Believe it or not, one-fifth of the 2024 Ohio high school football regular season is in the books.
It might still be too early to determine the true top teams and who might be in for a rough season, given that at least one team that lost its first four games a year ago ended up making noise in the playoffs – and is continuing to do so early on this fall.
But there were nonetheless plenty of storylines as the August phase of the season ended.
Here are five things we learned in Week 2:
1. Veterans power fast start for Olentangy Liberty
Thirty-one seniors give the Patriots and coach John Sansbury the knowledge and flexibility to win in different ways, and a 24-13 victory over two-time defending Division IV state champion Cleveland Glenville on Friday was the latest proof.
Ohio State lacrosse commit Jake Struck took a direct snap for the game’s first score, a 48-yard run, and caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Andrew Leonard, a fellow senior. Struck finished with 186 all-purpose yards, 123 through the air and 63 on the ground.
Liberty lost to Glenville 34-10 last year as part of a 0-4 start, but rallied late to make the second round of the Division I, Region 2 playoffs.
“We have a really experienced core … (and) that’s hard to teach. It’s a valuable resource,” Sansbury said, acknowledging Friday was a measuring stick. “This was huge. Every team on our schedule is a good football team. This will tell us a few things. Can we compete with teams like this? And how confident are our guys? We need to come out right away and play the good football we know we can.”
2. Groveport looks to build off strong start
With his team off to its best start since it won three in a row to begin 2020, Groveport coach Mitch Westcamp sees signs the Cruisers can continue their early success.
Groveport improved to 2-0 with a come-from-behind 8-7 win at Gahanna Lincoln (1-1) on Friday. Yes, eight regular-season games remain, but the Cruisers are projected to be first in Division I, Region 3 this week, according to JoeEitel.com.
Who won in Week 2? Central Ohio football scores
COVID-19 hampered Groveport in 2020, leading to three losses in the final five games and a 5-3 finish. That was Westcamp’s first season as coach and a year after the Cruisers went 10-3 and reached the Region 3 final.
“These teams are different in their own way,” said Westcamp, who was an assistant coach on the 2019 team. “There are some pieces on this team that are better than that 2019 team. The secondary play is definitely better. The quarterback play, even though he’s just a sophomore, (Baker Bowden) is probably the best I’ve had since I’ve been here.”
Trailing 7-6 on Friday, the Cruisers were awarded a safety when Gahanna was called for holding in the end zone with under 5 minutes remaining. Raishad King rushed for 121 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries, and Jalen Joyce (8 ½ tackles) and Jeremiah Moore (6 ½ tackles) paced the defense.
3. Franklin Heights coach pleased with early success
The Falcons are 2-0 for the first time since they won 10 games in 2016, and coach Kevin Mulvany said a solid foundation deserves the credit.
Franklin Heights matched last season’s win total with a 21-14 victory over South-Western City Schools rival Central Crossing (1-1) on Friday.
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“We knew that we had to build a foundation,” Mulvany said. “The (coaches) that came before me were great – Cory Fenner and Tennyson Varney – but we knew that there’s some things that we wanted to do differently. Year (No.) 4 was when we anticipated it starting to turn around, and hopefully this is a sign of good things to come. … From the ground up, it starts in the weight room.”
Sophomore Dae’shaun Cowan rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns and senior Rob Mullins (OLB/RB) added a rushing touchdown Friday. The defense forced three turnovers and was led by junior end Anthony Jalloh (4 tackles for loss) and Mullins, who had an interception.
The Falcons went 0-8, 0-10 and 2-8 in Mulvany’s first three seasons.
4. Upper Arlington’s defense continues to thrive
The Golden Bears owe their 1-1 record at least partly to a defense that has been stout against the run and in pass coverage, as they displayed for most of a 17-14 win over Olentangy Berlin on Friday.
UA allowed only six rushes of more than 7 yards. Two of those were 16- and 17-yard touchdown runs for Berlin quarterback Aiden Eviston, whose 6-foot, 230-pound frame presented matchup problems.
That came after the unit, which has a handful of first-year starters, did not allow any points in a season-opening 6-0 loss to Glenville. The Tarblooders scored on a kick return.
“(Coach Justin Buttermore) was preaching that we had to set the tone,” linebacker Jacob DuPont said. “(Eviston) was very good. We figured he would run the ball a lot. We didn’t stop him the way we wanted, but at the end of the day we got the job done. …
“I feel like the offense is starting to feed off that good play. The defense is really rallying, making sure we pick up the offense and get them going.”
5. Olentangy Orange offense features solid tandem
Led by the combination of senior running back Cohen Weaver and junior quarterback Levi Davis, Orange is 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
In a 54-41 win at Westerville North on Friday, Weaver rushed for 221 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries, and Davis passed for 174 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 95 yards and a score.
Davis said the leadership of first-year coach Wes Schroeder has sparked the early success after Orange went 4-7 in each of the past two seasons. Schroeder took over in January after winning 38 games in four seasons at Granville.
“Words can’t describe what he means to this team,” Davis said. “I love him as a coach and the guys have responded really well with how he’s implemented the offense and defense.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-01 23:02:00
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