2023 high school football preview: A look at the Southwest Ohio Conference
Across Greater Cincinnati, high school sports teams officially began practicing on Aug. 1 in anticipation of another fall season. Before long, football stadiums will be lit up every Friday night.
As the season draws closer, The Enquirer is providing previews of 10 conferences in Southwest Ohio, all six classes in Northern Kentucky, and three teams in Southeast Indiana.
Here is a preview of the Southwest Ohio Conference. There are now four teams in the conference after Ross and Edgewood, two of the top teams in the conference in the last three years, left for the Southwest Buckeye League. Two more teams, Northwest and Talawanda, have new coaches. Who will step up to lead the conference this year?
Harrison Wildcats
2022: 1-9, sixth in SWOC
Coach: Derek Rehage (seven years, 34-31)
Top returning players: WR Luke Rogers, RB/DB Cohen Hering, RB/LB Cole Koops, WR/DB Cory Helms, K Landen Anderson, OL/DL Joe Banks, OL/DL Chris Loos, OL/DL Kelyn Dallio, LB Donny McKain, LB Stryker Reverman, DB Cooper Ives
Outlook for 2023: Luke Rogers, who played at receiver in 2021, is back in the slot after playing quarterback last season. His move clears the way for Reading transfer Dickie Engel to run the offense. Engel threw for 970 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022 for the Devils. The offense only put up 16.7 points per game last year; that number should improve as a number of running backs, receivers and offensive linemen return.
The Wildcats need to improve on defense. They gave up 35.6 points per game, 11 passing touchdowns of at least 40 yards, and only caused seven turnovers (six fumble recoveries and one interception) last year. Two-way players Joe Banks and Kellyn Dallio will lead the way while challenging the rest of the defense to step up.
Harrison's toughest non-league test will be a week two trip to East Central to take on the defending Indiana Class 4A state champions. The Wildcats also face local opponents from three different conferences as well as a home tilt against Campbell County.
Games to watch: Aug. 18 at Taylor; Aug. 25 vs. East Central; Sep. 15 vs. Clinton-Massie; Sep. 29 at Mt. Healthy; Oct. 13 vs. Bishop Watterson
Mt. Healthy Owls
2022: 5-6, fourth in SWOC
Coach: Jordan Stevens (two years, 5-6)
Top returning players: QB Jahmeir Spain, RB/LB Michael Watson, WR/DB JayJay Etheridge, WR/DB Jai'Mier Scott, TE/LB Tyree Hinkston, WR/DB Jeremiah Sanders, OL/DT Gabriel Garcia, LB Raishawn Cotton
Outlook for 2023: The Owls may have the most upside in the conference this year. Five all-league honorees return, led by quarterback Jahmeir Spain, who threw for 2,001 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2022. They also return their top four leading rushers as well as leading receiver JayJay Etheridge.
Mt. Healthy outscored their opponents last year by an average of 28-22. This offense certainly has the talent to score 30 points on a weekly basis. Can the defense, headlined by Raishawn Cotton and Tyree Hinkston, keep their opponents off the board? That question will be answered beginning in week one as the Owls travel to Little Miami. Their biggest non-conference game may be a Sep. 8 matchup with Clinton-Massie, who is always a playoff contender in Division IV.
Games to watch: Aug. 25 vs. Ross; Sep. 15 vs. Fenwick; Sep. 22 at Northwest; Oct. 13 at Talawanda
Northwest Knights
2022: 6-5, second in SWOC
Coach: Brandon Schon (first season)
Top returning players: RB Kaleb Jones, RB/LB Kinxton Hill, DL Jordan Bailey, LB Erick Morris Jr., LB Sean Perry, LB Anden Felix
Outlook for 2023: The Knights are the only team in the new edition of the SWOC that had a winning record last year. Plain and simple, it will be tough to repeat that feat. Quarterback Diego Yun graduated, as did the top four receivers. The good news is that Kinxton Hill and Kaleb Jones, who combined for 1,265 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, return.
Erick Morris, Jr., a 2022 all-conference first-team selection, is the only all-conference Knight to return to the field. He will lead a defense that allowed only 84 passing yards per game but gave up 30 points per game.
Under head coach Lee Johnson, the Knights have hovered around .500 each year in the non-league schedule. That will have to improve this year as there is less room for error against Harrison, Mt. Healthy and Talawanda.
Games to watch: Aug. 18 at Wilmington; Sep. 1 at Ross, Sep. 15 at Western Hills; Oct. 13 at St. Francis DeSales; Oct. 20 vs. Harrison
Talawanda Braves
2022: 1-9, fifth in SWOC
Coach: Andy Stuckert (first season, 7-18)
Top returning players: QB Cale Leitch, RB/LB Caleb Dillhoff, WR/DB Brayden Glass, LB Tad Polly, DB Demetrius Morris-Williams
Outlook for 2023: Cale Leitch will be under center again this year as one of two returning quarterbacks to throw for 1,000 yards in 2022. That may be a challenge this year as his top receiver, Brayden Glass, only had 134 receiving yards last year. Aside from the questions on offense, the Braves also return only three of their top 10 tacklers from last season. First-year head coach Andy Stuckert faces a number of challenges similar to the hurdles he cleared in three years at New Miami. A new coach and a redefined conference give Talawanda an opportunity to make the most of a clean slate.
The good news for the Braves is that all three of their conference games are at home. They will surely be tested by Division III Monroe in week one and former conference foe Edgewood in week four. After three straight home games, the Braves will close the schedule with a three-hour road trip to face Wooster.
Games to watch: Aug. 15 at Monroe; Sep. 8 vs. Edgewood; Sep. 22 at Ft. Loramie; Oct. 6 vs. Harrison
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati high school football: Southwest Ohio Conference preview
