Stark County area's high school football games to watch | What to know about Week 2
Week 2 of the high school football season kicks off Friday with all of the Stark County-area teams playing that night. All games start 7 p.m.
Here's a look at those games:
5 OHSAA high school football games to watch this Friday around Stark County
Avon (1-0) at Canton McKinley (1-0)
What to know: The Bulldogs make their home debut against maybe Northeast Ohio's best Division II program not named Hoban or Massillon. Avon has produced 13 straight seasons of double-digit wins. The Eagles, led by Mount Union product Mike Elder, are 149-21 (.876) since the start of 2010. "Watching them on film is a treat," McKinley coach Antonio Hall said. "They are a very well-coached, disciplined program. Guys are playing with intensity all over the field. They're flying to the ball. They're doing their job. They're where they're supposed to be." ... McKinley's season-opening 33-14 win at Warren Harding included good play from both lines, an encouraging sign for a team that graduated a lot of regulars up there last season. The Bulldogs' O-line helped produce 449 yards of offense, including 13-of-23 passing, two touchdowns and no interceptions from QB Keaton Rode. The Bulldogs' D-line helped limit Harding to 204 yards of offense. McKinley registered six sacks (three from K'Vuone McNeal, two from Braylon Minor and one from John Chance). "The ceiling is very high for that unit this year," Hall said of the defensive front. ... McKinley junior Nino Hill, after sitting out the first half for disciplinary reasons, ran for 154 yards and two TDs on 15 second-half carries last week. ... Avon had a string of five straight state semifinal appearances snapped last year when eventual state champion Toledo Central Catholic beat the Eagles in a regional final. ... This year's Avon team is strong again, coming off a 49-7 season-opening win vs. Brunswick. Avon senior RB Jakorion Caffey (5-11, 200), a University of Cincinnati recruit, ran for 119 yards and two TDs on 14 carries last week. "He'll make a guy miss in the hole and still be accelerating," Hall said. "With an inside zone team, that's pretty dangerous because if you make the linebacker or safety miss, there is nothing behind them." ... First-year starting QB Nolan Good was 12-of-17 passing last week for 204 yards and three TDs in the Avon offense, which will throw multiple formations at opponents. He also ran for a 23-yard TD. ... This will be the first meeting between McKinley and Avon in the histories of their programs.
Massillon, Canton South top Stark poll: Stark County-Area High School Football Top 5 Power Poll after one week of the 2023 season
GlenOak (1-0) at Massillon (1-0)
What to know: Everyone is watching from the corner of an eye to see what GlenOak is up to in the third season of Scott Garcia's second shift as head coach. Garcia's first two return seasons produced just a 7-14 record, but that was after a four-year run of 5-33. … In the 2023 opener, a 42-14 GlenOak win came over a Division I Cincinnati Western Hills team that has been around .500 in recent seasons. … While facing Massillon is a different animal, Garcia tamed the beast in his first shift at GlenOak. In 2011, 2012 and 2015, his Golden Eagles beat both Massillon and McKinley. In 2013 and 2014, his Eagles fell to Massillon, but the scores were 23-20 (three overtimes) and 17-14. … Massillon is a heavy favorite, having won the three most recent meetings by a combined 173-20 score. Head coach Nate Moore assumes nothing. "GlenOak really has it going in the right direction," Moore said coming off a 28-17 win over Valdosta (Ga.). "Scott Garcia is a tremendous coach, and we've got our work cut out for us."… Avantae Burt (5-9, 170) gave GlenOak 1,700 all-purpose yards as a junior and opened his senior year with 50 rushing yards (seven carries) and 109 receiving yards (six catches) … Jamar Johnson's 80 running yards (five carries) and two catches (21 yards) complemented QB Cole Anderson (11-of-17, 176 yards, four TDs). … On defense, Adrion "Milk" Burt, Avantae's brother, tied a Golden Eagle record with four sacks. Adrion Burt played quarterback against Massillon last year, when the Tiger offense got 162 rushing yards from since-graduated Willtrell Hartson. … Against Valdosta, Massillon's best offensive player was quarterback DaOne Owens, who ran 13 times for 241 yards, and went 5 of 10 passing for 59 yards. The most productive running back, with 13 carries for 65 yards and two TDs, was Dorian Pringle, better known as a star linebacker. … Massillon's defense gave up big plays of 70, 63 and 49 yards but allowed, on average. 3.5 yards on Valdosta's other 45 plays.
Hudson (1-0) at North Canton Hoover (1-0)
What to know: It wasn't always pretty, but Week 1 was a win for the Vikings, who overcame a few breakdowns and lackadaisical plays to beat Buchtel 27-21 at home. A new Hoover offensive line helped produce two 100-yard rushers with seniors Carson Dyrlund and Kyler Miraglia. Junior Bryce Roach had a disruptive night at defensive end, with two sacks and two forced fumbles. The job is much more difficult this week with Hudson visiting Memorial Stadium. "It's a nice challenge for us in Week 2," Hoover coach Brian Baum said. "We want to be challenged. This is the type of playoff team you need to play early to see where you're at and grow from it. Win or lose, we've got to grow from this game." ... Another part of Hoover with plenty of new faces is the back seven of the defense. Baum felt like they had an up-and-down night. Among the ups, sophomore LB Chase Lukens led Hoover with nine tackles. Junior Cole Rembielak played well in his first start at middle linebacker with four tackles, including two for loss. ... Hudson won its first 13 games last year before losing to Hoban in a regional final. The defending Suburban League National Conference champions, the Explorers are coming off a quality 35-21 road win against Medina Highland in their opener. RB Ian Ludewig (5-11, 185) scored five touchdowns. The University of Utah lacrosse recruit ran for 170 yards and four TDs on 26 carries in Hudson's spread offense, and returned a kickoff 96 yards for another score. ... Virginia Tech recruit Tommy Ricard (6-4, 280) leads a big Hudson offensive line and will factor in on the defensive line. Hudson senior Peyton Neher is a first-year starter at quarterback. ... The last Hoover-Hudson meeting was in Week 3 of 2015, a 31-7 Explorers win in North Canton.
Dover (0-1) at Canton South (1-0)
What to know: Dan Ifft learned Stark County football during 14 years as an assistant coach at Perry. He hasn't seen a lot of the Canton area in 30 seasons as Dover head coach, but he caught Matt Dennison 18 times when Dennison piloted New Philadelphia. … Their last 10 meetings, starting in 2011, included some of the best games the towns have seen. Ifft's Tornadoes won 21-20 in 2011 and 38-35 in 2012. Dennison's Quakers prevailed 34-28 (three overtimes) in 2013 and 45-38 (four OTs) in 2017. Dover won six of the games in the 10-year set, but New Philadelphia took the last one in 2020 before Dennison left for Canton South. … South's 42-40 win over St. Clairsville Friday reflected the growth Dennison wants to see in his third year at South. The Wildcats trailed 14-6 in the second quarter but then staged a 36-19 run that left them with a 42-33 lead prior to St. Clairsville scoring with 15 seconds left. This was far more satisfying than the 2022 opener, in which the Wildcats broke to a 14-0 lead at St. Clairsville but faded to a 48-34 loss. … South and Dover haven't collided since the 2009 opener, when the Tornadoes won 27-14 en route to an 11-2 year. The teams met twice in 2008, when South won at Dover 26-17 in the opener but fell to the Tornadoes 35-14 in the playoffs. It was the same story in 2007, when the Wildcats beat Dover 28-21 in the opener but fell to the Tornadoes 11-7 in the playoffs. … That can't happen this year, with Dover in Division III and South in Division IV. … South QB Poochie Snyder established a connection with Tre Wilson when they were sophomores. Wilson missed the next year but has returned; he caught a TD pass from Snyder to get South rolling against St. Clairsville and later added another TD. Snyder accounted for numerous chunk plays while throwing for three TDs and running for two. … Dover dropped its opener, 14-6 to Federal League member Green. The Tornadoes were 5-6 in a 2022 season marked by narrow losses to good teams. Exhibit A: They fell in overtime to Canfield, which had a 14-1 year. … This might be South's most intriguing Game 2 since the Wildcats were in the Federal League decades ago.
Northwest (0-1) at Marlington (1-0)
What to know: Marlington is looking to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2016. The Dukes last defeated Northwest in 2010 (40-24). Northwest has won the last two years the teams have met (22-14 in '22, 20-13 in '21) ... The Marlington offense got off to a strong start to the season. The Dukes scored 39 points in a victory over Warrensville Heights. Marlington eclipsed 30 points just one time in all of 2022. ... The development of QB Bryson McCord is a factor in that improvement. McCord threw for 304 yards and tossed four touchdown passes to three different receivers in the win. “Bryson is very coachable,” Marlington head coach Joe Cardinal said “We knew he was capable of having a game like that. Anytime you get past that 300-yard passing mark it is special. It was nice to see him have a performance like that.” ... It helped that McCord was not sacked. “Our offensive line did a great job,” Cardinal said. “They kept him upright. Bryson also has great awareness in the pocket. He moves around well and he always keeps his eyes downfield.” ... Northwest is looking to avoid its first 0-2 start since 2017. Northwest fell 35-14 in its opener but judging the team by that result would be a mistake. “They are really well coached on both sides of the ball,” Cardinal said. “They are a team that isn’t going to beat themselves. They are very disciplined and they are going to make you earn everything you get.”... Junior QB Chase Badger has a nice arm and puts nice touch on the ball. “They run the spread and you are going to see a lot of RPO from them,” Cardinal said. “Their quarterback does a really good job for them. It’s going to be a tough opponent.”
OHSAA Football: Stark County high school football scores, box scores | See who won in Week 1
Other Week 2 Stark County-area high school football games
Mayfield (1-0) at Jackson (0-1)
What to know: After hanging tough with Mentor in a 26-21 Week 1 loss, it doesn't get any easier for the Polar Bears with a quality Mayfield team coming to Fife Stadium. "I wouldn't want it any other way," Jackson coach Jay Rohr said. "It's another great opponent ... with an opportunity for us to get better. We went to make tremendous strides between Weeks 1-2." ... Sophomore QB Lucas Ecrement got off to a nice start for Jackson with 256 yards and three touchdowns passing. Senior Anthony Fuline caught four passes for 113 yards and two TDs. Fuline also picked off a pass along with teammates Kyle Benson and Cooper Geissinger. Junior LB Jordan Warmath was in on 19 tackles for the Polar Bears, who endured 84 defensive snaps against Mentor. ... Mayfield, coming off a 6-5 season, rolled over East Cleveland Shaw 58-0 in its opener, scoring 44 points in the first quarter. Anthony Howard returned a punt for a touchdown to get things rolling. ... Rocco Monastero is back at quarterback to lead a strong senior class for Mayfield. LB Joey Barch (5-9, 190) was All-Northeast Lakes District last season. Nico Traczyk (6-4, 295), who produced a safety vs. Shaw, is an impact two-way tackle and leads Mayfield lines with great size. ... Jackson and Mayfield have met every season since 2015 except for the 2020 COVID season. The Polar Bears lead the series 4-3, although the Wildcats have won two of the last three meetings, including a 48-10 victory last year in which Monastero threw for 273 yards and four TDs.
St. Vincent-St. Mary (1-0) at Perry (1-0)
What to know: The Panthers piled up 402 rushing yards on Central Catholic during their season-opening 42-25 win in the Battle of 13th Street. What head coach Zach Slates didn't like is that Perry allowed 425 yards to Central, including several chunk plays. "We have to shore up some things on defense," Slates said. "We're leaps and bounds ahead of where we were last year. But we're still not there. We're still giving up that big play." ... Part of Slates' concern is that St. V-M has big-play capability. The Irish, coming off an 8-4 season last year in Terry Cistone's first season as head coach, beat Mansfield at home 35-14 in their opener. ... Senior QB Markelle Carter has a pair of big targets to throw at with the Ajose brothers: seniors Dan (6-6, 210) and Dave (6-5, 210). Irish senior WR-OLB Sir Charles Gordon (6-4, 185), another big receiver, is a Holy Cross recruit. ... Senior Nasir Madison and junior D.J. Johnson Jr. are threats to run the ball for St. V-M. ... Perry knows how to run the ball in the wing-T. Senior wingback Ryder Hartshorn exploded for 208 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries last week. FB Marcellys Harris, TB Roy Simmons and QB Austin Mattox combined for 27 carries for 182 yards. ... Mattox only attempted five passes, completing one, as Perry never trailed in last week's rain-soaked win. This week probably will require something different against the talented Irish. "We're going to have to do some other things," Slates said. "Mattox is going to have to throw the ball some if we want to win." ... This is the first meeting between Perry and St. V-M.
Lake (0-1) at Boardman (0-1)
What to know: The Blue Streaks look to bounce back from a disappointing 12-7 home loss last week to Alliance. The Lake defense gave up a few big plays but ultimately played well enough to win. The offense had five separate possessions inside the Alliance 35 result in no points. "All the credit to Alliance last week, but we gave the game away, and sometimes that's harder than just getting your butt kicked," Lake coach Dan DeGeorge said. "... That stings, and I hope that stings our kids for a long time." ... A bright spot for Lake's offense last week was senior Joey Garro's 115 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Nate Baker touched the ball 13 times on offense (six receptions, seven carries) and look for those touches to increase for the talented senior. ... The Spartans, coming off a 4-6 season in 2022, got torched 50-13 at Division V Kenston in their opener. That included the Bombers totaling 517 yards of offense. Kenston All-Ohio RB Sean Patrick (University of Akron recruit) ran for 218 yards and three TDs on Boardman. ... Boardman senior Tomas Andujar threw for 1,178 yards and ran for 600 last year. He played at receiver and returned kicks last week. Senior RB William Torres totaled 538 yards of offense and eight touchdowns last year. ... Boardman has lost five straight games dating back to last year. The Spartans haven't produced a winning season since 2018. ... Lake and Boardman last met in Week 10 of the 2014 season, a 14-3 Blue Streaks win in Hartville.
Green (1-0) at South Range (1-0)
What to know: Green ventures to Mahoning County for an intriguing Division II vs. V matchup. Of course, South Range isn't the typical D5 team. The Raiders went 16-0 last season in winning a state championship. ... The Bulldogs' new 3-4 defense came up big in limiting Dover in a 14-6 win last week. DB Josh Just and DL Mike Schaal led Green with six tackles each, including two TFLs from the powerful Schaal. "I thought for the most part our guys tackled really well and I like the way we ran to the football," Green coach Mark Geis said. "And after an offseason in the weight room, we were much more physical than what I was seeing a year ago." ... New Green starting QB Samino Manson threw TD passes to Antonio Martin and Zach Baglia against Dover. ... South Range won 41-14 at Division VII New Middletown Springfield in its opener, good for its 31st straight regular-season win and 17th straight win overall. The Raiders have a new coach (David Rach) and a new quarterback (junior Tristan Toy) this year. Toy threw a TD to Brady Crumbacher, ran for a 31-yard score and came up with an interception on defense last week. Blake Ewert rushed for two TDs for South Range. The Raiders remind Geis of what it was like facing Kirtland in the 2017 playoffs when he was head coach at Rootstown. "You can't find a soft area," Geis said. "You can't find errors in effort ever. They just run to the football so hard on defense. They're physical and they get after it."
Last week's Federal League notes: Green football muscles up; McKinley, GlenOak confident; Lake hurting
Louisville (0-1) at Zanesville (0-1)
What to know: Louisville will look to get its running game going after being held to 25 yards rushing by New Philadelphia in Week 1. The Leopard passing game showed promise under new starter Owen Burick. Burick threw for 299 yards and a touchdown. ... Cutting down on turnovers will be a focus for the Leopards. Louisville lost two fumbles and threw an interception. ... Zanesville has a first-year head coach in T.J. Langermeier. The Blue Devils came into the season with little varsity experience. Senior WR-DB Xavier Sowers is one of the most experienced players on the roster.
Niles (1-0) at Alliance (1-0)
What to know: Alliance opened the year with a massive 12-7 win over a Division II regional finalist in Lake. The Aviators have a dangerous offense led by senior quarterback Brendan Zurbrugg, who had an 82-yard TD run and a TD pass last week. Zurbrugg is an Oklahoma recruit with talented wide receivers in Ramhir Hawkins and K’Vaughn Davis. ... The Aviators are talented on defense, too, limiting Lake to just eight first downs last week. ... Niles has a big body at quarterback in 6-foot-4 senior Anthony Budak. Budak is a four-year starter for the Red Dragons. Alliance also can expect to see a healthy dose of running back Antuan Gardner. Gardner ran for 190 yards and four touchdowns as Niles opened the year with a win over Howland.
Crestwood (0-1) at Minerva (0-1)
What to know: This will be a battle of two young teams. Half the Crestwood roster is comprised of sophomores. The Red Devils do have experience at the wide receiver position with seniors Noah Baker and Jonas Honeycutt. ... Minerva is looking for its first points of the season after losing its opener 50-0. Gavin Wolick is a key starter along the offensive and defensive lines for the Lions.
Carrollton (1-0) at Philo (1-0)
What to know: Carrollton head coach Jim Tsilimos won his 200th career game last week in a 37-30 double-overtime win over Manchester. Carrollton scored 23 consecutive points to come back and earn the victory. ... Carrollton will be looking to start the year 2-0 for the third time in the last four years. ... Drew Wright is a force along the defensive line for Philo. The 6-foot-3 Wright had three sacks in Philo’s season opening win over Athens. Philo QB Talon Preston is a dual-threat player who surpassed 100 yards rushing and passing last week.
West Branch (0-1) at Woodridge (1-0)
What to know: West Branch is looking to bounce back from a 38-19 loss to defending state champion Canfield in its season opener. QB Beau Alazaus has a big arm for West Branch. Alazaus tossed three touchdown passes in the setback to the Cardinals. ... Woodridge won 28-0 over Revere in Week 1. The Bulldogs have a first-year head coach in Phil Martter. Woodridge has a potent rushing combo in Robert Dixie and Taysear Williams-Clay.
Manchester (0-1) at Sandy Valley (1-0)
What to know: A second straight Principals Athletic Conference opponent awaits Sandy Valley. The Cardinals enter Week 2 a confident, but humble bunch after rallying to beat a good Fairless team 29-22. Sandy Valley is one of the area’s most experienced teams, and that proved to be a difference. ... The offensive line created big openings for running back Chad Davis and quarterback Nick Petro, who each rushed for over 100 yards. Petro threw two touchdown passes to Lukas Gilland. With 14 tackles from Davis and a game-clinching interception from Gilland, the defense also made an impact. ... Manchester has lost 12 straight games. That streak appeared on the brink of ending when the Panthers built a 30-14 third quarter lead over Carrollton last week. The Warriors rallied to win 37-30 in double overtime. Cody Hostler rushed for 128 yards for the Panthers.
Fairless (0-1) at Tusky Valley (1-0)
What to know: The Falcons are looking to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2016 when they lost their first five games. ... AJ Sarbaugh is also one victory away from becoming the program’s winningest head coach. That milestone is the least of Sarbaugh’s worries now. His team could not take advantage of two late scoring opportunities in a 29-22 loss to Sandy Valley. ... QB Carson Colucci had two long touchdown runs and 177 yards rushing against the Cardinals. As Fairless’ first-year starting receivers gain more experience, the Falcons may have to rely on Colucci’s running ability on. ... Tusky Valley is trying to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2016. The Trojans’ 21-6 season-opening win over Waynedale stopped a five-game losing streak and matched their 2022 victory total. Tusky Valley held Waynedale to just 146 total yards.
Chippewa (0-1) at Tuslaw (0-1)
What to know: Both teams are looking to bounce back from losses in their openers. This will be the home opener for the Mustangs, who lost 21-6 at Smithville last week. The last meeting between the Chips and the Mustangs was in 2019. Tuslaw beat Chippewa 14-9 that year. Tuslaw, loaded with freshmen and sophomores, continues to find its identity during a rebuilding season under Matt Gulling.
Norwayne (1-0) at Central Catholic (0-1)
What to know: A matchup of two programs well-acquainted with each other. This will be the fourth Week 2 matchup between Central and Norwayne in the last five years. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Bobcats beat the Crusaders in the third round of the playoffs. Central lost its season opener 42-25 to Perry. After a season-opening defeat to the Panthers a year ago, head coach Jeff Lindesmith’s team stunned Norwayne 36-35. The Crusaders scored a late TD and made the winning two-point conversion. Despite the loss, QB Brennan Betz had a successful debut last week. The East Canton transfer threw for 311 yards and four TDs, including two to Jack Hopkins. Norwayne’s offense appears to have reloaded after heavy graduation losses. First-year starting QB Jaxon Siegenthaler threw for 233 yards and four TDs in the Bobcats’ 56-7 win over Brookfield. Norwayne is also led by RBs Dillon Morlock and Mason Moyer, and WR Dylan Smith.
St. Thomas Aquinas (0-1) at Smithville (1-0)
What to know: Aquinas’ pursuit of a long-awaited win continues. Head coach Kevin Henderson’s first game in charge of the Knights ended with a 30-0 loss to Campbell Memorial. It was a game Aquinas trailed 30-0 at halftime. The Knights have lost 17 straight. Their last win came against Trinity in the second round of the 2020 Division VI playoffs. ... Aquinas faces a Smithville defense that held Tuslaw to just one touchdown in a 21-6 win over the Mustangs. DL Ashton Brummage and LB Mason Haines help lead the Smithies defense. Haines also rushed for 808 yards and eight TDs as a freshman last season.
United (1-0) at East Canton (0-1)
What to know: The home opener for the Hornets will feature their second starting quarterback in as many weeks. Chanie Stubblefield gets the nod after Owen McCroskey suffered a concussion in East Canton’s 34-0 season-opening loss to Toronto. Stubblefield replaced McCroskey in the second quarter and finished 7-of-13 for 60 yards. The Hornets offense hopes to regroup after they were held 16 yards on 15 carries and were intercepted three times last week. Ian Spencer was a bright spot with six catches for 103 yards. United rolled past Waterloo 41-6 in its season opener. The Golden Eagles broke open the game by outscoring the Vikings 20-0 in the fourth quarter. Luke Courtney is a prolific quarterback who threw for 2,626 yards and 27 TD passes last season.
Conotton Valley (0-1) at Malvern (1-0)
What to know: Malvern rolled 26-7 at Berlin Center Western Reserve and aims to be 2-0 for the fourth straight season. Coach Matt Chiurco wants QB Jared Witherow to minimize interceptions, such as the late one the talented junior threw in the opener. … Malvern eked out a 21-20 win at Conotton Valley in 2022, the last season for Don Hertler Jr. as head coach before he retired. In the teams' last meeting in Malvern, the Hornets rolled 40-12 in 2021. New head coach Derek O'Hara, who was on Hertler's staff last year, led the Rockets to a 48-0 rout of Tuscarawas Central Catholic in his debut.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Week 2 Ohio high school football games to watch in Stark County
