It's hard to believe it's almost time for another season of high school football.
With all of the other sports underway already (some for almost a month now!), it's time for football to kick off... no pun intended!
For the fifth year in a row, Calvert and Mohawk get the season started on a Thursday night. In the previous four meetings, Calvert has won three of four including the last three.
Friday, the rest of the Heart of Ohio Sports teams get going as Columbian travels to Fremont Ross, Hopewell-Loudon hosts Carey and Seneca East hosts Ashland Crestview.
All five of HOOS' teams made the playoffs last year, but remember, things get a little tougher this year. Recently, the top 16 teams in each region qualified for the playoffs. This year, it is the top 12. In that format, Columbian would have sat at home last year, but the other four would have made it.
Here's a look at the five teams, starting with Columbian.
The Tornadoes qualified for the Division III, Region 10 playoffs, but were quickly ousted by Cleveland Benedictine, 35-7. Of Columbian's four wins last year, only one came over a playoff team and that was Fremont Ross, 27-11, in Week 1. The Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division is as tough as it comes and that will be no different this year. Zach Shawberry was quarterback for the Tornadoes last year, completing 109 of 226 passes for 1,373 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He graduated and it appears as though Jack Newlove will step in at quarterback this season for Columbian. Newlove will have a nice back to hand it to in Masen Seitz, who compiled 182 rushes for 1,054 yards and 12 touchdowns. Top receiver Johnny Bremyer (36 catches, 644 yards, eight touchdowns) is back for the Tornadoes' offense. Columbian also has to replace Ethan Reynolds (first-team SBC Lake), Bradley Willman (second-team SBC Lake pick) and Deacon Albright (honorable mention SBC Lake) from the offensive line. The Tornadoes have just one home game in the first four weeks - next week vs. Mansfield Senior - but close the season with three straight home games (Bellevue, Clyde, Perkins). Columbian gets the season started this week at Don Paul Stadium in Fremont against Fremont Ross, a 5-6 team from last year.
This week: at Fremont Ross (0-0)
The Senecas won a playoff game in coach Mike Lento's first season last year. Calvert dispatched Hardin Northern in running clock mode before being thumped at home by Delphos St. John's. The Senecas return a nice chunk of talent and look to become a little more consistent. Calvert didn't win three games in a row last year and was shut out four times. Two other times, the Senecas scored 10 points or less. Looking to return at quarterback for Calvert is sophomore Tucker Coleman, who completed 97 of 187 passes for 1,267 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year. He's been challenged by Charlie Palm in the preseason for time. Only time will tell who gets the start Thursday at Mohawk. Whoever it is will have first-team SBC River receiver Logan DeMoss to throw it to. DeMoss caught 32 passes for 498 yards and three scores last year while also garnering first-team honors on defense with a team-high 108 tackles. The Senecas must replace first-team running back Cal Warnament's 213 rushes for 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns and receivers Carter Wolph (26-292-5), John Schumacher (22-307-2) and Xavier Kimmet (13-126-2). The Senecas also have to find new guys to take over for Cam Bagent (first-team SBC River) on the offensive line and Warnament (second-team league) at linebacker. Calvert does have big pieces back in seniors Cameron Moyer and Connor Moyer. They will anchor a line that needs to establish the line of scrimmage nightly. The Senecas also have just one home game in the first four weeks - a week 3 meeting with Norwalk St. Paul.
This week: at Mohawk (0-0) on Thursday
The Chieftains have won at least one playoff game in each of the last five seasons under coach Brian Colatruglio. Last year, Hopewell-Loudon topped Margaretta and Seneca East before running into a juggernaut in Patrick Henry. That defense was really humming late in the season before the defeat to Patrick Henry. In the seven games before Patrick Henry, the Chieftains only gave up a total of 15 points that included five shutouts. The Chieftains won their fifth-straight SBC River Division title and have the talent back to make a run at six in a row. Jacoby Ellis was first-team SBC River as a sophomore after completing 116 of 177 passes for 1,458 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Also returning is Kellen Frankart, who completed 26 of 39 passes for 353 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions, but added 133 rushes for 721 yards and nine touchdowns. Maybe Frankart gets more carries as Hopewell-Loudon graduated first-team league selection Braylon Martinez after 151 carries for 967 yards and 19 touchdowns. Jack Colatruglio is back after receiving first-team honors on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he led the Chieftains with 52 catches for 852 yards and five touchdowns. Defensively, he tallied five interceptions. Martinez was the second-leading receiver for Hopewell-Loudon last season with 35 catches for 384 yards and five scores. Mason Reinhart is back for his senior year at linebacker after a team-high 93 tackles en route to first-team league honors. Hopewell-Loudon opens the season at home against Carey, a team the Chieftains have beaten each of the last two seasons. Keep an eye on a Week 3 trip to face Edison, a team that was 13-1 last year.
This week: vs. Carey (0-0)
The Warriors won 10 games last year - or four more than they did the previous two years combined. It was a breakout year for Mohawk, who returned to the playoffs for the first time since going five straight years from 2017-2021. The Warriors didn't just make an appearance. They won two games over Edgerton and McComb. That matched the 2020 team that won a pair of games in the playoffs. A lot of what Mohawk had last year was senior-dominated. Ben Bogner was the Northern 10 Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. At quarterback, he completed 143 of 246 passes for 2,393 yards, 26 touchdowns and six interceptions, and ran 205 times for 1,351 yards and 11 touchdowns. That is a lot of offense to replace. Kahne Hayman was on the receiving of a lot of Bogner's passes and caught 63 passes for 1,131 yards and 11 touchdowns before graduating. Mohawk also has to fill the void left by Kaden Bish, the Special Teams Player of the Year in the N-10. Senior Owen Patrizi is back to man the defense after a team-high 136 tackles. After opening Thursday against Calvert, the Warriors hit the road to face Cardington-Lincoln and Defiance Ayersville. Mohawk doesn't have a home Friday game until September 12 when preseason league favorite Colonel Crawford comes to Sycamore.
This week: vs. Calvert (0-0) on Thursday
It doesn't matter if 8, 16, 12, or every team makes the playoffs when it comes to the Tigers. Seneca East has made the playoffs in each of the last 10 seasons, but won a playoff game last year for the first time since 2020. Despite the playoff appearances, the Tigers are 31-24 since the beginning of the 2020 season. That came after consecutive 10-plus win seasons in 2018 and 2019. Seneca East has first-team N-10 quarterback Nicholas Parks returning this season. He completed 163 of 280 passes last year for 2,653 yards, 30 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also led the team with 128 rushes for 586 yards with five touchdowns. Only Jackson Gayheart, who is a junior this year, had more touchdowns on the ground last year with six. Parks has to find new top receivers after the graduation of first-team honoree Taylor Young (68 catches, 1,141 yards, 12 touchdowns) and second-team pick Bryler Beamer (45-809-7). Gayheart paced the defense with 111 tackles. First-team selection Justin Reiter graduated after leading the Tigers' defense with seven sacks. Seneca East started 3-0 in the league last year and lost close ones to Colonel Crawford (21-20) and Mohawk (21-13). The Tigers took care of business last year against Crestview, 35-20.
This week: vs. Ashland Crestview (0-0)
