ONTARIO — The chase for the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship is entering the home stretch with six of the eight teams still harboring title aspirations.
Unbeaten Ontario holds a one-game lead over Shelby in the conference standings. Galion, Pleasant, River Valley and Marion Harding are all 2-2 in MOAC play with three games remaining.
While the Week 9 matchup between the Warriors and Whippets is the game most area fans have circled on their calendars, there are a handful of intriguing MOAC matchups Friday night:
Ontario (7-0, 4-0) at Marion Harding (3-4, 2-2): The Warriors just keep humming along after last week’s 45-14 win over Pleasant. Quarterback Bodpegn Miller continues to make a compelling case for inclusion on the All-Ohio team. The junior accounted for four more touchdowns last week and has completed 68% of his passes (100-of-147) for 1,553 yards and 14 TDs. He’s also rushed for 616 yards and nine scores on 70 carries. Running back Chase Studer leads the way with 619 rushing yards and 10 TDs on 115 carries. Tight end Dylan Floyd has a team-best 28 receptions for 355 yards and three TDs. Quin Frankhouse (17 catches, 454 yards) and Landon Foltz (14 catches, 328 yards) rank among the MOAC leaders with four touchdown grabs apiece. Defensive backs Braylon Wilson and Chase Stoffer lead the defense with 47 and 46 tackles, respectively. Linebacker Grason Bias has a team-best five sacks.
The Presidents are fighting for a playoff spot in Division II, Region 7 and have won two straight after last week’s 35-7 victory over Clear Fork. Harding ranks second in the MOAC in total defense, allowing 264.6 yards per game. Michael Williams leads the league with 12 sacks, while Justin Long is second with 105 tackles. Quarterback Alex Stokes ranks third in the MOAC in completion percentage, connecting on 109-of-187 passes for 1,247 yards and six touchdowns. Receiver Keonte Scott ranks among MOAC leaders in receptions (33) and receiving yards (455). Raymond Scott-Harbolt has 28 catches for 318 yards and two TDs.
Galion (5-2, 2-2) at Pleasant (4-3, 2-2): The Tigers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 23-21 win over Highland last week. Running back Gabe Ivy sat out last week with an undisclosed injury, but still ranks third in the MOAC with 776 yards and eight touchdowns on 98 carries. Quarterback Braxton Prosser missed the second half last week after suffering an injury late in the first half, but has rushed for 511 yards and six TDs on 70 carries. The Tigers have forced 15 turnovers and are plus-nine in turnover ratio. Landon Campbell ranks second in the MOAC with eight sacks, while Carson Frankhouse has made a team-high 71 tackles.
Pleasant boasts one of the top passing offenses in the MOAC, averaging 219 yards through the air. Quarterback Owen Lowry triggers the offense and has completed 109-of-188 passes for 1,490 yards and 14 touchdowns. Lowry also leads the Spartans with 419 rushing yards and eight TDs on 83 carries. Junior wideout Aiden Smith leads the team with 33 catches for 524 yards. Dillon Burns has only five receptions, but three have gone for touchdowns. Linebacker Connor Smith leads the defense with 105 tackles. Jace Trachtenberg has 95 stops.
Shelby (5-2, 3-1) at Clear Fork (1-6, 0-4): The Whippets stubbed their toe in last week’s 28-24 loss at River Valley, giving up the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Brayden DeVito accounted for 349 yards in the loss, throwing for 247 yards and rushing for 102. The sophomore leads the MOAC with 2,000 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and a 68.1% completion percentage. Issaiah Ramsey tops the conference with 750 receiving yards on 38 catches, while Cody Lantz leads the league with six touchdown catches. Skyler Winters has rushed for 798 yards and 14 TDs on 107 carries. Miles Swisher spearheads the defense with 39 tackles. Nic Eyster and Maverick Noel each have two interceptions.
The Colts couldn’t get anything going in last week’s 35-7 loss to Marion Harding, Clear Fork’s sixth straight setback. Quarterback Mason Sansom and running back Nick Appleman have taken on a bigger load with the injury to standout running back Luke Schlosser. Appleman has rushed for a team-high 256 yards, while Sansom has run for 241 yards while completing 29-of-59 passes for 334 yards and a touchdown. Evan Tahlmalwash leads the team with 42 tackles.