High school football: Week 10

Columbian at PerkinsRecords: Columbian 4-5, 1-2 SBC Lake; Perkins 8-1, 3-0 SBC LakeLast year: Perkins, Outlook: With one more game to go in the regular season, Columbian is in prime position to make the playoffs after a 2-5 start.The young Tornadoes have shown improvement the past two weeks and have found an explosive running game with sophomore Masen Seitz behind a good offensive line. Can they continue it this week against a stout Perkins defense?With the Pirates right before Week 11, it feels like a chance for TC to show how much its improved and if its playoff ready."We wanna see growth week to week and I feel like we've done that the past few weeks and on film we've seen some improvement," TC coach Judd Lutz said. "This will be an extremely tough test this week with Perkins."Seitz had a coming-out-party of sorts last week with 257 yards rushing and six touchdowns in the win over Norwalk. "He's been thrust into the position from the opening game and at the start we had a few running backs getting some carries, and it still might be that, but Brady Bonnell's role has changed a bit because he's such a good blocker and we need him on defense at linebacker. Seitz has seen the bulk of the carries recently and out O-line has done an outstanding job."For Perkins, the Pirates have already won the SBC Lake title once again and have been consistently ranked in the top two in the state in Division IV. Quarterback Sam Schweinfurth is 97 of 148 passing for 1,541 yards with 19 touchdowns and five picks, while running back Isaac Bunts has 191 carries for 1,513 yards and 21 touchdowns and leading receiver Braylon Collier – a Michigan State University commit – has 41 catches for 626 yards and 11 scores. Mohawk at Seneca EastRecords: Mohawk 7-2, 5-1 Northern 10 Athletic Conference; Seneca East 6-3, 5-1 Northern 10 Athletic Conference.Last year: Seneca East won 30-7.Outlook: It's winner-take-all in a small school battle Friday, with Seneca East hosting rival Mohawk for the outright Northern 10 Athletic Conference title."They made the schedule pretty good, didn't they?" Seneca East coach Ed Phillips said.His Tigers and Eric Daniel's visiting Warriors each enter at 5-1 in the conference, with the victor getting its first title in quite a while. Seneca East shared the crown with Wynford in 2019 and Mohawk last won it in 2018."We told our guys these last two weeks are what high school football's all about, and this is why you train four days a week in the entire offseason, you wake up at 6 a.m. to get your lifts in. You do it with games like this and weeks like this in mind," Daniel said. "To be goal-driven and to have this right in front of you, we're just extremely grateful for the opportunity and for the year that we've had so far to be playing meaningful football late in the year against a really good opponent in what should be an awesome game."The stats bear that out.Seneca East ranks second (387.4) and Mohawk sets third (351.8) in offensive yards gained per game, with Mohawk topping the league at 36.3 points per game and Seneca East coming in second at 33.4 points per game.Both average more than 145 yards per game on the ground (Mohawk 165, Seneca East 145.8), but the passing game is where both squads do their best work.Seneca East's Nicholas Parks leads the N10 in both yards passing (2,175) and passing touchdowns (26), while Mohawk's Ben Bogner is second in each category (1,631 yards, 22 TDs). Bogner fares best in interceptions, though, with three compared to Parks' 10.Taylor Young of Seneca East tops the N10 in receiving yards (899) and receiving touchdowns (11) and is second in catches (49).Mohawk counters with the duo of Kahne Hayman and Bryler Beamer. Hayman is second in yards (752) and TD catches (9) and tied with Beamer for third in receptions (42), while Beamer is third in the N10 in receiving yards (734).But both teams can also run well.Bogner has 798 yards and five TDs on the ground for Mohawk, with Kaden Bish adding 349 yards and seven scores and Hayman tacking on 132 yards and four touchdowns.Seneca East's ground game is more spread out. Jackson Gayheart leads the squad with 351 yards and four TDs, with Parks (294 yards, 4 TDs), Taylor Young (245 yards, 2 TDs) and Ethan Shultz (206 yards, 3 TDs) accounting for another 745 yards and nine touchdowns."They're very similar to us," Daniel said. "They spread it around. They've got two really exceptional athletes on the perimeter and a good supporting cast around them that make a lot of plays. They stretch the ball down the field. They've got a quarterback that does an excellent job of throwing guys open, scrambles around to buy time. They're really good up front."You could be talking about Mohawk or Seneca East when you say stuff like that. It's like looking in a mirror," he said. "When it's stuff like that, it comes down to who executes in key situations, who doesn't turn the ball over, who plays more focused, who has fewer penalties. Ultimately, that's what's going to decide the game because talent-wise, we're almost identical."The defenses are also similar and stout.Mohawk allows an average of just 10.6 points (only one team has scored more than 14 points against the Warriors), 101.7 rushing yards and 109.2 passing yards per game.Seneca East has allowed a bit more offense — 23.7 points and 188.7 rushing yards per game — but is ranked second in the N10 in passing defense, allowing a stingy 93.4 yards per game through the air."They're balanced like us, so you've got to be sound against the run and the pass," Phillips said. "That's the bottom line. I don't think you can lean one way or the other, or you're going to kind of get yourself (in trouble) or they're going to get you."Mohawk's Owen Patrizi is second in the N10 with 101 tackles while Gayheart tops Seneca East and the conference with 18 ½ tackles for loss.Seneca East teammates Brett Martin, Justin Reiter and Shultz are tied for second with 4 ½ sacks.Patrizi (14), Garrett Rinehart (11), Braxton Frisch (10 ½) and Bish (10) all have double digit tackles for loss for Mohawk, with Bish, Logan Hemminger (7 ½ TFL) and Eli Chevalier (5 ½ TFL) each adding three sacks.Gayheart leads the Tigers with 84 tackles, and Shultz (12), Reiter (12) and Brett Martin (10 ½) all have double digit tackles for loss. Beamer adds three interceptions.It should all add up to a great regular-season finale, Daniel said."They've had our number the last couple of years. It's a big rivalry on top of the fact. I don't know how you can't get excited for this game, based on rivalry, league championship, playoffs," Daniel said. "It's got whatever spin any of our kids wanted to put on it, there's a great opportunity in front of them, regardless."It doesn't really matter how we spin it, our guys seem pretty locked in and ready to go," he said. "We haven't had to really had to say a lot." Fostoria at RossfordRecords: Fostoria 2-7, 1-5 Northern Buckeye Conference; Rossford 1-8, 0-6 Northern Buckeye Conference.Last year: Fostoria won 36-24.Outlook: Fostoria closes out the season on the road at Rossford. While a winning season again eludes the Redmen, coach Derek Angelone said his players have plenty to play for Friday."It's their last chance to go out and play as this group. There's a lot of guys … that are going to have the opportunity to play for the next couple years, but it is the last time they will ever step out with this group and there is something special to be said about that," he said."We're just trying to tell them that this is a moment that can mark change, not just for them but for the future of Fostoria football," Angelone said.The last chance for that change this year comes against Rossford. The Bulldogs have lost eight straight and have scored in double digits just twice this year, but Angelone said they bring challenges."We told these guys not to take them lightly in any sense of the word. They've played a couple teams very, very tough this year," he said. "They played Otsego to a 20-19 ball game earlier in the year, which speaks to the fact they are definitely capable of playing at a higher level than they probably felt they've been playing at for the last couple weeks. And they've also done a great job of trying to stay in games, maintaining offense."But he said he feels his Redmen are up to the task, especially since they'll probably break out some new looks for the season finale."We definitely got some things up our sleeves this week, with it being the last week," he said. "We have an unlimited playbook this week, so to say, with the fact we don't have anything left to save. We're going to pull out all of our stops and go to a couple formations we haven't shown anybody yet and see how we fare." Lakota at WoodmoreRecords: Lakota 2-7, 1-4 Sandusky Bay Conference River Division; Woodmore 4-4, 1-4 Sandusky Bay Conference River Division.Last year: Lakota won 36-0.Outlook: Lakota heads to Woodmore for the regular-season finale, facing a team looking to extend its season.A non-league foe canceled a game against the Wildcats, leaving them with just nine regular-season contests this year. A win Friday guarantees a spot in next week's Division VI playoffs for Woodmore."Woodmore is a very physical team that is very run-dominant but they can throw the ball, as well," Lakota coach Ryan Lozier said. "Their defensive guys fly around and play hard, and they're going to have a chip on their shoulder because they're playing for a playoff spot."The visiting Raiders will face a run-first offense spearheaded by Landon Rich, who leads the SBC River Division in rushing yards (1,324) and is second in rushing touchdowns (14).Calvin Lipstraw has thrown for 546 yards and three TDs, with each score going to a different receiver — Michael Seeger (11-143), Wesley Kayser (10-145) and Robert Seeger (6-129). Michael Seeger has also run for 198 yards and three touchdowns.The defense features Rich (43), Cole Potridge (39), Michael Seeger (37), Karter Walper (37) and Bailey Jendrzejak (30), each with at least 30 tackles.While Lakota's season ends Friday, Lozier said his Raiders are approaching this week's game like any other."I remind them every day that we're still here to win football games on Friday nights. We signed up for a 10-week commitment and that's what we're going to do," he said. "It's a lot easier to go into that winter offseason on a win than waiting again until next August to play again after a loss."We're going to continue to work on our stuff to continue to get better at what we're doing, because we bring a lot back next year so I want to continue to improve what we have and what we're working towards," Lozier said. Carey at BucyrusRecords: Carey 4-5, 4-2 Northern 10 Athletic Conference; Bucyrus, 0-9, 0-6 Northern 10 Athletic Conference.Last year: Carey won 63-0.Outlook: Carey saw its hopes of a fourth-straight conference title dashed last week, but the playoff-bound Blue Devils won't lament the loss.Preparation for Week 10 will be just like any other, coach Jonathon Mershman said."We're in, but our goal right now is to get to 5-5 and end the regular season on a high note," he said."Our focus is on us: How can we get better? How can we make sure we're ready for these games coming up? Our focus is on ourselves and how we get better," he said. "It doesn't matter who we play, we want to focus on ourselves and how we can make ourselves better, and then get to the best version of ourselves before we make a run into the playoffs."The latest chance for the Blue Devils to better themselves comes against Bucyrus.Despite riding a 20-game losing streak, Mershman said the Redmen are far from weak. They opened the season with a pair of one-score losses, have strung together drives against some of the N10's better teams and sometimes utilize a no-huddle attack to put pressure on opponents."They come out of the gate hot and ready to go. They play really tough," Mershman said. "They have some weapons and if you're not playing sound football and ready to go, they're going to show you some of your weaknesses."Demaris Munn-Page leads the offense with 553 yards and four touchdowns on the ground to go with 22 catches for 233 yards and two more scores. He's also returned a kickoff for a TD.Christian Neal has 33 receptions for 375 yards and a TD, and quarterback Dylan Coppler has thrown for 834 yards and four scores and run for 125 yards and two more touchdowns.Hayden Butcher's 99 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks top the Redmen.Jake Green (83 tackles, 5 ½ TFL), Coppler (61 tackles), Munn-Page (4 ½ TFL), Wyatt Makeever (4 TFL) and Neal (4 interceptions) also figure into the Bucyrus defense. Clyde at NorwalkRecords: Clyde 6-2, 1-2 Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division; Norwalk 2-7, 0-3.Last year: Clyde, 45-14.Outlook: Clyde got back to its winning ways last week, topping a tough Huron team, 20-7. The Fliers entered after a heartbreaking loss to Sandusky on the final play of the game the week before."I really liked the way we responded at half in our Huron game," Clyde coach Ryan Carter said. "We did not play a clean first half, but made some adjustments at half and the kids really responded in the second half."It was a break from playing league games for Clyde. The Tigers are in the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division and can win a share of that league title this week with a win over Edison. It was almost like a playoff game for both teams."Playing a team like Huron at any point makes you better," Carter said. "They play the game the correct way and they are always well-coached and play hard. Playing them late really gives you that playoff feeling and really preps you for the postseason."Brennan Wilson scored two touchdowns on the ground for Clyde while Mason Flewelling ran one in against Huron. For the season, Wilson has completed 79-of-115 passes for 1,027 yards and nine touchdowns while Adam Young leads the ground game with 119 carries for 614 yards and seven scores."We are very beat up right now," Carter said. "We had three starters out versus Huron and a few more this week versus Norwalk. But that is football in week 9 and 10. We expect younger kids to step up and fill those roles. We do about the same week preparations no matter the time of year."Norwalk started 2-1, but has lost its last six games including four-straight by shutout. The Truckers scored some points last week to break up the scoreless drought, but lost to Tiffin Columbian, 47-20."We need to get lined up and play fast," said Carter of facing the Truckers. "You always need to know where (Rutgers commit) Ben Rothhaar is. "He is a very talented player and can score from anywhere on the field.""We need to end our season going forward. No steps back. Play our game and no matter who plays for us and who does not play for us, we need to improve." Bellevue at VermilionRecords: Bellevue 2-7, 0-3 Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division; Vermilion 7-2, 2-1.Last year: Bellevue, 20-0.Outlook: Bellevue has the slimmest glimmer of hope to make the postseason, but the first thing the Redmen have to do is beat a Vermilion team that has one of the best turn-arounds in the state.The Sailors won seven total games over the past four seasons combined, but have matched that total already this season.Bellevue enters the week 21st in the Division IV, Region 14 standings, more than three full points behind the cutoff of the top-16 that make the playoffs. The Redmen need a win over Vermilion and major help from multiple teams to have a chance to get in the playoffs.Bellevue has struggled throughout the season. Ike Brown has completed just 82-of-103 passes for 919 yards with four touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He is also the team's leading rusher with 191 carries for 695 yards and nine TDs.Vermilion is led by its running game. The Sailors have racked up 326 rushes for 2,167 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. The top individual is quarterback Aaron Mathis, who has 94 attempts for 687 yards and 15 scores while Evan Kuhns has tallied 94 attempts for 651 yards and five TDs.In last week's 17-0 loss to Edison, Vermilion gained just 111 yards of total offense including 60 on the ground. Buckeye Central at Upper SanduskyRecords: Buckeye Central: 2-7, 1-5 N10; Upper Sandusky: 4-5, 3-3 N10Last year: Upper Sandusky, 48-42 Outlook: Playoff hopes are still alive for Buckeye Central as they head into week 10, but they are against a tough opponent as well. "We are treating this as a playoff game," said BC coach Jordan Phillips. "If we win, we have a great shot at playing in the playoffs next week. We are excited about playing a meaningful game in Week 10. We feel like we are playing the best football we have played all season." Buckeye Central will be up again Justin Heilman, who is third in the league for passing yards. He is 119 of 197 for a total of 1,393 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. For rushing, Upper Sandusky has Ethan Lewis, who has 137 carries 708 yards and five touchdowns. Lewis is leading the N10 currently in tackles with 146."Upper is a very good team," said Phillips. "They beat the first place team in the league and have been competitive with all of the great teams that play in this league. We are going to have to limit explosive plays on defense by tackling well in space and being aligned correctly to prevent their ability to get guys the ball on the run. Offensively we need to sustain drives and finish blocks." Upper Sandusky knows that is is also coming up against some challenges against the Bucks though. According to coach Russell Hall "Buckeye Central has two of the top 10 receiving leaders in the conference." The leading receivers that worry the Rams defense is Caydin Jarvis, who has 16 grabs for 360 yards, 45 yards per game and four touchdowns, along with Alec Phillips, who has 33 catches for 375 yards, 42 yards per game and four touchdowns. Jack Phillips, who is the quarterback, ia 102 for 108 passing for a total of 1,032 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, and his rushing is currently 671 yards with another four touchdowns."Focus on the things you can control. The most important game on the schedule is next week, and the most important play is the next play. You cannot worry about what you cannot control, but you can control your focus, effort and execution," Hall said. "We are improving as a team. We are moving the ball well, but we need to work on finishing drives, and execute on both sides of the ball to limit mistakes, as well as limiting stall out drives."