Football Preview | Crawford County looks to improve on .500 start in Week 2
The area has a loaded schedule in Week 2 full of exciting nonleague games.
Crawford County will look to improve on a .500 start to the football season with Galion, Colonel Crawford and Buckeye Central earning wins in Week 1. Three others schools are seeking their first win, and two of them are at home this weekend.
Let's dive into the second week of football and see what's in store for Crawford County.
Carey (0-1) at Galion (1-0)
It was a bit unexpected to see Carey lose in Week 1 to Hopewell-Loudon 36-19, but the Cheiftains are poised for a big year with a ton of returners back. And it's tough to win at H-L. The Blue Devils now come to Unckrich Stadium in Week 2 looking to make it three consecutive wins over Galion. It's the fifth time these teams have met in the last six seasons, the only exception was during the COVID-abbreviated 2020 schedule — Galion won in 2018 and 2019, Carey in 2021 and 2022.
Carey also lost a ton from last year's squad, but this is a program that has been reloading in recent years rather than having to rebuild. Quarterback Alex Putnam is the one to keep an eye out as his ability to pass and run makes him dangerous. Against a staunch H-L defense last week he threw for 124 yards completing 7-of-12 attempts with two interceptions and also rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown, but lost a fumble. He single-handedly accounted for 220 of the team's 280 yards. He was also second on the team defensively with 12 tackles, Nathan Brodman had 14, Dash Puckett 12 and Conner Norden 10.
Galion is coming off a win over county rival Wynford, but it wasn't exactly a pretty one. Wynford had nearly twice as many yards on offense (399 to 205), granted 195 of those came on three big plays. The Tigers' defense and special teams are what set them apart in Week 1 and they're going to have to be near perfect in Week 2 against Carey. Limiting Putnam to one of his two talents is going to be key, making him pass to win might be the safest bet with Galion's strong front seven.
A win would give the Tigers their first 2-0 start since 2019.
More: Crawford County Football Rewind | Week 1
Colonel Crawford (1-0) at Cardinal Stritch (1-0)
The only game of the weekend between two unbeaten teams. Cardinal Stritch played its first game in more than a year last weekend after the program had to cancel the 2022 season due to low numbers. The Cardinals opened with a statement win over Fremont St. Joseph 41-6.
Senior quarterback Blake Kamelesky threw two touchdowns and rushed two more in, so he'll likely be the main focus for the Colonel Crawford defense. Having a dual-threat playmaker of their own under center, though, should have this team more than prepared for Kamelesky.
Colonel Crawford gutted out a win away to River 21-20. After trailing 14-0 early, the Eagles tied it up with a Trevor Vogt scramble and a Micah Thomas rushing touchdown, then took the lead on Thomas' second touchdown of the night. River responded but a failed two-point attempt preserved the Crawford lead and led to a 1-0 start.
Another lengthy road trip — just over 90 minutes away — Colonel Crawford needs to come out strong and set the tone early. After all, this is Stritch's second game in the last two years, there might still be some rust.
Fremont St. Joe's (0-1) at Buckeye Central (1-0)
As mentioned above, St. Joseph was on the receiving end of a pounding from Cardinal Stritch. It was a stark contrast from a year earlier when the Crimson Streaks opened with a 27-8 win over Miller before losing out the rest of the way. A rough start already could mean a very long season coming up in Fremont.
Last season was a thriller between these two teams at SJCC. Buckeye Central edged out a 24-21 win with a stifling defense and excellent clock management. The Bucks held SJCC to just nine yards rushing in that win and another great defensive performance should be all they need this weekend. Thanks to a strong defensive line and athletic linebackers, the Bucks held Crestline in check Week 1 and will look to ride that momentum back home.
Dominating the ground game worked last year and it could be the plan again Friday, but quarterback Derex Dean has shown he can air it out, throwing for five touchdowns last week. If Buckeye Central's offense gets going early, this might be a quick one.
Pleasant (1-0) at Wynford (0-1)
The Spartans opened with a quality 21-15 win over former league opponent North Union. Surprise, surprise! Another dual-threat quarterback enters the mix, this time it's Owen Lowry who was instrumental in Pleasant's opening win. He threw for 106 yards and a touchdowns while also leading the team in rushing with 157 yards and two scores. Pleasant also saw Drew Neiderhouser and Skyler Wolf rush for 87 and 75 yards, so it's safe to say the Spartans prefer to keep the ball on the ground.
Wynford lost a tough one in its opener by one touchdown to Galion, but the Royals had their opportunities to win it and that alone should give them optimism heading into Week 2. An illegal substitution on fourth down led to Galion's opening touchdown, and a couple lapses on special teams led to two more Galion scores — easy mistakes to fix.
Quarterback Ashton Warren showed off his arm and legs in Week 1 and he should give the Spartans some trouble Friday night. Behind him are a pair of talented rushers and out wide he has several options. Wynford's offense can be tough to stop once it gets going. And a win here would do wonders for the program's confidence moving forward.
More: Crawford County Football Power Poll: Galion remains on top
Danville (1-0) at Bucyrus (0-1)
The Blue Devils opened with an impressive 55-21 win over Worthington Christian scoring in multiple ways. Running back Cole Delaughder punished the Warriors on the ground rushing for 164 yards and two touchdowns as Danville totaled more than 330 rushing yards and the offensive line didn't allow a single sack. And dynamo Bryer Boeshart returned a kickoff for a touchdown, so this team is always a threat to make a big play.
Bucyrus struggled mightily on the road against Riverdale mustering just one touchdown and 236 yards on offense to the Falcons' 494. Quarterback Malachi Bayless threw for 175 yards and rushed for an additional 22, but that was most of the team's yardage there. The defense struggled against Riverdale's athleticism and that might be the case again this weekend.
When these teams met last year at Danville, the Blue Devils cruised to a 42-0 win. Based on how Week 1 went for both teams, it might be a similar result this weekend.
Crestline (0-1) at Waynesfield-Goshen (1-0)
Polar opposite results for these teams in Week 1. Waynesfield-Goshen throttled Mississinawa Valley 42-0 while Crestline was blanked at home 50-0 by county rival Buckeye Central. The Tigers have gotten the best of Crestline in recent years outscoring the Bulldogs 142-15 since 2020.
The Tigers are always loaded with athletes and regularly compete for the Northwest Central Conference Crown. After a statement win in Week 1, there's no reason to think any of that changed.
Crestline has a lot of new faces in key places and struggled against the Bucks. Improvement likely won't be seen in the form of wins this season, but being competitive throughout a game is the main priority right now.
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Football Preview: Week 2 features four teams at home
