The start of the 2024 high school football season is just over a week away, and with anticipation and excitement come questions.
Which powers will remain powers, which teams will crash the party and who might take a step back?
Dispatch high school reporters Frank DiRenna and Dave Purpura will answer 10 burning questions for the 2024 season in two installments over the next several days. Here are the first five:
1. How does Watterson follow up on last year?
The inevitable turnover for high school teams means no two teams are exactly alike from year to year, but that’s also the case in college, the pros and at any other level. The Division III state runner-up Eagles graduated a bevy of talent, including a defensive dynamo in Navy-bound linebacker Dom Purcell. He was, after all, the only defensive Mr. Football finalist last fall, and he ended his high school career with 21 tackles in the state final, a record for that game.
But Watterson brings back 13 starters, including sophomores Joe Hayes (CB), Jack Schuler (DE) and Ben Uhlenhake (RB) and a 1,200-yard receiver in senior Jake Uhlenhake. Junior Drew Bellisari, the son of former Ohio State linebacker Greg Bellisari, steps into the quarterback spot after the graduation of A.J. McAninch, a Marshall baseball signee.
The Eagles will be fine, and they will be competitive. Good thing, too, because Division III, Region 11 is an absolute gauntlet. Whoever gets out to the state semifinals will have seen the proverbial kitchen sink thrown at them, and will have survived.
2. Harvest Prep almost got to the Division V final. What about the Warriors?
Don’t expect the Warriors to go anywhere coming off their fourth state semifinal appearance since 2016. Senior athlete Jamarcus Jones (5 interceptions in 2023) has nine college offers, seven from Mid-American Conference schools, and will be utilized all over the field. He and dynamic junior Dezmond Porter (1,221 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns) could see time at quarterback along with sophomore Collin Boff, and coupled with the return of the entire offensive line and several speedy skill players, coach Milan Smith said this is the most talented starting unit in his tenure.
Harvest Prep’s independent schedule includes four road games to start, including a Week 1 visit to Division I Pickerington Central, and clashes with Region 19 power Wheelersburg and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.
How to watch Ohio high school football in 2024
3. Is Hilliard Bradley’s sophomore QB ready to take the reins?
With the graduation of quarterback Bradyn Fleharty, sophomore Declan O’Neil is preparing to lead the offense.
O’Neil received a baptism by fire last season, starting Bradley’s 26-3 loss to Lakewood St. Edward in a Division I state semifinal after Fleharty couldn’t play because of an ankle injury. O’Neil completed 12 of 24 passes for 101 yards with an interception.
A standout player at Hilliard Memorial Middle School, O’Neil played well in a scrimmage against Gahanna Lincoln on Saturday, according to coach Mike LoParo.
Now a freshman quarterback at Yale, Fleharty passed for 2,800 yards and 32 touchdowns with six interceptions and rushed for 1,360 yards and 17 scores a season ago. He was named district Offensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state and was a Mr. Football finalist.
4. Can West Jefferson return to regional final?
Although his team was hit hard by graduation, West Jefferson coach Shawn Buescher believes it has the potential for similar success this season.
The Roughriders reached the Division VI, Region 23 final last fall, falling to Sugarcreek Garaway 42-7 to finish 12-2. They shared the Ohio Heritage Conference-North title with West Salem-Liberty at 4-1.
West Jefferson should again be led by junior quarterback Austin Buescher, the coach’s son. He passed for 3,847 yards last season with 38 touchdowns and five interceptions and was named district Offensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state.
Junior Wyatt Keyt returns at running back, wide receiver and linebacker, while seniors Luke Boyd and Alex Baldwin are key returning linemen.
5. Who stands to benefit the most from divisional realignment?
While tournament divisions in other sports expanded to mitigate enrollment discrepancy in Division I, football remains at seven divisions, as it has since 2013.
Twenty central Ohio schools switched divisions for this fall. Half moved up a division and the other half moved down, either because of enrollment changes or competitive balance.
New Albany stands to benefit in moving from Division I, Region 3 to Division II, Region 7, even with the presence of defending state champion Massillon Washington, given that its football enrollment of 588 is tied for most in the region with Westerville South and Worthington Kilbourne. Same for Newark Catholic, which is in Division VII, Region 27 instead of Division VI, Region 23 because of lower enrollment.
Several other schools switched regions within their current divisions. We will break that down in a future installment.
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Publish date : 2024-08-13 23:02:00
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