BUCYRUS — Things are back to normal, or close, on the area football fields this season. Week 1 went off without a hitch, at least for the local teams.
Here is a look at what is on tap in Week 2, with more non-league action on tap.
Ashland Crestview (1-0) at Bucyrus (1-0)
Bucyrus got off to a great start to open the season with a convincing 49-14 win at Mississinawa Valley. Despite the 270-mile roundtrip, the Redmen brought home a win in the first week of the season for the first time since 2013.
Quarterback Malachi Bayless picked up where he left off last year, passing for 287 yards and four touchdowns. The Redmen also rushed for 167 yards between Bayless, Eddie Dagher, and Blayne Stewart-Barto.
For Crestview, quarterback Hayden Kuhn and running back Conner Morse led the offense in a win over Loudonville last week, combining for 269 yards throwing in rushing.
For Bucyrus to win, the defense will have to contain the Cougars’ run game and limit big plays. This one has the potential to be high scoring.
Colonel Crawford (1-0) at Smithville (1-0)
In another battle of unbeatens, Colonel Crawford will make the trek to Wayne County to take on the Smithville Smithies.
The Eagles were impressive in a 55-7 win over Riverdale in Week 1. Lincoln Mollencopf had a big night rushing with 217 yards and four touchdowns. The Smithies rallied for a come-from-behind 20-13 win over Tuslaw.
A repeat of the Riverdale game offensively might be difficult, but if the Eagles’ defense can slow Smithville’s running game, a 2-0 start to the season could be in Colonel Crawford’s future.
Carey (0-1) at Galion (1-0)
Galion got its season off with a win, which has become customary for the Tigers in recent years. However, it was not without some nervous moments, as they slipped past a scrappy Elgin, 15-12.
Carey dropped a 30-15 decision to Hopewell-Loudon, which some would view as a mild upset as the Blue Devils were seen by area media as the favorite in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference.
Hanif Donaldson led Galion with 192 yards rushing and a touchdown at Elgin. The Tigers will likely need even more from Donaldson to get by the Blue Devils.
On the other side, Carey struggled on offense with just 189 yards of total offense. If Galion’s defense can take a page from the Hopewell-Loudon defensive playbook, they have a chance to hand the Blue Devils their second straight upset loss.
Triad (0-1) at Buckeye Central (1-0)
Buckeye Central retained the momentum that was built late last year with a convincing season-opening 45-12 win over county rival Crestline.
Sophomore quarterback Derex Dean had a coming out party against the Bulldogs, passing for 179 yards and four touchdowns. Manny Mullins caught three of the scoring passes.
Triad dropped a 28-6 decision to Benjamin Logan. If the Bucks can establish their running game early, they have a chance to avenge last year’s 37-8 loss to the Cardinals.
Pleasant (0-1) at Wynford (0-1)
Perhaps the most interesting matchup of the night, Pleasant and Wynford renew an old North Central Conference rivalry. Both have rich football tradition but stumbled out of the gate in Week 1. The Spartans fell to North Union, 36-0, and the Royals were downed by powerful Otsego, 48-16, on the road.
Quarterback Cobey Allen threw for 149 yards and two scores to lead the Wynford offense. But the running game struggled, gaining 100 yards on 35 carries.
If the defense can hold Pleasant’s offense at bay, and the Royals can get the running game going, it could be a good night in Holmes Township.
Crestline (0-1) at North Baltimore (0-1)
Crestline goes on the road to North Baltimore. The Bulldogs got off to a rocky start last week in a 45-12 loss to visiting Buckeye Central. But Crestline is plugging in some new players at key positions, so growing pains were expected for coach Jonny King’s squad this year.
North Baltimore also took it on the chin in Week 1, losing at Metamora Evergreen, 27-7. The two teams met in Crestline in 2019, with the Bulldogs winning, 33-28.
The Crestline defense will have to step up this week to prevent the Tigers from getting their offense going if the Bulldogs hope to come back to Crawford County with a victory and avoid an 0-2 start.