Mid State League Buckeye (MSL) – Conference Preview
By: Evan Johnson
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Amanda-Clearcreek Aces:
After head coach Chet Saum left the program to focus on his family farm, the Aces found their guy immediately, Eddie Johnson. Coach Johnson is an alum of Amanda-Clearcreek and has been an assistant coach for 15 years, including being the defensive coordinator for the Aces last season. One of his first moves after taking the job, was building a great staff, which includes former head coach Ron Hinton, who won back-to-back state championships with the Aces in 1999 and 2000.
Despite the changes, the culture looks to remain intact. The saying “three yards and a cloud of dust” is still preached by coaches and players. The Aces struggled with injuries throughout the 2025 season as they ended the year with a 5-6 record. Those injuries opened the door for younger players to get plenty of reps, which allows the team to hit the ground running this season.
Even with plans to open up the offense at times, the ground game will be commanded by running back Silas Hoffman. The defense will be led by senior linebacker Mason Williams who earned Second-Team All-MSL in 2025. There are always big expectations for a very decorated program, as Amanda-Clearcreek is looking to win the conference for the first time since 2019. They will start the season on Aug. 21 against West Jefferson.
Bloom-Carroll Bulldogs:
The Bloom-Carroll Bulldogs have commanded the MSL-Buckeye for eight seasons. Since 2018, they have won at least a share of the conference title every single season, along with 18 playoff wins and a trip to Canton. After a slight dip in production last year, the Bulldogs lost a lot of talent and a head coach after Jeremy McKinney left for the Lancaster job. The program hired Steve Daulton, who was the Lancaster offensive coordinator in 2025. He is very familiar with the culture, as he lives in the area and had head coaching stints at Berne Union and Amanda-Clearcreek.
The Bulldogs struggled on offense last year, averaging just over 22 points per game, which is their lowest since 2012. The good news is the MSL-Buckeye Back of the Year, Kyson Cline, returns for his senior season. The bad news is the offense lost their top two quarterbacks and their biggest receiving threat. As of now, Bloom-Carroll has not named a starting quarterback for week one, as three different players are competing for the spot.
The defense is expected to be dominant again. Even with losing a lot of talent, the Bulldogs do not rebuild; they reload. Senior linebacker, Weston Coppess will continue to be a problem for opposing teams. With all the change within the program, this could be the year there is someone new at the top of the conference, or Bloom-Carroll’s culture will prevail, and they will add a ninth straight conference title.
Circleville Tigers:
In the first year under head coach Jay Sharrett, the Circleville Tigers won the program’s first-ever home playoff game. The Tigers finished the year with an 8-4 record, their most wins since 2013. All the success has revived a program that saw nine straight losing seasons before Sharrett arrived.
The offense thrived last season, averaging 29 points per game, the school’s most since 2015. They graduated several key pieces, including quarterback Hudson Phalin, who was dominant both through the air and on the ground. Sophomore Jace Captain will take over the role, but the offense will go through senior running back Ray Ezell. He will have a strong offensive line in front of him; seniors Brayden Brisker and Cayden McGuirk will be the main anchors in the trenches.
Circleville will have one of the strongest defenses in the conference and one of the best linebacker rooms in Division IV. Seniors Jacob Liston, Lamont Halloway and Kadian Sanchez combined for 308 total tackles last year. There is a lot to look forward to in Circleville. The Tigers will enter the season as one of the frontrunners to win the MSL-Buckeye. They will have a big test in week one as they face an old rival in Chillicothe.
Fairfield Union Falcons:
The Fairfield Union Falcons have been stuck in the middle of the pack, but in 2025 they started to turn the corner. Fairfield Union won seven games last year, which was the most since 2005. They also got their second-ever playoff win. To get over the hump, the Falcons have to find a way to beat the top teams. In his first three seasons, head coach Andy Clark is 0-3 against Bloom-Carroll and 1-2 against Hamilton Township.
The roster was very young last season and has a lot of experience coming into this year. Six of nine All-MSL recipients from last year return. Dean Clark returns as quarterback after gaining a total of 1,439 yards and 15 touchdowns. The running game will be strong again with Clark and Lane Burkhardt, who rushed for 785 yards and 11 touchdowns last year.
The defense was outstanding in 2025, allowing just over 16 points per game, the program’s best since 2002. That side of the ball did lose the top two performers in Grant McPherson and Zach Berry. With no clear favorite to win the conference, Fairfield Union could easily climb its way to the top. They will face New Lexington to start the season.
Hamilton Township Rangers:
Hamilton Township had a fantastic season in 2025, winning nine games and a share of the conference. They shared that title with Bloom-Carroll, who was their only conference loss. The Rangers have the same problem as everyone else; they can’t beat Bloom-Carroll. They have only defeated the Bulldogs once since 2016.
The offense graduated almost all of their production. This includes their quarterback, top two rushers and top two receivers. Sophomore Suge Brown got some experience last season, rushing for 207 yards on 31 carries. The offensive line returns Connor Harr, who earned Second-Team All-MSL in 2025.
On the other side of the ball, the defense had a strong year, allowing just over 20 points per game. While the defense also lost several key players, they also return a lot of experience, such as, Chauncey Flores, who totaled 89 tackles last year. Linebackers Dezmond Branch and Wyatt Mathias also return. The Rangers will have to overcome a lot of change in order to get back-to-back conference titles. Their week one opponent will be Whitehall-Yearling.
Liberty Union Lions:
After winning three of their first four non-conference games, the Liberty Union Lions dropped all six MSL-Buckeye games. The only Division VI school in the conference has struggled in recent years, as they have not won over three games in a season since 2021. In the last eight seasons of the Dan Shirey era, the Lions have only won more than two games in a season three times.
The offense did see a rise in production, averaging 23.3 points per game. Running back Ethan Stapleton returns and will be the focus of the offense. In front of Stapleton will be senior guards Jackson Martin and Rohen Lawrence, each of whom earned All-MSL Honorable Mention last year.
The biggest problem for Liberty Union is the defense. In conference play last year, the Lions allowed an average of 44 points per game. That side of the ball has to improve to stack up a couple more wins. While things have been down, there are a lot of question marks in the league, and the Lions could easily take advantage of that and steal some wins. Liberty Union will look to get back-to-back wins over Monroe Central in week one.
Logan Elm Braves:
The Logan Elm Braves sat at the bottom of the MSL-Buckeye with Liberty Union, with their only conference win coming against the Lions. The Braves hired alum Cory Heeter to take over the program. Coach Heeter was recently inducted into the Logan Elm Hall of Fame and has several school records, including rushing yards in a game (374) and touchdowns in a game (7). Heeter is looking to bring the program back up after they only won two games in 2025.
Austin Holbrook is back at quarterback after a solid junior season, throwing for over 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns. The biggest blemish on his resume was the 12 turnovers; if they can clean those up, the offense can thrive. Holbrook can also pick up big gains with his legs, and paired with sophomore Ayden Hartley, who rushed for 646 yards, they could be a dangerous duo.
The defense is also looking to take a big step. It wasn’t always pretty last season, but the defense was young. Junior Connor Kint is expected to make a big impact in the secondary and as the leading receiver on offense. Bryson Parish and Blake Summers are two other juniors who can make a big impact. The MSL-Buckeye cannot sleep on this Logan Elm team; they took their lumps last year but have a lot to look forward to this season. They will get tested right out of the gates as they will face Zane Trace in week one.