The Daily Standard
Sports Preview
"Chasing Perfection."
That banner has hung on a fence at Booster Stadium during the football season.
The seniors of Marion Local have a chance to achieve that and give the storied program a 15 state championship when the Flyers face Jeromesville Hillsdale on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the Division VII state final at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
A win could make it 64 victories in a row for the seniors - four straight 16-0 seasons - and four state titles as the Flyers look to extend their state-record win streak and longest current streak in the nation.
"Yeah, it's a very bittersweet week," said Marion Local coach Tim Goodwin. "The coaches have just loved this class since they've been freshmen. You know we've had good teams even when they were freshmen and sophomores, so they pretty much had to wait until they were a junior to play much. You know, we had like three kids when they were sophomores play. But this is just a class that's just different.
"I'm probably going to be crying all day on Friday. Just because it's my last shot with them."
Marion Local quarterback Justin Knouff has thrown for over 2,000 yards this season as he and his senior teammates attempt to finish their high school careers with a 64-0 record.
While some have touted Friday's Division VII state football championship game as a "David vs. Goliath" encounter, Hillsdale coach Trevor Cline is ready for his team to face the Flyers.
"This is the first opportunity to compete (in) the first state championship of our football program's history," said Cline, in his seventh season at Hillsdale. "So our players definitely believe that they have an opportunity to win a state championship and as a football program, you always want to go up against great programs and that's what Marion Local is. And whenever you get an opportunity to go up against a great program like that, as a competitor, you look forward to that. We know about their history. They've been a powerhouse in Division VI and Division VII very well respected program. How they run their program is extremely impressive."
Hillsdale reached the state semifinals for the first time in school history this season and enters at 14-1 with the only loss coming to Creston Norwayne in Week 10. Last week, the Falcons won 25-22 over Danville to advance to state.
Sophomore quarterback Kael Lewis has been dominating this season for the Falcons, throwing for 2,981 yards with 35 touchdowns. Hayden McFadden has 60 receptions for 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns with Holland Young adding a team-best 62 catches for 915 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Falcons can also run. Owen Sloan leads the team with 1,664 yards and 31 touchdowns.
"A couple things really jump out at you. First of all, when you look at the scouting report, it's just how young they are and you know they're going to be a load for sure in the future. You know, they have to be really excited about the future," said Goodwin. "And second is, you know their speed pops out. You know, we have a fast team and you know, so I was texting our track coach over the weekend and it's like, 'hey, this kid looks really fast, and this kid looks really fast. So, like, are these guys legit track guys?' He was like, 'Yeah. They ran like 11.5 as a sophomore (in the 100-meter dash) and he said that's pretty darn good for a sophomore, so they can cover some ground."
Brady Heller leads the team on defense with 143 tackles. Aiden Hoffman has 118 tackles. McFadden has returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season.
The Flyers have been dominating. The 710 points scored so far this season broke the school record of 701 set last season. Marion's defense has allowed 49 points, tied for fifth-fewest with the 1976 team, with 27 of the points coming in the postseason.
Quarterback Justin Knouff has thrown for 2,067 yards and 26 touchdowns. Victor Hoelscher broke Nick Tangeman's 2007 record for receiving yards with 1,271 yards with 19 touchdowns.
Marion Local's Drew Lause (34) watches Columbus Grove quarterback Kyle Hopkins pass the ball.
But it's the depth of the running game that has kept the Flyers moving. Parker Hess leads the team with 1,092 yards with 19 touchdowns, but Kamden Eifert (401 yards, eight touchdowns), Drew Lause (353 yards, 14 touchdowns), Ethan Heitkamp (337 yards, eight touchdowns) and Knouff (603 yards, six touchdowns) give Goodwin plenty of weapons in the backfield.
The defense has been strong all year, but Goodwin said a big difference is putting Kyle Ungruhn as a defensive end and occasionally nose guard after starting the season primarily as an offensive tackle.
"He was first team all league as a defensive player last year, and he didn't get much opportunity to play defense just because we were trying to keep everyone fresh and, to be honest with you, we didn't need him," said Goodwin of Ungruhn, the Northwest District's co-Lineman of the Year. "But once we put him in the defensive line at end and nose, he has changed our defense and we've been a lot stouter against the run and just better overall."
Kirtland is not a member of the Midwest Athletic Conference, but the Hornets have played MAC teams often enough to earn honorary status.
For the 10th time in 13 trips to the state football championships, Kirtland will play a MAC team for a title as Coldwater takes on the Hornets on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Canton's Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. It's also the fourth straight season a MAC member has faced Kirtland, with Versailles and Marion Local winning in 2021 and 2022 with Kirtland beating Versailles last season.
It will be the third time in 13 years the Cavaliers and Hornets have faced off for a title. Kirtland won in 2011 with Coldwater coming back to win the rematch in 2012.
Coldwater's Bryce Couchot (21) and Caleb Schroer (2) chase down Bluffton's Quinn Eachus on a kickoff return.
Veteran Hornets coach Tiger LaVerde has a lot of respect for the MAC and the fans.
"I think the key is that (MAC fans) are great people and great fans. (They) appreciate that these kids have worked hard and are successful," said LaVerde, in his 19th season as coach with a 244-20 record at the school. "And I think those fans realized like, 'hey, some teams are going to win, some teams are going to lose. But all these kids have worked really hard to get here.' "
Coldwater is back in the state finals for the 15th time since 1998, but have not played for a title since 2021 when the Cavaliers lost to Carey in the Division VI title game.
"We have a big banner in our in our locker room: DTIFG - Don't Take It For Granted," said Coldwater coach Chip Otten, who is looking for his sixth title since taking over as head coach of his alma mater in 2010. "We talk about it a lot and we talk about those expectations. We have former players come in and talk sometimes former coaches that come in (during what) we call a captain's meeting after Thursday practices."
One thing hasn't changed over the years for Kirtland: they will run the ball. The Hornets have rushed for 5,198 yards this season while throwing for just 825 yards.
The offensive line, in the words of Otten, is stout. Left guard Matt Kahley, at 6-0 and 245 pounds, earned the distinction of being named the Northeast Lakes Offensive Player of the Year this season in Division VI.
"They're 6-foot, 250 pounds. … They love to lift weights there and they put a huge emphasis on that," said Otten. "I like the word stout but (they're) just solid strong guys that move their feet."
Danny Alfieri is the go-to back in the lineup, rushing for 1,579 yards and 36 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Jake LaVerde, the coach's son, has rushed for 1,135 yards and 11 touchdowns in spite of missing seven weeks with an injury before coming back in the regional final win over Dalton. Jake LaVerde also has the ability to pass, completing 16-for-25 for 276 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Linebacker Tyler Turk, the Northeast Lakes District Defensive Player of the Year, leads a defense that has allowed just 121 points this season.
Coldwater's offense has been sharp all season, averaging 343 yards per game to the opponents' 168. Quarterback Baylen Blockberger is 61 yards away from reaching 2,000 passing yards this season while throwing or 20 touchdowns. Mason Welsch, one of only four players who play full-time both sides of the ball, has 52 receptions for 803 yards this season as part of a balanced receiving corps where four players have 260 or more receiving yards.
But the running game has picked up, with Otten sometimes going from the Cav-Gun shotgun snap offense to putting Blockberger behind center with Miles Pottkotter and Cody Depweg behind him. In the postseason, the Cavaliers have even displayed a wildcat set - dubbed the Wild-Cav - with Depweg taking direct snaps.
The running game has been key. Pottkotter leads the team with 762 yards and 19 scores. Depweg adds 460 yards and 13 scores while sophomore Braxton Taylor has become a speedy replacement when Depweg and Pottkotter - the leaders on defense with 200 combined tackles - take a break. Taylor has rushed for 732 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 382 yards and six touchdowns coming in the postseason
"I think they have great balance," said LaVerde of Coldwater. "The quarterback's very accurate and he can throw and run and you know they use a bunch of different backs (with) 24 (Pottkotter), 25 (Depweg) and 29 (Taylor) has some good speed.
We're going to have to be good on the back end, good on the front end and you know we're going to have to play a solid game defensively."
Coldwater's Baylen Blockberger (15) gets ready to take the snap from Rudy Kremer during last Friday's state semifinal against Bluffton in Wapakoneta.
A key to the success of the Cavaliers on offense has been the play of Rudy Kremer. Initially tabbed to play guard, Kremer moved to center after All-Ohio senior Cale Wenning died the day before the season opener due to injuries from an accident several weeks before the season.
"When Cale passed away, we weren't sure who our center was going to be and Rudy stepped in," said Otten, whose squad brings a flag bearing Wenning's jersey number 70 to the field every game. "The other kids helped him and he's done a really good job to stabilize that O line when we had an all-league three-year starter."
Coldwater kicker Bryce Couchot could make a difference. The junior broke Mario de la Rosa's record for consecutive point-afters as Couchot has currently made 60 in a row. Couchot is 78-of-80 on PATs and a perfect 7-of-7 on field goals, with his longest going for 44 yards.
Parker Hess, RB, Marion Local
Cody Depweg, LB, Coldwater
All games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton
Cincinnati Anderson (15-0) vs. Avon (15-0), 7 p.m.
Jeromesville Hillsdale (14-1) vs. Marion Local (15-0), 10:30 a.m.
Columbus Watterson (15-0) vs. Toledo Central Catholic (14-1), 3 p.m.
Olentangy Liberty (13-2) vs. Cincinnati Moeller (14-1), 7:30 p.m.
Coldwater (14-1) vs. Kirtland (15-0), 10:30 a.m.
Liberty Center (15-0) vs. Ironton (14-1), 3 p.m.
Indian Valley (15-0) vs. Sandusky Perkins (14-1), 7:30 p.m.
