Walking into the hallway of Crestview, I was immediately greeted by the smell of popcorn and pizza. Which was such a kick in the pants, since my doctors put me on a strict diet. LOL.
Kids were running around the hallway, full of energy adults wish they had. Parents chatting like they hadn’t seen each other since…. Friday night’s football game.
The Crestview Lady Knights Volleyball team were opening their season at home, against the Paulding Panthers, in a non-conference game.
With the high school gymnasium under renovation until late September, the games are being played in the middle school. Despite that, it was a full house. Old and young, even some former players stopped by for the game.
The Lady Panthers went up quickly 3-0 in the first set, and didn’t let up at all, winning it easily, 25-13.
The second set started with both teams at one point apiece, when the floor official stopped play, called both of the team captains over to him, and had some words. There was a lot of net entanglements, and a small bit of chatter.
Afterwards, the teams traded points back and forth. Crestview scored 3 straight points, before Paulding called a timeout down 13-11. They continued to trade points, until Crestview called at timeout, up 19-18. The Lady Knights would end up winning the 2nd set 25-23.
The Panthers would jump out to a 6-0 lead, forcing Knights head coach Tammy Gregory to call a timeout early.
The two huddles were completely different. Gregory was calmly coaching her girls, using her hands to show proper bump techniques and overhands.
Panthers head coach Emily Taylor was enthusiastic and praising her girls for such a hot start.
Unfortunately, for the Lady Knights, the timeout did not stop the momentum right away, as the Lady Panthers promptly made it a 13-2 game. Finally, Crestview would go on their own run, as they’d score 6 straight points, forcing a Panthers timeout.
The Knights would get the score to 16-13, before Paulding would play the Reverse Uno card, and rattle off 4 straight to make it 20-16. Nothing would work for the Knights afterwards, dropping the 3rd set 25-16.
The 4th set would start off with more point trading. The Lady Knights would win a long rally, where both teams showed off tremendous athleticism and stamina, to make it a 3-3 score.
Paulding would win the next point and never let up the rest of the way.
Crestview made it close a few times, cutting the lead to 13-12, 18-16, and 20-17. The Panthers were simply too relentless. Scoring the final 5 points and winning the match 25-17.
I spoke to Crestview Head Coach Tammy Gregory after the game. I asked her what positives, she and the team could take away from the loss.
“We were at a size disadvantage. We were struggling with their size and aggressive attacks. I’m going to go to that third game of the match. You know, we were down, and we could’ve folded very easily, but we fought back.”
There are only 2 seniors on this team. However, a lot of the underclassman, got significant playing time last season. I asked if she expected their continued improvement to really help the team as the season continues.
“I think they’re going to step into their roles very well. What I like about this team, is they have good mentorship and they’re competitors. They have that team chemistry, their drive, and they’re there for each other. They’re going to get better, and they have the drive for that work.”
Leading the way for the Lady Knights…
Serving
Kaci Gregory 13/14 with 2 aces
Lainey Gardner 11/12 with 1 ace
Nora Perkins 10/11 with 1 ace
Ayla Kreischer 10/11 with 1 ace
Hitting
Kaci Gregory 16 kills
Kenadie Schwartz 8 kills
Ayla Kreischer 7 kills
Setting
Nora Perkins 30 assists
Digs
Kaci Gregory 12 digs
Ayla Kreischer 8 digs
Nora Perkins 6 digs
Blocks
Kaylee Owens 2 blocks
Kenadie Schwartz 2 blocks
The Crestview Lady Knights are back on the court this Thursday, as they travel to New Bremen, in another non-conference matchup.
It seemed like a long winter, spring, and summer. After weeks of practicing against your own guys for summer camp, and two scrimmages, it was finally football season again, in the small town of Convoy, Ohio.
Coming in through the north gate, you smell the buttery goodness of popcorn. The Deja Brew coffee truck was making sure to keep you awake and alert. The Knight Pride Club was selling design your own custom tumblers.
Parents were catching up with other parents about summer break, how the team looked, how well they think they would be this season.
The Paulding Panthers won the toss and received the ball to start the game. HB #23 Cooper had a 16-yard run on the opening play, then a 25-yard run of the third play of the drive. Knights DL #1 Beckham Putman would put an end to the drive with a sack on 4th down.
The Knights first drive would end in a three and out, after Panthers #23 would sack QB #9 Cooper Miller for a ten-yard loss on third down.
Both teams would have three and outs on their next possessions.
The Knights would have a bad snap on the punt. Snapping was a big problem for the Knights last season, and it continued not just here, but the whole game.
A defensive face mask penalty would put Paulding at the 2-yard line. An incomplete pass, then the Panthers would call timeout with 1:53 left in the first quarter. Paulding would score a touchdown, but it was negated by an offensive pass interference call, making it now 3rd and goal from the 19-yard line.
The Panthers would drop a pass, and now had a long 4th and goal. They’d use their second timeout with 1:42 left. Knights DB #3 Jacoby Gallimore would break up the pass in the endzone, ending the drive.
Once again, the Crestview offense couldn’t get anything going at all, and had their third straight drive stall, without a first down. That would end the first quarter, with the score knotted up at 0-0.
The Panthers next drive would end with a Knights INT by #4 Hayden Waltmire. Crestview would take over at the 25-yard line. An encroachment penalty would give the Knights a quick five yards, and make it first and ten. After no gain on first, QB Cooper Miller would hit #24 Harper Perrott for a 20-yard gain. The very next play, the Knights would fumble the ball, and the Panthers would recover at the 46-yard line.
Paulding would have four straight runs of -1, 6, 6, and 13 yards, to get the ball to the 30. The Knights would get flagged for defensive pass interference, and that would give them a first and goal at the 7. Losses would send them back to the 19, before Panthers HB #23 Avery Cooper would score a TD on a 19-yard run. PAT was no good, and Paulding had a 6-0 lead with 5:22 left in the 2nd quarter.
Knights QB #9 Cooper Miller would fumble the football on second down. The Panthers would give it back, the very next play, as Crestview LB #14 Tate Lichtensteiger would recover a Paulding fumble.
After a 1-yard run, the Panthers would get hit with another encroachment penalty. Back-to-back runs would give the Knights a first down. The Knights would connect on a 11-yard pass on first down. A holding penalty would put Crestview behind the chains on first down. Incomplete pass on first down, then Miller would throw an INT, which was returned to the 32-yard line.
Paulding would take a 12-0 lead with this TD pass from Ridge Hunt to Jason Manz.
The Panthers would hit a 13-yard pass on first down to the 19. A 2-yard run and, then hit a pass all the way down to the Knights 2. Crestview would get a TFL (tackle for loss). Paulding would use their final timeout with 36 seconds left in the first half. They’d connect with 5-yard TD pass from Ridge Hunt to Jason Manz. The 2-pt attempt was no good, and the Panthers took a 12-0 lead, into the half.
Knights WR #8 Cash Hammons would take the 2nd half kickoff back 68 yards, to the 19-yard line. That would be the highlight. A 4-yard run, a Panthers TFL, incomplete pass, and an 8-yard pass on 4th down, would end the Crestview drive.
Paulding would take over, but a very angry Knights HC Cole Harting would have to call a timeout, as the defense was confused and not set. Crestview would get a TFL, but the Panthers responded with back-to-back passes of 12 and 10 yards. That momentum was short lived, as a holding call on Paulding would back them up 10 yards, making it 1st and 18 at the 24. Two straight incomplete passes ended the drive.
Crestview would get runs of 3 yards, 5 yards, and 2 yards, for a first down.
OHSAA officials would botch would should’ve been a Knights TD pass, instead, calling it a fumble and touchback (it literally happened it front of me, as I was less than 10 feet away from the play).
The lucky break gave the Panthers the ball at the 20-yard line. A quick pass for 11 yards to the 31, followed by runs of 8 yards, 9 yards, and 8 yards, had them rolling with momentum. There was an official’s timeout (I was never told why, even when I asked them after the game). A Knights TFL made it third and long. Paulding would get a 20-yard run to convert.
An incomplete pass, then runs of 8 yards and 1 yard, brought them to a fourth down and 1. Paulding would call a timeout to discuss strategy with 2:23 left in the third quarter. The strategy did not work, as an incomplete pass lead to a turnover on downs with 2:17 left.
Once again, the Knights offense couldn’t do anything, and they were barely able to get the punt away, after their 2nd bad snap of the special teams.
The Panthers took over at the 38-yard line. An incomplete pass on first down, then a long run all the way down to the 34. A 24-yard pass had Paulding quickly down to the 10-yard line. Runs of 6 yards and 1 yard, then an incomplete pass, made it another fourth down. Panthers called another timeout with 11:08 in the 4th.
Knights DE #66 Will Sheets got a tipped INT, and returned it all the way to the 45 yard line.
Another Miller incompletion was followed by a Knights timeout with 10:47 left.
They’d get a short 5-yard gain, before QB Cooper Miller would hit WR Cash Hammons for a 40-yard TD pass. The PAT was no good, and the Knights were on the board, but trailing 12-6 with 10:02 left in the game.
Another special teams blunder by the Knights, as the kickoff went out of bounds, giving Paulding the ball at the 35-yard line. Back-to-back runs would quickly have the Panthers to the 47-yard line. Knights DE Will Sheets would get a 5-yard TFL, to make it a long third down and 12. A short run made it fourth down.
The Knights would make their 4th special teams mistake, by running into the punter, for a 5-yard penalty. The Panthers would run a fake punt and convert. Knights DB #23 Wesley Wit would get a 4-yard TFL. An incomplete pass would force a third down, and Paulding would use their final timeout with 6:03 left in the game. The fourth down attempt was incomplete, and they’d turn it over on downs.
Crestview would have a run of 0 yards, and an incomplete pass, before Cooper Miller would hit WR Beau Lichtensteiger all the way down to the 40. HB #22 Evan Brincefield would run for 14 yards on second down, and follow it up with a 10 yard run the next play, to the 30. A 17-yard pass on second down, made it first, but the Knights had another holding penalty.
Knights QB Cooper Miller would throw his second INT of the game, as Panthers CB #4 Emmet Barnes would return it 80 yards for a pick-six TD. The PAT was again, no good, and that would be the final score of the game, giving the Paulding Panthers a 18-6 victory.
The Crestview Knights leading stats
QB Cooper Miller was 10 of 22 for 180 yards 1 TD and 2 INTs. WR Beau Lichtensteiger had 4 catches for 96 yards. HB Evin Brincefield had 15 carries for 63 yards.
I spoke to Crestview Knights Head Coach Cole Harting after the game.
I asked him what positives he could take away from this loss.
“That’s a really good offense, and we held our own. Holding those guys to only 12 points on offense, was a really good job, and I thought our defense did a great job. If we were to play that game again, and held them to 12 points, I’d be happy. We limited a lot of their big plays. Unfortunately, our offense turned the ball to many times, and gave them a lot of short fields. We can’t do that. If we want to win games, we can’t turn the ball over”.
I asked him about Junior QB Cooper Millers’ first start.
“He’s just got to play with confidence. Things didn’t go well in that first half. Things didn’t go his way early on, and he struggled to overcome those. They have a really talented secondary, so he’s just got to stay positive and keep working at it, and just play with a little bit more confidence”.
I asked about how well the defensive line held up, made plays, giving the young secondary time to grow.
“Absolutely. Having those guys up front, just creating havoc every single play. I wanted to create pressure with three or four guys, and we were able to do that consistently”.
The Crestview Knights (0-1) are on the road to take on the Minster Wildcats (1-0) on Friday Night.
As summer break draws to close all across the state of Ohio, it means that it’s time for the pads to start popping at summer camp. Here in the small town of Convoy, Ohio, it’s already underway.
The Knights finished last season with a 6-4 overall record, 4-3 in the Northwest Conference. Just missing out on getting a playoff spot, in the final week of the regular season, in an extremely tough Division 6, Region 22.
The first thing to comes to mind for the 2026 Crestview Knights is dichotomy.
Why???
Because, while they return a lot of experience on both sides of the football (17 returning letter winners out of 44 players), they lost 90% of the teams’ overall production from last season.
Which truly shows just how good and versatile HB/DB Braxton Leeth, TE/DL Liam Putman and WR/DB Hayden Perrott were.
I was able to spend some time at a practice and at a scrimmage, this week against the Leipsic Vikings.
DL/OL #66 Will Sheets is the biggest returning name. The 6’5″, 235 lbs senior, had 45 tackles, 6 sacks, 13 TFLs, and 2 forced fumbles. He also starts at OT. He’s one of my favorite players to watch, as he’s so athletic. He does a great job of setting the edge on both sides of the football.
At 6’2″ 165 lbs, junior WR/DB #8 Cash Hammons is another favorite of mine. He played a lot as a sophomore last season and immediately performed well. 35 tackles and 3 INTs. In fact, he was an allsportfan.com player of the game last season.
6’0″, 210 lbs senior, OL/LB #55 Kale Lichtensteiger plays a hard-nosed game. As many of you know, I love playing a physical game and watching physical players. Kale is that, and fun to watch. He’ll stick his nose right into the gap and take on lineman or the back. He had 26 tackles and 3 TFLs last season.
There is absolutely no way to replace the production of All-State, All-Northwest Conference, and Division 6 Ohio Offensive Player of the Year HB Braxton Leeth (incredibly polite and well-spoken young man as well).
Knights Head Coach Cole Harting told me that they will use a committee approach this season (interview below).
#14 Tate Lichtensteiger and #22 Evin Brincefield will probably get the bulk of the carries this season, but they will ride whoever has the hot hand that game, regardless class.
6’1″, 185 lbs junior, #9 Cooper Miller will be the new starting quarterback.
I covered every JV game last season. He has a big arm. He’s tough (played with a broken arm), isn’t afraid to take on defenders when running the ball, and has no qualms about throwing it up and trusting his WRs to make a play.
I spoke with Knights Head Coach Cole Harting about the upcoming season, and what to expect.
My first question was about the loss of team production, especially on the offensive side of the football.
“Braxton had an incredible career, and we relied on his running ability. We had a couple good receivers with Hayden Perrott and Liam Putman, and if you look at that, that’s 90% of our yards gone. We’re looking for guys to step up and fill those voids. Fortunately for us, we’re returning four out of five starters on the offensive line. We’ve got good players to protect us up front and create some running lanes, and that’s a good spot to be in.”
The biggest issue on the offensive line last season, was center. There were problems with the snaps. I asked Coach Harting about that specific position and issue.
“Right now, our center position is not settled. Obviously, getting the snap back there is important, and we work on that everyday in practice. Last year, we had some snaps there were untimely, and those snaps came at crucial times in the game, and they cost us some possessions. I look to have that settled here in the next couple weeks.”
The loss of Braxton came up, and that’s were Coach spoke about the committee approach.
“Braxton had a once in a generation season. That type of season and career doesn’t just happen all the time. He was a phenomenal player, and I think it’s a hard ask for our kids to go and make a run at that type of season. Our kids will do a nice job of stepping up. We have a couple scrimmages coming up, and I think we’re going to figure out who can run the ball, the most effective. Throughout the year, we’re going to give all those guys opportunities. I’m going to play the hot hand, and that may change from game to game.”
I asked about the defense. How Will Sheets and Cash Hammons bring back experience, production, and how they’ll step into the leadership role now.
“Those guys have shown tremendous leadership so far. Cash is in our secondary and makes sure everyone is lined up in the right spot. Will does a nice job leading guys up front, and he causes havoc every single play. I expect those guys to have big years for us, and get our defense in a spot where we’ll be making plays and stops on a consistent basis.”
The Knights finish the season against three straight playoff teams from last year. Bluffton and Columbus Grove at home, then the season finale at Lima Central Catholic. I asked Coach Harting about the tough finish to the upcoming season.
“Well, that’s just how it worked out. Those were three very good teams and will be very good again this year. You just have to play them when you play them, and this year, it fell that we have to play them at the end of the season. I think our non-league schedule will prepare us well. We open up with Paulding, they were a good team last year, and I look for them to be good again. We play Minster in Week 2, and they’re going to be a very good football team. Wayne Trace is always a good opponent for us. So those teams are going to test us early.”
Coach Harting spoke about the improvement he expects to see from the NWC (Northwest Conference) as a whole.
“You look at Week 4 with Spencerville, Week 5 with Fort Loramie, and Allen East is a very solid team, I think Delphos Jefferson will be better compared to where they were last season. They had a really good defense last year. I think just overall our league is very good, and we’re going to have to be competitive every single week, and hopefully, by the end of the season, we’ll be playing our best football, and that’s where you want to be playing your best.”
It’s going to be a rough season for the Knights, as they play 5 teams that made the playoffs last year. The Paulding Panthers, Minster Wildcats, Bluffton Pirates, Columbus Grove Bulldogs, Lima Central Catholic Thunderbirds.
I think they can beat Paulding, but if they want a chance to make the playoffs this season, they’re going to have to sweep Weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and then find a way to pull at least one upset against Minster, Bluffton, Grove, or LCC. That’s a tough ask. Matching last seasons record would be a great accomplishment.
The Crestview Knights open up the 2026 football season on August 21st, at home, against the Paulding Panthers.
It was a bitterly cold, December night in Convoy, Ohio.
The roads still partly covered, from the weekend’s snowfall.
A sheen of glazed ice on the roads, as the melt refreezes.
Inside Crestview high school, the smell of fresh popcorn and pizza filled your senses.
Inside the gym, things were already heated up, as the Lady Knights hosted the Fort Jennings Lady Musketeers.
It was a physical game from the opening tipoff.
The officials tried to set the tone early, calling 4 combined team fouls within the first 2 minutes of the game.
Both teams struggled to make shots from the floor, and it was only a 7-4 game after the first.
In the second quarter, things didn’t get any better for the Knights or Musketeers from the field.
The physicality continued with jump balls, charges, and a lot of bodywork.
The Lady Knights took a 14-6 halftime lead into the locker room.
The Musketeers started the third quarter well, getting off a couple baskets, and clamping down on the Knights.
Lady Knights #1 Zoe Ross would hit a big 3 pointer to put a stop to the run, and the Knights would go a run of their own. It was here, that they started to pull away from the Lady Musketeers.
The Knights would have a 33-19 lead heading into the final quarter.
The fourth and final quarter would be a repeat of the first. Very physical, and both teams not being able to convert from the field or the free throw line.
At the end of the night, the Lady Knights took home a 47-25 victory and move to 4-2 overall this season.
#1 Zoe Ross led the team with 13 points.
#10 Haley McCoy led the team with 10 rebounds and was the allsportsfan.com Player of the Game.
I spoke to Knights head coach Mark Gregory after the game.
It was a big win in a physical game, and I asked him what was his biggest takeaway was from the victory?
“Yeah, you know, we struggled knocking down shots tonight and just had to play really hard tonight. They played physical and tough. The biggest thing that I take away from tonight is we struggled to get 50/50 balls all night long. I talked to the girls and that’s something that we’ve got to get better at.”
I noticed that the Knights were very aggressive on defense.
Utilizing everything from full court press on inbounds to zone presses. I asked if that was something they were going to do all season long, or was it specific to tonight’s game.
“No, no, no. It’s something we’ve been working on all season long, switching between man to man and zone press. We’ve been mixing things up a bit. Our pressure in the second half was a big difference in the game, and lead to some easy baskets for us, especially in the third quarter.”
The Lady Knights (4-2) next game is Thursday, December 18th, at home against the Columbus Grove Bulldogs. JV tips off at 5:30 PM.
For the best coffee and lattes in Van Wert County, stop into The Rebel Bean. Check out their Facebook page for hours, menu, and special holiday drinks.
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).
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).
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).
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.
