Welcome to the 2024 high school football season.
It’s an exciting time for the region’s teams as they prepare for championship and playoff spots. One of the toughest leagues in all of Ohio is the Ohio Cardinal Conference, and in 2024, it looks like the league champion will have to re-enact their title every Friday night.
Let’s take a look at what you can expect from the OCC this season.
Three bold predictions for 2024
The OCC championship race ends in a three-way tie
Since the 2012 season, the Ohio Cardinal Conference championship has been split between three teams four times. In 2012, it was Madison, Mansfield Senior, and West Holmes. In 2015 and 2017, it was Ashland, Mansfield Senior, and Wooster. And in 2020, it was Ashland, West Holmes, and Wooster. Three other times in league history, the title has been split between two teams, proving that the OCC is one of the most evenly matched football conferences anywhere.
It will be that time again in 2024. From the top to the bottom, every team seems to have a chance at the conference championship. But this year, Mansfield Senior – last year’s overall champion -, Lexington and Ashland all have a say in the final standings. With only seven schools in the conference this year, it will be a close race to the end.
Mansfield Senior’s Maurice Bradley II named OCC Defensive Player of the Year
He is the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year honors. Last season, he set five program records with 144 tackles, 13.5 sacks and 77 assisted tackles, all season highs. He also had 13 tackles in a game and has 152 assisted tackles in his career, all program highs. Last season was special, earning first-team All-Ohio, All-Northwest District and All-OCC honors while also earning Division III Northwest District Defensive Player of the Year honors. With New Philly’s Zach Rothrock graduating, Bradley’s chances to blossom and win the award are wide open, especially given the dominance Mansfield’s senior defense is expected to have in 2024.
The OCC Offensive Player of the Year will be as close as ever
The OCC will be full of great offensive players in 2024. The league returns to last year’s OPOY with West Holmes’ Morgan Smith, so he’s the automatic favorite. But then there’s Lexington’s Brayden Fogle, who just got an offer from Georgia, and who will be a nightmare at fullback. His counterpart, Seven Allen, could be the special teams player of the year with his effectiveness in the return game. And then there’s Ashland’s Nathan Bernhard, who has been receiving Division I offers from big schools like Penn State all summer. If he shows on the field this season what he showed in training camps, he could have a great year.
10 key players to keep an eye on
Maurice Bradley II, Sr., Mansfield Sr
As mentioned above, Bradley had a record-setting junior season for the Tygers and is back for his senior year to build something even bigger. He headlined a defense that had two shutouts and allowed fewer than 20 points in eight of the 13 games the Tygers played in 2023. He will also play a much bigger role on offense this season.
Hayden Meese, Sr., Wooster
Getting the ball to Meese will be a top priority for Wooster. He has the potential to be the most explosive playmaker in the country and has top-end speed that will boost the rest of the Wooster offense. His athleticism and instincts also make him a cornerstone on defense.
Symirr Phillips, Sr., Mansfield Sr
Phillips had a stellar year for the Tygers during the 2023 football season. As a defensive lineman, he recorded 80 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was selected to the All-Ohio third team, All-Northwest District second team and All-OCC first team and returns to be the spearhead of a defense that won’t allow many points in 2024.
Morgan Smith, Sr., West Holmes
The Knights face a lot of changes in 2024, but for the first time in three seasons, they’ll enter the year with a returning QB. And Smith is a good one, totaling over 5,000 passing and rushing yards and using his arms and legs to account for 62 TDs. Even if Smith doesn’t hit those numbers again, he’ll likely be the best QB in the area.
Morgan Eastep, Sr., West Holmes
Every good offense starts with a good offensive line, and Eastep may be the best returning lineman in the entire region. He will look to keep the pocket clean for his All-Ohio quarterback as the Knights seek a fourth consecutive 10-win season.
Nate Dismuke, Sr., Mansfield Sr
Dismuke was underrated in 2023. He was a first-team All-Ohio Cardinal Conference player after catching 31 passes for 632 yards and nine touchdowns. He also started at quarterback and outplayed Canfield, completing 6 of 11 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 39 tackles, two tackles for loss and intercepted three passes. With the Tygers losing key weapons on both sides of the ball, Dismuke will be one of those taking advantage of a huge opportunity.
Brayden Fogle, junior, Lexington
Anyone who earns a full scholarship to play football at the University of Georgia is a special athlete. Fogle is just that. Last year, he earned All-Ohio honors as a receiver, catching 39 passes for 663 yards and four touchdowns and recording 4.5 sacks on defense. Now that he’s fully focused on football — he’s also a first-team All-Ohio basketball player — expect Fogle to have one of the best seasons in the OCC in 2024. He has solid offers from Georgia, Wisconsin, Purdue, Akron, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Indiana, Michigan State, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Syracuse. He also visited Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State.
Camden Boozer, Sr., Lexington
Boozer had a great football season last year, earning second-team All-Northwest District and first-team All-Ohio Cardinal Conference honors. He led the Minutemen in tackles with 92.5, sacks with seven and tackles for loss with 14.5, a stat that rivaled many All-Ohioans in Division III. The heart and soul of the Lexington defense is back and it should complement the offense well with Boozer at the helm.
Nathan Bernard, junior, Ashland
The junior quarterback received a number of Division I offers during the offseason and is poised for a very productive season as the Arrows look to compete for the OCC title. A second-team All-OCC player last season, Bernhard threw for 1,718 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions while running for 266 yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
Seven Allen, Junior, Lexington
Last season, Allen earned honorable mention All-Northwest District and second-team All-OCC after catching 28 passes for 427 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff and made 28 tackles with an interception on defense. See why he could be a contender for OCC Special Teams Player of the Year? The kid is lightning fast and explosive with the ball in his hands. He’s going to be special.
Five games you can’t miss
Week 6: Lexington at Mansfield Senior
Two of the teams projected to finish at the top of the league standings face off in a big game at Arlin Field in Week 6. It’s going to be an epic battle between Lex’s dynamic offense and TY’s stingy defense that will surely have implications for the league championship. Buckle up for this game.
Week 7: Mansfield Senior at Ashland
A bold prediction of a three-way tie at the top of the OCC standings means that every game involving these three teams is a must-win. The Tygers kept Nathan Bernhard in check last year and put together one of the best defensive performances of the season. The Arrows quarterback had a great summer and comes in with sky-high expectations. There’s never any sympathy between these two schools, so expect this to be a tough battle.
Week 10: Lexington at Ashland
If both teams get through the first nine weeks well, it could be all or nothing. Both teams have very good young teams, as the junior divisions were always involved in battles in every sport during their middle school years. Week 10 will show who has improved since then. And it could be a championship. What more could you want?
Week 9: New Philadelphia at West Holmes
Two teams we haven’t talked about enough are these two teams. Both are raring to go and expect to challenge for the league championship. New Philly has always had a top-notch defense – last season, the Quakers only allowed more than 20 points three times all season. West Holmes has been the cream of the OCC for the past five years, but took a step back and finished second in the league in 2023. Now, with a new coach, the Knights will be the most unknown team in the OCC, and that could surprise a lot of teams this year.
Week 4: Wooster at Madison
Wooster and Madison are projected to finish at the bottom of the OCC standings, so why is this game a must-win? First, it’s Week 4, and whoever comes out on top will carry a ton of momentum into the rest of the season. Who knows, maybe this is the start of a turnaround season for both teams. Since 2016, Madison has won just three OCC games, beating Mansfield Senior in 2020 and Mount Vernon the last two years.
Returning All-Ohio Cardinal Conference Players
FIRST TEAM: Morgan Smith, West Holmes; Maurice Bradley, Mansfield Sr.; Symirr Phillips, Mansfield Sr.; Nate Dismuke, Mansfield senior; Cam Boozer, Lexington; Hayden Meese, Wooster; Logan Zollars, West Holmes; Morgan Eastep, West Holmes; Lynn Cline, West Holmes; Tyler Sauder, Ashland; Keaton Fausel, New Philadelphia; Boston Crowell, New Philadelphia.
SECOND TEAM: Elijah Williams-Dixon, West Holmes; Joe Caudill, Lexington; Seven Allen, Lexington; Julian Franklin, Wooster; Brock Gallion, West Holmes; Gunner Lacey, Ashland; Hayden Smith, West Holmes; Nathan Bernard, Ashland; Cameron Kuhn, Madison; Carson Long, New Philadelphia; Pete DiDonato, New Philadelphia; Jaden Jones, Mansfield Sr.
HONORABLE MENTION: Brayden Fogle, Lexington; Markale Martin, Lexington; Owen Wigton, Madison; Brody Gilland, New Philadelphia; Mayle Tyson, New Philadelphia; Zach Shepler, West Holmes; Michael Franz, Ashland; Joe Isenhart, Ashland.
2023 Ohio Cardinal Conference Standings
Mansfield Seniors (10-3, 7-0)
West Holmes (10-3, 6-1)
New Philadelphia (6-5, 5-2)
Lexington-Fayette (5-6, 3-3)
Ashland 5:6 (3:3)
Woosters (3-7, 1-6)
Mount Vernon (2-8, 1-6)
Madison (1-9, 1-6)
Former Ohio Cardinal Conference football champions
2003: Wooster
2004: Wooster
2005: Madison, Orrville
2006: Ashland
2007: Ashland
2008: Lexington
2009: Ashland
2010: Clear Fork
2011: Ashland
2012: Madison, Mansfield Senior, West Holmes
2013: Mansfield Senior
2014: West Holmes, Wooster
2015: Ashland, Mansfield Senior, Wooster
2016: Ashland, Lexington
2017: Ashland, Mansfield Senior, Wooster
2018: Wooster
2019: Wooster
2020: Ashland, West Holmes, Wooster
2021: West Holmes
2022: West Holmes
2023: Mansfield Senior
