THE 10 BEST GAMES TO SEE IN OHIO - FIRST ROUND
By Kyle Holsinger
Welcome back to the first ever playoff edition of The 10 Best Games to See in Ohio. It’s been an exciting season so far, and we have a great slate of games to start the postseason.
Division III, Region 10
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Middies beat Amherst Steele at home, 41-20; and the Tornadoes lost at Perkins, 10-7.
Previous Meeting: First meeting.
Intrigue: Midview senior running back Jace Wright rushed for 256 yards and three touchdowns on 31 attempts in last week’s win. Senior quarterback Brennen Newton was 3-of-3 passing for 102 yards and two TDs. Sophomore wideout Kellen Desimone had two receptions for 79 yards and two TDs.
The Middies defense was led last week by sophomore Joshua Schofield—who had 12 tackles and one tackle-for-loss. Classmate Noah Rivera wrapped up 11 tackles and a TFL. Seniors Sawyer McMillin (eight tackles, one TFL) and Blake Butts (five tackles, one TFL) each had a sack.
Columbian QB Logan Gooding was 13-for-21 passing for 159 yards and a TD a week ago. Masen Seitz had 112 rushing yards on 25 carries along with three catches for seven yards. Daelan Brandeberry had five catches for 90 receiving yards and a TD. Blake Miller (44 yards) and DaZarius Russell (31 yards) had three receptions each.
On defense, the Tornadoes were led by Miller last week—who had 10 tackles. Seontae Moore has four tackles and 1.5 sacks. Brock Siesel had nine tackles, and Brandeberry made eight tackles.
Division V, Region 18
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: Port Clinton defeated Sandusky at home, 49-27; and the Polar Bears beat Ottawa Hills at home, 44-7.
Previous Meeting: Sept. 15, 2015; PC won at Margaretta, 42-14.
Intrigue: Port Clinton’s Beckett Mizener rushed for four touchdowns, Landon Leis rushed for two scores, and Jace Cornell had a two-yard rushing TD in last week’s win.
Margaretta senior QB Robbie LaCourse completed 9-of-12 passes for 129 yards and a TD a game ago. Senior wideout Kale Bailey made three receptions for 82 yards and a TD, and classmate Carter Luzader rushed for 49 yards and a TD on eight touches while also catching three passes for 31 yards.
Defensively, Luzader led the way with 18 tackles and a TFL last week. Landon Weyer made 16 tackles and three TFL. Senior linebacker Mason Kromer wrapped up 10 tackles, two TFL, and a forced fumble. Tyler Johnson made 13 tackles, and Troy Pooch made 12 tackles.
Division VI, Region 22
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Apaches defeated Haviland Wayne Trace (6-4) at home, 50-7; and the Blue Devils beat Willard at home, 57-0.
Previous Meeting: First meeting.
Intrigue: Fairview sophomore QB Gavin Brown threw 18-of-22 passes for 342 yards and three TDs while rushing for 118 yards and a TD on seven attempts in last week’s win. Senior Logan Olinger caught seven passes for 156 yards and two TDs while also gaining 40 rushing yards and two TDs on five carries. Gavin Garza made three catches for 70 yards and 46 rushing yards and a TD on eight carries. Gavin Meade had three receptions for 69 yards and a TD with seven yards rushing on a couple carries.
On defense, the Apaches’ Evan Grine made an interception a week ago.
Carey QB Tripp Phoenix is 26-for-71 for 398 yards, four TDs, and six picks while also rushing for 1,315 yards and 16 TDs on 92 attempts. Mace Puckett has rushed for 1,087 yards and nine TDs on 176 carries.
Defensively, the Blue Devils’ Puckett has 120 tackles, 19.5 TFL, and six forced fumbles this season. Joe Reinhart has made 112 tackles, 31 TFL, and 10 sacks. Louis Watkins has wrapped up 104 tackles, 38.5 TFL, 18 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Lane Baldridge has two fumble recoveries.
Division V, Region 18
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Cavaliers lost to Maria Stein Marion Local at home, 27-0; and the Comets defeated Millbury Lake at home, 56-20.
Previous Meeting: First meeting.
Intrigue: Coldwater’s Karsyn Homan is 79-of-136 passing for 1,009 yards, eight TDs, and seven INTs while rushing for 452 yards and six TDs on 97 carries this year. Braxton Taylor has made 699 rushing yards and 11 TDs on 104 attempts. Alex Lefeld has made 20 catches for 262 yards and a TD while Karter Freed has 16 receptions for 283 yards and four TDs. Bennett Spriggs has caught 21 balls for 182 receiving yards and a TD.
On defense, the Cavaliers are led by Josh Schroer—who has 97 tackles, three TFL, a sack, an INT, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery on the season. Derek Dues has made 71 tackles, nine TFL, three sacks, and two fumble recoveries. Homan has 20 tackles, two forced fumbles, a TFL, a sack, and a fumble recovery. Jonah Gruss has 22 tackles and two INTs.
Genoa senior RB Alex Materni rushed for a TD and ran one in last week. Myles Mollenhauer threw two TD passes. Gavin Grigson rushed for a couple scores. Tommy Braun and Josh Caughorn each scored a rushing TD, and Cruze Diaz caught a 37-yard receiving TD.
Division VI, Region 22
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Patriots beat Metamora Evergreen at home, 49-0; and the Roughriders won at New London, 47-12.
Previous Meeting: First meeting.
Intrigue: Patrick Henry’s Tristen Rosebrook is 126-for-191 passing for 1,756 yards, 15 TDs, and seven INTs this season. Reed Jackson has 853 rushing yards and 16 TDs on 150 attempts. Kiefer Holloway has 35 receptions for 620 yards and five TDs, Jake Smith has 27 receptions for 421 yards and five TDs, and Brooks Punches has made 24 catches for 341 yards and two TDs.
On defense, the Patriots’ Gus Meyer has wrapped up 58 tackles and two TFL. Peyton Johnson has made 52 tackles and a TFL. Holloway has four INTs while T.J. Creager and Smith have made two INTs.
Western Reserve’s Landyn Wiegel rushed for 103 yards and three TDs on nine attempts last week. Cooper Roe had 50 yards and a TD on seven rushes. Colton Meagrow completed 9-of-14 passes for 124 yards and a TD while rushing for 51 yards and a TD on four carries. Lucas Summerfield made six catches for 73 yards.
Delta (7-3) @ Seneca East (7-3); Marengo Highland (4-6) @ Bellevue (7-3); and Toledo Christian (5-5) @ Gibsonburg (5-5).
Division II, Region 8
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Tigers won at Cincinnati Taft, 44-0; and the Rams lost to Cincinnati Archbishop McNicholas at home, 14-0.
Previous Meeting: Sept. 2, 2022; Badin won at Withrow, 24-17.
Intrigue: Withrow junior QB Savion Davis went 8-for-10 passing for 116 yards and two TDs while rushing for 41 yards and a TD on three carries. Junior RB Dion Clardy ran for 103 yards and two TDs on 12 touches. Senior wideout Tyshawn Johnson made four receptions for 78 yards and one TD, and Charles Alexander Jr. had two catches for 73 yards and a TD.
The Tigers’ senior safety Mike Morton Jr. made six tackles, and sophomore DB Jasiah Davis had five tackles, three pass breakups, and an INT. Gianni Gilliam had four tackles, 2.5 TFL, and 1.5 sacks.
Badin junior RB Chase Even rushed for 162 yards on 30 attempts last game. Junior QB Davis Martin was 4-of-11 passing for 29 yards. Senior RB L.T. King made two catches for three yards, and 13 rushing yards on five carries.
The Rams defense was led by Jackson Turner—who had 11 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Junior linebacker Colton Pauley wrapped up 10 tackles and a sack. Logan Karwisch had nine tackles and a fumble recovery. Hudson Held had five tackles and an INT.
Division V, Region 18
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Bobcats defeated West Salem Northwestern at home, 35-16; and the Pirates lost to Columbus Grove at home, 17-13.
Previous Meeting: First meeting.
Intrigue: Norwayne sophomore QB Bradley Lanz completed 10-of-16 passes for 174 yards and a TD last week. Senior Carter Miller had 116 rushing yards and a TD on seven carries while also catching two passes for 46 yards. Cameron Hackworth has gained 95 yards and two TDs on 12 attempts. Braylon Arnold made three receptions for 73 yards and a TD. Cade Leach made four catches for 49 yards.
The Bobcats defense is led by Zane Miller—who had eight tackles and a TFL last week. Connor Kahl made seven tackles and two TFL. Nathan Roy wrapped up six tackles, two TFL, and a sack.
Bluffton’s Tayte Giesige threw 4-of-5 passes for 42 yards and a TD along with 60 yards and eight attempts last week. Lleyton Miller was 4-of-7 passing for 37 yards and an INT and 32 yards on seven touches. Miller also had a 15-yard receiving TD. Parker Lovell rushed for 78 yards and a TD on 20 attempts. Ethan Sprunger caught two passes for 33 yards, and Blayne Hill had 18 rushing yards on five carries as well as four receptions for 10 yards.
The Pirates defense is led by Lovell—who had 13 tackles and a TFL a game ago. Zayden Morales wrapped up nine tackles, Braylon Aller made six tackles, and Hill had six tackles as well.
Division IV, Region 16
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Cougars lost to London at home, 35-0; and the Lumberjacks won at Middletown Madison, 41-6.
Previous Meeting: First meeting.
Intrigue: Kenton Ridge senior QB Bryndyn Parsons was 7-of-17 passing for 22 yards last week. Brennan Shaffer made two catches for six yards.
On defense, the Cougars are led by Levi Harper—who had 15 tackles last game. Senior DB Preston Smith made three tackles and a TFL. Mykah Wortham wrapped up eight tackles.
Oakwood junior QB Alex Lee went 12-for-15 passing for 248 yards and four TDs to go with a four-yard rushing TD last week. Urban Kummerer caught eight receptions for 151 yards and three TDs, and Michael Woeste caught three passes for 97 yards and a TD. Brady Thobe had 67 yards and a TD on nine rushes.
The Lumberjacks defense is led by Lance Williams—who wrapped up nine tackles, two TFL, and one sack. Michael Woeste had six tackles, 2.5 TFL, two forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks. Leo Holzberg made six tackles, two TFL, and a fumble recovery. Andrew Woeste made two tackles, an INT, and a PBU.
Division II, Region 5
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Knights lost at Indianapolis [IN] Cathedral, 38-16, two weeks ago; and the Vikings won at Delaware Hayes, 42-7.
Previous Meeting: Oct. 26, 2007; Hoban beat VASJ at home, 23-6.
Intrigue: Don’t let their record fool you. The Knights have one of the toughest schedules around. One of their three wins was a 30-0 victory at Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit. They lost by three points to Lakewood St. Edward. Hoban has had 11 straight seasons with at least one playoff win.
VASJ’s two losses were by a combined 5 points to a 10-0 Perkins team and 9-1 Macedonia Nordonia. Their three points win over Columbus St. Francis DeSales is probably the biggest win of the regular season for them.
Division III, Region 12
When: Fri. Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Last Week: The Knights beat Dayton Chaminade Julienne at home, 49-21; and the Braves won at Reading, 38-0.
Previous Meeting: Nov. 3, 2023; Alter defeated Indian Hill at home, 31-6, in the Region 16 quarterfinals.
Intrigue: Alter senior RB Drew Cripps rushed for 194 yards and a TD on 29 attempts along with two receptions for 41 yards and a TD last week. Junior QB Renner Vongsy went 6-of-9 passing for 80 yards and one TD to go with 30 rushing yards and a TD on five touches. Parker Flanders made four receptions for 33 yards.
The Knights defense was led by Isaac Manfre. Manfre had eight tackles and three TFL last game. Henry Hallock wrapped up seven tackles, three TFL, and a fumble recovery. Jake Botti made seven tackles, two TFL, and a forced fumble. Cameron Bach made three tackles and an INT.
Indian Hill senior QB Devlan Daniel was 4-for-7 passing for 68 yards and two TDs while also rushing for 120 yards and a TD on five carries. Sam Metz caught two balls for 16 yards. Dylan Hartman had 67 rushing yards and a TD on two carries while also making a 31-yard receiving TD.
Braves junior LB Joey Jernigan made 14 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a TFL last week. Topher Wachtel wrapped up 11 tackles and three TFL. Hartman had two tackles, two INTs, and two PBUs. Metz made eight tackles and two TFL.
EAST - Heath (7-3) @ Zanesville West Muskingum (8-2).
CENTRAL - Ashland (6-4) @ Canal Winchester (7-3).
NORTHEAST INLAND - Wickliffe (8-2) @ Mineral Ridge (9-1).
NORTHEAST LAKE - Cleveland Rhodes (6-4) @ Lakewood (8-2).
NORTHWEST - Hamler Patrick Henry (7-3) @ Collins Western Reserve (10-0); Van Wert (5-5) @ Tontogany Otsego (7-3).
SOUTHEAST - Dresden Tri-Valley (7-3) @ Thornville Sheridan (8-2).
SOUTHWEST - Miamisburg Dayton Christian (7-3) @ Arcanum (6-4).
Let’s hope everyone has a healthy, competitive, and sportsmanlike weekend!
