Tag: high school football

Knights Get a Big Win on Homecoming.

Homecoming is a week full of fun and celebration. The schools have spirit week. Where each day the kids dress up in a different theme. There’s a parade through town, where kids ride in trucks and in flatbeds, and fire departments from around the area get to play with their lights and sirens.

It’s also a week where alumni return to school, to talk about “the good old days” and reconnect with their alma mater. As well as see and talk to people that they haven’t seen in a while, as they get lost in the shuffle of life.

It all cumulates on a cool, slightly breezy, fall Friday evening, I was surrounded by mothers taking pictures on their phones, as a new king and queen were crowned, in a ceremony before a big conference football game.

Brentyn Rodriguez and Ellie Ward were voted king and queen for 2025.

After all the pomp and circumstance, and pregame activities, run by Coach Dylan Hicks, it was time to get down to the business at hand.

The #14 Crestview Knights needed a win to keep their slim hopes of a playoff berth alive, against the #22 Spencerville Bearcats, in a very tough Division 6, Region 22.

On the first play of the game, HB Braxton Leeth ran the ball for 24 yards to keep the crowd cheering loudly. QB Huxley Grose hit TE Liam Putman on a shovel pass, that went to the 1-yard line. Spencerville defense held strong and stopped Leeth for a loss of 3 yards.

On third down, the Bearcats held strong again, and dropped Leeth for 2 yards. It was now fourth and goal from the 6-yard line. Crestview head coach called his first timeout of the game with 8:24 left in the first quarter.

Instead of attempting a field goal, the Knights went for it. QB Huxley Grose dropped back to pass, but there was nothing open. He scrambled around the left side, and took it into the endzone for the first touchdown of the game.

The PAT was no good. The Knights had a 6-0 lead early.

The Crestview defense had a good first series, as DE Will Sheets had a TFL on second down, to force a third and long for the Bearcats. DB Cash Hammons (more on him later) got the interception on the pass in great field position.

Leeth had a 12-yard catch from Grose on first down. He’d hit WR Hammons for 8 yards, and then Leeth would take it in for a 3-yard touchdown run. A bad snap (something the Knights have struggled with all season), led to another missed PAT, making it a 12-0 Crestview lead, with 6:07 left in the first quarter. That would be the last score of the first.

The Bearcats would not go quietly, as they proceeded to eat away at the clock. Runs of 5, 4, 3, 8, 4, and 4 just tired out the Knights and defense. They’d get a 10-yard run on a very nice QB scramble by Grady Smith. They’d finally get on the board, on a beautiful play action fake, and a wide-open touchdown. PAT was good, to make it a 12-7 Knights lead.

Knights TE Liam Putman would return the squib kick for 30 yards. He’d drop a pass from Grose on first down, and Crestview would end up turning to the ball over on downs, after another missed connection by Grose and Putman.

Once again, the Bearcats would just march the ball down the field. Runs of 12, 2, 2, 13, 9, and 15 yards, would force Knights head coach Cole Harting to call another timeout with 4:01 left in the half, as the defense was completely gassed. A Knights facemask penalty would setup a Bearcats touchdown on a QB sneak. PAT was good and Spencerville had a 14-12 lead with 2:15 left in the first half.

It would be a VERY SHORT lead for the Bearcats, as Knights WR/DB/K Hayden Perrott took the ensuing kickoff up the middle, before cutting to the right, and breaking tackles, all the way to the endzone for an 85-yard touchdown, to get the crowd back into the game.

The Knights would go for the two-point attempt, and it would be no good. Crestview would take an 18-14 lead into the locker room, as the Bearcats couldn’t do anything before the half.

Spencerville would receive the kickoff, and it was the same old story. Run the ball and wear the defense out. Runs of 1, 28, and 12 yards, before another Knights penalty (encroachment) would help them even more. They’d score on an 8-yard run. PAT was no good, but the Bearcats had the lead again, 20-18 with 10:06 left in the third.

The Knights were backed up after the kickoff, but Leeth would take over the drive. Runs of 27 yards, 13 yards, 8 yards, a Bearcat penalty (encroachment), would all lead to a 23-yard touchdown run by Leeth. The 2-point attempt was successful.

Crestview regained the lead 26-20 with 7:07 left in the third quarter. That would be it for the quarter. A bone-headed unnecessary roughness penalty by Crestview, was the only real highlight after the score.

Leeth had runs of 6 and 3, before a Spencerville penalty (encroachment). Leeth would continue to run, and ultimately score from 6 yards out. PAT was good, giving the Knights a 33-20 lead with 11:55 left in the game.

The Bearcats got stuffed on the ensuing kickoff, getting tackled at the 15-yard line. Spencerville runs of 8, 17, 2, 3, and 4 yards, had them quickly down the field. A Bearcat pass of 14 yards took them to the 32-yard line. Knights LB #55 Kale Lichtensteiger had a 3-yard TFL, hoping to stop the momentum.

The Bearcats answered right back the next play with a 14-yard run. The Knights answered that with a 1-yard TFL (missed the number), to bring up a big fourth down and two. Spencerville ran the ball up the gut, to get the first down, on a generous spot, that the side judge was overruled on.

Runs of 7 yards and 10 yards, got the Bearcats into a first and goal from the 6-yard line. Back-to-back runs of 2 yards each made it third and goal. Knights LB #28 Conner Hammons was hurt on the play, but walked off under his own power.

Spencerville scored the next play, with a 2-yard touchdown run. The PAT was good, cutting the lead to 33-27, with 4:46 left in the game.

The Bearcats recovered the ensuing onsides kick, after the Knights special teams, looked scared to go after the ball. There was an almost 5-minute delay of the game, because the officials had another pow-wow, to discuss where the ball should be spotted.

By rule, the ball cannot be advanced by the runner, on an onsides kick. The Bearcats recovered it on the bounce and returned it almost to the 30-yard line. The officials finally did get it right, and moved the ball back to the 41-yard line.

The Bearcats quickly had runs of 1 yard, 3 yards, and 4 yards, to make it fourth and two. A false start penalty, pushed it back 5 more yards, and it was now fourth and seven, from the 38.

Knights WR/DB sophomore Cash Hammons would grab his 2nd INT of the night, and stop the comeback attempt in its’ tracks.

HB Braxton Leeth had a long touchdown run negated by a very controversial holding penalty, that was discussed by the officials for over a minute.

It literally happened right in front of me at the 15-yard line. It was a bad call.

Leeth came back to the huddle, quite unhappy, and proceeded to have an ANGRY ten-yard run on the very next play, where he absolutely TRUCKED a Bearcat defender, and got the Knights sideline jumping around.

The Bearcats called their final two timeouts, after runs of 5 yards, and 11 yards, by Leeth. Crestview would take a knee to run out the clock, and get a big 33-27 win on homecoming,

WR/DB Cash Hammons was the allsportsfan.com Player of the Game.

He had 2 big INTs, that stopped the Bearcat offense dead in their tracks, when they had all the momentum.

HB Braxton Leeth had 23 carries, for 238 yards, and 3 TDs to lead the offense.

I spoke to Crestview Knights Head Coach Cole Harting after the game, about getting this big win after a 2-game losing streak.

“Yeah, I mean coming off our last two weeks, you look at those teams, and they are excellent football teams. It’s definitely good to get back into the win column. Hats off to Spencerville, but our guys made enough plays down the stretch and seal it up.”

I asked coach, about need to get the upset win against LCC next Friday on senior night, at a chance to make the playoffs.

“You know, we just got to play with a little bit more physicality all the time. Right now, it’s coming in spurts. Every single man. We have to play physical, and if we do that, I think we can really be in that game next week.”

I spoke to him about Cash Hammons big game.

“We talked about it all week. We have to stop them on first and second down, and get them into third and long situations. Cash came up with a great play to setup our second touchdown, and another great play to seal the game for us. The really great thing is he’s only a sophomore, and he’s going to continue to learn.”

The Crestview Knights (6-3, 4-2 NWC) play the Lima Central Catholic Thunderbirds (8-1, 5-1 NWC) at home for Senior Night. Game starts a 7:00 PM (EST).

– by Sean McKenzie

Stats courtesy of…..Chris Lutz.

Pictures courtesy of…..Wyatt Photography and myself.

October 18, 2025
Knights Defense Pitches a Shutout, in Conference Win.

It was Military Appreciation Night in Convoy, Ohio, on a warm, early fall evening.

The Crestview Knights took the field, donning special uniforms, after pregame ceremonies thanking local community members, for their service to our great country.

The Delphos Jefferson Wildcats made the short trip west on US-30, looking to pick up their first conference win of the season.

On the first snap of the game, the Wildcats fumbled the football but managed to recover. After picking up a first down, they would get nothing. Jefferson converted a fake punt, but a delay of game penalty and another fumble for an eighteen-yard loss, would stall their opening drive.

The Knights would not convert their own 4th and 4, on their first possession of the game. Knights TE/DE Liam Putman would get his 1st of 7 sacks (new school record) on second down, forcing the Wildcats into a 3rd and 16.

Putman would have 3rd down catches of 11 and 8 yards on the ensuing possession for the Knights.

Crestview would finally get on the board, with a 59-yard touchdown run by quarterback Huxley Grose, at the 1:17 mark of the game of the first quarter. That would be it for the quarter as well.

The Wildcats would once again struggle with the snap. This time on a 4th and 3 punt. The high snap would force the punter into an incomplete pass, giving the Knights the football at the 27-yard line. Crestview wouldn’t do anything with the ball on this drive, and ended up missing a 45 yard field goal attempt.

Another bad snap on 2nd down, making it a 3rd and 9. The Wildcats would convert on a big 48-yard pass, all the way down to the 38-yard line. After a false start penalty, Jefferson would call a timeout, with 8:12 left in the half.

The theme continued, as the 2nd bad snap of the drive, made it 3rd and 35 for Jefferson. Pressure by the Knights defense forced a bad pass, and #0 Hayden Perrott would pick it off, and take the interception back 50 yards for a touchdown. Made it a 14-0 game with 7:00 minutes left.

A Jefferson false start penalty on 2nd down and Crestview would get a sack by #66 OT/DE Will Sheets would end the drive.

Knights #15 WR/DB Braxtyn Couts would get their 2nd interception of the game.

#4 QB Huxley Grose would connect with #15 Braxtyn Couts for a 25-yard touchdown pass. PAT was good, and that would end the scoring for the first half, with the Knights leading 21-0.

Special shoutout to Crestview Knights #13 WR/DB Bowen Ayers, who returned my 50/50 tickets, that fell out of my pocket.

The Knights would lose a yard on the first play of the half, then a holding call would push the ball back to the 17-yard line. They would be forced to punt from deep in their territory.

The Knights would recover a fumble.

#2 HB/DB Braxton Leeth would finally get his first good run of the game, going 13 yards. A Crestview false start would make it 1st and 15 on the 35.

Leeth would pop off back-to-back 18 yard runs and score his first touchdown of the game. PAT good making it 28-0 with 7:55 left in the 3rd.

DEs Liam Putman and Will Sheets would get a big 3rd down sack.

HB Braxton Leeth would run for 9 yards on first down.

QB Huxley Grose would lose 2 yards, making it 3rd and 3 from the 36.

Leeth would run for 37 yards and his 2nd touchdown of the game.

The PAT was good, making it a 35-0 Crestview lead.

That would be the final scoring play of the game.

QB Huxley Grose finished the game 12 of 21, for 102 yards, and 1 TD.

HB Braxton Leeth had 17 carries, for 117 yards, with 2 TDs.

TE Liam Putman had 4 catches, for 32 yards.

Putman also led the team in tackles and sacks with 7, to become the 1st ever allsportsfan.com Player of the Game.

I spoke to Crestview Knights Head Coach Cole Harting on the sideline after the game.

I asked him what were the positives in another conference win?

“I thought our defense played lights out. Liam Putman had five, six, or seven sacks, and that was huge for us. Our defense has struggled at times this season, and to come out and with this type of dominate performance was just amazing to watch. We struggled on offense tonight and our defense picked us up.

I asked him about Liam Putmans’ dominate game, especially his catches on 3rd down. If that was something they worked on in practice this week.

“We always work on third downs, and we really work on our plays, and we really run and focus on those plays. We executed very well tonight on those plays.

The Knights were unstoppable off the edge in the game. Getting pressure on Jefferson all game long and forcing scrambles and not letting him get comfortable. I asked him about the defensive performance off the edge.

“Our guys up front played phenomenal tonight. They made it tough for their quarterback. We didn’t give him time and that led to a couple of interceptions which is pretty awesome.”

The Knights are now 5-1 overall, and 3-0 in the Northwest Conference. They travel to Bluffton next Friday Night to play the Pirates. Game starts at 7:00 PM (EST).

– by Sean McKenzie

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Stats courtesy of…..Chris Lutz.

September 27, 2025
Knights Win a Shootout, in Conference Opener.

It was a warm, late summer evening, with a slight breeze in Convoy, Ohio.

Little children running around with excitement.

The smell of salty, buttery, freshly popped popcorn permeated the air, making your mouth water just a bit.

It was the start of Northwest Conference play. The race for the title has officially begun.

Fort Loramie got the ball first, and couldn’t get anything started, as Knights CB Hayden Perrott got a sack on 3rd down, forcing a punt.

Crestview offense took to the field and struck quickly, as HB Braxton Leeth scored on the very first offensive play from scrimmage. Taking it 42 yards for the touchdown with 10:30 on the clock.

The Redskins would answer back with a 32-yard touchdown from QB Tanner Heckman to Tanner Eilerman. They’d convert a 2-point conversion to make it 8-7.

Knights TE Liam Putman would get a nice return on the kickoff, down to the 41-yard line. Leeth would score another touchdown, this time from 50 yards out. The PAT was no good, making it a 13-8 Knights lead with 6:41 left in the first quarter. That would be the score at the end of 1.

The Knights would get a TFL on first down. Redskins QB Tanner Heckman misses a wide open reciever on 3rd and 12.

Crestview and Fort Loramie would trade stops in the 2nd quarter before the Redskins would score on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Heckman to Hoying. The ensuing 2-point conversion attempt failed. Giving them a 14-13 lead.

Knights HB Braxton Leeth would score his 3rd touchdown of the first half, from 42 yards out. The 2-point attempt was successful, and the Knights took the lead 21-14.

The Redskins would convert a big 3rd and 8 on a 10-yard run with 2:47 left in the 2nd quarter. They’d score on a Ray Hoying 4-yard run, and another successful 2-point conversion, to make it 22-21 with 1:00 minute left in the quarter.

Crestview would again answer very quickly, on a 36-yard run by WR Hayden Perrott with only 0:15 seconds left in the first half. The Knights lined up to go for another 2-point conversion, but a false start penalty, changed head coach Cole Hartings mind. The PAT was good, and it was a 28-22 Knights lead going in at the half.

Knights QB Huxley Grose would complete a quick pass for a first down, before Leeth would score on a 46-yard touchdown run. PAT good, to make it 35-22.

Fort Loramie would respond with an 11-yard pass, and later a big run down to the Crestview 15-yard line. HB Hoying would take it in from 6 yards out for a touchdown. The 2-point conversion succeeded, and they cut lead to 35-30 with 8:43 left in the 3rd quarter.

Grose would hit Perrott for 9 yards on first down. Leeth would pop another big run, down to the 25-yard line, before breaking a tackle in the backfield and scoring his fifth touchdown. This time from 4 yards out. 2-point conversion fails, but it’s now a 41-30 Knights lead with 5:57 on the clock.

Knights DE Will Sheets would get a sack and force a fumble, at the 10-yard line.

Leeth would make it touchdown number 6, from 10-yards out. The PAT was good, to take an 18-point lead. 48-30, with 5:33 left in the 3rd quarter.

The Knights would force a Redskins punt. Crestview would muff the punt, and the Redskins would recover, however, it was negated by an illegal formation penalty.

Fort Loramie would force the Knights into a 4th and 2 from the 37. Coach Harting would go for it, handing it off to Leeth, who took it up the middle for 7 yards and a first down to the 30. QB Grose would hit TE Putman to the 22.

It would be a 48-30 Knights lead heading into the 4th quarter.

The Braxton Leeth show would conclude with his 7th touchdown of the game. A 5-yard run. The PAT would be good, and Crestview would take a 25-point lead 55-30, with 11:05 left in the game.

The Redskins would get on the board, one last time on a 1-yard run by Zander Grillot. The 2-point conversion was good, and that would give us the final score of 55-38.

Knights HB Braxton Leeth finished the night with 24 carries, for a massive 315 yards, with a whopping 7 TDs.

The senior running back has ran for 1,046 yards, on 91 carries, for 16 TDs, and 0 fumbles, in 4 games this season.

I spoke to Crestview Knights head coach Cole Harting after the game.

I asked him how it felt to start conference play with a big win at home.

“You obviously want to start league play 1 and 0. We didn’t want to start behind the eight ball with the rest of the league. It was great to come out here and establish some physicality and run the ball.”

I asked him about maybe leaning too much on Leeth.

“You know, Fort Loramie is a good team, and they can score a bunch of points. He’s our best player and you know, you look at it, he only had 8 carries in the first half, scoring several touchdowns, it’s not really that alarming. We try to mix it up a little bit at any time when need a play, but he’s our go to guy.”

Fort Loramie had success passing the football, using motion in the backfield, and getting open on crossing routes.

“That’s something if you watch on film, that Fort Loramie wanted to go to #81 and #0. They didn’t really focus on throwing to anybody else, so our defense was focused on those guys, and we did a nice job of limiting them. #81 made a couple of nice plays, and #0 did a nice job, but we made them earn it.”

It seemed like DE Will Sheets was always in the backfield when the Knights needed him to be. I talked to Coach Harting about that.

“He’s put on a lot of weight. A lot of good weight. A lot of muscle, and it’s really showing up now on Friday nights. It’s been really awesome to see that transformation as a football player, so we expect big things out of him and he does so, by making timely stops for us on defense.”

The Knights (3-1 overall, 1-0 in the NWC), travel to Harrod, Ohio next Friday night, to take on the Allen East Mustangs (1-3 overall, 0-1 in the NWC). Game starts at 7:00 PM (EST).

Stats and information courtesy of…..Chris Lutz.

September 13, 2025
Knights Take on Raiders, in County Rivalry Game.

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).

– by Sean McKenzie.

Stats courtesy of …..Chris Lutz.

Pictures courtesy of…..Richardson Photography.

September 6, 2025
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.

August 30, 2025
Crestview Knights Varsity and JV Football Wrap-Up.

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.

August 23, 2025
Houses divided in high school football showdown.

Van Wert County, Ohio is a rural county with strong agricultural roots. Only 1% of the counties 410 square miles has been deemed “urban”. The Lincoln Highway Byway is a beautiful driving route, with many land markers and stops along the way. America’s very first free public county library was built here (Brumback Library). The Van Wert County courthouse, built in 1876, is a Gothic and Romanesque architectural marvel. I’ve visited multiple times.

There is strong community support and spirit in the towns that dot the landscape. People greet each other by name. Know your family and help neighbors out in times of need.

There’s only one thing that could divide families, and put friendships on hold for a few hours, and that is high school football.

The two predominate football teams in Van Wert County are the Van Wert Cougars.

and the Crestview Knights.

Parents and children are often related to someone from the other team. Friendships formed from youth sports, church events, pancake breakfasts, and other community events.

So for that brief moment in time, when the helmets are put on. The chin straps are snapped on, and pads start popping, the trash talking starts. On this hot and clear, but beautiful summer evening, the friendly chirping was aplenty.

Knight Pride vs Cougar Pride.

The 2025 football scrimmage game had both teams looking to clean some things up, lingering over from summer practice. Both teams hoping that this would be the start, of a return to the playoffs.

The varsity starters played an entire first half of football.

On the first play, Knights HB Braxton Leeth busted through the middle for a 15-yard run. but it was to be short lived, as the Knights fumbled the football on the very next play.

The Cougars couldn’t capitalize, as the Knights stopped them on a 4th down attempt.

Van Wert QB #15, sophomore Zach Crummey missed a throw, to a wide-open receiver, that would’ve been a touchdown on Van Wert’s fourth offensive drive.

The defenses ruled, and after the first quarter of play, it was a 0-0 game.

Finally, with 1:31 left to play in the half; the Cougars put the first points up on the board, when QB Zach Crummey scored on a quarterback draw from the 1-yard line, on a 3rd and 1.

The lead would be short lived for the visiting Van Wert Cougars as a mere 25 seconds later, the Crestview Knights would tie the game when senior QB #4 Huxley Grose connected on deep pass to senior WR #5 Hayden Perrott, with 1:06 left on the clock.

That would be it for the varsity football teams from both schools. Ending up in a 7-7 tie at the end of the half.

The Knights outgained the Cougars in total yards 162 to 151. Both teams struggled on 3rd downs, going a combined 2 for 11.

Knights QB Huxley Grose finished the half completing 5/9 for 89 yards.

His counterpart Cougars QB Zach Crummey 9/14 for 60 yards.

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

“I thought both teams played really hard. Both offenses were able to move the ball at times. We had a couple penalties here and there, so we got to clean that up. We got to get our snap game a little better, we had some bad snaps, but we should be OK. Braxton had a really nice game. He had a couple tough runs, and a couple deep runs. Obviously, Hayden Perrott had a nice game, and I thought Huxley played really nice.”

I asked him specifically about the Knights defensive line getting lots of pressure on Cougars QB Crummey, mostly on the edge.

“We have a little bit more experience on the edges there, and our kids are pretty athletic, so that bodes well for us on the perimeter.”

Van Wert head coach Keith Recker has been leading the Cougars for 14 seasons, and led them to a state championship in 2020. I caught up with him after the game.

“Defensively we played well. We challenged them to really stop the run. They ran all over us last year with the same running back and a lot of the same offensive line. So, we challenged our linebackers to fill and keep their shoulders square. We did a really nice job against that.”

I asked Coach Recker about #11 sophomore WR/DB Xavier Kelly, who was a 2024 Honorable Mention as a freshman.

“Yeah, X does a great job and he’s only a sophomore. He can play a lot of different positions. We put him in at running back today because he can get a lot of touches that way.”

Van Wert’s starting QB Zach Crummey is a big kid, at 6’6″. He showed some scrambling ability for a kid his size. I asked Coach Recker about his ability to move around.

“Unfortunately, our pass pro broke down quite a bit and he had to be elusive, but I thought he showed that really well. We want to keep him healthy through the scrimmage and but he’s tough and he’ll do whatever he needs to when we get into the game.”

At the end of the day, there were hugs and handshakes by all. Players, coaches, and even the fans who came out to support their kids and teams. They’ll be seeing each other again. I know both teams will be represented at the Wren Homecoming Pie Eating Contest, in Wren, Ohio on Saturday at 2:15 PM.

I wonder if it will be as competitive as last night’s game.

– by Sean McKenzie.

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Stats courtesy of….. Chris Lutz.

August 16, 2025
Summer High School Football Crestview vs Antwerp Scrimmage.

As summer break for kids starts coming to a close, fall high school sports season is about to kickoff.

After a few weeks of those long, hot, dog day of summer practices against each other, teams are finally seeing how they stack up against other local area squads.

On late Friday afternoon, I made the trip up US-49 (getting lost thanks to those detour signs), to Antwerp, Ohio to watch the Crestview Knights take on the Antwerp Archers.

I wasn’t the only person who made the trip. I counted 69 parents and fellow students (including 5 members of the girls’ volleyball team), who all came out to support the football Knights.

The starters for both teams opened the scrimmage on both sides of the ball. On the first play of the scrimmage, Antwerp jumped offsides. That was something they unfortunately struggled with often on this day.

The 3rd offensive play, saw Knights HB Braxton Leetch score a TD on a long run over the right side.

On the 2nd drive, the Knights had back-to-back high snaps. This is something they’re struggling with, as they search for a new center. QB Huxley Grose threw a TD the next play.

Crestview started the third offensive drive by lining up offsides. That was a very brief setback, as the very next play, HB Braxton Leeth scored his second TD. This time a reception out of the backfield.

Leeth would score not one, not two, not even three, but four TDs in this scrimmage, as well as deliver a big hit, that forced an incompletion on Antwerp’s second offensive drive.

Knights WR/DB Braxtyn Couts would also get on the board with a TD.

The starters for the Knights dominated the Archers on both sides of the ball.

The Archers answered back though once the backups got in, with a great TD catch by #10 Kane Hines, and #12 Zack Salas bulldozing his way into the endzone.

To end the scrimmage, the starters played a full 12-minute quarter.

#8 Cash Hammons had a pick-6 for the Knights defense, and the afore mentioned #2 Braxton Leeth, as well as, #7 Liam Putman had scores.

I got a brief interview with Knights head coach Cole Harting afterwards.

“Obviously, I thought we did a lot of good things. We got a lot of kids’ reps tonight. Offensively, we found some stuff that could work. They played well and really executed well at times. We just let our athletes be athletes.”

“On the defensive side of the ball, we did a really good job of rotating guys in. They had a couple of long drives, but we did a good job of rotating guys in and out. There’s obviously things to fix, but you know, we’ll go back and watch film and see what we can improve on.”

He finished up the interview saying “I told the guys, I want us to be playing our best football Week 10. So, looking forward to watching the tape and seeing what we can fix for next week.”

The Crestview Knights will scrimmage against the Van Wert Cougars next Friday afternoon, at 6:00 PM (EST) in Convoy.

– by Sean McKenzie

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August 9, 2025
Crestview Knights Football Season Preview.

The small town of Convoy, Ohio is just 10 minutes from the Ohio/Indiana border in Van Wert County. With a population of only 1,002 (according to the 2024 census) it’s small town Americana. Mail is not delivered here. Instead, everyone in town is given a PO Box.

It has a flower shop “The Secret Garden Floral and Gifts”, run by Jason and Nate. A coffee shop “The Rebel Bean” run by Jennifer, Amy, and Ashley; and ice cream shop “Convoy Tastee Freeze”, share the same building. My daughter is in love with Daily Dose drinks. Cheers and Gears Bar and Grill has great mozzarella sticks. that I just smash on.

People are friendly, chatty, and always say “hello” when walking around and in the shops and churches.

There’s only one stoplight in the whole town, and it’s at the school.

It is home to the Crestview Knights.

3rd year head coach Cole Harting (in white shirt above) leads a team that returns 12 letter winners in total. 8 starters return on offense (mostly underclassmen) and 4 on defense.

I watched the team practice for 4 days and sat down with the head coach who granted me an interview.

With 2 of their first 3 games against their rivals, my first question was how he’ll keep his players focused on the games with all the trash talking that comes with these types of games?

“I’m sure there is more than I know about, but for the most part, you know, the kids are just interested in playing, and they want to go out there and compete. And you know the biggest thing for us is we just want to get better you know. From game to game. So, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing, whether it’s’ a rival or not.”

Between those two games, in Week 2, Crestview plays the 4-time defending state champions and a team on a 64-game winning streak, in the Marion Local Flyers in their home opener.

I asked Coach how he and the staff will scheme to match such a powerhouse school with personnel.

“We’re going to run our stuff. Obviously, we’ll scout them. We’ll probably get to their first game and then maybe a scrimmage or so. We’ll tackle them like we do everybody else. See what they run, and we’ll see what we can do to stop them. I’m actually really excited for that game. It’s going to be a great game. They are the gold standard. If we want to get where we want to get to, I think it’s important to play teams like that.”

Something that I noticed in my 4 days of watching them at practice was that they were rotating a lot of players at the center position. So, I asked him about that.

“Well, right now we’re returning 4 of our 5 starting linemen from last year. The one that was lost was actually our starting center. So right now, we’re just trying some different guys in that spot and see who can execute most consistently for us there.”

Senior TE/DE #7 Liam Putman led the team in receptions and sacks last season. I asked Coach Harting, how he plans on keeping him fresh throughout the season.

“You know, some kids just have the ability to play the whole game. We try our best to rotate guys in and out depending on certain circumstances. The biggest thing is keeping him fresh during the week. We don’t want to put too much on our two-way players throughout the week.

The Knights start the final month of the regular season with back-to-back road games, against Bluffton and Columbus Grove. Two teams that made deep playoff runs last season.

“You know, with high school kids the biggest thing is you go on these road trips, and once that bus leaves, the guys are focusing and thinking about the task at hand. Our kids aren’t messing around on the bus. They should be focused, locked in, preparing themselves for what’s ahead of them.” Coach Harting replied when I asked him about those games.

The 2024 Crestview Knights season was snake bitten by injuries. That led to a lot of young players getting pressed action. I asked Coach how that experience last season, benefited them coming into this season.

“Anytime you have injuries, that’s a huge blow to your team. And in the moment, it’s tough to overcome. But when you kind of step back a little bit, it’s kind of a nice thing sometimes, where it gives kids opportunities to grow. So last year, obviously dealing with all those injuries, that was difficult, but it did give a lot of our kids chances to play.”

(Starting QB Huxley Grose, was forced into action last season due to injury. Started 6 games as a junior. He had a ROCKET side arm throw on Day 4, into a tight window.)

Coach brought up the injury to star HB/DB #2 Braxton Leeth in particular.

“Braxton Leeth got hurt last year, which forced us to play one of our freshmen at safety, Cash Hammons. And you know, he had his moments where he struggled a little bit, but after he got a few games under his belt, he started playing really well. Now as a sophomore, he has almost a full season of experience, you know, has paid huge dividends.”

Speaking of Braxton, he was absolutely unstoppable on offense and defense. In my 4 days of watching practice, he was only stopped 2 times, and that was when he and Liam went head-to-head on a tackling drill. They split the 4 reps that I saw 2-2.

Listed at 6’0″ and 185 lbs. He certainly looks the part. He’s one of the fastest players on the field, and powerful enough to break the tackles of defensive lineman who weigh in at 235, 265, 230, and 245. There were multiple times where he was breaking through double and triple tackles.

As a sophomore, Braxton rushed for over 1,200 yards. Even though he missed 4 games last season, he still rushed for over 600 yards and 10 touchdowns.

I asked Coach Harting if another 1,200 yard and double-digit touchdown season, is the bar for Braxton.

“He holds himself to such a high standard. He thinks that he’s always going to get that. Every time he touches the ball, he thinks he’s going to score a touchdown. He refuses to be tackled. He’s got the speed, agility, and the vision. On your team, you have guys at different levels, and he’s just one of those guys. He’s all in when it comes to football. It shows in his work ethic. He’s been tremendous.”

He continued to sing his praises.

“When I got this job, I mean he never missed. He’s always here. He’s always looking to get better. The injuries last year were unfortunate, but he’s a tough kid and he battled back. I fully expect him to have a great year for us.”

(High point catch in the corner of the endzone on Day 4 of practice.)

To end my one-on-one interview with Coach Harting; I asked him what his and the coaching staff’s expectations are for the 2025 season.

“Our expectations are we’re going to continue to get better every single day. We’re going to chase excellence, and we’re going to do everything we can to put ourselves in positions to win games. There are a lot of great matchups throughout the season. We’re going to prepare every week, and we’re going to continue to grow week to week to week and be playing our best football come the weekend.”

Something I noticed in practice was just how well the entire coaching staff interacted with the players. Especially, when the players had questions about the schemes, proper forms, and lining up. They were eagerly asking questions and whether it was OL Coach Kory Lichtensteiger or STC/Linebackers Coach Dylan Hicks, or any of them. The coaches were clear and hands on with instruction. It was great to see.

During my 4 days interacting with the team, I also interacted with coaches from other sports. I went to the Crestview “Meet the Teams” Assembly, for the fall sports teams, held in the HS/MS gym. It was completely full. Not a seat to be found. It was a pleasure to see the community come out to support not just the football team, but the wrestling, cross country, cheer, golf, soccer, and the volleyball team. The volleyball team, led by Coach Tammy Gregory, has finished first in the conference the last 3 straight seasons, as well as deep playoff runs in those seasons.

The Knights have a deep and rich history in fall high school sports. I look forward to travelling and seeing them as often as possible this year.

– by Sean McKenzie

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Information packet provided to me, courtesy of……Head Coach Cole Harting.

August 6, 2025