D.L.Burnworth

  Saturday afternoon I made my first trip to Canal Winchester since the 2017 season; this time it was for a rare afternoon game pitting Groveport-Madison against the Idians from Canal. Due to previous incidents surrounding the game, security was tight, but the crowd was rule-abiding, showing they were there just to watch some exciting football. Corey Howard would use a twisting, turning powerful run to pick up 36 yards to get the large Indians crowd on their feet, with 9:52 showing on the clock. The Crusiers defense would respond with Jeremiah Moore picking off a pass at the 5-yard line and taking it back to the 43-yard line in Indians territory with a little under 9:00 minutes left on the clock. The Cruisers used a 23-yard catch from Altrovise Morris-Glenn to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Raishad King, followed by a two-point run by multi-talented Jalen Joyce to make this an 8-0 game with 6:48 left. Groveport-Madison would light up the score clock again when Imar Dunlap scoo...

  *Using rosters from Maxpreps* Saturday night took me to Worthnigton Christian, the host school for the Great Lakes Christian Athletic Conference playoff game between the Noblesville Lions and the Columbus Crusaders. This would be my second time seeing this matchup and my first visit to Worthington Christian. Columbus would set the tone early as to how this playoff game was going to go when Ezekiel Bowie broke a tackle while staying inbounds to rush for a 42-yard touchdown. A high snap played a part in the P.A.T. by Lucas Stoner being missed, keeping this a 6-0 game with 10:19 left on the clock. Bowie, who goes 5-7, 170 has spped to burn, though the most impressive thing about him is his power. I set beside his parents and said to his dad, Does he know he should run like Barry Sanders, not John Riggins? This brought a deep laugh from his father. Lance Hoffeditz is listed as a tight end on the Noblesville roster, but he was the starting quarterback tonight, and his first pass wa...

  *Using rosters from maxpreps and Hudl* Newark, Ohio- Last night I was back at White Field, this time watching the Newark Wildcats host the Lancaster Golden Gales. 2005 was the last time I can remember seeing the Wildcats play, and that was their 100th meeting with rival Zanesville. Newark would win that game 34-10. 2018 was the last time I had watched Lancaster play, and that was a game that they lost 28-7 to Reynoldsburg. The Wildcats defense got things headed in the direction they needed when Brody Driskel got to dangerous Jahmeir Gordon for a loss of 5 yards with 9:27 left in the opening quarter. Just 30 seconds later, Parker Camplbell would get the Lancaster's Isaiah Sweatee after a catch for a loss of 9 yards. The Wildcats would quietly go on a 9-play, 59-yard drive that cumulated in a 26-yard field goal from Sean Brechbill, making this a 3-0 game with 5:16 left in the quarter. Lancaster would get a nice 16-yard run from Brody Burke to move the chains. With 0.37 seconds ...

  Thursday night found me at Northland High School to watch the big Columbus City League rivalry game between Beechcroft and Northland. This is one of those rival games where records do not count for much because this game seems to be the Super Bowl for each team. Defense had ruled the first quarter until the final 1:58, where David Tran found Khalil Samual for a 31-yard Beechcroft touchdown on fourth and six, making this a 6-0 Cougar lead. Eighteen seconds later, Jayden Cherry raced 53 yards to lock things up with Jojo Djabo converging his P.A.T. to give Northland the 7-6 lead. Tran found Samuel with 3:01 left in the half, then a Tran to Tyrell Russell picked up 14 yards, but no points would come as the Vikings defense held true. The first half would see the Cougars run 32 plays, picking up 119 yards. For the Vikings, they ran 14 plays, picking up 85 yards. The two teams combined to throw 16 passes, with the Cougars throwing 14 of them. The Vikings used a 10-yard run to get th...

  Braden Adkins Portsmouth West Running back/SSafety 2027 Heading into the season after all the practice was completed leading up to your first game, what did you learn about your team? Things I learned from my team leading up to our first game were how competitive we were because we lost 9 of the 11 players on defense, and seeing how hard our underclassmen were competing and working hard every day in practice for playing time was what stood out to me. What goals had you set for your team as you headed into the season? Every year our goal as a team is to win our conference and make a deep run into the playoffs. What goals have you set for yourself entering the season? Coming into the season, I knew we lost all four of our secondary players, so one of my goals was to work hard and compete for one of those spots. What has been the highlight of the 2024 season? The biggest highlight for me so far for the 2024 season was when we played a key opponent in our conference waverly a...

  Preston Simko Butler High School Wr and Fs 2026 Heading into the season after all of the practices were complete leading up to your first game, what did you learn about your team? I learned that our team was ready to complete against the given team. All of our practices throughout the summer leading up to the first game were very competitive. What goals had you set for your team as you headed into the season? A team goal we set was to be at.500 or better, which we can still do with this last game left of the year. A personal goal I had set was to break the school single season receiving yard record, which I was on way above past after 4 games with 365 yards, then got my ankle sprained the next week and been out for 3 games and then been limited the last 2 games I’ve played. What has been the high light of the 2024 season? My personal highlight of the season so far was the first four weeks of the season and the 7on7 over the summer. The chemistry that I built with our QB ...

  *Using rosters from Maxpreps and Hudl* My night game on Saturday took me from Bellaire to Harding Stadium in Steubenville, Ohio. The battle would be Steubenville Catholic Central hosting Conotton Valley. For two smaller type schools, I have to say the crowd was big and vocal. S.C.C. would make the first big play of the game when Kyran Busic sacked Rockets quarterback Zachary Putnam for a loss of four. Putnam shook of the sack with a 25-yard completion to Kamden Wright. Wright turned out to be a thorn in the side of the S.C.C. defense a lot this night. Putnam found Brooks Bower for 11 yards, then he capped the drive off with a 25-yard touchdown throw to multi-talented Gavin Haney. Coltin Hott was true on his P.A.T., making this a 7-0 game with 5:56 left on the clock. On the ensuing kickoff, Haven Ralston took the ball back 55 yards to the Rockets 20-yard line. It took The Crusaders had 6 plays to get into the endzone, with Jimmy Hernongoing the final 3 yards to make this a 7-6 ...

  *Using the Bellaire roster from bellaireathletics.com* *Using the Union Roster from Hudl and Max Preps.* Yesterday afternoon I made another drive to Bellaire to watch the Big Reds battle Union Local Jets in a game that Calpreps had as a three-score game, with the Jets predicted to be the victor. The Jets defense would take flight when #24 Max Duncan made a diving interception on a pass thrown by Michael Dippel just fifty-two seconds into the game. The Bellaire would stand tall on the ensuing drive, forcing the Jets into a fourth-and-one situation where they opted to go for it. Isaiah Tomolonis had his number called, but the Big Reds were more than ready, with Landon Preston stuffing the play and getting the ball back to the Bellaire offense with 8:57 remaining in the quarter. Bradyn Beckett would gallop to a 23-yard run to get the Bellaire crowd on their feet at the 8:43 mark. Dippel would find one of the best younger players I have watched this season, Raekwon Pettigrew, f...

  Brennan Kostyak Class of 2028: Defensive End/Tight End   Beaver Area M/H School Beaver, PA Phone number: (724) 417-8778 Twitter: @Kostyak_Brennan Instagram: @Kostyak.Bren YouTube: https://youtube.com/@brennankostyak1264 Hudl- http://hudl.com/profile/11823186 What were your goals as you entered your freshman season?   Entering my freshman season, my goal was to play varsity. I wanted to learn as much as I could from my coaches and upperclassmen to get better. What has been the high light of the 2024 season? The biggest highlight for me so far for the 2024 season was getting my first sack at the varsity level. It was in week 4 against a tough opponent—Hopewell High School.  What has been the most disappointing part of the 2024 season? The toughest part of this season for me was losing to Central Valley. Although they are a good program, I believe we are better. That was a tough loss. What has been the biggest adjustment for you this season compared to pr...

*Using rosters from Hudl and Max Preps* Galloway, Ohio On Friday I made the short drive to Galloway, Ohio, to catch the Westland Cougars game against Delaware Hayes. This would be my first time seeing Delaware and the second time I had taken in a game at Westland. Westland got on board first with a simple screen play from Levi Estep to Jordan Matthews, who broke a tackle cut across the field, avoiding all defenders for the 38-yard score. After Donovan Moore nailed the PAT, we had a 7-0 game, with 9:39 left on the clock. The Pacers responded quickly when Caleb Row found a wide-opened Caleb Christian for an 84-yard score. Chaz Sakala locked the game up at seven with his PAT, with 8:41 left in the opening quarter. Westland would bring their high-octane offense back on the field, and a 21-yard by Kentrell Rinehart set up a 10-yard Estep run, making this a 14-7 game. A sweet block from Germere Sanchez aided in the score. The drive totaled 80 yards, lasting for 6 plays. The Cougars woul...

  *Using rosters from Max-preps and Hudl* ** Also I want to give thanks to Dominic Winton for his help with the Stars players** Last night I made my way to Harley Field, home of the East Tigers, who were set to battle the Centennial Stars on senior night. The crowd, which for me was the biggest I have seen at an East regular season game. Winning slowly brings their crowds to really good levels, and the Stars brought a nice group of fans along too. The Stars defense would shine bright, starting with a sack on #1 (not on any roster I can find) by Dewayne Davis just twenty-one seconds into the game. From there, Cyrus Babai helped get a safety on the Tigers quarterback by forcing an intentional grounding call, making this a 2-0 game with just 56 seconds off of the clock. The Tigers would take the lead at 6-2 when  Daequan Lindsey hauled in a 40-yard touchdown catch. The drive went for 62 yards and lasted for 4 plays. Pierre was opened by five yards and easily outran the closest...

  Braylon Jessie Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School Edge rusher 2025 6'2,230 What have you learned about your team during the season that you did not know during summer workouts and practices? That we are a very hard-working team, and we are not afraid of anything or anyone. What has been the best part of the season so far? The best part of the season is after getting a great win against Kenston in just celebrating with my brothers! Who is the best player that you have faced this season, along with the team he played for? The best player I have faced was number 78 on Ursuline. Who has been the best team that you have faced this season, along with the reasons you believe they were so good? The best team we faced this season was Ursuline. I just believed their defense was pretty good. We as a team need to pick our heads up from the past two games in take on week at a time. What is the toughest part of practice? The toughest part of practice is when we have to condit...

  Hunter Smart Austintown Fitch High School  Long Snapper 2025 5’11 165 What have you learned about your team during the season that you did not know during summer workouts and practices? This team can turn the switch on and off and is more aggressive. What has been the best part of the season so far? When our kicker Anthony Ruggles made a 50-yard field goal against Massillon Perry What has been the most disappointing part of the season so far? The most disappointing part of the season was our loss to Ursline week 6. The Falcons stand at 6-2 after eight weeks. What must you guys do to finish strong and set yourself up for a successful playoff run? We must cut down on the mental mistakes on offense and defense and be better in the secondary defense. What got you into long snapping? When I was younger, I played flag football, and I was the center for my team, so when high school football came and I was too small to be a center, I wanted to be a long snapper becaus...

  Ashton Allen New Albany High School (New Albany, Ohio) RB/KR/ATH 2025 Height: 5'9" Weight: 180lbs After summer workouts and all of the practices were over leading up to week one, what had you learned about your team?  My team and I spent the summer building relationships and strong chemistry, which would help lead us to a successful season. What goals had you set for the team before the season started? Improving our record over last year and making it deep in the D2 playoffs. With this being your final high school football season, does it seem that it has gone faster than previous seasons?  Yes, it seems a bit faster, especially now that we are approaching the end of the season. What has been the highlight of the 2024 season after week eight of the regular season? Beating a 5-0 team in Grove City on our home turf. This gave us confidence and set the tone for the balance of the season.  What has been the most disappointing part of the 2024 season? Losin...

  Ben Kauffman Penncrest High School Primary is DE, but also play OT, C, and LS. 2025 6’3” and 220 lbs. College I’m in the recruiting process. What has been your biggest moment as a football player? On fourth down, with the game on the line and the score at 6-7, we were in our own territory against Conestoga last year. We needed a crucial stop to secure the win, and we got it. How long have you played the game? I played one year of youth football and then picked football up again my freshman year.  Who or what got you started playing the game? My Dad. He played football in college and helped guide me and show me what it takes to play at the next level. Defensive end or tight end, which position do you feel you are best at? DE. I play DE and OT. Some colleges are looking at me as a TE since it’s not easy to find a strong blocking TE. I’m willing to play anywhere I can help a team. Defensive end or tight end—which position is the hardest to prepare for? Explain. ...

  Zane Moses Homeschool At the varsity level, I have played OLB and TE. 2025 What were your goals entering the 2024 season? Coming into the year, I first and foremost wanted to win a 3rd GLCAC championship. We’ve won the past two years, and I want to complete the 3-peat. I also wanted to win all conference for the 2nd year in a row. But I also wanted to be a leader and a positive yet challenging influence on the team. I feel that God prepared me to be a leader this year, and I have stepped up to the challenge.  After all of the practices were through, leading into week number 1, what had you learned about your team? To be completely honest, I was not entirely sure what to expect. I could definitely see that we had enough talent to make up an elite squad, but we dealt with some consistency issues early in the summer. A lot of the guys who were here in July and August are no longer with the team. But I knew that I had a group of competitors. I was especially impressed wit...

  *I am using the rosters for HUdl and Max preps as I was unable to obtain them at the game.* Grove City, Ohio Saturday night took me to Grove City, where the Columbus Crusaders were set to face the C4 Eagles, at the home of the Grove City Christian Eagles. The C4 Eagles came in with a 3-3 record, while the Crusaders came in at 4-2. The Eagles lost their game last week 7-6 to the Noblesville Lions 7-6, while the Crusaders were coming off a one-point loss (19-18) against Landmark Christian out of Cincinnati. The Crusaders defense struck first when Austin Bauer picked off a Kejour Reed pass. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, the ensuing drive needed just four yards and a punt. Reed would connect with Tyler Wright, a dangerous player with speed to burn for a gain of 18 yards. Stephen Wright moved the chains with a hard-nosed 8-yard run with 6:47 left in the opening quarter. Reed would be picked off by Bauer to end the drive. Bauer looked like Willie Mays playing a fly ball as he mad...

  Saturday afternoon would see me in Akron at Ellet High School to watch Akron Firestone facing League foe Akron East. East entered the game at 4-3 while the Falcons came in 2-5. The Falcons defense would get a nice play from Mario Jones II as he got to Donte Swain Jr. for a loss of four with 1:51 left in a scoreless opening quarter. The first period would fly by as the defenses both were winning their battle with the offense, but with 0:30 left in the quarter, Marlin Engram hit Darshaun Sales for a gain of twenty-five. The Dragons drive continued in the second quarter, with Engram finding Braylon Bush for 32 yards. Bush is 6-3, 175 pounds, and he, IMO, could have had well over 100 yards and a few scores had he had his number called more often. He was a nightmare for the Falcons defense. The drive that looked so promising ended when Falcons Jaylen Croff stopped Zairie Stevens on a fourth-and-two call. East would be back on the field after its defense easily stopped the Falcons o...