The regular season will kick off Friday night at 7:00 and we’re looking forward to seeing our local teams hit the gridiron. Here are some of the storylines we will be following this season.
Lakers Look to Continue Success
Indian Lake football is hitting on all cylinders. The Lakers followed up a run to the Regional Final two years ago by going all the way to the state final four last season. Coach Jonn Rapp’s team sees the return of several starters, including quarterback Brady Golliday. The Lakers also have the luxury of having the reigning offensive and defensive players of the year in the Mad River back this season in Brodey Reisinger and Aaron Rapp.
Indian Lake will have to earn its playoff berth this season. The schedule starts with Lima Bath, at Fairbanks, at Allen East, at London, and a home game against Bellefontaine before the Lakers begin Mad River play.
Bellefontaine Turns the Page
The Chiefs’ offense took on a new look in 2021 when freshman Tavien St. Clair stepped into the role. The passing game erupted, and for five seasons, a St. Clair ran the show. Tavien is now at Ohio State, and younger brother Reign, who started last season, moved to Upper Arlington.
Now, the Chiefs turn the page and begin a new era with senior Blake Loomis going under center. Loomis makes the move from offensive line to signal caller. He did play the position in middle school and as a freshman.
Bellefontaine returns 12 starters this year—six on offense and six on defense—and will need to improve on its 5-5 record in 2025 if it wants to make the playoffs in Division III, Region 12.
Pirates Begin Last Season in the TRC
The Riverside Pirates are looking to get back into the playoffs in Division VII after their five-year streak was snapped last season. They are also setting sail for their final season in the Three Rivers Conference. The Pirates are set to enter the OHC in the fall of 2027.
But Riverside isn’t the only school jumping ship. Bethel will leave after this year and move to the CBC. At this moment, only six teams are committed to the conference next year, and it’s no secret that Miami East and Milton-Union have looked elsewhere.
Will the TRC survive?
The Streak
The longest active playoff streak in the area belongs to the Mechanicsburg Indians. Coach Forrest’s team made it 13 straight in 2025. No one else is even close, as Bellefontaine and Riverside both had their streaks snapped last year at five.
Can Anyone Dethrone London?
The Red Raiders have dominated the Kenton Trail for the last five seasons. Last year, London didn’t allow a point in the Kenton Trail, shutting out all five opponents. The Red Raiders are also riding a 33-game regular season winning streak. Their last loss in the regular season was September 30, 2022.
It would be foolish to pick against the Red Raiders this year, but if you are looking at a team that may compete with them in the Kenton Trail, you would have to go with Jonathan Alder.
Will Benjamin Logan Take the Next Step?
The Raiders competed last season and were only a few plays away from making the playoffs. They finished 5-5 but held fourth-quarter leads against Bluffton, Graham, North Union, and Indian Lake before falling in each contest.
If the Raiders want to make the playoffs, they’ll need to win the close games this season. The schedule is tough. The Raiders start with Bluffton, WL-S, Lima Senior, and Bellefontaine. Then they have a three-week stretch with Graham, North Union, and Indian Lake starting September 25.
Will We See a 20-Sack Season?
Indian Lake’s Aaron Rapp was blowing up offensive lines last season as a sophomore. The 6-foot-1, 245-pound junior is back and ready to wreak havoc. He finished with 13.5 sacks in 2025.
It will depend on his surrounding cast on the line, as the Lakers lost a few linemen to graduation. If Rapp can avoid the double-teams this season, he could make a run at 20.
Will Brandon Heater Break Another Record?
Brandon Heater caught everyone’s attention last season when he booted a 50-yard field goal for Benjamin Logan. The kicker broke the school record on multiple occasions last year, and he attempted field goals longer than 50 yards multiple times.
If he wants another record, Heater will need to improve his accuracy. He made 7 of 14 last year.
Will the Hoke Brothers Rush for 3,000 Yards?
Graham’s dynamic duo of Danny and Jakob Hoke tore through the defenses last season rushing for a combined 2,689 yards. Graham returns most of their starters from last season and with Danny and Jakob sitting in the backfield, the Falcons offense will be hard to stop. Can the brothers top last season and combine for over 3,000 on the ground?
Who Will Win the CBC Mad River?
The CBC Mad River has grown into the toughest division with the most balance. Indian Lake has won the last two seasons. Graham, Benjamin Logan, and North Union will all have legitimate chances at knocking off the champs this year.
The Lakers beat all three in 2025 by a combined nine points. Graham, North Union, and Benjamin Logan all return key pieces from last year and will be itching to take the top spot in the division.
The last five weeks of the season will be fun to watch in the Mad River.
Stokes Returns to Urbana
The Urbana Hillclimbers were searching for a head coach this offseason and landed a familiar face. Geron Stokes is back where his coaching career started.
Stokes was the head coach at Urbana from 2009-2012, and the team improved every season. He was lured away by Minster, where he won two state championships before going to Dublin Coffman.
Stokes inherits a team that went 3-7 last season, but quarterback Grady Lantz is back for his senior year. More on him in our quarterback section.
Experienced Quarterbacks Set for Big Seasons
Four teams were starting new quarterbacks in 2025. 2026 is the year of the experienced QB.
Benjamin Logan, Graham, Indian Lake, Riverside, Urbana, and WL-S all return their signal callers. Benjamin Logan’s Wyatt Predmore, a junior, was a threat with his legs and feet last year.
Graham’s Gage Stull, a senior, wasn’t asked to throw a lot but did toss 12 touchdowns and only five interceptions in 2025 while guiding his team to an 8-3 record.
Brady Golliday stepped in as a junior and threw for more than 2,400 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. He will have the top receiver in the Mad River back, as Brodey Reisinger suits up for his senior year.
Riverside’s Brody Osborne is back for his junior year after notching 10 starts in 2025. West Liberty-Salem’s Beckett Sullivan is also back for his junior year after leading the Tigers to a playoff spot as a sophomore.
The quarterback who may put up the biggest numbers this year may be Urbana senior Grady Lantz. He racked up more than 3,000 total yards last year and 32 touchdowns.
It will be a fun season to watch. Friday’s are now reserved for football for the next 10 weeks (at least).
