Crestview endures challenging season

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

CONVOY — Due to a handful of factors, Crestview’s 2024 football season came to an end earlier than hoped.

The Knights finished the campaign 4-6 (2-5 NWC) and missed the postseason, finishing as the No. 19 seed in Division VI, Region 22. Along the way, the Knights had to endure one of the toughest schedules in all of Division VI, sixth most difficult, according to fantastic50.net. Another big factor was injuries. Starting running back Braxton Leeth went down with an ankle injury in the second game of the season and missed significant time, while quarterback Bryson Penix suffered a shoulder injury late against Fort Loramie.

“Throughout the season we sustained some significant injuries at some inopportunable times,” head coach Cole Harting said. “But the silver lining to that is we were able to build some quality depth and the only way to do that is by playing. We had several underclassmen step up and fill those roles, that experience will be extremely valuable as we head into next season.”

One of the younger players who stepped up was junior Huxley Grose, who took over the quarterback spot in Week No. 4 and remained there through the end of the season. He went on to complete 70-of-119 passes for 785 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. Before going down, Penix completed 64-of-97 passes for 799 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. After returning to action, he saw spot duty at wide receiver and resumed duties as a starting linebacker.

After returning to the field, Leeth finished with 103 carries for 651 yards and 10 touchdowns. In his absence, Ayden and Zayden Martin combined for 519 yards and four touchdowns. 

As for the tough schedule, Crestview’s six losses came against teams with a combined record of 42-18. Five of those teams qualified for the playoffs. The Knights beat Spencerville, a playoff team in Week No. 9, and Wayne Trace, a team that became a playoff contender, in Week No. 2. All in all, the schedule made for a memorable season.

“The goal is to win as many games as possible, but our biggest rivals are Parkway and Wayne Trace,” Harting said. “Since those games are played prior to league play, it creates some fun matchups. We went into those games and played really good football and it showed on the scoreboard.  Another memorable moment came against Jefferson when we played in the storm. As a coach it’s stressful, but for a player, it’s one of those classic weather games that they won’t forget.” 

“Lastly, I will always remember our dominant performance against Spencerville in Week No. 9,” he added. “After back to back weeks of playing the top two teams in our league, our players came out and put on quite the show.”

After playing in Division VII for 10 consecutive seasons, a move up to Division VI also played a role in a non-playoff season, and the additions of Lima Central Catholic and Fort Loramie (football only) made the slate even more challenging.

“The NWC is one of the best small school football conferences in the state and with the addition of LCC and Fort Loramie, it has definitely solidified that,” Harting stated.

Another highlight to the season was a balanced group of receivers. Liam Putman led the team in receptions, with 35 for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Isaiah Barton finished with 34 catches for 375 yards and two scores, Hayden Perrott was the team leader in receiving yards, 400, on 26 catches, plus three touchdowns, while Wren Sheets had 21 receptions for 351 yards and five touchdowns.

Sheets also led the team with 70 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Ayden Martin had 65 tackles and Bryson Penix had 61 tackles.

Sheets, Martin, Zayden Martin, and Penix were among 10 seniors on the team, along with Barton, Ethan Lugabihl, Hayden Buuck, Kane Roberts, Ryden Cereghin and Aleden Adams.

“I can’t thank these 10 seniors enough, they replaced a big group from the year before, and from day one, they met the challenge,” Harting said of the group. “This year they did everything that was asked of them and then some. They provided great leadership and continued to move the program forward, each and every one of them will be greatly missed.”

Looking ahead to 2025, there will be at least one change. McComb will come off the Week No. 2 portion of the schedule and will be replaced by Marion Local. That aside, Harting said there’s a lot of work to be done.

“As we head into the offseason, the top priority will be to continue to build our culture,” Harting said. “The best way to do that is to hit the weight room. There we can continue to build toughness, dedication, accountability as well as strength. We will also provide our players with opportunities to develop skills as we prepare for next season.”