They are the only team with two, Top 25 wins so far this season. If a Power 4 school had won at Boise State and at Florida, in back-to-back weeks, the mainstream sports media would be heaping praise on them.
Since they weren’t “ranked” before the season started, they’re being ignored, and given a “courtesy ranking” by the clowns at ESPN and the AP.
I omitted the Texas Longhorns, because their offense is struggling. Yes, Arch Manning threw for 4 TD’s, but 3 of those were on busted coverages and most of his passes, were under 4 yards.
BOLO – Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas A&M Aggies, and Vanderbilt Commodores.
Week 2 of the college football season has come and gone.
While it was chalk for most of the games, there were a few good games and some upsets.
The University of Findlay Oilers (Division 3) upset #17 University of Indianapolis Greyhounds, 38-35. (Fan hat on) Congratulations to Head Coach Kory Allen and the Oilers. Go Oilers!!! (Fan hat off)
#18 Oklahoma beat #15 Michigan 24-13.
#11 Illinois woke up in the 2nd half to be Duke 45-19.
#8 Clemson didn’t even get off the bus until halftime. They were down 16-0 at halftime, before coming back to win 27-16.
The CyHawk Trophy game down to a 50+ yard field goal for the 2nd straight year; and again, it was the #16 Iowa State Cyclones coming away with the victory, 16-13 over the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Without further ado, here are your Week 2 college football helmet stickers.
1) University of South Florida Bulls.
Coming off a big win against (then ranked #25) Boise State, for the 2nd straight week, the Bulls were on the road in a hostile environment. AND once again, they pull off the upset. Beating the #13 Florida Gators, in Gainsville, 18-16.
QB Byrum Browns went 23 of 36, for 263 yards, and 1 TD, but it was the kicking game that showed out for the win.
Kicker Nico Gramatica hit FG’s of 38, 25, and the game winner of 20 yards, with no time left on the clock.
2) Julin Sayin, Quarterback, Ohio State.
After outplaying the overhyped Arch Manning in Week 1, the sophomore followed it up going 18 of 19, for 306 yards, with 4 TDs and 1 INT.
He showed off his accuracy, ball placement, ability to adjust presnap, and ability to scan and read the defense.
He’s stepping in and showing that the spotlight and expectations are not too much for him.
3) Jadon Pearson, Linebacker, Fresno State.
I watched quite a bit of this game on the CW Network, and Pearson was absolutely everywhere. In the backfield, getting sideline to sideline in a flash, making tackles downfield, filling the gap on blitz packages, he did it all against Oregon State.
Finishing the game with a big 16 tackles, many on third downs to get the Beaver offense off the field.
Who would you give a helmet sticker to? Drop a comment.
Nothing says small town Americana like a high school, Friday Night football game, on a cool, crisp, fall evening.
It was military appreciation night as, the Crestview Knights took the short trip to Haviland, Ohio to take on the Wayne Trace Raiders.
This was the 2nd rivalry game in 3 weeks for the Knights.
It would be a fast start for the Knights in the first quarter, as HB Braxton Leeth take it to the house on a 78-yard touchdown run every early.
Wayne Trace would control the clock in the first quarter but not get on the board.
Leeth would once again, get into the endzone with a 53-yard run, on a 3rd and 5.
The senior running back would finish the game with 13 carries, for 233 yards, and 4 TDs (78, 53, 15, 34).
The 2nd quarter would continue to be a friendly one for the Knights, as WR/DB Hayden Perrott would score two touchdowns.
The first was a 48-yard pass from QB Huxley Grose to make it a 21-0.
He’d follow that right up with a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown, to give the Knights a 28-0 lead.
The Knights defense held strong for most of the first half.
The Wayne Trace Raiders would finally get on the board with 36.2 seconds left in the half, when Clay Stoller took it in from 5 yards out.
The Knights went into the locker room with a 28-7 at the half.
TE Liam Putman had a big 24-yard catch in the first drive of the 3rd quarter, which was finished off by Leeth’s 3rd touchdown of the night. The PAT was no good, so it was a 34-7 game.
The following drive, it was once again, Grose to Putman for 24 yards. Grose was sacked on a first down, to make it a 2nd and 19. What do you do?
You just hand it off to #2 and watch him bounce it outside and run for a 39-yard touchdown (his 4th and final one of the night).
The score was now 41-7 Knights, and the running clock went into effect.
The Raiders would get into the endzone three times in the 3rd and 4th quarters, as the backups from Crestview were now playing, to make it a bit more of a respectable final score of 41-20.
The Knights have beaten the Raiders, 11 straight seasons now.
The Crestview Knights (2-1) open up NWC play, next Friday Night, at home, against the Fort Loramie Redskins (1-2). Game starts at 7:00 PM (EST).
Week 2 of the college football season is here. While we all know that most of the games this week are “money games”, there are still a few games, that have serious meaning for not just the upcoming season, but potentially, for the college football playoff picture.
So here are the 3 most important games to watch this weekend.
1)#11 Illinois Fighting Illini at Duke Blue Devils. Game starts at Noon (EST) on ESPN.
The Fighting Illini are highly ranked and return their best players in starting quarterback Luke Altmeyer, and linebacker Gabe Jacas. Both performed well in their Week 1 win over WIU.
They need junior running back Aidan Laughery to have another 100-yard game, and keep the Duke offense, off the field.
Illinois is a popular “sleeper team” in the Big Ten. They must win games these non-conference games, as their conference schedule starts off tough.
Blue Devils starting quarterback Darian Mensah transferred in from Tulane and made a big impact in Week 1. The sophomore went 27 of 34, for 389 yards, with 3 TDs and 0 INTs. He’ll need to keep that momentum going, because the run game is lacking.
Prediction – Illinois wins 35-28.
2) #15 Michigan Wolverines at #18 Oklahoma Sooners. Games starts at 7:30 PM (EST) on ABC.
This is only the 2nd time these two rich and storied programs have ever met.
This game is all about the tale of two different quarterbacks.
Michigan is starting a true freshman in Bryce Underwood in his first “true road test”. He looked OK, in his first start last week, going 21 of 31, for 251 yards, with 1 TD.
Oklahoma is trotting out a veteran transfer in junior John Mateer. He looked great in his Sooner debut, going 30 of 37, for 392 yards, with 3 TDs and 1 INT.
Both teams need this win, to break the absolute stink of last season off their skins.
I think homefield and crowd noise is going to play a big part early in this game. It’s hard to play on the road in college football, and Norman is going to be rocking.
Prediction – Oklahoma wins 28-17.
3) Iowa Hawkeyes at #16 Iowa State Cyclones. Game starts at Noon (EST) on FOX.
Nothing like an early season rivalry game to get the juices flowing.
The Cy-Hawk Trophy Game was started in 1977 by fans, after these two football teams didn’t play for 43 years.
It is one of my favorite rivalry games and trophies.
We all know that the Iowa Hawkeyes seem to be allergic to the passing game. They really on defense and running the football. They ran for 310 total yards in their Week 1 victory, and will absolutely need to do the same thing again. Their defense is always gap sound, and they don’t miss tackles. Senior kicker Drew Stevens nailed a 55-yarder last week, and that’s a great weapon to have.
Iowa State is led by redshirt junior Rocco Becht. He’s a three-year starter for the Cyclones. He’s a gritty and tough quarterback, who has proven he knows how to win big games. Through two games this season, he’s gone 33 of 48, for 461 yards, and 5 TDs and 0 INTs.
Iowa leads the series 47-24, but Iowa State won the trophy last year in a gritty 20-19 game. The Cyclones have won 2 of the last 3 games.
Prediction – Cyclones make it 2 straight wins with a 27-24 victory.
– by Sean McKenzie
Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN and NCAA.
Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, profootballnetwork, clutchpoints, and sportsgrid.
The 2025-26 NFL season is finally upon us. It was an off-season of holdouts, especially at the wide receiver position. Khalil Shakir (BUF), Rashod Bateman (BAL), Courtland Sutton (DEN), Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (CIN), and Terry McLaurin (WASH), all got contract extensions.
Most recently, the biggest off-season move was made when the Dallas Cowboys traded star DE/OLB Micah Parson to the Green Bay Packers for two 1st round picks and DT Kenny Clark.
It was a top heavy draft, with the Cleveland Browns making a surprise move. Trading the #2 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the #5 pick and their 1st round pick next season.
The Jaguars took CB/WR Travis Hunter from Colorado, and the Browns ended up taking DT Mason Graham from Michigan (see previous article on my thoughts on this trade and pick).
With so much movement in the offseason, here are my 3 bold predictions for the season.
1) New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll will be fired during the season.
Daboll has a 19-33-1 career record through his first three seasons as a head coach. He does have a veteran quarterback in Russell Wilson, and rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has looked good through camp and preseason.
The early season schedule is tough. Opening with games at Washington, at Dallas, home against Kansas City, and home against Los Angelos Chargers, all in the first four games of the season. He cannot afford to start 0-4, or even 1-3.
They get the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles on Weeks 8 and 10. I can easily see them being 0-8, and he gets the boot midseason.
2) Trevor Lawrence will throw for over 4,000 yards this season.
Lawrence only played in 10 games last season. With two 1st round draft picks at the wide receiver position in second year wideout Brian Thomas Jr (87 catches, 1,282 yards, and 10 TDs), and Heisman Trophy winner, rookie Travis Hunter (171 catches, 2,167 yards, and 24 TDs, in 2 seasons at Colorado).
New offensive coordinator Liam Coen had Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield in the Top 3 last season. I fully expect him to scheme up ways to make Trevor successful this season.
3) Both Browns rookie players DT Mason Graham and LB Carson Schwesinger will finish in the Top 5 for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Browns defense under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is stout. Of course, with former DPOTY Myles Garrett commanding double and triple teams, this will leave Mason Graham with 1 on 1 matchups against interior lineman. With his aggression, strong hands, and agility, he’ll win those matchups consistently.
With Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah out this season with a possible career ending neck injury (news I broke first before Mary Kay or ESPN), Carson Schwesinger has the speed to run sideline to sideline, and has incredible instincts to sniff out the football.
With Garrett and Graham rushing the passer, and CB Denzel Ward locking down one half of the field, Carson will make double digit tackles every single game.
Write it down. Bookmark it. My 3 bold predictions.
Week 1 of the college football season has come to an end. Except for the UNC vs TCU game tonight.
Ohio State made Paul Finnebaum look like the clueless jackwang that he really is. Defeating Texas 14-7.
Unranked Florida State coming off a two-win season, upset an obviously over-rated #8 Alabama 31-17.
#9 LSU went into Death Valley and defeated #4 Clemson 17-10.
#17 Kansas State BARELY avoided starting the season 0-2, defeating FCS North Dakota 38-35.
The Arch Manning hype train proved to be what I said it was months ago. I did not, and do not believe he’s even a Top 5 college football quarterback right now.
My Upset special for Week 1 did not come through, as the Toldeo Rockets fell to the Kentucky Wildcats 24-16.
So, without further ado, here are my helmet sticks for Week 1.
1) Florida State Seminoles.
Coming off one of the worst seasons in program history. They went out and got another transfer quarterback from the portal. Tommy Castellanos had a history with new offensive Gus Malzahn; and they used it to pull off the upset of the season (as of now).
2) Isaiah Chisom, Linebacker, UCLA.
The linebacker transferred from Oregon State to UCLA and had a whopping 17 tackles for the Bruins, in a 43-10 thumping at the hands of the Utah Utes. He was all over the field. The lone bright spot for a Bruins team that had so much hype around their new incoming quarterback.
3) Eddie Lee Marburger, QB, UT Rio Grande Valley.
The transfer quarterback from UTSA, went 18 of 19, for 365 yards, with 5 TDs and 0 INTs. That’s a 94.7% completion percentage and a QBR of 343.0.
Week 2 of the college football season begins on Thursday night at 6:00 PM (EST), with 5 different division 2 or division 3 games.
– by Sean McKenzie
Stats and scores courtesy of…..NCAA.
Pictures courtesy of…..wallpapercave, uclabruins, and goutrgv.
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.
Coach Gregory and the Lady Knights once again were back at The Ray with a tough matchup against the Coldwater Cavaliers. Whoever made the schedule, certainly made the home openers of the season tough, as Coldwater are the defending state champions.
It was a nice turnout at The Ray, as over 100 Crestview and Coldwater students, parents, and fans showed up to cheer on the young ladies (by my hand count). It’s been a pleasant surprise to see how much the community supports all the Crestivew Knights athletic teams.
Crestview got the first point of the game in a competitive first set, before falling 25-20.
The Lady Cavaliers got off to a fast start in the second set, forcing Crestview timeouts with the Lady Knights down 11-5 and 16-12. The Lady Knights had a small rally forcing Coldwater to take a timeout up 20-16.
The Cavaliers rallied back, forcing Coach Gregory to use a timeout, down 23-16, before the Coldwater won the second set 25-19.
Once again, the Lady Cavaliers started the third set fast, jumping out to a dominate 20-9 lead. The Lady Knights stormed back, scoring six of the next eight points, forcing a Coldwater timeout, up 22-15.
It was just not to be again on this night, as the Lady Knights would fall 25-18, losing the match in straight sets.
The Lady Knights were led by senior Lillie Best who went 9/10 serving with 2 aces, as well as 7 kills.
Freshmen Nora Perkins got a lot of playing time, and played well, going 9/9 on serves and had 7 assists.
Junior Kaci Gregory led the team with a whooping 16 digs. She was diving and flying around all over the floor. It’s fun to watch her play.
Senior Haley McCoy had 4 kills and 2 blocks.
Senior Emily Lichtle had 12 assists and is the most vocal player on the floor, so far this season.
Crestview JV Lady Knights fell in straight set as well (25-11 and 25-20).
The Lady Knights (1-2) travel north on US-49 to take on the Antwerp Archers (1-5) on Thursday afternoon. JV kicks it all off at 5:30 PM at the Antwerp high school gym.
Coach Gregory was unavailable for a post-match interview.
– by Sean McKenzie
Stats courtesy of……Crestview Head Coach Tammy Gregory.
The Crestview Knights varsity team started the 2025 high school football season against rival Parkway, with a big 62-41 to beat the Panthers for the 5th straight season.
From the opening drive, it was the Braxton Leeth show in Rockford, Ohio.
The 6’0″, 185 lbs HB/DB, ran by, ran around, and ran through, the Panthers defense, for new school records of 408 yards rushing and scored 7 touchdowns.
He continues to display the power to break through arms tackles, and the speed to take it to the house from anywhere on the field.
I spoke to Knights Varsity Head Coach Cole Harting today.
“Defensively we missed some tackles, so we gotta clean that up. We had a few penalties, which isn’t too bad for a first game. We got some things to work on in practice and get ready for next week.”
The Knights (1-0) varsity football team will play the 4-time defending state champion Marion Local Flyers (1-0), at home, next Friday night at 7:00 PM.
On Saturday morning, the Crestview Knights JV team hosted the Parkway Panthers.
The Panthers started the game on offense. The Knights got a big sack on the third play of the game, forcing a punt. Crestview offense stalled out, after long completion from quarterback #9 Cooper Miller to wide receiver #11 Logan Matson.
Knights TE/DL #84 Beckham Putman would put Crestview on the board first, with a scoop and score fumble recovery (2 pt attempt failed).
The Knights struggled in the first quarter with penalties. They had three offsides calls against them, including one that gave the Panthers a first down.
In the second quarter, the Knights would get back on the board when an bad snap sailed high. RB/LB #25 Noah Mosier would scoop and score, for the defense to get their second touchdown of the half. (The 2 pt attempt would be successful), to make it a 14-0 game. Crestview would take that lead into halftime.
The Knights would start the second half on offense HB/LB #32 Trenton Osborn slashed and gashed his way to a big run on the first play. On fourth down the Knights would commit another penalty. Illegal motion on 4th and 8. Parkway would get the stop on the next play.
Knights QB #9 Cooper Miller was shaken up on a big hit the following drive and would be done for the rest of the game.
Parkway would finally get on the scoreboard with a touchdown pass (2 pt attempt failed), to make it a 14-6 game in the 3rd quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Knights would attempt a fake punt on a fourth down, which the Panthers snuffed out easily.
The Knights would force a fumble (I missed the number), on a fourth down attempt by Parkway.
Crestview would finish the scoring for the day, with a trick play touchdown. Knights HB/LB Noah Mosier would score again. Breaking a tackle and taking it the house (2 pt attempt successful), making it a 22-6 game.
It was a sloppy game by the Knights. They struggled with penalties, and QB Cooper Miller threw 2 interceptions before leaving the game with injury.
The Knights JV team (1-0) will travel down 49-S to take on the Fort Recovery Indians (unknown at press time), next Saturday morning at 10:00 AM.
– by Sean McKenzie
First 3 photos courtesy of…..Wyatt Photograhy.
Number information courtesy of…..Crestview head coach Cole Hardesty media packet.
The Crestview Lady Knights opened their 2025 season at home against the New Bremen Cardinals.
Two programs that are no strangers to state championships and deep playoff runs.
Both teams also starting a lot of underclassmen on their varsity teams.
The Cardinals only have two seniors, in #4 Mary Rindler and #9 Allie Bornhorst with 9 girls either freshmen or sophomores.
The Lady Knights only sport three seniors, #7 Emily Lichtle, #10 Lillie Best, and #21 Haley McCoy, with 7 girls being underclassmen.
The Lady Knights lost the 1st set 25-19 to the visitors. Coach Gregory called a timeout in the 2nd set trailing 10-3. It got some momentum for the home team started.
Both teams played a long volley back and forth in the 2nd set, which was won by Crestview to make it a 15-11 game. That would be the best for them in that set, as they eventually lost 25-16.
Down 2 sets to 0, the Lady Knights were hoping to recapture some of the magic they displayed against the Paulding Panthers on Tuesday. They went down 2-0, then came back to win 3 straight sets to bring home the victory.
The Cardinals weren’t going to make it easy on them, scoring the first 5 points of the set, before Crestview got on the board, and took 3 straight points in return.
The Knights student section was up and loud, cheering on the Lady Knights in the 3rd set.
It just wasn’t meant to be for the young Lady Knights on this night. Every time they got a bit of momentum, the Cardinals were quick to shut it down.
They fell in the 3rd and final set 25-17.
The Knights were led by #3 Kaci Gregory, who finished the game with 14/16 serving with 3 aces, as well as 8 digs and 6 kills.
I first caught up with New Bremen Cardinals head coach Diana Kramer.
It was the 2nd straight road win for the Cardinals; I asked her how she feels about the early season road wins and some positives coming out of it.
“We’re in the gym a lot. There’s a lot of inexperience, a lot of young girls here. You got to trust your preparation and trust what you got to do in moments like this. The blockers did a good job controlling the net, which frustrated their hitters. I felt like outside of only one or two rotations; we were in control of most of the match.”
She praised Coach Gregory, “With a great coach like Tammy on the sidelines, you have to bring your best.”
I spoke to Knights head coach Tammy Gregory shortly after the game, as well.
I asked her what were some positives the team could take away from the loss?
“Having good teams like this come here and compete is only going to teach our younger girls. We would get down, and we had to fight much harder to come back, because we were always down like five points. We had to waste a lot of energy to come back from that.”
I brought up that there seemed to be a lot of miscommunications during the game.
“We did just talk about that. I think we’ll have to take that with a more serious practice.”
The Lady Knights (1-1) are back in action at home against the Coldwater Cavaliers, on Tuesday August 26th, at 7:00 PM.
– by Sean McKenzie
Stats courtesy of…..Crestview head coach Tammy Gregory.
allsportsfan 