Crestview Knights take on the 4-time defending state champions.

The Crestview Knights varsity football opened their 2025 home schedule against the toughest team in the entire state of Ohio.

The Marion Local Flyers.

The Flyers came in on a 65-game winning streak, and have won 4 straight football state championships.

The Knights came in 1-0 after defeating rival Parkway, 62-41.

Crestview received the opening kickoff, and got a nice return by #2 Braxton Leeth. That would be as good as it got for the Knights on the opening drive.

A miscommunication on 3rd down, led to a 5-yard loss. That was immediately followed by a bad snap, causing Marion Local to take over at the 23-yard line.

The Flyers scored a touchdown on the 1st play, with a 23-yard run by #20 Ben Meier, to take a fast 7-0 lead.

The following possession, Knights QB #Huxley Grose would get a nice scramble for a first down. The Flyers would stop Leeth for a 1-yard loss on 3rd and 3.

Knights head coach Cole Harding would go for it on 4th down, but the Flyers broke up the pass.

The Flyers would score on the 2nd play of their 2nd drive, and that would be a theme for the night, to make it 14-0.

On the very 1st play of the Knights 3rd drive, QB Huxley Grose would throw his 1st of 3 interceptions of the game. The Flyers would quickly score their 3rd touchdown in 3 drives.

Marion Local would have a bad snap on the PAT, but they managed to get to the edge and actually convert it, into a successful 2-point conversion.

Crestview would go for it on another 4th down play, and covert with a nice pass from Grose to #7 TE Liam Putman.

The 1st quarter would end with the Flyers up 22-0.

Marion Local would score again to make it 29-0 in the 2nd quarter.

Knights #28 Conner Hammons would get an interception, but it would be a 3 and out.

The Flyers would score back-to-back touchdowns, and it would be a massive 43-0 halftime lead.

The officials would go to a running clock for the 2nd half of the game. It wouldn’t get any better for the Crestview Knights.

Knights TE Liam Putman would be hurt of the 1st play of the 2nd half. Thankfully, he was able to the sideline under his own power. He would not return to the game.

Another Flyers touchdown, thanks to some bad tackling attempts makes it 49-0.

A holding penalty would move the Knights back. Leeth with a 9 yard run to make it 3rd and 9. Marion Local would get the sack forcing another Knights punt.

Knights DL #57 Aiden Helt would get a big sack on 3rd down to force a Flyers punt.

Marion Local would down the punt at the 4-yard line. The Knights would fumble the ball shortly afterwards, and the Flyers would return it to the 1-yard line. Another Flyers touchdown would make it 56-0 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

The Flyers would get 1 more touchdown on this night, to get a 63-0 win over the Knights.

Marion Local has now won 66 games in a row. It’s their 50th straight regular season win.

The Flyers last lost a regular season game, way back on October 18th, 2019, to the Minster Wildcats.

Knights QB Huxley Grose finished 3 of 10, for 20 yards, and 3 INTs.
HB Braxton Leetch had 24 carries, for 79 hard earned yards.
DB Braxtyn Couts led the team with 6 tackles.

Flyers QB Brennen Hess finished 4 of 6, for 96 yards, with 2 TDs and 1 INT.
HB Ben Meier had 8 carries, for 110 yards, and 3 TDs.

I spoke with Crestview head coach Cole Harting after the game.

I asked Coach Harting, what are some positives that he and the team could take out of this home opening loss?

“You know, our kids played hard. I thought we did some good things on offense. Defense is still coming along. We missed some tackles. We knew how good this team was coming in and it showed. We still got a way to go, to get to that point.”

I asked him if he had any update on injuries to Braxton Leeth and Liam Putman.

“Yeah, I mean we didn’t want them to take any more extra hits, so we pulled them a bit early. They are our bellcows and we wanted to get them a little bit of extra rest. Nothing to really worry about.”

Prayers for them.

The Crestview Knights (1-1) take on rival Wayne Trace Raiders (0-2) next Friday night, at 7:00 PM (EST) at Wayne Trace High School.

– by Sean McKenize.

Follow me on X (Twitter) @JoeAmerican6771.

2 pictures courtesy of…..Richardson Photograpy.

Stats courtesy of…..Chris Lutz.