COLUMBUS – Welcome to the midway point of the 2024 high school football season.
Week 5 sure did produce some incredible performances as Ohio football players start to hit their midseason stride. Let’s take a look at some of the best of the best from around the state as provided by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association.
-The Ontario Warriors continued to dominate the run game during a 31-14 win over Clear Fork in Week 5. The Warriors ran for 328 yards and four touchdowns as a team led by Bodpegn Miller who ran for 165 yards on 10 carries with two scores of 50 and 44 yards. Mason Vantilburg added 126 yards on 16 carries and a pair of scores of 44 and four yards. James Mahon added 37 yards rushing to round out the run game. Miller also threw for 57 yards on six completions.
-Brayden DeVito was unstoppable in the Shelby Whippets’ 35-6 win over the Galion Tigers in the big MOAC showdown. The junior quarterback went 17-for-23 for 319 yards and three touchdowns through the air while also running for 134 and a score accounting for 453 yards of total offense. Brady Bowman caught five passes for 91 yards The defense forced three turnovers and shutout one of the top offensive teams in the league until garbage time late in the fourth quarter.
-The Mansfield Senior Tyger defense returned to prime form during a 20-19 overtime win over New Philadelphia. The Tygers allowed just 155 yards of total offense, piled up 10 sacks and added 13 tackles for loss in a momentum-building road victory. Symirr Phillips had 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss while Carter Kessler added 2.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss and Maurice Bradley II, who returned from an ankle injury, added two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Jaden Jones and Lamar Ruth had one sack apiece. But the play of the game came in overtime after New Philly scored on its first possession, the Tygers scored when Ny Petty took an end-around handoff and launched a 20-yard touchdown pass to Guy Trader for the game-tying score and Griffin DeBolt booted the point-after attempt through for the victory.
-The Crestview Cougars ended an 0-4 start in a big way with a 67-0 win over New London to get in the win column. Liam Kuhn connected on 5-of-7 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Gavin Barker was the leading rusher for the Cougars, who piled up 243 yards on the ground, with 106 yards ad three touchdowns. Ayden Reymer added 51 yards and two scores while Bransen Hider had 18 yards and a TD and Dalton Shockey collected 26 yards and a score. Barker also caught one pass for 51 yards while Tyson Ringler caught two for 43 yards and a score and Karter Goon added a 20-yard TD catch.
-Joe Caudill had the best game of his career in Lexington’s 41-28 win over Wooster. The junior QB completed 17-of-25 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 108 yards on 18 carries and three more touchdowns accounting for all six Minutemen touchdowns on the night. Brayden Fogle was his favorite target with seven catches for 110 yards and two scores and Gage Powell added five catches for 42 yards and a TD.
-Dan Hockensmith may have only ran for 35 yards in the Lucas Cubs’ 49-19 win over Willard but he made the most of his touches with four touchdowns while Brady Guegold added 235 yards on 20 carries helping the Cubs pile up nearly 400 yards rushing on the day.
-National Trail senior running back Zack Creager rushed 21 times for 217 yards and scored 3 TDs in the Blazers 35 – 14 wins over New Lebanon Dixie.
-Preble Shawnee junior quarterback Brody Morton threw 5 TDs on just 11-of-13 completions in the Arrows win over Bradford. Preble Shawnee is 5-0 and, in those games, Morton has completed 70% of his passes and thrown for over a 1,000 yards and 12 TDs.
-Preble Shawnee senior wideout Isaac Blankenship had 156 yards receiving and 3 TDs in their win over Bradford.
-Paulding’s Blake Rhonehouse had seven catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns while returning an interception to paydirt for four of the Panthers’ five TDs in a 35-0 road win over Ayersville.
-The annual county tilt between Fairview and Tinora was a battle of two halves as Fairview built up a 28-7 lead late in the first half behind four TD passes from QB William Zeedyk before the host Rams rallied for a 35-34 win, sealed by an interception in the final 30 seconds. Zeedyk racked up 522 yards and five touchdowns on 23-of-38 passing.
-Napoleon’s Trey Rubinstein scored twice on touchdown catches, rushed five times for 77 yards and another score and made an interception on defense in the Wildcats’ 46-27 win over Springfield. Teammate George Eggers rushed 18 times for 186 yards and four TDs, bringing his total to 10 rushing scores through five games.
-Patrick Henry head coach Bill Inselmann became the winningest football coach in Northwest Ohio Athletic League history by guiding the Patriots to a 39-0 win at Bryan. The victory is No. 177 in league play for Inselmann (177-65 from 1991-2013, 2016-present) and brings his career mark to 264-101 while passing the longtime coach of PH’s rival Liberty Center, Rex Lingruen, for the most in the NWOAL, which has played football since 1926.
-Tri-Valley’s Ryan Lamonica caught four passes for 177 yards with two TDs and quarterback Max Lyall went 11-of-17 for 256 yards and three scores in a 41-14 victory over previously unbeaten New Lexington.
-Ridgewood allowed a first-quarter touchdown to Strasburg in a 35-7 win. It was the first TD allowed by the Generals defense this season. The only other points given up by Ridgewood this season was a safety in Week 1 against Coshocton.
-Sheridan’s Evan Anderson had four receptions for 115 yards and a TD and grabbed two picks in a 23-17 overtime victory over John Glenn.
-Philo’s Talon Preston had a 103-yard interception return for a TD and ran for 179 yards and three scores in a 51-22 win over Meadowbrook.
-Maysville’s Kade Rock scored for the game-winning touchdown and finished with 190 total yards in a 20-13 victory against Coshocton.
-Xenia’s Deaunte White put his team on his back in a big 25-17 comeback win at Vandalia Butler. He rushed for 260 yards and three touchdowns, and touched the ball on 12 of Xenia’s 15 snaps in the second half to help the Buccaneers overcome a halftime deficit and remain undefeated. It is White’s second game of at least 250 yards rushing this season and Friday was his fourth straight game scoring at least 3 TDs.
-Moeller junior quarterback Matt Ponatoski threw for 321 yards and six touchdowns in a 45-37 win over St. Xavier, breaking two school records and tying another. He now has 4,863 career yards and 50 career touchdowns in 21 games played. His six touchdown passes tied a school record set in 2021.
-Cardington’s Wyatt Denney made 18.5 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss, plus ran for 160 yards and a touchdown in a 49-22 loss to East Knox.
-Northmor’s A.J. Bower was 14-for-18 passing for 321 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in a 41-6 win over Danville. Teammate Cowin Becker caught five passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns and ran six times for 65 yards and another score.
-River Valley’s Kolton Lang caught three touchdown passes in the first half as RV ran away from rival Pleasant 35-0 in the first half. The Vikings threw for over 300 yards as quarterback Chase Ebert was 18 of 39 with five TD tosses and no interceptions.
-Beverly Fort Frye’s Clayton Miller rushed for 224 yards and 3TD on just 11 carries in the Cadets 51-6 Homecoming win over Cadiz Harrison Central.
-Waterford defensive linemen Jacob Burke’s pick six in the final three minutes lifted Waterford to a 12-6 victory over Nelsonville-York.
-Eastern Pike senior receiver Tucker Leist had back-to-back huge weeks for his team. In the 70-0 win over Fayetteville Sept. 13, Leist had four receptions for 137 yards and four touchdowns. This past week in the come-from behind 27-21 win at Southern, Leist secured nine receptions for 174 yards and all four of Eastern’s touchdowns, including the game-winner. Combined, Leist has 13 catches for 311 yards and eight touchdowns over a two week span. That works out to be an average of 23+ yards per reception.
-Huron quarterback Landon Hohler rushed for 106 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries in the second half alone as the Tigers overcame a 14-3 third-quarter deficit to defeat Tiffin Columbian, 38-20.
-Tiffin Columbian running back Masen Seitz finished with 26 carries for 202 yards and three touchdowns in the Tornadoes’ 38-20 loss at Huron. Seitz, a sophomore, had 16 rushes for 156 yards and two scores in the first half.
-McDermott Northwest senior Carter Runyon rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries, and fellow senior Colton Campbell rushed for 128 yards and one touchdown on 15 totes, in the Mohawks’ 35-14 Southern Ohio Conference Division II win at Minford on Friday night. The Mohawks attempted just two passes, and Runyon made the lone reception for 13 yards.
-Portsmouth senior running back Chase Heiland rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, and senior quarterback J.T. Williams rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns on 11 attempts, in the Trojans’ 34-0 Ohio Valley Conference win at Coal Grove on Friday night. Heiland has rushed for at least 111 yards and two touchdowns in each of the Trojans’ five games this season.
-Portsmouth West sophomore Anthony Bishop amassed 260 rushing yards and four touchdowns on a massive 32 carries, and scored the game-winning touchdown with 38 seconds remaining, in the Senators’ 35-28 Southern Ohio Conference Division II victory over Waverly on Friday night. In fact, in each half, Bishop rushed for 16 carries and 130 yards. There were four ties (7-7, 14-14, 21-21 and 28-28) along with three lead changes, with West winning with Bishop’s 24-yard touchdown run. Mason Pollard had all four of the Tigers’ touchdowns —on two short runs and two receptions of 28 and 36 yards from quarterback Mason Kelly. West defeated Waverly for the third consecutive season.
-Sophomore quarterback Kolby Morgerson had his best game of the season on Friday in leading the Carlisle Indians to a dominating 34-7 win over rival Franklin. Morgerson completed 12-of 24 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 35 yards and a score as Carlisle earned its first win against the Wildcats in 14 years. The performance puts him over 1,000 yards passing midway through the season.
-Carlisle junior Ashton Pelfrey snagged two interceptions against Franklin on Friday giving him four picks for the season and moving him into a tie for the lead in the Southwestern Buckeye League.
-Logan Doty and Brock Baker both went over 100 yards rushing and combined for six touchdowns in leading Fairmont to a 43-22 win over Wayne. Doty had the bulk of the ground attack with 175 yards on 30 carries and five touchdowns. Baker carried the rock 14 times for 102 yards and a score. The Firebirds did not throw a single pass in the game running the ball 61 times for 362 total yards.
-Junior Mattias Brunicardi had his biggest game of the season so far in leading Springboro to a 28-13 win over Northmont on Friday. Brunicardi had 39 carries for 212 yards and three touchdowns. It was the first 200-plus yard game of his career.
-With a pair of sacks against Wayne on Friday, Fairmont senior defensive end Logan Wilkins moved into a tie with Mason Keely (Centerville) and Aidan Weimer (Springboro) for the most sacks with four in the Greater Western Ohio Conference. He had a total of 4.5 sacks all of last season and none in his sophomore campaign.
-Junior Anthony Valenti threw a touchdown pass, caught a touchdown pass and ran for two more in leading Valley View to a 44-17 come-from-behind win over Eaton. The Spartans scored 30 unanswered points in the second half to earn the win. Tristan Smith also ran for 108 yards and a touchdown for Valley View.
-Waynesville quarterback Alex Amburgey completed 23-of-31 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns as the Spartans beat Oakwood 38-14 Friday. Trenton Davis and Garrett Lundy each went over 100 receiving yards in the game and scored a touchdown each. Davis had six catches for 131 yards and Lundy hauled in 11 passes for 124 yards.
-Ross senior Emory Severance ran 21 times for 211 yards and three touchdowns as the Rams beat Jackson 28-21 Friday.
-Toronto senior quarterback Zeb Kinsey had a record night in a 53-13 win over Oak Glen (W.Va.). The Cincinnati commit broke the school record for passing yards in a single game (435) and touchdowns in a single game (7). All seven of his touchdown passes and 395 of his yards came in the first half and he did it on just 14 attempts, completing 13.
-Steubenville Catholic Central senior Tommy Pergi rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown, caught a 38-yard touchdown and, on defense, broke up three passes and had a game-clinching interception to seal a Crusaders (4-1) homecoming win over Fairport Harding on Saturday afternoon.
-Steubenville Big Red senior Brody Saccoccia, the reigning East District defensive player of the year, had a key interception that set up a touchdown and hauled in a 31-yard touchdown reception on offense in a 42-7 win over Dover.
-The Hillsboro Indians were led by senior Ryan Burns who on seven carries rushed for 124 yards with two touchdowns, averaging 17.7 yards per carry in Hillsboro’s 65-0 win over the East Clinton Astros in Week 5 at Richards Memorial Field. Junior teammate Jeven Hochstuhl finished with four carries for 89 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 22.2 yards per carry as Hillsboro totaled 468 yards of offense, including 395 yards rushing.
-East Knox’s Blake Elliott followed up a school record 302 rushing performance last week with a new mark of 304 yards and 5 scores in their win at Cardington.
-On a night when (Dola) Hardin Northern dedicated its new field in honor of former head coach Pete Brunow, an OHSFCA Hall of Famer who won over 200 games, including the 2004 Division VI state championship, Nolan Hopson carried 36 times for 214 yards and four TDs in the Polar Bears’ 38-15 win over Lima Perry.
-(Hamler) Patrick Henry coach Bill Inelmann became the winningest coach in Northwest Ohio Athletic League history when his Patriots beat Bryan 39-0 on Friday. The win was No. 263 in Inselmann’s career – all at Patrick Henry, where he quarterbacked the program to its first playoff appearance in 1977 – and No. 177 in NWOAL games, one more than the 176 Rex Lingruen achieved at Liberty Center.
-Liberty-Benton quarterback Trevin Lieb completed 12-of-17 passes for 203 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a fifth score in the Eagles 45-0 win over Elmwood.
-Trenton Barraza rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns as No. 2-ranked (Div.7) Columbus Grove, which lost third-team all-Ohio quarterback Landon Best to a broken ankle two weeks ago, continued to roll, improving to 5-0 with a 65-6 win over Delphos Jefferson.
-Van Buren quarterback Grady Mason threw for three touchdowns, ran for another and returned a kickoff for a fifth score in the Black Knights 48-0 win over Riverdale.
