MANSFIELD — Chioke Bradley loves a challenge.
Mansfield Senior’s veteran coach has never been one to back down from confrontation and his Tygers are in for a fight during the non-conference portion of the upcoming season.
Senior High opens Friday in Akron against Division II heavyweight St. Vincent-St Mary. The Tygers then host defending Division III state champ Canfield in Week 2 before heading to Paul Brown Tiger Stadium for a Week 3 showdown against powerhouse Massillon Washington.
Senior High’s three non-conference opponents were a combined 34-7 last year.
“We don’t schedule slouches,” Bradley said.
SVSM and Canfield are new to the schedule this year. The Tygers opened the 2022 campaign at Norwalk and hosted North Canton Hoover in Week 2 before welcoming Massillon to Arlin Field in Week 3. Senior High was 2-1 in non-conference games, setting the stage for a run to the regional semifinals. The Tygers were 10-3 last year.
“We want to play the best teams out there,” Bradley said. “To achieve our goals, we want to compete against the best.”
Here’s a capsule look at some of Week 1’s top match-ups:
Galion at Wynford, Thursday: The Tigers and Royals kick off the season a day early. Galion boasts a wealth of returning talent on offense, led by running back Gabe Ivy. The senior was an All-Ohio honorable-mention selection last fall after rushing for 1,582 yards and 19 TDs on 231 carries. Ivy will have plenty of help with the return of dual-threat quarterback Braxton Prosser. The junior accounted for more than 1,500 yards and 19 TDs. Defensively, linebacker Carson Frankhouse was an All-Ohio honorable-mention pick after making 113 tackles last fall.
The Royals were an uncharacteristic 2-8 in 2022, but five of those eight losses were by eight points or less. Wynford has perhaps the top returning rushing tandem in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference in senior Kaiden Blair and junior Anthony Evans. The duo combined for 1,398 yards and eight TDs. Quarterback Ashton Warren threw for 589 yards. Two-way lineman Kalen Skidmore is among the best in the N10.
Mansfield Senior at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary: Senior High’s high-powered offense is triggered by senior quarterback Duke Reese. The left-hander completed 122-of-246 passes for 1,904 yards and 19 touchdowns. Senior receiver Amarr Davis caught 45 passes for 838 yards and 10 TDs last fall, while tight end La-La Owens, who has offers from Minnesota and Pitt, had 18 grabs for 296 yards and two TDs. The offense will have to shoulder the load while an inexperienced defense finds its footing. Senior High lost its top four tacklers to graduation. That quartet combined for 383 tackles, 69 tackles for loss and 24 sacks.
The Fighting Irish reached the Division II, Region 5 semifinals last year under first-year head coach Terry Cistone before falling to eventual state runner-up Akron Hoban 47-7. Senior twins Daniel (6-6, 210) and David (6-5, 210) Ajose both have a handful of Mid-American Conference offers while senior and fellow receiver Sir Charles Gordon (6-4, 185) is a Holy Cross recruit. Senior Markelle Carter and junior Gabe Mansel will likely split time at quarterback. Carter also will play in SVSM’s secondary as a safety.
Shelby at Madison: Veteran coach Rob Mahaney welcomes back eight offensive starters and seven on defense. Sophomore quarterback Brayden DeVito will trigger the offense after throwing for more than 2,400 yards and 22 TDs as a freshman. Senior Issaiah Ramsey is one of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference’s top returning receivers after hauling in 54 catches for 1,110 yards and seven TDs. Senior running back Skylar Winters rushed for 579 yards and four TDs. Defensively, senior defensive end Mason Vent returns after making 77 tackles with 11.5 sacks.
Madison is under the direction of Brent Besancon, the third head coach in as many seasons. The Wayne County native was previously the head coach at New London, Rittman and Smithville, his alma mater. Junior quarterback Cameron Kuhn will again trigger the offense after throwing for 1,266 yards and nine TDs last year. Kuhn will have the luxury of operating behind a big and physical offensive line anchored by tackle Gage Masters (6-3, 265). Defensively, Will Kepple returns at linebacker after making 68 tackles last year.
Ontario at Lexington: Second-year Ontario coach Aaron Eckert welcomes back 21 seniors from last year’s playoff-qualifying team, including running back Chase Studer. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Studer rushed for 809 yards and nine touchdowns despite battling injuries. Junior quarterback Bodpegn Miller completed 112-of-186 passes for 1,586 yards and 15 TDs. Senior tight end Dylan Floyd caught 35 passes for 485 yards and six TDs. Linebacker Grason Bias returns after making 80 tackles last year.
Lexington has a talented group of young skill-position players led by sophomore receiver Brayden Fogle. The two-sport standout caught 33 passes for 529 yards and eight TDs last year. Sophomore Joe Caudill takes over for the graduated A.J. Young at quarterback, while sophomore and Madison transfer Seven Allen will see time as a receiver and defensive back. Senior Carter Newman rushed for 444 yards and three TDs. Defensively, linebacker Mason Green made 84 tackles last year.
Lucas at Clear Fork: Veteran Lucas coach Scott Spitler welcomes back nine lettermen on offense and eight on defense, but the Cubs have some big shoes to fill. Multi-year lettermen Andrew Smollen, Andrew Fanello, Corbin Toms, Hunter Church and Ty Lehnhart were among a talented group of seniors lost to graduation. Senior Graysen Jackson takes over for Smollen at quarterback and has the luxury of operating behind a veteran offensive line. Senior running back Logan Toms rushed for 1,491 yards and 17 touchdowns on 191 carries and caught 11 passes for 69 yards and a TD. Senior running back Zach Diehl rushed for 232 yards and five TDs on 20 carries last year. The defensive line is anchored by nose tackle Dan Hockensmith, who had 92 tackles and five sacks last year. Toms had 149 tackles and four interceptions from his safety spot, earning a spot on the All-Ohio second team in Division VII. In addition to his responsibilities on offense as a tight end and defense as a cornerback, Aidan Culler is one of the area’s top returning kickers. He connected on 45-of-48 PATs last fall and booted four field goals, earning All-Ohio honorable mention honors.
The Colts have a new head coach in Aaron Brokaw, a 1999 Clear Fork grad, who takes over for Dave Carroll. Brokaw has one of the county’s top athletes at his disposal in Luke Schlosser. The senior rushed for 285 yards and six TDs and made a team-high 61 tackles from his linebacker spot during the regular season last year. The Colts boasted one of the area’s best defenses last fall en route to the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference crown. Clear Fork led the league in scoring defense and total defense. Offensively, junior Mason Sansom will take over at quarterback for the graduated Victor Skoog, who threw for 1,161 yards and eight TDs and rushed for 860 yards and 14 scores. Sansom will have a trio of reliable targets in junior Jay Jackson, senior speedster Joe Stupka and senior tight end Milo Burgholder.