2023 high school football preview: A look at the Miami Valley Conference
As whistles scream and scrimmages come to a football stadium near you, be prepared for the upcoming high school football season. In a continuing leadup to the first kickoff of the season, check out The Enquirer for conference-by-conference previews of local Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana schools.
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Gray Division
Cincinnati Country Day
Last season: 10-2 (5-0 MVC)
Head coach: Dennis Coyle
Players to watch: DB Shepard Snell, RB/LB Ryan Coyle, HB Parker Corbin, QB Elijah Guttman, RB Lee Thomas; OL Carson Yackey
Outlook: Last season, the Nighthawks went 9-1 in the regular season and had a playoff victory to reach the 10-win mark for the first time since 2014. Cincinnati Country Day returns its big offensive weapons, including Lee Thomas, Parker Corbin and Ryan Coyle who scored 35 of the team’s 53 touchdowns last season. Shepard Snell also returns after a team-leading 140 total tackles and seven tackles for loss.
Key games: Aug. 18 vs. Summit Country Day; Sept. 8 vs. Cincinnati College Prep; Oct. 20 vs. St. Bernard-Elmwood Place.
Clark Montessori
Last season: 6-5 (4-1 MVC)
Head coach: Asa Smith
Players to watch: QB Marquize Lewis; RB De’Lorean James; OL/DL Oliver Deardoff; OL Hunter Termuhlen
Outlook: Clark Montessori won four of its final five regular-season games to finish 6-4 with a postseason appearance. The 6-5 overall record was the first for the program since going 6-4 in 2013. The Cougars do return quarterback Marquize Lewis who was 58-107 passing for 1,021 yards and 12 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Lewis, however, is the only returner of the team’s top four scorers from last season. Junior back De’Lorean James can step up after having 467 rushing yards last year.
Key games: Sept. 29 vs. Cincinnati Country Day; Oct. 7 vs. St. Bernard-Elmwood Place
Lockland
Last season: 2-8 (2-3 MVC)
Head coach: Michael Tudor
Players to watch: QB Damien Dawson; WR Aliou Diallo; RB/S Billy Parrott; WR/CB Mouhamed Tall
Outlook: Despite going just 2-7 in the 2022 regular season, Lockland clinched a playoff appearance in Division VII, Region 28. With its returning pieces, Lockland seems to be in good shape to pick up a few more wins than in 2022 and perhaps reach the postseason again.
Key games: Sept. 29 at New Miami; Oct. 6 vs. Miami Valley Christian
Miami Valley Christian
Last season: 4-6 (1-4 MVC)
Head coach: Russ Theisens
Players to watch: DB Noah Kroger; QB Ian Dooley; RB Ethan Hudnall; LB Ethan Hola
Outlook: Miami Valley Christian won four games last year as a Division VII squad, but opted out of playoff consideration. The Lions had a three-game winning streak, topping Manchester, Gallatin County and Riverview East in weeks three through five. An 8-6 win against New Miami was the team’s only win of its conference campaign. After going winless in 2019, the Lions have increased their win total each season and look to go .500 or better for the first time since 2018.
Key games: Sept. 15 vs. Riverview East
New Miami
Last season: 0-10 (0-5 MVC)
Head coach: Chris Fogle
Players to watch: RB/LB Dalson Hayes; QB Mason Stephens; WR/CB Cirilo Lakes
Outlook: New head coach Chris Fogle stepped in to reinvigorate the New Miami program that went 2-17 over the last two seasons. The Vikings graduated a first-team All-Ohio defender in Daymeon Pennington, but do return enough contributors to perhaps flip some results from blowouts to closer games and maybe a few conference victories.
Key games: Sept. 1 vs. Bradford; Sept. 29 vs. Lockland; Oct. 21 vs. Miami Valley Christian
St. Bernard-Elmwood Place
Last season: 6-5 (3-2 MVC)
Head coach: Kyle Hogan
Players to watch: RB/LB Demico Harris; TE/DE Deshawn Hicks; WR/LB Troy Burnett
Outlook: Last year, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place had two athletes named offensive or defensive Player of the Year in the MVC’s Gray Division. Greg Miller graduated after 1,300 rushing yards, 15 touchdowns and 19 sacks on defense. Demico Harris was just a sophomore last year earning the honors with his 1,431 rushing yards on offense and 170 tackles, 9.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and five recovered fumbles. The Titans were one spot out of hosting a playoff game last season and while it will be difficult to get that home playoff game in 2023, another playoff appearance seems likely.
Key games: Oct. 7 at Clark Montessori; Oct. 20 at Cincinnati Country Day
Scarlet Division
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
Last season: 5-6 (3-2 MVC)
Head coach: Calvin Renfroe
Players to watch: HB/DB Brayden Mitchum; WR/DB Jake Murphy; OL Mercer Luniewski; OL Charlton Luniewski
Outlook: CHCA went to the college coaching ranks for its new leader and hired Calvin Renfroe from Olivet Nazarene University. Renfroe takes over a program that had a 5-5 regular season in 2022 to make the postseason where the Eagles ran into regional finalist Taft in the first round. That jump came after going just 1-8 in 2021.
Key games: Sept. 22 at Norwood; Sept. 29 at Purcell Marian; Oct. 6 vs. Roger Bacon
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North College Hill
Last season: 2-7 (0-5 MVC)
Head coach: David Pool
Players to watch: LT/DT Jeremy Price; OL Almar Long
Outlook: North College Hill will have to work overtime to replace Damyren Joy on offense and Jarren Stewart on defense. The Trojans relied heavily on that duo for the bulk of its production and seniors in general propped up the team. A young group will get its chance to see what it can do in 2023.
Key games: Aug. 25 vs. Middletown Christian; Sept. 8 at Miami Valley Christian
Norwood
Last season: 2-8 (1-4 MVC)
Head coach: Matt Money
Players to watch: DB Devin Isaac; WR/CB Eli Thomas
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Outlook: Norwood already had to replace the conference Defensive Player of the Year in Dylan Horsley, but some offensive transfers (including quarterback Sonny Ward to Purcell Marian) will be an obstacle for first-year head coach Matt Money to overcome.
Key games: Sept. 1 at Cincinnati College Prep; Sept. 22 vs. CHCA; Sept. 29 at North College Hill
Purcell Marian
Last season: 6-5 (3-2 MVC)
Head coach: Jeremy Pflug
Players to watch: QB Sonny Ward; WR Jayonn Saunders; TE/DE Levi Smiley; OL Aaron Scott; OL Justin Hudson
Outlook: Things are exciting at Purcell Marian and that was before any football was practiced for the 2023 season. The Cavaliers hired Jeremy Pflug to take over as head coach and his team will be the first to play at the school’s very first stadium, named after alum Roger Staubach. With some returning offensive powers and some new faces like quarterback transfer Sonny Ward, a fourth-straight postseason appearance is on the table. The goal will be to get by week 11 and get the school’s first postseason win since 2020.
Key games: Sept. 1 at Madeira; Sept. 15 vs. Taft; Oct. 13 vs. Roger Bacon
Roger Bacon
Last season: 6-5 (5-0 MVC)
Head coach: Mike Blaut
Players to watch: RB Jayson Stewart; QB/DB Landen Murphy; RB/DB Jahmir Hutsell
Outlook: The Spartans have yet to lose a conference game since joining the MVC, thanks in part to its ability to find highly dynamic playmakers and replace them with ease. It’ll be the same case in 2023 for Mike Blaut’s squad, which had playmakers in waiting last year with some new names joining. Roger Bacon has been the team to beat in the conference and will continue to be until that actually happens.
Key games: Sept. 8 at Badin; Sept. 15 at McNicholas
Summit Country Day
Last season: 6-5 (3-2 MVC)
Head coach: Mark Hafner
Players to watch: WR/S Donovan Matthews; WR/DB Cayleb Walters; OL Graham Hodge
Outlook: The Silver Knights have become a perennial playoff contender in recent years, but Summit Country Day with have to deal with a lot of turnover on its roster as well as a new head coach stepping in. The biggest hurdle facing the team will be replacing All-State quarterback Alex Davis who also led the team in rushing last season. Leading receiver Jacob Carrico also graduated, taking his 904 yards and 11 touchdowns with him.
Key games: Aug. 18 at Cincinnati Country Day; Sept. 1 vs. Reading; Sept. 22 vs. Purcell Marian
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2023 high school football: Previewing the Miami Valley Conference
