The first half of the high school football season is in the books and things are progressing largely as expected.
The teams we thought would be really good during the preseason — Ashland, Lexington, Shelby and Hillsdale — have lived up to expectations. Those four teams are a combined 19-1 and are considered regional championship contenders.
A handful of other area teams — Clear Fork, Centerburg and Galion chief among them — could find themselves in the mix for regional titles before it’s all said and done.
As for individual performances, there have been plenty of standouts throughout the first half of the season. Let’s take a look at some of the mid-season MVP candidates:
Offense
Brayden DeVito, Shelby: The record-setting Air Force-bound senior is the pilot of north central Ohio’s most prolific offense. The Whippets average an area-best 47 points and 430.8 yards a game. DeVito has completed a jaw-dropping 78 percent of his passes (74-of-95) for 1,036 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for another 470 yards and nine TDs on just 48 carries, averaging nearly 10 yards a pop.
Joe Caudill, Lexington: The future Michigan State tight end continues to shine under center. Caudill has completed 50-of-95 passes for 749 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 238 yards and four TDs on 58 carries. Lex is averaging 319.2 yards and 38.4 points per game.
Nathan Bernhard, Ashland: The Appalachian State recruit may be the greatest in a long line of great Ashland quarterbacks. Bernhard has completed 60-of-92 passes for 828 yards and 10 touchdowns and hasn’t thrown an interception in 11 games dating to his junior year — a span of more than 200 attempts. Bernhard has also rushed for 348 yards and 11 TDs on 78 carries. He has accounted for 96 career touchdowns and more than 8,600 career yards.
Kael Lewis, Hillsdale: The junior picked up where he left off last year, when he led the Falcons to the Division VII state championship game. Lewis has completed 57-of-77 passes for 886 yards and 13 touchdowns without an interception and rushed for 57 yards and three scores.
Blane Ball, Centerburg: A senior, Ball is at the helm of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference’s most potent offense. The Trojans average a KMAC-best 37.2 points and 414.2 yards a game. Ball has completed 39-of-67 passes for 633 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for another 589 yards and six TDs on just 54 carries, averaging 10.9 yards per attempt.
Mason Richards, Mount Vernon: The senior quarterback’s passing numbers don’t jump off the page like the other first-half offensive MVP candidates (31-of-64, 332 yards, two TDs), but it’s impossible to overlook what he’s done on the ground. Richards is the area’s leading rusher with 871 yards and 16 touchdowns on 106 carries. Mount Vernon is 3-2, already eclipsing the seasonal win totals of the past four years.
Defense
Alex Schlosser, Clear Fork: The junior linebacker is the anchor of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference’s top scoring defense. The Colts allow just 11 points and 185 yards a game. Schlosser ranks among conference leaders with eight tackles for loss among his 31 stops and returned an interception for a touchdown in last week’s shutout win at Marion Pleasant.
Zach Sallee, Galion: The senior defensive end and outside linebacker is a game-wrecker. Sallee has 41 tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He’s well on his way to eclipsing his junior season production, when he was an All-Ohio second-teamer in Division IV after making 81 tackles, with 24 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Galion allows 13 points and 203.2 yards per game.
Gavin Toombs, Fredericktown: A college tight end prospect with an offer from Division II powerhouse Grand Valley State, Toombs is a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball. The rugged 6-foot-5, 230-pound defensive end leads the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference with six sacks and four forced fumbles.
Gunner Lacey, Ashland: The senior linebacker is the backbone of Ashland’s miserly defense. The Arrows allow just 10.4 points and 222.6 yards a game. A first-team Division II All-Ohioan last year, Lacey leads the Arrows with 40 tackles and seven tackles for loss. He has an offer from Division II Ashland University.
Sam Gwirtz, Shelby: A senior linebacker, Gwirtz boasts 10 tackles for loss among his 39 tackles and has picked off a pass and forced a fumble. Shelby leads the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference in total defense, allowing just 181.2 yards per game. Gwirtz has drawn the interest of several Division III schools, including small-college juggernaut Mount Union.
Luke Mullins, Mount Vernon: A senior linebacker, Mullins is one of the most disruptive players in the Licking County League. He has 60 tackles, including six tackles for loss and two sacks. The two-time state wrestling tournament qualifier also has recovered two fumbles, forced a fumble, broken up a pass and blocked an extra point.