ASHLAND — Arrows Defensive coordinator Ryan Stackhouse will have his hands full again this week.
Ashland hosts West Holmes and Stackhouse will need to figure out a way to slow the Ohio Cardinal Conference’s most prolific offense.
West Holmes has scored 300 points through the first seven weeks of the season. In four OCC games, the Knights are averaging 47.3 points a game.
The Arrows surrendered 328 yards in last week’s 14-6 loss at Mansfield Senior. The Tygers averaged 36.7 points a game in their first three conference games.
“Our defensive staff had a great gameplan,” Ashland coach Scott Valentine said afterward. They have multiple weapons. The kids on defense played hard and did a great job.”
West Holmes (5-2, 3-1) at Ashland (4-3, 2-2): The high-octane Knights set a season high-water mark for points scored in last week’s 62-28 win over Lexington. Quarterback Morgan Smith threw for 383 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 70 yards and three scores. Kyle Maltarich hauled in a pair of touchdown passes, including a 53-yarder on the final play of the first half. The Yale-bound receiver also returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown. Nate Fair had TD catches of 78 and 15 yards and Logan Zollars had a 69-yard TD grab.
While Ashland’s defense was solid in last week’s loss at Mansfield Senior, the offense sputtered most of the evening. The Arrows managed just 142 yards. Quarterback Nathan Bernhard was under constant duress and completed 9-of-18 passes for 81 yards. Cayden Spotts rushed for 68 yards and caught three passes for 28 yards, while Gabe Baith caught four passes for 28 yards. Tyler Sauder and Josh Pancake led the defense with 12 tackles apiece.
St. Paul (3-4, 3-0) at Crestview (3-4, 2-1): The Flyers took a break from Firelands Conference play last week and dropped a 35-28 heartbreaker at Fort Loramie. Quarterback Drew Kuhnle completed 10-of-17 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Ashton Stang caught five passes for 86 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown. Runnig back Ben Burger rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on six carries and caught a TD pass.
The Cougars have won two in a row after last week’s 56-7 victory over Plymouth. Ayden Reymer rumbled for 209 yards and four touchdowns on just eight carries, averaging more than 26 yards per carry. In his last two games, Reymer has rushed for 512 yards and eight TDs. Quarterback Liam Kuhn has completed 56-of-101 passes for 876 yards and eight touchdowns. Kuhn’s favorite target is Tyson Ringler, who has caught 24 passes for 394 yards and two scores. Karter Goon has 17 catches for 285 yards and three TDs. Dylan Burge and Jaden Hedrick lead the team with 73 tackles apiece. Caleb Cunningham has 20 tackles for loss and seven sacks among his 67 stops.
Mapleton (4-3, 2-2) at Monroeville (5-2, 3-0): It’s been a trying week for the Mounties, whose Homecoming game against South Central was canceled at halftime after the death of a student. Mapleton was credited with the 37-6 win. Quarterback Kollin Cline has rushed for 989 yards and 11 touchdowns on 119 carries and completed 38-of-60 passes for 633 yards and five scores. Running back Luke Pryor has rushed for 481 yards and 10 TDs on 84 carries. The dynamic duo combined for 139 yards and four touchdowns last week. Logan Conroy caught a 38-yard TD pass.
The Eagles bounced back from a Week 6 loss to Lucas with a stunning 44-36 win over Western Reserve last week. Monroeville scored three touchdowns in the final five minutes. Quarterback Evan Benfer rushed for 165 of his 178 yards in the second half, including what proved to be the game-winning 74-yarder with 1:12 remaining. Benfer also tossed a pair of TD passes. Landon Roeder rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.