Division I Football Overview: Cincinnati area looks strong in big-school division - again

Macedonia Nordonia (7-4)

Al Huge, an assistant at Nordonia since 1997 and the defensive coordinator since 2002, took over as the head coach last year and led the Knights to a playoff berth. Nordonia dropped its first-round game to Brunswick 14-10.

“We will have new faces out on the field with a lot of opportunities for juniors to have significant playing time,” Huge said. “We will not be a very big team, but we will be athletic.”

The Knights face a difficult schedule in the Northern Ohio Conference.

"Our team is facing its toughest schedule in school history,” Huge said. “We are excited about the challenge. We are moving to the upper division of the NOC. Strongsville, Solon, Brunswick, Mayfield and Medina make up our conference.  Tallmadge and Wadsworth are the first two game on the schedule.”

Canton GlenOak (10-3)

Scott Garcia returns for his third year as the coach at GlenOak, which welcomes back four starters on offense and five on defense. GlenOak advanced to the regional final before losing to Federal League rival North Canton Hoover 14-0.

“We have a lot of experience at the skill positions,” Garcia said. “We only have one starter back on the offense and defensive lines. We need some inexperienced guys up front to step up if we’re going to be able to get back to where we want to be.”

Garcia hopes the playoff run will provide his team some momentum for 2009.

“We made it to the third round, so we got those three extra weeks of practice,” he said.

Brandon Martin passed for over 1,000 yards and rushed for close to 800.

“We are a multiple offense,” Garcia said. “We will run out of the I-formation, but we will also run some out of the shotgun with Brandon running the ball.”

Andrew Ross will be a three-year starter at OLB. Garman led the team in tackles (107) as a sophomore in 2007 and had a team-high 125 stops last year. He also scored three defensive touchdowns for the Golden Eagles.

“Andrew has been a pretty good player for us,” Garman said. “He needs four tackles to become the all-time leading tackler at the school.”

As always, the Federal League schedule will be a challenge. GlenOak also plays Massillon Washington and Green outside the league.

Canton McKinley (6-5)

Former Miami (Ohio) assistant Ron Johnson took over the McKinley program last year and led the Bulldogs to a playoff berth in his first season. McKinley dropped its playoff opener to Federal League rival GlenOak 14-7.

“It was very encouraging,” Johnson said. “We came in following a 3-7 season and took the program over. We came in and played so many young guys. We started out 0-2, but then we went on a pretty good run.”

Johnson welcomes back six offensive starters and 10 on defense.

“It’s very exciting,” Johnson said. “Our kids are locked in and focused. They got after it this off-season. I think this is a mature, seasoned group and they have high aspirations.”

One of the youngsters that got playing time in 2008 was Kyle Ohradzansky, who started at quarterback as a sophomore. He threw for 1,400 yards with 15 touchdowns against just seven interceptions.

DE Steve Miller is considered one of Ohio’s top five junior prospects as he tallied 100 tackles, 11 sacks and 23 tackles-for-loss. He earned first-team All-Ohio honors as a sophomore and is in line for a number of major college offers.

“He just plays with great effort,” Johnson said. “He takes coaching very week. He is strong, uses good technique and just plays very hard.”

McKinley could be a team to watch in the Federal League. Nonleague games with Cleveland East Tech, Huber Heights Wayne and rival Massillon Washington (which won that Week 10 showdown 17-0 last year) all loom large.

Massillon Washington (6-5)

Jason Hall, who previously coached at Ravenna Southeast, Lyndhurst Brush and Macedonia Nordonia, assumed control of the Massillon program last year. He led the Tigers to a playoff berth but Massillon dropped its first-round game to North Canton Hoover 14-7.

Hall welcomes back seven starters on offense and five on defense.

“Our kids had a great off-season,” Hall said. “If our kids can reach their potential, I think we can have a very successful season. Our junior and senior classes are a very tight-knit group. We are having fun coaching them and they are responding by bringing it every day.”

Rob Partridge has the potential to be a run/pass threat. He started half of last season and tallied 471 yards and four touchdowns passing.

“Rob had a great end of the season and had a great off-season,” Hall said. “He is developed physically. He has really matured and he is the leader of our offense. Our whole offense is predicated on him. We run multiple formations and run the zone, the zone read, the stretch and the power.”

Bo Grunder had 19 catches for 271 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior. He also had 54 tackles and three interceptions on defense. Spencer Leno tallied a team-high 102 tackles and 17 tackles-for-loss as a junior.

As an independent, Massillon plays a challenging schedule. Some of the opponents include GlenOak, Cleveland St. Ignatius, Steubenville, Warren Harding, Mentor and the rivalry game with McKinley.

Sylvania Southview (15-0, Division II State Champions)

The Cougars rolled all the way to the Division II state championship, defeating defending champion Cincinnati Anderson 29-25 in the title game. But with the OHSAA two-year cycle for shuffling the divisions by enrollment coming this year, Southview moved up to Division I and will not defend its title.

Southview lost 2,500-yard passer Alex Pidcock to graduation. Alan Gant, though just a sophomore, could be an answer at that pivotal position. he caught a touchdown pass in the title game last year.

Jimmy Hall was a two-way standout last year as a junior. He had 47 catches for 963 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense and 84 tackles and four interceptions on defense.

LB/RB Dylan Coleman tallied 90 tackles and 11-1/2 tackles-for-loss to help lead the defense.

Southview outscored its opponents 40.9-12.0 on average in 2008.

Hoover reached the state semifinals behind the exploits of Ohio’s Mr. Football award winner and the Ohio High player of the year RB Erick Howard (5-10, 210, Sr.). Howard rushed for 2,387 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also registered 98 tackles, three sacks and eight tackles-for-loss. Hoover dropped its semifinal game to Cleveland St. Ignatius 34-7.

Brunswick is led by coach Rich Nowak, who returns for his 18th year at the helm. He guided the Blue Devils to the second round of the playoffs, where Brunswick fell to Canton GlenOak 28-3.    

The Little Giants missed the playoffs, but could contend in 2009 behind QB Cody Foos (6-0, 180, Sr.).

The Grizzlies are led by wide receiver Anthony Schrock (6-3, 175, Sr.), who had 32 catches for 738 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior.

Anthony Wayne makes the jump up from the Division II ranks. OL Andrew Donnal (6-7, 265, Sr.) has a wide range of scholarship offers.

Twinsburg made a jump from 3-7 in 2007 to nine wins and a berth in the regional semifinals in 2008. The Tigers downed Amherst Steele 20-11 in their playoff opener before falling to North Canton Hoover 13-10 in the second round.

Hudson (5-5), Medina (4-6), Toledo Start (4-6), Toledo Whitmer (4-5), Perrysburg (6-4), Toledo St. John’s (7-3), Stow-Munroe Falls (4-6), Massillon Perry (4-6), Lorain Admiral King (7-3), Amherst Steele (8-2), Massillon Jackson (5-5), Findlay (6-4), Cuyahoga Falls (2-8), Green (4-6), Toledo Bowsher (4-6), Elyria (2-8), Oregon Clay (7-3), Toledo Waite (1-9).