Steve Daulton takes over Bloom-Carroll football as they look to win ninth straight conference title
By: Evan Johnson
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CARROLL, Ohio (WOUB) – Bloom-Carroll has dominated the MSL-Buckeye over the past eight seasons. They’ve won at least a share of the conference in every single one of those seasons. The Bulldogs have also won 18 playoff games, appeared in three Final Fours and a State Championship across those eight years.
In January, head coach Jeremy McKinney left the program for Lancaster. This move came as a surprise to many, including his replacement, Steve Daulton. “It really caught me off guard when he got the Lancaster job, and you know, things just kind of work out,” said Daulton.
Daulton’s career started at Bloom Carroll in 2008. He would later have head coaching stints at Berne Union and Amanda-Clearcreek, winning a share of the conference in 2019 with the Aces. Over the past three years, Daulton was an assistant coach at Lancaster, where he was the defensive coordinator in 2025.
With a familiarity with the program and the conference, Daulton understands the expectations that come with the job. “There’s an expectation of success, and it’s not just the football program and that’s a big part of it,” Daulton said.
The roster has also seen a lot of change. Only two of the twelve all-conference winners return to the team after a massive senior class graduated. This year the Bulldogs only have eleven seniors and will rely on them to lead the team to another conference title.
Last season, Bloom saw a slight slip in production, winning eight games, their lowest since 2017. The offense averaged just over 22 points per game, the program’s lowest since 2012.
One of the biggest reasons for the lack of offense was the passing game. Through a strong running game and a great defense, the Bulldogs were still able to win a share of the MSL-Buckeye and get a playoff win.
The passing game will have more question marks heading into the season as the Bulldogs lost their top two quarterbacks and top receiver. There are currently three guys competing for the starting job. “Right now it’s open for them to compete and have some fun, help each other, and we’ll see who gets it,” said Daulton about the QB battle.
With the passing game uncertainties, it will be up to running back Kyson Cline. The MSL-Buckeye Back of the Year had a monster junior year and will look to back it up as just one of eleven seniors on the roster.
Bloom-Carroll will head into the 2026 season with more questions than normal. But the culture and standards of the program could easily give them their ninth straight MSL-Buckeye title.