Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference
Shelby (D-IV)
2020 Record: 10-1 (7-0)
Offense: 37.8 PPG (4th in area)
Defense: 19.5 PPG Allowed (41st in area)
Key Players: McGwire Albert, QB; Marek Albert, DE; Andre' Hill, QB; Blaine Bowman, WR; Camden Armstrong, OL/DL
Game to Watch: Week 8 vs. West Holmes
The Shelby Whippets put on an offensive clinic last year scoring almost 38 points per game and only allowing 19.5 points per game on defense.
This skill on both sides of the ball led Shelby to an undefeated regular season and through three rounds of the playoffs before falling to Van Wert.
Shelby will look to keep this offensive power going in 2021 as the Whippets hope to repeat as MOAC champions.
A game to watch for Shelby will be its Week 8 matchup against West Holmes who averaged 33.5 points per game in 2020.
While this is behind Shelby’s 37.8 points per game, both teams have proven to have high-powered offenses making this game a must see event.
Ontario (D-IV)
2020 Record: 6-4 (5-1)
Offense: 30.7 PPG (15th in area)
Defense: 17.8 PPG Allowed (34th in area)
Key Players: Chase Studer, RB/MLB; Drew Yetter, RB; Trey King, WR/CB
Game to Watch: Week 3 vs. Shelby
The Warriors broke most of their single-season passing records last year to secure the second spot in the MOAC behind the first-place Shelby Whippets.
Coach Chris Miller said that, rather than continue to pass the ball, his team will focus more on rushing.
The offensive switch comes as the team lost 18 of its starters to graduation, so this year’s roster is young with many underclassmen.
Miller also said that his young team has focused heavily on the basics of the game as well as getting into shape during the offseason.
“We have focused on getting as strong as we can in the weight room and teaching fundamentals on the field,” Miller said.
This practice will be shown best in Week 3 when the Warriors host Shelby after losing to them last year by two possessions.
Defense in this game will be crucial for Ontario as Shelby was the fourth-best offense in the area last year, yet this win could propel the Warriors to the top spot in the conference.
River Valley (D-IV)
2020 Record: 6-5 (4-3)
Offense: 29.0 PPG (25th in area)
Defense: 25.5 PPG Allowed (63rd in area)
Key Players: Karson Lang, WR; Kameron Hyer, DT; Brayden Boyd, QB; Zach Cunningham, OL
Game to Watch: Week 6 @ Ontario
River Valley went 6-5 overall last season winning yet only achieved the third spot in the MOAC behind Shelby and Ontario.
River Valley’s offense last year nearly averaged 30 points per game which is good for 25th in the area.
The Vikings of River Valley will look to replicate this offensive output as they try to climb through the standings of the MOAC.
Week 6 will be a crucial opportunity for River Valley as they will get a chance to defeat Ontario who they lost to last year making them the No. 3 team in the conference.
Ontario also had an offense that averaged 30.7 points per game, so as long as the teams stay similarly organized, this matchup should prove to be a high-scoring affair.
Galion (D-IV)
2020 Record: 6-4 (2-3)
Offense: 20.5 PPG (62nd in area)
Defense: 18.0 PPG Allowed (35th in area)
Key Players: Hanif Donaldson, QB; Holden Hunter, T; Gabe Ivy, WR; Lavin Ramsey, DT; Kyle Foust, CB
Game to Watch: Week 4 vs. River Valley
Galion’s Tigers had a moderate start to the 2020 season going 2-3 in their first five games.
Then the Tigers began to shine in their final five games going 4-1 down the stretch including an impressive 24-13 win against a non-conference opponent in Lucas.
This year Galion would like to replicate the end of last season’s success by winning even more games especially in the MOAC.
One way to start this would be to defeat River Valley in Week 4.
The Tigers narrowly lost to the Vikings in Week 1 of last year 20-19, so Galion will look for revenge in this year’s matchup against its in-conference foe.
A win in this game would also move the Tigers up in the conference standings and put them even closer to the MOAC title.
Clear Fork (D-IV)
2020 Record: 4-7 (2-4)
Offense: 23.6 PPG (52nd in area)
Defense: 28.7 PPG Allowed (86th in area)
Key Players: Kasey Swank, QB; Chris Grove, RB; Kaden Riddle, DT; Derek Boyd, DE; David Buckland, C; Ty Sellers, G
Game to Watch: Week 6 @ Galion
Clear Fork’s Colts got off to a slow start last year going on a four-game losing streak to begin the season.
This included a nail-biting 20-17 loss in overtime to the Galion Tigers.
Clear Fork then improved, winning three of their next four and ending the season with a 4-7 record overall.
This year, the Colts will look to play better early on in the year as they move into their conference schedule.
One crucial game for Clear Fork will be in Week 6 when they take on the Galion Tigers on the road.
A win in this game would redeem the Colts of their overtime loss last year while boosting their morale in the middle of the season.
Marion-Harding (D-IV)
2020 Record: 2-7 (0-5)
Offense: 14.7 PPG (90th in area)
Defense: 31.3 PPG Allowed (94th in area)
Key Players: Kaedan Faggs, WR; Malaki Robinson, MLB; Kyrie Scott, RB; Jacob Arndt, MLB; William Abrams, MLB; Hayden Bays, CB; Brady Wink, QB
Game to Watch: Week 1 @ Mount Vernon
Marion-Harding had a fairly successful start to the 2020 season by going 1-2 in its first three games.
That one win would be the Preisdents’ only victory until the last game of the season when they defeated Thomas Worthington 13-0.
This year Marion-Harding will hope to win more games led by Coach Demetrius Ross.
A unique game for the President will be in Week 1 when they face off at Mount Vernon on August 20.
This game will be intriguing as Marion-Harding will rarely see Mount Vernon or any other team outside of the MOAC.
While the Presidents’ games against Galion and River Valley may be more crucial, this Week 1 game will set the tone for how Marion-Harding will play all year.
Pleasant (D-IV)
2020 Record: 1-6 (0-5)
Offense: 18.4 PPG (71st in area)
Defense: 35.9 PPG Allowed (102nd in area)
Key Players: Drew Neiderhouser, RB; Jonah Bibler, FB; Leyton Hamper, TE; Alex Ferris, DT
Game to Watch:
Pleasant was unable to win a game within the MOAC last year yet its offense still produced better than that record reflects.
At an average of 18.4 points per game, their offense was able to score over 20 points on teams like Shelby who allowed an average of 20 points on defense last year.
The issue was that the Pleasant defense gave up almost 36 points per game on average, so the offensive output was usually negligible.
The Spartans will hope to improve their defense this year and show this improvement in their game against North Union.
North Union had one of the best defenses in the area allowing less than 10 points per game last year on average.
It will not be easy, but a win for Pleasant in this game would raise many eyebrows throughout Central Ohio and show just how much the Presidents have grown since last year.