Top 25 Ohio high school football rankings (9/26/2023)

Massillon remains No. 1, while Toledo Central Catholic, Avon, Archbishop Hoban, and St. Edward round out the top 5

The SBLive Ohio Power 25 has a very northeast Ohio feel to it this week, as six of this week’s top 10 - Massillon, Toledo Central Catholic, Avon, Archbishop Hoban, St. Edward, Walsh Jesuit and Youngstown Ursuline - come from the Cleveland-Akron-Youngstown area while no other metro has more than one team present. 

SBLive Ohio Power 25

1. Massillon (6-0)

Last week: 1

Massillon took the field without their star quarterback DaOne Owens on Friday against Middletown, one of the top programs out of Delaware. Jalen Slaughter, filling in under center, went 15-of-29 for 293 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers’ 41-7 win. Dorian Pringle made his touches count, gaining 32 yards on the ground on 6 carries, but scoring three touchdowns. The Tigers host St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) on Friday.

2. Toledo Central Catholic (6-0)

Last week: 2

Running back Marquan Braswell had a great night as Toledo Central Catholic blanked St. Ignatius, 28-0, on homecoming night in Toledo. The senior ran for 182 yards on 21 carries plus a touchdown. The defense was flawless, the key play coming from a Jayden Barnes 52-yard pick-six in the second half. The Fighting Irish head to St. John’s Jesuit this Friday.

3. Avon (6-0)

Last week: 4

Avon jumped a spot after a 52-10 win over Olmsted Falls, a team that had spent time in the SBLive Power 25 earlier this season. The Eagles’ offense began and ended with quarterback Nolan Good, who rushed for five touchdowns in the Southwestern Conference clash. The Avon defense was stellar, only allowing 100 yards of offense to Olmsted Falls. The Eagles head to Berea-Midpark this Friday.

4. Archbishop Hoban (5-0)

Last week: 3

Archbishop Hoban was off this week. The Knights return to action on Friday when they host Walsh Jesuit in a top 10 showdown.

5. St. Edward (5-1)

Last week: 5

Everything was clicking for St. Edward as the eagles rebounded from their first loss of the season, taking down River Rouge (Michigan), 42-6. Thomas Csanyi ran for a touchdown, then threw for another one, putting the Eagles up 21-0 after the first quarter. The defense and special teams came to play as well with a blocked punt for a touchdown and an interception in the River Rouge red zone. St. Edward will host St. Ignatius this Saturday afternoon.

6. Walsh Jesuit (6-0)

Last week: 7

Walsh Jesuit made it three wins in a row against rival St. Vincent-St. Mary with a 43-13 win. Brock Sherman and Lucas Weaver both rushed for a pair of touchdowns on the night as the Warriors rolled. Walsh Jesuit heads to No. 4 Hoban in the must-see game in the state of Ohio next week.

7. Marion Local (6-0)

Last week: 8

The de facto Midwest Athletic Conference championship did not disappoint on Friday night. Marion Local came in with the longest winning streak in the state while Versailles was undefeated, having only allowed 14 total points in their first five games. Midway through the fourth, Versailles’ Michael Osborne found Zach Meyer for a 16-yard touchdown, making the score 14-13. However, the extra point would go wide right and that was all she wrote. Marion Local’s win streak improves to 38 as they prepare for Fort Recovery next Friday.

8. Gahanna Lincoln (6-0)

Last week: 9

It was all Gahanna Lincoln in a 49-7 win over Westland. Brennen Ward was 12-of-15 passing for 264 yards and three touchdowns, all to Jalen Scott. Diore Hubbard scored two touchdowns on the ground while Daniel Opoku added a pick-six of his own. The Golden Lions head to New Albany this Friday.

9. Youngstown Ursuline (6-0)

Last week: 14

Ursuline never trailed and were only tied for a couple of seconds as they stayed undefeated on Friday night, defeating Austintown Fitch, 32-14. Jy’Quise Liaison took the opening kickoff to the house, giving the Fighting Irish a 6-0 lead in the early seconds. Ursuline would never surrender that lead as Jack Ericson’s offense marched down the field. Ericson threw for one touchdown and ran for two more on the night. Ursuline heads to St. Vincent-St. Mary on Friday night.

10. Princeton (6-0)

Last week: 6

Another week, another nail biter for Princeton as the Vikings held on to stay undefeated with a 14-7 win over Oak Hills. After a Teryntino Brown-Freeman touchdown run put Princeton up 7-0 in the first, a costly fumble would allow Oak Hills to tie it up 7-7. A David Hambrick touchdown in the second quarter gave the Vikings a 14-7 lead. Junior PJ Nelson was the anchor in the Princeton defense, recording seven tackles, three3 tackles for loss, and two sacks on the night. Princeton is at Fairfield this Friday.

11. Sandusky Perkins (5-0)

Last week: 17

Perkins opened play in the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division on a strong note with a 31-7 win over Clyde. Logan Lesch was solid under center, throwing 13-of-19 for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Isaac Bunts hit the century mark on the ground and powered a run into the end zone in the third quarter to seal the win. The Pirates host undefeated Edison in one of the premier games in northern Ohio next week.

12. Badin, Hamilton (6-0)

Last week: 13

A balanced attack saw Badin start strong in Greater Catholic League Co-Ed play, taking down Bishop Fenwick 28-3. Alex Ritzie was efficient, completing 13-of-15 passes for 170 yards. Lem Grayson powered forward behind great play by the Rams’ line, rushing for 106 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. The Rams head to Archbishop Carroll on Friday. 

13. Lakota West (4-2)

Last week: 15

It’s now four wins in a row for Lakota West after a 34-14 win over Sycamore in Greater Miami Conference play. Quarterback Sam Wiles carried the ball 14 times for 57 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jiovionni Wilson also had 57 yards on the ground with a touchdown . The Firebirds return home to face Oak Hills this Friday.

14. Milford (6-0)

Last week: 16

Milford holds onto sole possession of first place in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference with a 28-0 win over Little Miami as Nathan Webster finished with 142 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns. Rob Mickler intercepted two Little Miami passes as the Milford defense pitched their first shutout of the season. Milford hosts Walnut Hills on Friday.

15. Archbishop Moeller (3-3)

Last week: 18

Jordan Marshall continues to make a strong case for Ohio's Mr. Football. The Michigan commit rushed for 139 yards on 17 carries and a pivotal fourth quarter touchdown in Archbishop Moeller’s 28-20 win over La Salle. With the win, the Crusaders improve to 2-0 in Greater Catholic League - South play. Next week, they will have the opportunity to clinch their first back-to-back conference titles since 2013 and 2014 as the Crusaders head to Elder on Friday night.

16. Medina Highland (5-1)

Last week: 21

Matthew Ciryak did a little bit of everything as Highland took down Barberton 35-7 on Friday night. The all-Ohio second team defensive back intercepted a pass, hauled in two touchdown catches and blocked a Barberton field goal attempt. The Hornets are back on the road on Friday when they face Kent Roosevelt.

17. Pickerington North (6-0)

Last week: 10

Pickerington North got all it could handle from winless Westerville Central as the Panthers escaped, 16-14. Westerville Central scored on their first possession, only for the Panthers to respond with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Landon O’Connell to AJ Miller. Westerville Central regained the lead early in the second but Dorian Hamilton tied it up heading into halftime. An intentional grounding against Westerville Central in the third and a blocked 25-yard field goal attempt in the fourth would be the difference in the game as the Panthers survive. Pickerington North is on the road on Friday against Westland.

18. Elder (4-2)

Last week: 22

Four quarters wasn’t enough to crown a winner when Elder faced St. Xavier in Greater Catholic League South play. They only got there because Ryan Brass powered through the line for a 2-yard touchdown run with 42 seconds left in regulation, only for St. X’s Jake Cengia to hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired. St. Xavier struck first in overtime with a Daniel Vollmer 4-yard run, making it 31-24. After Ryan Brass ran it in from nine yards out, coach Doug Ramsey kept his offense on the field, deciding to end it here and now. Brass, from the shotgun, took the ball up the middle, found a hole, and dove into the end zone to give Elder the 32-31 win. They have a chance to take sole possession of first place in the Great Catholic League South when they host Moeller on Friday.

19. Cleveland Heights (5-1)

Last week: Unranked

Cleveland Heights makes a return to the SBLIve Power 25 after a 41-0 win over Strongsville. The Tigers are on a four-game winning streak after their sole loss of the season to Paramus Catholic (New Jersey). Uncommitted four-star running back Marquise Davis was unstoppable, rushing for 103 yards on 8 carries, including four touchdowns. The Tigers head to Solon this Friday.

20. Liberty Center (6-0)

Last week: 23

It was all Liberty Center in a 63-7 win over Bryan. Colton Kruze scored four touchdowns and Cam Kahle had a stellar punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter for the Tigers. Liberty Center welcomes undefeated Patrick Henry next week in a game that will most likely decide the Northwest Ohio Athletic League championship.

21. Hudson (4-2)

Last week: 12

Ian Ludewig ran the ball 25 times for 94 yards in the first half alone for Hudson as they took a 13-0 lead into halftime against Wadsworth. However, the Grizzlies came back, as Kyle Figuray ran for a pair of touchdowns to tie it up early in the fourth quarter and Will Stack added a touchdown midway through the fourth to give Wadsworth a 19-13 lead. Then a final drive fell short in the red zone as the Explorers suffered their first loss in Suburban League play. Hudson hosts Brecksville on Friday.

22. Painesville Riverside (6-0)

Last week: Unranked

Riverside went undefeated in conference play in 2022 and have the talent to repeat that in 2023. The Beavers hold marquee wins over Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Aurora, and Mentor en route to a perfect start. Their next test is at Eastlake North this Friday.

23. Medina (4-2)

Last week: Unranked

Medina has bounced back strong in recent weeks with a pair of lopsided wins. The Battling Bees’ offense has been rolling, averaging 42.5 points per game. Medina will look to keep their momentum when they head to Strongsville this Friday.

24. Anderson (5-1)

Last week: Unranked

Anderson returns to the SBLive Power 25 after a win against then-No. 19, Winton Woods, 20-13. The Raptors opened the scoring with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Justice Burman to Mike Smith, who finished with seven catches for 107 yards. Trailing at halftime, Anderson quarterback Brodey Berg found an opening and ran in his second touchdown of the day from 20 yards out. That would be the deciding touchdown as the Raptors improve to 4-1 in Eastern Cincinnati Conference play. Next up is Little Miami in their final home game of the regular season.

25. Perry (6-0)

Last week: Unranked

Perry just pitched their third shutout of the season in a 33-0 win over Lutheran West on Friday. But that alone isn’t worth a debut in the SBLIve Power 25. Perry’s undefeated record includes three teams who are 5-1 so far this season in Madison, Kirtland, and Geneva. They will look to keep their undefeated season alive when they are at Orange on Friday.