Lesch, Roggow ascend record book side by side

Logan Lesch and Brayden Roggow spent Sundays in the offseason speaking this into existence. The senior quarterbacks from Perkins and Columbian trained together with private quarterback instructor Brad Maendler, and in the moments they weren't throwing, they imagined this week. Two SBC Lake powerhouses will match up with defending state champions in regional finals, just how they drew it up. "Senior year, with both the classes we've had and the things we've accomplished, it was definitely a goal to go out there and do something," Roggow said. Perkins will play Glenville in the Division IV Region 14 final in Elyria, while Columbian takes on Toledo Central Catholic in D-III Region 10 in Clyde on Friday night. Both matchups are for spots in the state final four. Both the Pirates and Tornadoes feature rosters loaded with talent, and it starts at quarterback, where Lesch and Roggow are the most prolific QBs in school history — and two of the best ever in this part of the state. "I was actually just talking to him on Saturday," Lesch said. "... Just for this area, how cool it is to have two teams in the regional final that are in the same conference." Entering Friday night, Lesch has thrown for 8,057 career yards. Roggow is at 7,986 passing yards. On the unofficial OHSAA leaderboard, Lesch's total ranks 24th in state history. Roggow's yardage sits right behind at No. 25, and both have strong potential to each move up two spots this week. "They're both obviously awesome talents, great quarterbacks," Perkins coach Jalen Santoro said. "They're both very good kids." Their similarities go beyond just the statistics. Both grew up in the communities they now shine in, watching the versions of their teams that came before them. Lesch was neighbors with Isaac Grude, a former Perkins passer who played catch with Lesch in their backyard. Roggow's older cousin, Chase Frankhauser, was Columbian's quarterback and a frequent catch partner for him. "It's been really cool," Roggow said. "Growing up you go to all the games… It's been nothing short of exciting. I've had a great time doing it." In different circumstances, both might have had even bigger numbers. Roggow split time as a freshman and sophomore with Logan Beaston before Beaston focused solely on basketball. Chris Campbell was Perkins' starting quarterback when Lesch was a freshman, so the youngster attempted just five passes in 2020. And this season, Perkins had its Warren JFK game canceled and has pulled Lesch early a number of times in lopsided contests. "For him to put up the numbers he's put up is insane, it's nuts," Santoro said. "... He had a crazy statistical year this year, doing it through a lot less plays and quarters. The biggest thing for him is how he's matured right before our eyes." Lesch and Roggow's respect for each other is high. In 2021, the Tornadoes got the better of the Pirates in Tiffin. The last two seasons, Lesch has come out on top while leading Perkins to a pair of league championships. Roggow, at 6-foot-4, earned multiple Division I offers and will enroll early at Akron. "I admire a lot of things, but mostly how he can just sit in the pocket and deliver strikes," Lesch said. "He's very capable of making every throw on the field, but also extending plays and being an athlete." Lesch, closer to 6-1, has an offer from D-II Tiffin University and hasn't yet decided about his future. "You can tell he's never unprepared," Roggow said. "He looks and he plays like he knows everything that's gonna happen. He's so decisive." They've both benefited from dynamic receiving corps throughout their careers, too. Lesch throws to the likes of Braylon Collier, Weston Sturzinger, Brady Legando and Kaiden Nixon, with lots of passes also chucked to the graduated Jayden Rowe and Drake Venerucci. Roggow lets it fly to Jack Koerper, Brady Gooding and his twin, Bryce. Bryce will play college ball at Tiffin. "It's one of the coolest things ever," Roggow said of throwing to his twin. "The connection we have and the bond that we have, we're already super close, but our relationship has gotten tighter and tighter. It's been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sure." Lesch and Roggow are the two most accomplished passers in the history of the Sandusky Bay Conference. The only player with more yardage in the old SBC/NOL footprint is Bellevue great Jeff Polley, who threw for 9,094 yards from 2000 to 2002. Current Perkins coach Santoro watched Polley play when Santoro was growing up in Bellevue. "I just remember the name, and he wore number 14, which was our family number, so we loved that," Santoro said. "He had a great receiver in Pete Lepley, and at that time it was rare to see somebody throw that many times and for that many yards… Just being that little kid watching those guys go out there and sling the ball was cool." Lesch has delivered 96 touchdown passes in his career, 13th in state history. Roggow's at 85 passing TDs, tied for 19th. Both are efficient — Lesch with a career completion percentage of 66.8, Roggow at 63.5. They also both can scamper when needed, but the presences of Perkins' Isaac Bunts (1,645 rushing yards, 27 TDs) and Columbian's Damien Brockington (2,172 rushing yards, 36 TDs) have mostly left that unneeded this fall. And now they've arrived at their toughest tests yet. Perkins-Glenville always felt a bit like a foregone conclusion, although the Pirates had to rally past St. Marys Memorial two weeks ago to stay alive. Columbian's spot in a regional final wasn't a given, but the Tornadoes came out and won their first three playoff games by 28, then 30, then 35 points to earn the right to play Central Catholic, which won state in D-II in 2022. Lesch and Roggow have already accomplished so much, and this Friday night they'll have the chance to bolster what are already incredible legacies. "Someone's got to beat them," Roggow said. "Why not us? They're a high school team who makes a lot of high school mistakes. They're a very, very, very good team. But so are we, and we've been playing really well. Our kids have that momentum that's hard to break. We're gonna shoot our shots and play to win."