Both programs have known plenty of success over the years, are coming off seasons in which they won a playoff game and hoping to go farther this fall.
In his sixth season as the head coach at Miamisburg, Lance Schneider must replace GWOC Offensive Player of the Year Preston Barr at quarterback, but he already knows what new starter Landen Roberts looks like running his offense at the varsity level.
Roberts took over late last season after Barr broke his collarbone and completed 41 of 61 passes for 464 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions on the year. He also ran for 96 yards on 19 carries while running back Keith Henry ran for 484 yards on 68 carries as a junior and earned second-team All-GWOC recognition for a team that led the conference in points per game (28.8).
The 6-foot-1, 204-pound Henry also caught 34 passes for 463 yards last season, and he ran for over 100 yards in both of Miamisburg’s playoff games, a 34-14 win at Delaware Hayes and a 38-21 loss at top seed Olentangy Lewis Center.
“To build off the success of last season, you need quality senior leadership and players who completely buy in to the offseason program,” Schneider said. “Programs who do that consistently are successful. Those which do not annually struggle.”
On the other side of the ball, Miamisburg led the league in stopping the run (100.5 yards per game), and Schneider expects his front featuring tackle Kevin McKinney and Division I college end prospect Marshon Gregory-Bey to be solid again.
Second-team All-GWOC defensive back Colin Shannon is also back, and the group as a whole should get a big test right off the bat with Chaminade Julienne.
Head coach Earl White’s vaunted double-wing offense rolled up more than 4,000 yards on the ground last season as the Eagles went 7-5 and finished third in the GCL Co-Ed.
They beat Mount Healthy in the playoffs before losing to Tippecanoe.
White’s backfield of Nydrell Wright, Aiden Lowery and Ethan Stacy, who finished first, third and fourth in the league in rushing, are all back on the roster this season, as is Malachi Maddox-Ringer, who ran for 776 yards on 99 carries.
Wright led the way with 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns while Lowery added 925 yards and 13 touchdowns, and Stacey picked up 857 yards.
“Coach White does a great job running his offense,” Schneider said. “They are very difficult to defend. You must be disciplined and do your job every play, or it will be a long evening.”
On defense, CJ returns linebacker Keegan Fowler, who was third in the league with 102 tackles last season, along with No. 2 tackler and fellow linebacker Benjamin Lakes, who had 94 stops.
Elijah Berman, a Division I line prospect who had 32 tackles in eight games as a sophomore last season, also returns along with senior free safety Colin Kadel, who had four interceptions and 79 tackles.
Here are some other games to watch:
Bellefontaine at Sidney
Quarterback Tavien St. Clair, an Ohio State verbal commitment named the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the class of 2025 this week, begins his senior season leading the Chieftains to Sidney, where the Yellow Jackets will begin defense of their Miami Valley League Valley division crown.
Butler at Northmont
The Aviators are defending tri-champs of the MVL Miami division while the Thunderbolt roster boasts multiple big-time college prospects, as usual.
Xenia at Beavercreek
The “Backyard Battle” moves back to Friday night with former Xenia coach Trace Smitherman now leading the Beavers.
Bellbrook at Tippecanoe
The Red Devils, who shared the MVL-Miami title with Butler and Troy last season, play host to a Bellbrook squad that won the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwest division.
Valley View at Coldwater
The SWBL Buckeye division co-champion Spartans test their mettle against a Coldwater team that also has state champion DNA and is coming off a bounce-back season.
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