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

    Crestview Knights football team walking onto the field before a game, wearing blue uniforms, with coaches and staff in the background.

    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 Knights football team running onto the field before the game.

    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.

    A Crestview Knights football player in blue uniform number 4 prepares to pass the ball while being pressured by a player from the opposing team in yellow.

    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.

    A football player in a yellow jersey evades a tackle from a blue jersey player on a grassy field during a game.

    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.

    Scoreboard showing Crestview Knights 0, Guest 43, with 19:48 left in the third quarter.

    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.

    Crestview Knights varsity football team huddled together on the field before the game.

    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.

    A group of Crestview Knights football players in yellow and gray uniforms walk off the field under bright stadium lights after a game.

    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.

    Players from the Crestview Knights football team walking on the field during a night game, with stadium lights shining.

    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.

    A group of Crestview Knights football players and coaches gathered on the field, discussing strategies during a night game.

    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.

  • Lady Knights fall short in tough season opener.

    The Crestview Lady Knights girls soccer team lined up before the game, wearing blue and red uniforms on the field.

    The Crestview Lady Knights girls soccer team opened the 2025 season at home against the Ada Bulldogs.

    Game started with a lot of work at midfield by both teams. The Bulldogs got the first shot of the day at 38:18 of the first period. The Knights responded with a shot of their own at 36:35.

    The first goal of the game came #11 sophomore Avary Acheson at 33:15.

    The Bulldogs continued to put the pressure on Lady Knights goalie #96 Ella Lamb, but she stepped up and made stops at 28:51 and 28:26.

    Finally, Ada got the second goal of the game at 26:21, by #3 Alex Gibson.

    View of the Crestview Knights' bleachers with spectators, partially shaded by umbrellas, during a girls soccer game under a clear blue sky.

    Ada got off five straight shots off at 21:10, 19:11, 16:33, 15:45, and 11:43, keeping up the offensive pressure that would be the story of the game.

    Knights goalie Ella Lamb came up BIG with a double save while on the ground at 10:04 of the first half. She would finish the game with 22 saves.

    The Bulldogs would add two more goals at 3:08 and 1:10, to have a 4-0 lead at the half.

    Scoreboard displaying Crestview Knights 0, Ada Bulldogs 4 with 2:48 remaining in the first half.

    (The 2:48 above is what was left at the halftime break when I snapped this picture)

    Ada would strike again quickly, scoring their fifth goal at 38:35. The Lady Knights would get shots off at 19:03 and 14:11.

    The Bulldogs would score their sixth and final goal of the game at 11:14 to take the victory and move to (2-0) on the season.

    Scoreboard displaying final score of Crestview Lady Knights 0, Ada Bulldogs 6 in a girls soccer match.

    After the game, I asked Lady Knights head coach Cindy Lamb, what are some positives that she can take away from today’s game?

    “We played a very physical and fast team. I think we know what we need to do against St. Johns because they play similar to Ada. So that’s going to help us prepare for the next game, knowing how we have to play, where to step up, where our holes are, and go from there.”

    Players from the Crestview Lady Knights and Ada Bulldogs soccer teams walk towards the field before the game, with trees and bleachers visible in the background.

    I asked her about goalie Ella Lamb’s aggressive playing style coming way out of the box to snag the ball. If that was coaching or just naturally how she plays.

    “She is naturally just an aggressive player. She wants the ball. She’s willing to sacrifice her body. She typically comes away with a lot of bruises in a game. She has it in her head. That ball is hers.”

    A group of Crestview Lady Knights girls soccer team members gathered for a discussion on the field, with their coach giving instructions while some players sit and others stand around.

    The Lady Knights (0-1) do it all over again tomorrow afternoon, at home, against the Delphos St. John Blue Jays.

    Game starts at 5:00 PM (EST).

    – by Sean McKenzie

    Subscribe, follow, and like, allsportsfan.com

    Player number information courtesy of…..maxpreps and crestviewknights.com

  • Houses divided in high school football showdown.

    Flags representing the Van Wert Cougars and Crestview Knights football teams are displayed on a grassy lawn, signaling community support for the local high school rivalry.

    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.

    Football players in red uniforms practicing on a green field under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

    and the Crestview Knights.

    High school football players in practice jerseys gather on the field under a clear blue sky, with trees and a scoreboard in the background.

    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.

    A group of football players in blue and red uniforms huddled together on a grassy field, discussing strategies during a practice scrimmage.

    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.

    A high school football game in Van Wert County, Ohio, showing players in red and blue uniforms lined up at the line of scrimmage on a sunny day.

    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.

    A high school football scrimmage in Van Wert County, Ohio, with players from two teams lined up on the field. The scene shows a clear blue sky, green grass, and the scoreboard in the background.

    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.

    Scoreboard during a youth football game showing Crestview Knights 0, guest team 7, with 1:31 left in the quarter.

    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.

    Scoreboard showing Crestview Knights 7, Guest 7, with 1:06 remaining in the quarter.

    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.

    A group of football players and coaches gathered in a huddle on a grassy field during evening practice.

    “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.

    Football team in red jerseys gathered for a huddle on a grassy field during a practice session.

    “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.”

    High school football teams from Van Wert and Crestview shake hands after a scrimmage game on a grassy field under a clear sky.

    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.

    Subscribe, Like, and Follow….. allsportsfan.com.

    Stats courtesy of….. Chris Lutz.

  • The Cleveland Browns 2025 NFL Draft Review.

    Cleveland Browns logo featuring an orange helmet and the team name 'CLEVELAND BROWNS' in bold lettering.

    After a 3-year absence from picking the in the 1st round, thanks to the Deshaun Watson fiasco, the Cleveland Browns made their return in a big way.

    They made their first trade before the draft even started. Then decided to keep it going, making multiple trades during the draft.

    They started with the #2 pick, but decided to trade it to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the #5 pick, in addition to the Jaguars 1st round pick in next year’s draft.

    Mason Graham holds up his jersey after being selected 5th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, flanked by a league official on stage.

    With that pick, they took Mason Graham, DT, Michigan. He was my one of my top two players. Graham is a hardhat, blue collar type of player. He plays through the snap; he sheds blockers and can rush the passer from the interior. Something the Browns have been sorely missing for over a decade now. Lining him up next to Myles Garrett, will cause problems for opposing offensive lines.

    Graphic featuring Carson Schwesinger, a linebacker from UCLA, showcasing his draft details including Round 2, Pick 33 for the Cleveland Browns, with a city skyline in the background and a bold design.

    With the 33rd pick, the first in the 2nd round, the Browns took Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA. Carson is a do everything player. His 115 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions, proved his ability to play sideline to sideline. He can drop back into zone coverage and cover tight ends and running backs. He hits the hole hard on the blitz, and does a nice job against the run.

    I reported months ago, that the neck injury to Browns starting linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, was much more serious than the team let on. There’s a chance the he never plays again, so taking Schwesinger here was a good pick.

    Graphic featuring Quinshon Judkins, a running back from Ohio State, with details about his NFL draft selection number (36) and round (2) against a colorful background.

    Three picks later, with the 36th pick, the Browns selected Quinshon Judkins, HB, Ohio State. Judkins is a hard-nosed, between the tackles, power back. He doesn’t have the speed to take it 90 yards on any play; he has the speed to pick up the chunk plays needed to keep the offense on the field. He showed that he has the capability to catch the ball out of the backfield and showed improvement when picking up blitzers. He’s a faster Kareem Hunt for Browns fan.

    Graphic featuring Harold Fannin Jr., a tight end from Bowling Green, selected 67th overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft.

    With the 67th pick, the Browns selected Harold Fannin Jr, TE, Bowling Green. I love this pick! Fannin is a catching machine. He play on the line of scrimmage, in the slot, and the Falcons even played him out wide at the X sometimes. While he does need to improve his blocking technique, his playmaking ability is undeniable, and he played his best football during Bowling Green’s biggest game. The vaulted defenses at Penn State and Texas A&M had no answers for him at all. Fannin along with Browns Pro-Bowl TE David Njoku, gives the Browns a hellava combination for 12 personnel formations.

    Graphic highlighting Dillon Gabriel, a quarterback from Oregon, selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 94th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The image features him in a white and green uniform, giving a thumbs up, with a city skyline in the background.

    With the 94th pick, the Browns selected Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon. Gabriel had 63 career starts in college, with 3 different teams (UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon). He makes quick decisions, and his 155-32 touchdown-to-interception ratio shows that he doesn’t put the ball in danger that often. Yes, he’s short at 5’10”, but his ability to scramble and move within the pocket, keeps hit “batted balls” stat low.

    Graphic featuring Dylan Sampson, a running back from Tennessee, selected 126th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He is shown in action wearing an orange jersey with the number 6.

    With the 126th pick, the Browns took another running in Dylan Sampson, HB, Tennessee. Sampson is a short, fast, and sneakily powerful running back. He has a nose for the endzone scoring 22 rushing touchdowns last season. He was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year last season with 1,485 yards rushing as well. He can take it to the house at any time, from anywhere on the field. He needs to improve his blitz pickup and blocking ability. He only had 19 catches last season. To be fair, he wasn’t asked to that a lot at Tennessee though.

    With their final pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, selected Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado. See my previous article.

    FINAL GRADE.

    When you add everything together, the Cleveland Browns get an A+.

    They came away with 6 players who will start on Day 1 or be meaningful contributors to the team.

    Along with securing a 2nd first round draft pick in the 2026 class, it’s impossible to deny that the Cleveland Browns got better not just for this upcoming season, but for the next 3 to 4 seasons to come.

    – by Sean McKenzie

    Stats and information courtesy of…..ESPN, NFL, NCAA, Cleveland Browns.

    Photos courtesy of…..wallpapercave, brownsnation, brownswire, USA Today, Cleveland Browns, duckswire,