2023 high school football preview: A look at teams in the Cincinnati Hills League
There’s been little drama at the top of the Cincinnati Hills League in recent years.
Wyoming has been unbeatable in league play. The Cowboys won the CHL championship last year for the seventh consecutive season and ninth in the last 10 seasons. The Cowboys are currently on a 67-game regular season winning streak, the top streak in Ohio in all divisions.
Wyoming dominated all-comers last year, posting 10 shutouts. Wyoming allowed only 28 points in the regular season and reached the Division IV state finals, where they lost 26-6 to Glenville. The Cowboys finished 15-1 for the season.
It could be a tall order for anyone in the CHL to beat Wyoming this year. The good news for some is that only three of the other seven CHL teams are in Division IV with the Cowboys as they clamor for playoff berths and league wins.
ICYMI: Huddle up for city's top high school football players by position heading into 2023
Deer Park
2022: 5-5, tied for third in the CHL (4-3)
Head coach: Calvin Johnson (sixth year, 29-32)
Top returning players: QB Jayce Parsons, RB/DE Jasean Denson, RB/LB: Justin Blackley, WR/DB Brody Armor, OL/DL Clark McGowan
Outlook: The Wildcats have a lot of senior leadership, and Johnson hopes they can continue to finish in the top half of the league. Parsons threw for seven touchdowns last year and rushed for over 400 yards and three TDs. Denson rushed for 422 yards and three touchdowns and will look to step up to replace standout Kendall Luckett (1,107 yards, 12 TDs) who graduated.
As the smallest school in the league, Deer Park hopes to qualify for the Division VI playoffs. Deer Park starts the season with Purcell Marian, hoping to avenge a 16-8 loss in the 2022 season opener. DP also plays Shroder and MVCA before league games.
Finneytown
2022: 1-9, last in CHL (0-7)
Head coach: Armand Tatum (eighth year, 21-39, second with Finneytown)
Top returning players: OL/DL Evan Steimle, WR/LB, SLOT/DB/PR/KR Cedreck Gordon, RB/DB/KR Alex Dykes, ATH Marvin Siakam.
Outlook: Tatum said the Wildcats are a young, athletic team looking to build on some of the momentum gained last year, in spite of their record. The team is looking to earn its first conference win since 2014.
Indian Hill
2022: 3-7, fifth place in CHL (3-4)
Head coach: John Rodenberg
Outlook: The veteran head coach returns a strong team, as all but one starter, 21 out of 22, returns this season for the Braves, who are the last team besides Wyoming to win a league title (2014).
The offense will be led by five returning offensive linemen who are all over 260 pounds. They are Gabe Oakes, Chase Lanham, Drew Roeder, Aidan Rippe and Robert Hayes. John Podojil, a speedster who was a state qualifier and regional champion in the 100 meters, leads the backfield after battling injuries last season. Also at running back will be Penn Picton who will share reps with freshman Devlin Daniel. Alex Grace, Danny Obrien, Charlie Rodgers, and Noah Frazier all return at wide receiver.
On defense, Picton and Eli Riggs bolster the linebacker group, with freshman Ethan Cole. Returning at outside linebackers are Trey Carter and Danny O'Brien, and Devlin Daniel will also get reps there. The defensive line will rotate between Chase Lanham, Gabe Oakes, Robert Hayes, Logan Bass and Drew Roeder with most of those players contributing on offense as well. The secondary returns John Copfer at corner and George Volmer at safety. Getting a strong look at the other safety is freshman Dylan Hartman. The other corner will be a rotation of Charlie Rodgers, Noah Frazier, and Jake Freshwater.
Division I recruit Alex Grace handles all kicking duties, which will help the Braves.
Indian Hill hosts Roger Bacon to start the season Aug. 18 and plays at Northwest and at home vs. Harrison to start the season.
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Madeira
2022: 11-2, second place in CHL (6-1)
Head coach: Chris Stewart (sixth year, 36-20)
Top returning players: QB Peter Breidenbach, OL/DL J.J. Hoeffel, WR/DB Aidan Hopewell, OL/DL Finn McCarthy, OL/DL Maxwell James, LB/TE Tyler Griffin, DB Brennan Beers, OL Jeffrey Schwallie, WR/DB Aidan Thiele.
Outlook: This year’s Mustangs are looking to uphold the standard set by the 2022 team that won a school single-season record 11 games. They went to the regional finals in Division V, losing to eventual state champion Germantown Valley View. They were also the most competitive team against Wyoming in league play, losing 23-7 for Madeira’s only regular-season setback.
There are plenty of game-ready players with experience from the 2022 season. On offense, the key will be if the Mustangs can run the ball similarly to last year when they established the line of scrimmage and rushed for nearly 200 yards per game. Defensively, the Mustangs will be looking to create turnovers. Last year they forced 22 turnovers while giving up the fewest points in their school history with 146, an average of 12 per game.
Breidenbach is a three-year starter at QB and is close to becoming the program’s all-time passing leader. He threw for 1,742 yards and 18 touchdowns last year.
Hoeffel anchors the offensive line and is a two-year starter. Finn is a three-year starter on the defensive line where he had 64 tackles last year. James played behind Division I signees Connor Cravaack and Grant Edgington on the defensive line but was a force with 26 tackles and one sack. Seniors Griffin and Beers are expected to step up and be defensive leaders after getting some playing time last season. Thiele is a two-year starter in the secondary and had 62 tackles and an interception,
Mariemont
2022: 3-7, tied for sixth in CHL (2-5)
Head coach: Jason Conley.
Top returning players: OL Lawson Wade, DB Ryan Glassmeyer.
Outlook: The Warriors graduated four first-team all-league performers including quarterback David Dorsten, who was third in the CHL with 1,489 passing yards and rushed for 467 as well. Wade, a senior, was third on the team in tackles and Glassmeyer was fifth. Glassmeyer had three interceptions. They were both All-CHL honorees.
Reading
2022: 7-4, tied for third in CHL (4-3)
Head coach: Luke Cripe (second year, 7-4)
Top returning players: Dirk Konrad OL/DL, Patton Johnson OL/DL, Jaycob Sales OL/DL, Brayden McSwain OL/LB, Ben Nash TE/DE, Blake Rasner WG/DE, Charlie Hess QB/LB, Landen Schaefer FB/OLB, Austin Fancer RB/OLB. Other key returners are T.J Dick FB/DE, Jason Lunsford OL/DL, DaMaurion Woods TE/LB, LaMonte Foster WR/C, Jordan Webb WR/DB, and Jayden Griffin WR/DB.
Outlook: Thirteen returning seniors will lead the Blue Devils. They bring back their entire offensive line and a talented group of skill position players. Says Cripe: “I am very excited about the effort our players have put in this off-season and I can't wait to watch them compete.”
Taylor
2022: 4-6, sixth place in the CHL (2-5)
Head coach: David Dransman (third year, 9-12)
Top returning players: QB/OLB Jackson McGowan, WR/DB J.T. Rudisell, WR/DB Aaron McFarland, TE/DL Mike Branch.
Outlook: Dransman said the Yellowjackets had many ups and downs last year, and the players had to learn how to learn from their losses and how to win. Said Dransman: “When we had our first offseason meeting, the coaching staff was very honest about where we were and what we had to do to make changes. Our young men have taken their training to the next level. Although we only have three seniors this year, there are a lot of young men who took quality reps as underclassmen. This group is poised to compete in 2023.”
McGowan, a 6-foot-2 senior quarterback, led the CHL in passing with 1,903 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was second-team All-CHL and honorable mention all-city. Dransman said he is poised for a huge senior season. Rudisell, a senior, was third in the CHL in receiving yardage before breaking his collarbone in the sixth game. He is a speedster with great footwork.
McFarland, just a sophomore, had a big freshman season with 31 catches for 786 yards, an average of over 25 yards per catch. He had nine touchdowns, including one on a kickoff return. He was first-team All-CHL, second-team all-city, first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state in Division IV. Branch, also only a sophomore, had a big freshman season up front with 48 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss.
Taylor will be tested early, playing nearby Division II rival Harrison and Indiana 3A state runner-up Lawrenceburg.
Wyoming
2022: 15-1, CHL champion, regional champion, Division IV state runner-up
Head coach: Aaron Hancock (12th season, 122-17)
Top returning players: QB/LB Quaid Hauer, OL/DE Deuce Wiley, WR/LB D.J. Gray, OL/DL Jess Hauer, RB/DB Joel Hancock, K Carter Rummer.
Outlook: The Cowboys will be a younger team this season but have over 15 returning lettermen. The biggest key will be filling the void left by all-time great C.J. Hester at running back, as he had over 3,000 rushing yards and 49 TDs. The seniors this season are 37-3 in their careers.
Hauer was a second-team All-Ohio quarterback last season, throwing for 1,207 yards and seven touchdowns. A senior, he was dominant at linebacker, racking up a CHL-best 149 tackles. Hauer also notched two sacks, five tackles for loss, forced a fumble and had an interception. He had a season-high 17 tackles (plus a sack) in Wyoming's 32-20 win over Steubenville in the Division IV state semifinals. Hauer had double-digit tackles in seven games last season on a Wyoming defense that was the seventh in OHSAA history to post 10 shutouts in a season.
Wiley, a senior, had 90 tackles, 54 solo, and was second-team All-CHL. Gray, a senior, posted 108 tackles, intercepted four passes, and was the team’s leading receiver with 41 catches for 463 yards and three TDs. He was second-team All-CHL. Jess Hauer, a junior, anchors both lines and was second-team All-CHL. Hancock, a junior, had five interceptions including a pick-six. He is also the top returning rusher with 462 yards and four touchdowns. Rummer, a junior, was first-team All-CHL, all-city and all-district after making 8-of-9 field goals and 64-of-72 extra points.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2023 high school football preview: Cincinnati Hills League
