JEROMESVILLE — The loss may have stung, but all of Hillsdale’s goals are still reachable.
The Falcons suffered a disheartening 14-13 setback to Lucas at Clear Fork last week, but coach Trevor Cline said the benefits of playing another small-school heavyweight will pay off down the road.
The chase for the Wayne County Athletic League championship doesn’t begin until Week 4. If the Falcons take care of business within the conference, a postseason berth will likely follow.
“At Hillsdale we just love to go up against great competition and Lucas is that,” Cline said. “When you get into the WCAL it’s the same thing. It’s great competition week-in and week-out. It’s only going to make you better.
“As long as you win enough games to get into the playoffs, it’s going to set you up for success.”
The Falcons are 0-2 against the Cubs in the two years since the rivalry was renewed in 2021. In those two games, Hillsdale was outscored 28-25.
“They’re a great football program,” said Lucas coach Scott Spitler, who led the Cubs to the Division VII state championship game in 2019. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we see them again.”
Both Hillsdale and Lucas are in Region 25 of Division VII. The Falcons are in the smallest of the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s seven enrollment divisions after qualifying for the Division VI playoffs each of the past six years.
Hillsdale will try to rebound against backyard rival Loudonville on Friday.
Hillsdale (1-1) at Loudonville (1-1): Hillsdale dual-threat quarterback Jake Hoverstock has been one of north central Ohio’s most productive players through the first two weeks of the season.
The senior has completed 22-of-38 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 117 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Braylen Jarvis has rushed for 95 yards on 14 carries, while Max Vesper has 13 carries for 40 yards and a TD. Vesper and David Parker each had touchdown catches in last week’s 14-13 loss to Lucas. Jack Fickes has a team-high eight grabs for a team-high 153 yards.
Defensively, the Falcons are led by linebacker Jax Rogers, who has 18 tackles. Fellow linebacker Bo Moody has 17 stops, while freshman linebacker Owen Sloan has 12 tackles.
The Redbirds picked up their first win of the season last week, rallying from a halftime deficit for a 19-13 win over Utica.
Quarterback Matt Sprang tossed second-half touchdown passes to Zach Frankford and Dylan Fenton. Fenton hauled in a 50-yard scoring strike late in the first half to cut Utica’s lead to 7-6. Sprang completed 11-of-20 passes for 184 yards and three TDs while rugged running back Peyton Regan rumbled for 46 yards on 13 carries.
Buckeye Valley (0-2) at Ashland (1-1): The Arrows scored 31 points in the third quarter of last week’s 47-7 win at Marion Harding. Freshman quarterback Nathan Bernhard threw for 236 yards, while Landon McFrederick caught 10 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. Cayden Spotts rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown. Parker Grissinger and Gunner Lacey led the defense with eight tackles apiece. Grissinger also picked off a pass.
The Barons couldn’t stay out of their own way in last week’s 21-7 loss to Jonathan Alder. Buckeye Valley was about to punch it in to take a two-score lead, but a fumble at the goal line led to a 100-yard return for a touchdown by Jonathan Alder. Buckeye Valley has been outscored 49-21 in two losses, including a 28-14 setback against Division I Delaware Hayes in the opener.
Highland (1-1) at Crestview (2-0): Crestview’s defense has been impressive through the first two weeks. The Cougars are giving up just 117 yards a game and have forced five turnovers. Defensive end Owen Barker has 13 tackles and three sacks while safety Adison Reymer has 13 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
Meanwhile, quarterback Hayden Kuhn is among the area’s most accurate passers. The senior has completed 26-of-37 attempts for 366 yards and two touchdowns. Reymer leads the rushing attack with 259 yards and five TDs on 35 carries, while fullback Wade Bolin has three touchdowns. Tyson Ringler has seven catches for 112 yards and a touchdown, while Caden Cunningham has seven receptions for 105 yards.
The Fighting Scots fell to Triway 26-14 last week, but boast one of the top running backs in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference in Dane Nauman. The workhorse already has 436 yards and three touchdowns on 50 carries, averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. Quarterback Kolton Stover has completed 16-of-31 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target is Zach Schmidt, who has six catches for 117 yards and a score. Hayden Kline has five grabs for 31 yards. Nauman leads the way defensively with 14.5 tackles and a sack.
