51-0 win over the Plymouth Big Red. Daley finished the game with 10 carries for 122 yards and three touchdowns while Guegold added nine carries for 104 yards and a score to help the Cubs kick off the 2025 season in style.
- Seneca East hosted and beat Ashland Crestview by the unusually low score, 2-0 on Friday. The Tigers’ Hunter Rathburn and Landyn Hicks are credited with the safety when they caught Cougar QB Liam Kuhn in the end zone. Seneca East gained 11 first downs, 60 rushing yards, and 59 passing yards while Crestview earned nine first downs, 118 passing yards, and negative-two rushing yards in the contest.
- Marion County has three new head football coaches this season, and all three opened up with victories. Marion Harding beat Mount Vernon 21-14 in C.J. Westler’s debut at his alma mater, while Russell Norton helped Pleasant defeat North Union 16-13, and Ridgedale Asch Tilley saw the Rockets beat Hilltop 28-14.
- Ridgedale’s Kinston McGary picked off two passes and returned one for a touchdown in the win over Hilltop.
- Cardington’s Wyatt Denney ran it 30 times for 191 yards and two touchdowns, plus had 13 tackles, an interception and a safety on defense as the Pirates beat Wynford 32-27.
- Mount Gilead’s Carson Barnum rushed 30 times for 276 yards and three touchdowns to help MG down Triad 31-6.
- In a 46-20 win over McComb, Monroeville junior quarterback Colt Clark ran for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns on 16 attempts, and senior running back Connor Bores totaled 192 yards and 2 TDs on 13 attempts.
- Norwalk St. Paul junior quarterback Grant Kuhnle was 20-of-35 passing for 341 yards — second-highest in program history — and 4 TDs in a 37-30 loss vs. Port Clinton. Trailing 37-9 in the fourth quarter, Kuhnle was 11-of-15 for 226 yards and 3 TDs over the game’s final 15 minutes.
- Norwalk senior kicker Tommy Vanderpool kicked a 36-yard field goal in overtime in a 17-14 win at Toledo Start. A returning all-league first team specialist, Vanderpool had not attempted a punt or kick in the game because of an injury. He was only cleared to try a field goal in an emergency situation, which came when the game went to overtime.
- Centerville’s Parker Johnson, who was last year’s Greater Western Ohio Conference rushing leader, began his senior season on a strong note rushing for 153 yards and three touchdowns albeit in a season-opening loss to Lakota East.
- Springboro’s Mattias Brunicardi had 22 carries for 178 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers’ season-opening win over Mason.
- Fairmont senior Nolan Stringer caught touchdown passes of 60 and 44 yards from J.J. Hill in the Firebirds 28-21 loss to Alter. Stringer totaled three catches for 137 yards in the game.
- Rod Owens Jr. ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns in leading Alter to its first win over rival Fairmont since 2019.
- Valley View’s Brodie Hopkins returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown against Coldwater to give the Spartans a lead at the time. However, the defending Division VI state champion Cavaliers earned the win 49-48 in overtime.
- Colonel Crawford’s Parker Weithman caught four passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns of 43, 42, and 71 yards along with nabbing an interception on defense in the Eagles’ big win over Fairbanks.
- Bucyrus freshman Isaac Makeever had one heck of a debut for the Redmen completing 83% of his passes (24-of-29) for 198 yards and two touchdowns, along with rushing in two more to account for all of the team’s touchdowns.
- Galion’s Ayden Schmidt completed 7-of-9 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown while Kane Hay had two carries for 89 yards and two touchdowns to help the Tigers beat St. Marys Memorial 35-6. Jacob Chambers had three catches for 84 yards and a score.
- Hillsdale’s Kael Lewis completed 9-of-15 passes for 170 yards and a score with two rushing TDs, too, in the Falcons’ 42-14 win over Black River. Owen Slone had 133 rushing yards on 15 carries with three TDs, and Hayden McFadden added three catches for 63 yards.
- Junior Karsyn Homan made his first start and rushed for 139 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 202 yards and a touchdown in Coldwater’s 49-48 overtime victory at Germantown Valley View.
- Senior Carter Caudill and sophomore Reign St. Clair had big games to lead Bellefontaine to a 55-21 victory over Sidney in the 118th meeting. Caudill scored six touchdowns and rushed for 120 yards. St. Clair passed for 329 yards and two touchdowns.
- Xavier Melton rushed for 120 yards, Larkin Thomas passed for 150 yards and Will Strong caught seven passes for 117 yards in Tippecanoe’s 21-0 win over Bellbrook.
- Devin McCormick passed for 276 yards and five touchdowns to lead Riverside Stebbins to a 36-8 victory over Dayton Carroll.
- KJ Gustin passed for 243 yards and four touchdowns to lead Casstown Miami East past Dayton Christian 37-20. Lincoln Littlejohn had 122 yards receiving and two touchdowns and Jack Hamaker had 101 yards and two touchdowns.
- Trey Sagester passed for 285 yards and three touchdowns, Griffin Richards caught seven passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns and Staley Colston rushed for 108 yards as Tri-Village rolled past Troy Christian 68-12.
- Bishop Watterson began its defense of the Division III state championship with a 37-15 win over last year’s Division II semifinalist Big Walnut. Senior quarterback Drew Bellisari was 14-18 passing for 264 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to his cousin, junior Carter Bellisari, who hauled in seven passes for 159 yards and the pair of scores.
- Painesville Harvey’s Shahn Alston, a USC commit, scored a school-record eight touchdowns for Harvey and gained 290 all-purpose yards in a 57-41 victory vs. Berkshire. Alston also became Harvey’s all-time leader in TDs.
- Strongsville’s Kendrick Boddie, a junior, rushed for 222 yards and four TDs on 29 carries in a 43-42 win vs. Avon Lake. The Mustangs held on after Avon Lake scored in the final seconds and went for two points, but could not convert the attempt.
- Mentor’s Jackson Farley, a senior, ran for a school-record 364 yards and all five of the Cardinals’ touchdowns in a 35-28 win Friday at Olmsted Falls. Farley eclipsed Alex Mathews’ 2015 record of 252 yards rushing. Farley rushed the football 35 times and broke Mathews’ mark before the end of the third quarter.
- Parma Heights Holy Name’s Nick Nemeth compiled 232 all-purpose yards and did plenty besides that in a 55-12 rout of Parma Normandy. Nemeth scored three TDs, including two on offense with 83 yards on six carries. He added 63 yards on five receptions as an H-back. Defensively, he ran back one of his two interceptions for a 60-yard score and had three solo tackles with three assists and three TFL. Nemeth added a fumble recovery for good measure.
- Convoy Crestview’s Braxton Leeth set two school records on Friday night: 419 yards rushing and seven rushing touchdowns on 30 carries in a 62-41 victory over Parkway. Leeth, a 6-0, 185 pound senior speedster, had scoring runs of 23, 19, 18, 49, 22, 22 and 5 yards. In the same game, Parkway’s Luke Booher had 22 carries for a school record 279 yards and three touchdowns. Booher, a 5-11, 190 pound junior running back, also had an 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
- In his first varsity start at quarterback, Van Wert’s Zach Crummey completed 12-of-17 passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 42-7 win over Bryan. The 6-6, 243 pound sophomore also had 11 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns.
- Kirtland went on the road to defeat Central Clarion, Pa., 30-7, in Week 1 behind a 186-yard rushing performance by senior quarterback Jake LaVerde. Kirtland has not lost a season-opener since 2009. The win improves Coach Tiger LaVerde’s record at Kirtland to 245-21 (.921) with five of those losses coming in state championship games (with seven state titles).
- Gates Mills Hawken quarterback Donovan Moorhead completed 17 of 25 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns in the Hawks’ 33-6 win over Cleveland Central Catholic. Moorhead is the son of Akron head football coach Joe Moorhead and has committed to play college football at Jacksonville State.
- Zyaire Cavitt found the end zone four times in Fairborn’s season-opening 41-6 win against Tecumseh. The senior avoided several defenders to produce a 92-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and capped his day with a 32-yard defensive scoop and score early in the fourth.
- Xenia’s Deaunte White picked up where he left off a year ago, barreling over Beavercreek in a 27-18 win. White rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries.
- McClain sophomore quarterback Hudson Lovett had a stellar performance by rushing for 169 yards on 23 carries, while completing 10-of-16 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in McClain’s 20-0 win over Adena.
- Clarksville Clinton-Massie’s Tristen Trampler ran for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 35-13 win over Waynesville.
- Wilmington’s Stevie Rickman had 9 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown in a 14-10 win for the Hurricane over Cincinnati Northwest. Both Wilmington and Cincinnati Northwest had a pick-6 in their non-league battle Friday. Hurricane defender Eli Stewart, an All-Ohio selection last season, scored on a 45-yard interception return while Northwest’s Jaylen Lilly went 50 yards on his defensive score.
- Carson Harris of Batavia passed for 428 yards and 6 touchdowns in the Bulldogs 42-14 win over Madeira. He had two primary targets - Marcus Hughbanks (9-174-3) and Xavier Ison (7-155-3).
- New Richmond used a punishing ground game to defeat Bethel-Tate 53-34 in a wild Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference crossover game. The Lions ran 32 times for 373 yards and 7 touchdowns with Dylan Wolf going 14-186-4 and Braylon Patchell added 11-185-3.
- Goshen was a 34-14 winner in its opener with Monroe. A pair of Warrior ball carriers ran for 129 yards — Gage Croley on 29 carries scored 3 times and Caden Slusher on 9 attempts scored 2 times. Goshen’s Camden Telinda had 12 tackles and 1 interception on defense.
- Williamsburg’s Tyler Purcell was credited with 15 tackles, 14 solos, and two for loss in the Wildcats 30-6 loss to Mariemont.
- Miami Trace running back Julian Baker ran for 358 yards (22 attempts) and four touchdowns as the Panthers clawed Waverly 42-21 Friday night. Two of Baker’s touchdowns were longer than 80 yards.
- Hillsboro’s Tre Captain scored on runs of 52, 26, 61 and 46 yards and teammate Mason Dumpert scored on a 92-yard jaunt as the Indians opened with a 34-22 win over Mt. Orab Western Brown. Captain finished with 214 yards on the ground.
- Passing on passing: Geneva seniors Bryce Peet (3 TD’s) and Caden Proy (1 TD) led a 367-yard rushing attack in a 28-18 comeback win over West Geauga. The Eagles attempted only one pass – an incompletion - in the contest. Peet, a speedy 240-lb. fullback, led the way with 218 yards.
- Athens shut out Logan 41-0 in the 100th meeting of the US Route 33 rivalry, as Anthony Sutton rushed for 220 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries - and Daniel Heightland had three touchdown passes on 7-of-8 for 165 yards. This was also the first Logan-Athens meeting in which the Dunn-Metters Trophy was established, which will be a traveling trophy between the two teams for future meetings. It is named after two longtime and Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association Hall of Famers - the late Craig Dunn of Logan and the late Tom Metters of Athens.
- Nelsonville-York’s Austin Gautier rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, and returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown, in the Buckeyes’ 34-8 win over Trimble on Friday night. Caeleb Layton made 13 tackles including seven for loss, as the Buckeyes shut out the rival Tomcats 26-0 in the second half.
- The defending Division V state champion Ironton Fighting Tigers shut out Shelby Valley, Ky. 63-0 on Saturday night, stymying Shelby Valley for only one first down and 17 total yards. Ironton only ran 16 offensive plays for the entire game, and started 8-of-9 offensive possessions in Shelby Valley territory. The Fighting Tigers also returned a punt for a touchdown and a blocked punt for a touchdown. Last season, of Ironton’s 15 victories, five were shutouts, including four against fellow Southeast District teams.
- Valley senior running back Anthony Aaron rushed for 181 yards and three touchdowns in the Indians’ 33-0 shutout win at Paint Valley on Friday night. After playing Portsmouth in the season opener since 2012, the Indians played Paint Valley in this season’s opener, and started 1-0 for the first time since 2015, when incidentally they shut out Portsmouth by that identical 33-0 score.
- Notre Dame senior Luke Cassidy carried for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, threw a 25-yard touchdown pass, and caught one pass for 20 yards in the Titans’ 26-24 win at Fairfield Christian. It marked the head coaching debut for Bob Boldman, who is the interim head coach for Notre Dame for this season.
- Wheelersburg senior placekicker Cooper Heimbach, on Friday night in the Pirates’ 43-8 win at Columbus KIPP, twice set a new school record for field goals made distances. He first made a 51-yarder as time expired in the opening half, breaking his previous school record of 46 yards, then made a 53-yarder in the third quarter - which is now the new school record.
- Portsmouth West defeated Fairland 30-27 on Friday night in the season opener, snapping a four-game losing streak in season openers against the Dragons - and defeating Fairland for the first time since 2017 as the two did not play each other in 2018, 2019 or 2020. Aside from last season’s opener at Fairland, the Dragons had defeated the Senators by a combined five points from 2021 thru 2023. Anthony Bishop rushed for 154 yards and a 96-yard touchdown run on 20 carries, and senior quarterback Brody Hall had a career-best game of 9-of-13 passing for 211 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, five-year West head coach Todd Gilliland - who previously coached at Sciotoville East - also won his first season opener as a head coach.
- After losing by one point to rival Napoleon in 2024 with a missed go-ahead PAT try in the final seconds of regulation, Defiance got a late stop on a go-ahead two-point conversion attempt by the Wildcats and defeated rival Napoleon by one point 20-19 in the 103rd meeting between the two Maumee River rivals.
- In the win for Defiance, senior Kelten Gibbs contributed in all three phases. Gibbs rushed for 61 yards and completed a 12-yard halfback pass, tied for the team lead with seven tackles with a sack and fumble recovery and blocked a punt that set up a Bulldog touchdown.
- Fairview scored five touchdowns in a 34-28 win over Tribe Trophy rival Wauseon and senior QB William Zeedyk had a hand (and foot) in all five. Zeedyk passed for 267 yards and three TDs (18-of-29) and rushed for 64 yards and the other two scores on 16 attempts.
- Paulding’s Blake Rhonehouse had a busy first half in the Panthers’ lopsided 55-0 home win over Swanton, catching seven passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns while also recording a 46-yard pick-six as Paulding led 41-0 at the break and went on to outgain Swanton 430-28.
- Archbold rallied from 21-7 down in the third quarter to defeat host Genoa 33-28, with Isaiahs Gracia returning an interception 21 yards for a score with 7:49 remaining for the go-ahead TD. QB Jarett Rufenacht had exactly 100 yards passing (8-of-10) and also rushed for a team-high 109 yards on 14 carries.
- Bellevue junior quarterback Ike Brown completed 9 of 16 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns, and added 13 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown in the Redmen’s 33-23 win at Clyde on Friday. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Bellevue against its Route 20 rival.
- Danbury senior quarterback Tommy Dean completed 3 of 3 passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns, ran 17 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns, and ran in three two-point conversions in the Lakers’ 46-13 Northern 8 Conference win Saturday.
- Akron Manchester’s Tyler Pappas, QB, threw 17 of 22 for 339 yards, 7 TDs, and he set the school record for most touchdown passes in a single game and most points scored in a single game. 62-0 win over Coventry.
- Waterloo Vikings RB Keyshawne Anderson ran for 290 yards on 13 carries and 5 total TDs, 1 passing, 2 rushing, 1 receiving, and 1 fumble recovery. 32-40 loss to Akron Springfield.
- Federal Hocking’s Gabe Bray rushed for 110 yards on nine carries, and had a 52-yard punt return and one interception return for a touchdown, in the Lancers’ 58-26 season-opening win over Franklin Furnace Green. Brody Rutter rushed for 91 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries for the Lancers.
- Mohawk’s Andon Clouse was 7 of 11 for 109 yards, one passing touchdown, 99 rushing yards, and a defensive pick six. The Warriors won against Calvert 39-6 on Thursday. Calvert had won three out of the four times coming into Thursday’s match up and Mohawk broke that streak.
- Hopewell-Loudon’s Brody Brickman caught four touchdowns in his first career start as wide receiver. The Chieftains defeated Carey 30-7 on Friday.
- Oxford Talawanda senior running back Troy Cantrell set the program’s single game rushing record with 423 yards in a 51-21 win versus Taylor on Friday, Aug. 22. The performance ranked 30th all-time for single game rushing yards, according to the unofficial OHSAA record book.
- Springfield Northeastern senior Cody Houseman rushed for 218 yards and two TDs, including the game-winner midway through the fourth quarter, and had a game-high 17 tackles and a sack as the Jets beat Urbana 35-28 on Friday.
- Greenon senior Kai Ricks rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries as the Knights beat Shawnee 34-14 on Friday. It was the first matchup between the neighboring schools since 2019.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
- Middletown senior quarterback Joseph Ward went a perfect 16-for-16 with 238 yards and a TD through the air and rushed for 126 yards and three TDs on the ground as the Middies beat Troy 28-20.
- Newark senior Bodie Smith hit on 17 of 20 passes for 241 yards and 5 touchdowns, all in the first of a 56-21 win against Licking Heights. The Wildcats scored on their first 6 possessions and led 42-0.
- Northridge senior Brayden Bingham ran 36 times for 239 yards and 3 touchdowns, including an 80-yarder, in a 25-24 win against East Knox.
- Granville senior Kyle Kirby ran 34 times for 207 yards and 4 touchdowns, also recording 15 tackles from his middle linebacker spot in the 27-12 win against Marion-Franklin.
- Johnstown piled up 51 first-half points in a 70-26 win against Zanesville and scored every way possible: 94-yard run by Ayden Colley, 72-yard run by Ryan Sager, 23-yard interception return by John Eckennrode and 78-yard kickoff return by Preston Carey. The Johnnies also threw a 20-yard touchdown pass.
- In a 38-20 win over Centerville, Lakota East senior Ryder Hooks rushed for 289 yards on 21 carries with two touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 84 yards and a score. He had gains of 57 and 70 yards on the ground, and 64-yard TD catch.
- In a 21-20 win over Trenton Edgewood, Oak Hills senior Max Rhodes had 14 tackles, 11 solo, in the process breaking the school’s all-time record for tackles, which was 322 and had stood since 1987. He also averaged 48.5 yards on two kickoff returns, including a 67-yard return.
- Deer Park sophomore Morgan Brown had 11 catches for 212 yards and five touchdowns, and also posted nine tackles on defense, five solo, in a 41-32 win at Dayton Belmont.
- Shroder’s Brian McGrady threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns, and intercepted two passes on the other side of the ball, as the Jaguars defeated Norwood 33-18.
- Leipsic’s Marquise Williams had quite an opening night in the Vikings 56-35 win over Milbury Lake. The junior running back returned the opening kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown, added an 83-kickoff return for a score late in the first period and had 14 carries for 167 yards and four more TDs on runs of 2, 4, 42 and 57 yards.
- The Elchert twins had big contributions in Liberty-Benton’s 35-0 win over Ottawa-Glandorf. Seth Elchert, a 6-3, 195-pound flanker headed to Toledo on a football scholarship, caught 8 passes for 141 yards, including TD receptions of 36 yards between two defenders in the final seconds of the first half and a one-handed grab he turned into a 57-yard catch-and-run TD in the fourth quarter. Zach Elchert, a 6-3, 205-pound H-back/linebacker who is the reigning Blanchard Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year, had three rushing TDs of 1, 5 and 13 yards.
- Van Buren’s Brody Scoles rushed for 200 yards and three TDs in the Black Knights 37-6 win over Fostoria.
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