Mid-State League Buckeye – Conference Preview
By: Charlie Ihlenfeld
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Bloom-Carroll:
Despite losing their leading passer and rusher, the Bloom-Carroll Bulldogs have the largest senior class in school history. Behind Gridiron Glory POTY finalist Ethan Thanthanavong graduated alongside Jude Blair, Beau Sherman and Michael Stevenson. Thanthanavong finished the 2024 season with 2,721 total yards, 33 touchdowns on 68.1% completion percentage and 7.8 yards per carry.
The Bulldogs fell in the second round of the playoff to Licking Valley 29-17. Now, without standouts on offense, the Bulldogs will lean on a veteran linebacker corps. Aiden Scholz, the Bulldogs leading tackler from the year before, returns after compiling 93 tackles and four sacks. He was also tied for the lead in sacks on the team. David Mullen and Jalen Cline also return in the linebacker corps, both with previous starting experience.
While the offense is losing some talent, the receiver room remains loaded with talent. Rusty Hutchinson, Evan Cardenas and Luden Dodds all return for their senior seasons. Kyson Cline, a talented running back, will have his chance to get the majority of the carries for the Bulldogs. Head coach Jeremy McKinney said if it was not for the incredible talent ahead of Cline, he would have been able to gett the lion’s share of the touches. Now, the junior back will be the featured runner for Bloom-Carroll.
As for the quarterback room, Matthew Cline and Parker Couch are competing for the starting job for the Bulldogs. Cline has experience as a junior varsity starter for the Bulldogs while Couch has several years of experience as the starter at Fairfield Christian Academy. He has previously thrown with Rusty Hutchinson, as both were previously on the Knights. Hutchinson, the leading receiver last year for Bloom-Carroll, finished 2024 with 837 yards on 45 catches and seven touchdowns.
After bowing out in the second round of the playoffs last year, the Bulldogs are eager to earn redemption in the postseason.
“They’re hungry,” said McKinney. “They want to make their own mark.”
The Bulldogs open the season at home against Chillicothe.
Hamilton Township:
The Hamilton Township Rangers battled injury and inexperience last year, but they managed to rally to 5-3 by week nine. But, more injuries and stiff competition knocked the Rangers out of contention as they dropped their final two games of the year.
Now, the Rangers have more experience and talent returning throughout the roster. Hamilton Township has key seniors throughout the roster. Quarterback Lucas King returns for his second year starting and his senior year. Beside him, senior wide receiver and immensely talent receiver Jovon McBride returns for his senior campaign. In the backfield, Kael Beverly-Akin returns, and he will also be a major contributor on the defensive side too, playing snaps on the defensive line and linebacker.
Alongside their skill positions, the Rangers will get a major boost from four of five starters returning on the offensive line. In comparison to the rest of the conference, the Rangers have a schedule working in their favor. The Rangers have dominated their non-conference schedule for the past few years, and the teams are all Division Three or higher. If the Rangers can take care of business in their non-conference slate, they will be in prime position to make the recently downsized OHSAA playoff format.
But, even with the immense potential of the 2025 Rangers, head coach Tennyson Varney wants the squad to focus on the week-to-week grind.
“We have a lot to prove,” said Varney. “We have a lot to fight and get done. And that’s exciting. The potential is exciting. But it’s just potential.”
Hamilton Township starts week one at home against Whitehall Yearling.
Logan Elm:
After several years of impressive play from the Braves, Logan Elm shed talent from their multi-year run of success in the MSL-Buckeye. Logan Elm will lose 18 starters on both sides of the ball. The most notable departures are on the offensive side of the ball.
Multi-year starter at quarterback, Aaron Walters, graduates alongside star running back Michael Bock. With their graduation, the Braves will have to deal with the loss of over 4,000 yards of offense. Logan Elm will lose Walters’ top six receiving targets from the year before. Now, new faces will have to fill the gaps.
At quarterback, junior Austin Holbrook will spearhead an offense that will lean more on the running game. The Braves will use designed runs to get the ball in the hands of Holbrook, and they will have new running backs to take the carries that previously went to Bock. Sophomore Bryson Parish and senior Aiden Hudson will be carrying the ball alongside Holbrook.
In the receiver room, the Braves will be lead by Tyler Bowlby and Connor Kent. Logan Elm will start with their traditional challenge at home against Zane Trace. The squads have faced off every year since 2009 excluding the COVID-shortened season. Logan Elm has dominated the series, leading 15-5, and they have won four of the last five matchups. The last time the Pioneers won the game, they won the SVC.
Despite the challenges for a retooling program, head coach Terry Holbert is excited for the challenge of finding the next generation of great Logan Elm football.
“Part of the fun and adventure of coaching is working to get some guys to replace those guys,” said Holbert. “And that’s how you get those guys.”
Logan Elm will start the season at home against Zane Trace.
Fairfield Union:
The Fairfield Union Falcons survived another brutal non-conference slate to run the gauntlet through the MSL-Buckeye and make their first playoff appearance (non-COVID) since 2005 and their first home playoff game since 2002. The Falcons have another brutal non-conference schedule this year, somehow more difficult than the year before.
To start the year, the Falcons will square off once again with the New Lexington Panthers, and then, they pick up traditional division six powerhouse Colonel Crawford. Once again, they end the non-conference schedule with OVC champion Fairland. Those teams won a combined 30 games last season.
Isaiah Saleh, Owen Ruff and Hunter Clark, the Falcons’ three leading rushers, all graduate. In addition, Saleh was the team’s leading receiver, Clark was the team’s starting quarterback and second in tackles and Ruff led the team in rushing yards and was third in tackles. Now, the team has a small senior class to battle this schedule with four seniors.
However, the Falcons will have a strong defensive line behind senior Zach Berry and junior Keaton Webb. Webb led the team in sacks and Berry was second, and Grant McPherson, a feature on the defensive and offensive line after injury, will move to linebacker and back to fullback. Brady Andrews will take over at running back. Dean Clark will take over for his brother at quarterback.
Despite the graduations throughout the team, the Falcons will have experience along the offensive line. Four of five starters return to the team. Head coach Andy Clark hopes to see a tough team that can live up to the reputation they have established over the past few seasons.
“We’re going to play physical,” said Clark. “Hopefully, at a high level of execution. Obviously, we’ll have to tweak it a little bit to fit the personnel this year. Hopefully with a higher level of execution, but the same effort and physicality.”
Fairfield Union will start the season on the road at New Lexington.
Amanda-Clearcreek:
The Amanda-Clearcreek Aces will begin their season with bruising non-cofnerence slate of their own. After falling in seeding despite winning their week 10 matchup, Amanda-Clearcreek is determined to not let that happen again.
The Aces lead off the season with three straight road games: division six powerhouse West Jefferson, division three powerhouse Licking Valley and SVC heavyweight Zane Trace. After three bruising weeks, the Aces will host reigning MSL-Buckeye champions Bloom-Carroll.
With their tough schedule, the Aces will have a seasoned roster. The Aces return leading rusher Tommy Stai and Bodie Martin. Stai finished the 2024 season rushing for nearly six yards per carry and Martin finished rushing for nearly nine. Injuries plagued the team down the stretch, and with a clean bill of health, the Aces will be in prime position to battle a tough squad. Amanda-Clearcreek will have a seasoned offensive line with four of five starters returning. All four of their starters, Gary Kimberling, Chase Hanna, Maddix Tipple and Dylan Dyer, will be seniors this year.
The team has 14 seniors overall, and the Aces hope to use that experience to fair better in one-score games. Amanda-Clearcreek was nine points away from being 9-1 last season, and head coach Chet Saum hopes they can close that gap this year.
Saum is excited for the culture they have worked to build at Amanda-Clearcreek.
“I hope they know we are going to run the football,” Saum said. “That’s always a good thing about Amanda-Clearcreek. Hopefully, we’re going to see some flashes of old-school culture. We’re going to be doing things the right way.”
Circleville:
Despite a strong start to the year, the Tigers fell from 3-0 to losing six of seven to end the season. Now, Circleville has a new coach, a legend from Central Ohio football. Jay Sharrett has taken the reigns after his 211-42 tenure at Pickerington Central High School.
Sharrett will have a lot of returning talent for Circleville. Quarterback Hudson Phalin compiled over 1,700 yards, 18 touchdowns and just six interceptions. His top two targets, Jack Kline and Kole Nungester, both return for the Tigers. Kline compiled over 700 yards and five touchdowns while Nungester totaled over 600 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Tigers will have to deal with the departure of bell cow back Drew Thornsley. Thornsley finished the 2024 campaign with nearly 1,500 yards rushing. Now, Kline, Nungester and Ray Ezell will be in the backfield in a running back by committee approach to deal with the absence of Thornsley.
However, Sharrett and the offensive line are confident in the strides they have made in the offseason to clear lanes for the new feature backs and protection for Phalin. While the Tigers have plenty of rivalries and tough competition to look forward to, they are focused on starting off on the right foot.
“Everything we’re doing right now is for week one,” said Sharrett. “What we need to do is make sure we can hike it to the quarterback and hand it to the tailback.”
The Tigers start week one at home against the Warren Warriors.
Liberty Union:
As the lone division six team in the MSL-Buckeye, the Liberty Union Lions have been building toward this season. All 12 seniors on the Lions entered the 1,000-pound club, a distinction for an individual that lifts 1,000 pounds in bench, squat and deadlift. It is the first time this has happened in head coach Daniel Shirey’s tenure.
Liberty Union consistently plays one of the toughest schedules in the state, ranking 10th out of 106 division six teams last year. Cooper Meachem enters the starting role at quarterback for his senior year. Shirey touted his athletic prowess, saying the Lions are snapping to their best athlete on every play.
Ethan Stapleton and Max Harris will occupy the backfield alongside Meachem. Out wide, Cooper Manson will a part of the Lions receiver corps. Liberty Union will have a large freshman class, something that has pushed the strong senior class further.
Liberty Union will have a tough opponent to start week one at home, Monroe Central before facing North Union and Meigs. Their final non-conference game is against Lakewood in week four. Then, they will begin their tough conference slate.
The Lions’ senior class entered the school right before the last Liberty Union playoff appearance, and they are eager to return to late October and November football.
“Focus on week-to-week, obviously the wins we think we should get, right?” said Shirey. “Pull out a couple of wins nobody thought we could. And next thing you know, you’re playing in the postseason.”
Liberty Union starts the season at home against Monroe Central.