Preview: Knights (2-1) at Redskins (1-2)

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

The Crestview Knights will open the Northwest Conference portion of the schedule on Friday night but that doesn’t mean the opponent will be a familiar one.

The Knights will travel to Shelby County to face Fort Loramie, a program that has joined the NWC for football only for at least two years. Fort Loramie and Lima Central Catholic are replacements for Ada and Leipsic, two schools that both opted to leave the NWC for the Blanchard Valley Conference.

Crestview finished the non-conference portion of the schedule 2-1, with victories over Parkway and Wayne Trace sandwiched around a loss to McComb.

“Through the first three games, there are a few things I am very pleased with,” Crestview head coach Cole Harting said. “First is our defense, they are flying around to the football and making plays. They have done a great job keeping the opposing team off the field. Offensively, I am pleased with our balanced attack. We have done a great job of running and throwing the football.”

So far, the Knights are allowing just 225 total yards per game, including 107 rushing and 118 passing. Offensively, Crestview is averaging 200 yards passing per game and 180 yards rushing per contest. Bryson Penix has completed 47-of-69 passes for 606 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception. Isaiah Barton is the team’s leading receiver with 20 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns, while Hayden Perrott has pulled in eight passes for 169 yards and two scores. Liam Putnam has seven catches for 28 yards, and Wren Sheets has five catches for 84 yards.

Despite playing less than five quarters due to an ankle injury, Braxton Leeth remains Crestview’s leading rusher with 25 carries for 183 yards and five touchdowns. His status for Friday is unknown. Zayden Martin has 33 carries for 145 yards and a touchdown and Penix has 22 carries for 114 yards and four touchdowns. Ayden Martin has contributed 18 carries for 98 yards.

“Crestview is a team with great tradition,” Fort Loramie head coach Spencer Wells said. “They have a lot of athletes and play very hard. They are also well coached, so we will have to play our best football this week to have a chance to earn a victory.”

The Redskins enter the game 1-2, but don’t be fooled. Fort Loramie opened the season with losses to a pair of MAC schools, 49-21 to Minster and 41-0 to Versailles, before beating previously undefeated Covington 35-15 last Friday night. Even Fort Loramie’s scrimmage schedule was challenging.

“We have played against some outstanding programs in both our scrimmages and early season games,” Wells said. “We scrimmaged St. Marys and Marion Local, who as you know have rich tradition and success. In addition to that, our first three weeks have been against programs that have a lot of tradition. We hope this has prepared us well as we enter NWC play.”

While running Fort Loramie’s multiple spread offense, Redskin quarterback Gabe Hart is the leader among NWC passers, going 47-of-69 for 724 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Carter Eilerman has a team high 13 receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown, Thomas Hoying has 10 catches for 208 yards and four touchdowns and Maxwell Maurer has nine receptions for 187 yards and a score. Caden Cantwill leads the team in rushing with 17 carries for 100 yards. The Redskins average 291 yards of total offense per game, including 50 rushing, which is last among NWC teams.

“The focus for us is creating explosive plays and protecting the football,” Wells explained. “Being balanced with the run and the pass, but also taking what the defense is giving us.”

The numbers may be deceiving, but the Redskins are last among conference teams in several defensive categories, including total yards allowed (352) and yards rushing allowed (233).

“We base out of an odd front with Cover 2 on the back end,” Wells said “It is a unique scheme we picked up from one of the best coaches I’ve been around, Mike Voll. He was the defensive coordinator at Wapak while I coached there, and his “nickel” package has been something we’ve gone back to often. We actually ran this same defense in the 2018 playoff game vs Crestview.”

“Fort Loramie has a lot of athletes with good size across the board,” Harting said. “Offensively they have shown a strong passing attack while also being more than capable of establishing the run. Defensively they do a great job of utilizing their size and athleticism to make it difficult for the guys up front while playing sound coverages behind them.”

“Their record is definitely deceiving, even though they come in with a 1-2 record, they may have had the hardest non-conference schedule in our league,” he added. “Defensively, we are going to have to play sound coverage while getting pressure in their quarterback. We will need to limit their big play potential and make them drive the entire field.  Offensively, we are going to have to have a balanced attack and keep them on their toes.”

When the two teams met in the Division VII Region 28 championship game, Fort Loramie posted a 48-20 victory. This Friday’s game will be the only road game for Crestview during the first half of the regular season.