ONTARIO — Not all 3-0 starts are created equally.
For the second year in a row, Ontario will begin Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference play with an unblemished record. Unlike last year, however, the Warriors thunder into Friday’s MOAC opener after outscoring three non-conference opponents by a combined score of 90-14.
“Last year we won three pretty close games to get to 3-0,” Ontario coach Aaron Eckert said after last week’s 38-0 win over Madison. “The next couple games didn’t go our way.”
The Warriors dropped their first four MOAC games last fall and were 3-4 heading into Week 8. Ontario salvaged the season by winning its final three games and qualifying for the Division III, Region 10 playoffs as the No. 12 seed.
The Warriors open MOAC play at home Friday against River Valley. The Vikings won last year’s meeting 48-34.
“I definitely feel like we’re further ahead,” junior quarterback Bodpegn Miller said when asked to compare this year’s 3-0 start to last year’s. “I just feel we’re in a better spot this year.”
River Valley (1-2) at Ontario (3-0): The Vikings were victimized by one of the greatest single-game performances in state history in last week’s 56-45 loss to Tiffin Columbian. Columbian running back Damien Brockington scored eight touchdowns, rushing for seven and returning a kickoff 80 yards for another score. RV quarterback Chase Ebert completed 29-of-41 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 142 yards and two TDs on 17 carries. Leading receiver Keyan Shidone suffered an injury during the game, but Ayden Kenney had 11 catches for 103 yards. Running back Treyton Mercer rushed for three touchdowns and caught a TD pass.
Ontario posted its second consecutive shutout in last week’s win over Madison and boasts the top scoring defense and top total defense in the MOAC, giving up 4.7 points and 106 yards a game. The offense, meanwhile, is humming with Miller at the controls. He completed passes to nine different receivers last week and threw three touchdowns passes while rushing for another score. For the season, Miller has completed 40-of-64 passes for 541 yards and four TDs. Running back Chase Studer ranks among MOAC leaders with 284 rushing yards, while tight end Dylan Floyd has 13 catches for 167 yards and two TDs.
West Holmes (2-1) at Mansfield Senior (1-2): The Knights had their 23-game regular season winning streak snapped in last week’s 40-35 loss at Licking Valley. West Holmes was hit hard by graduation as both first-team All-Ohio quarterback Mason Wolfe and linebacker Elisha Baldridge, last year’s Ohio Cardinal Conference Defensive Player of the Year, are suiting up for Ashland University this fall. The Knights also lost first-team All-Ohio running back and Ohio State recruit Sam Williams-Dixon, who transferred to Pickerington North. First-team All-Ohio receiver Kyle Maltarich, the OCC’s Offensive Player of the Year last year, has been limited by injury. A senior, Maltarich has verbally committed to play at Yale.
Mansfield Senior cornerback Ja’ontay O’Bryant intercepted two passes, returning one 27 yards for a touchdown, in last week’s 51-10 loss at Massillon. O’Bryant had four tackles to go along with his two picks. Senior receiver Amarr Davis has three straight 100-yard receiving games to start the season after catching seven passes for 113 yards last week. Davis needs two catches to surpass former Senior High great Angelo Grose as the program’s career receptions leader. Davis already owns the career receiving yards record (2,172 yards). Quarterback Duke Reese returned from a wrist injury last week, completing 12-of-28 passes for 139 yards. Junior linebacker Maurice Bradley II leads the defense with 31 tackles after making 11 stops at Massillon. Bradley has 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Clear Fork (1-2) at Galion (3-0): The Colts let a 21-7 second-quarter lead slip away in last week’s 28-27 loss to Lexington. Running back Luke Schlosser has carried the ball 60 times for 234 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Mason Sansom has rushed for 167 yards and a TD on 38 carries. Schlosser ranks second in the MOAC with 41 tackles, while Dawson Staley has 30 stops.
Galion is 3-0 for the first time since opening the 2019 season with five straight wins. The Tigers boast one of the top rushing attacks in the MOAC led by Gabe Ivy. The senior has a conference-high 66 carries for 536 yards and five TDs. He rumbled for 372 yards and four TDs in last week’s 41-6 win over Upper Sandusky. Quarterback Braxton Prosser has rushed for 119 yards and two TDs. Elijah Chafin has a team-high six catches for 57 yards and a score. Carson Frankhouse leads the way defensively with 36 tackles, including six tackles for loss and four sacks. Landon Campbell and Linkon Tyrrell are tied for the MOAC lead with five sacks apiece. Hunter Miniard and Jimmy Hardy each have three sacks.