St. Edward leads the way in the initial 2023 Ohio Power 25 football rankings
Going into the 2023 season, there are a couple things we know.
We know Regions 1 and 4 in Division I are going to be madness come postseason. We know that Cleveland area public schools will knock off a couple private schools. We know the top of the Greater Western Ohio Conference will be chaos. And we know about two dozen MAC teams will make it to the regional finals.
What don't we know?
We don't know which of these top teams will fall out of the top 25, never to be seen again. We don't know which team skyrockets to the top to challenge for a state title in December. And we don't know which young men will catch the eyes of recruiters all across the Midwest by the time to season hits the midway point.
But despite all we don't know, we are going to try our best to act like we know it all.
So, without further ado, the initial 2023 SBLive Power 25 for the state of Ohio.
(Last season's records in parentheses)
(Photo credit: Jeff Harwell)
1. St. Edward, Lakewood (15-1)
The two-time defending Division I state champions were an easy choice for the SBLive preseason No. 1 in Ohio. No team will match the Eagles' strength and talent in the trenches, anchored by 4-star defensive edge Loghan Thomas and Ohio State commit Deontae Armstrong on the offensive side. The Eagles open the season against three-time defending state champion Center Grove (Indiana) on Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
2. Lakota West, West Chester (13-1)
Last season, the Firebirds were one of the best defensive teams in the state. Not the most difficult feat when four of their defensive starters are now with FBS programs in 2023. Filling the void will be linebacker-turned-safety Taebron Bennie-Powell, one of the most versatile and high-IQ defensive players in the Cincinnati area. The Firebirds head to St. Xavier in Week 1.
3. Medina (11-2)
The Battling Bees tallied 40+ points in 11 of their 13 contests last season and looks to ride their offense en route to another Greater Cleveland Conference championship. The Bees will be at Stow-Munroe Falls to open the 2023 campaign.
4. Toledo Central Catholic (15-1)
Let us venture away from Division I for a bit to look at the last season's Division II state champions. Despite their active 15-game winning streak and a Division II crown, the Fighting Irish were reclassified to Division III this season. Led by two Big Ten commits in lineman Marc Nave (Ohio State) and wide receiver Jaylen Watson (Iowa), the Irish may not get challenged until the state semifinals. TCC is at Findlay to begin the season.
5. Avon (12-2)
All eyes will be on running back Jakorion Caffey, who committed to Cincinnati earlier this summer, as he will carry the workload for the Eagles. The defending Southwestern Conference champions will be aiming to take the next step and secure their first ever state championship in football. The Eagles will be favored with TCC reclassifying out of Division II this fall. Avon will host Brunswick to open up the 2023 season.
6. Archbishop Moeller, Cincinnati (13-2)
While Caffey is the best running back in northeast Ohio, Jordan Marshall might be the favorite for Ohio's Mr. Football award. The four-star Michigan commit was unstoppable in 2022, with 1,951 rushing yards, 30 touchdowns, and was the only player in the Greater Catholic League South to score over 100 points with 206. The Crusaders host Ben Davis (Indianapolis) this Friday.
7. Springfield (13-2)
Air Springfield is back open for business. The Division I runners-up from 2021 and 2022 may take a step back this season with quarterback Bryce Schondelmyer and wide receivers Anthony Brown and Daylen Bradley all graduating, but depth that doesn't mean their defense won't be there. Ohio State commit Aaron Scott is the best cover corner in the state while Jackson Heims will be a menace at defensive end. The Wildcats host St. Ignatius this Friday.
8. St. Xavier, Cincinnati (5-7)
A rebound is all but guaranteed for one of the top programs in southwest Ohio. The Crusaders' defense will be anchored by Michigan commit Ted Hammond. On offense, Chase Herbstreit, son of Ohio State legend Kirk Herbstreit, will get a full season under center. The Crusaders host No. 2 Lakota West in an early season top-10 battle on Friday.
9. Archbishop Hoban, Akron (14-2)
On the downside, replacing Ohio Mr. Football Lamar Sperling is dang near impossible. On the bright side, the Knights have 3 players who are listed as three-star recruits who will be seniors this season. With nemesis TCC reclassifying to Division III, all expectations are for Hoban to win their sixth state championship this December. They open against defending Kentucky 5A champion Frederick Douglass on Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
10. St. Ignatius, Cleveland (8-4)
The Wildcats take advantage of being independent by piecing together one of the toughest schedules in the state, year in and year out and this one is no exception as they face Springfield, Hoban, TCC, St. Edward, Moeller, and St. Xavier. That's five teams in the statewide preseason top 10. That game at No. 7 Springfield? That's their opener on Friday.
11. Chardon (13-2)
The Hilltoppers saw their 31-game winning streak snapped midseason last year by Riverside. Despite ending the season without a conference nor regional title, the Hilltoppers will be reloading in 2023. Chardon is led by Miami Redhawks commit Leo Colombi, a two-sport juggernaut who has three state championship rings: two in football and one in baseball. The Hilltoppers open at West Geauga on Friday.
12. Massillon (12-2)
Make that six straight seasons with double-digit wins for the Tigers. Can they make it seven? That depends on how the rebuild goes on offense. The Tigers lost wide receiver Ardell Banks and running back Willtrell Hartson to graduation but brought in former Copley quarterback DaOne Owens to run the offense. They host Valdosta (Georgia) this Friday.
13. Upper Arlington (10-3)
Don't worry Columbus, we didn't forget you. For the Golden Bears, they return three all-Ohio Capital Conference underclassmen, the most in the Central Division. They will play host to Reynoldsburg to open their 2023 campaign.
14. Princeton, Cincinnati (9-3)
Is anybody going to compete with Lakota West in the Greater Miami Conference? Maybe. But if anybody does, it could be a handful of deep teams that will jockey for position in the standings all throughout the season. For the Vikings, wideout Dorian Williams will create mismatches and will allow Princeton to spread the field on every play. Princeton heads north to Elyria in Week 1.
15. Pickerington Central (9-4)
After a slow start to 2022, it's easy to forget that the Tigers won seven of their last eight games. Their offense should be improved as four-star tight end Tayvion Galloway and future West Virginia tackle Justin Terry enter their senior campaigns. Plenty of reasons to believe the Tigers will rebound this season. They open at Olentangy Liberty on Friday.
16. Kings, Kings Mills (13-2)
The Knights have dominated the Eastern Cincinnati Conference for the past three seasons. But with the graduation of quarterback Will Kocher, wide receiver Michael Mussari, and linebacker Nick Hoying, it's fair to question if Kings will reload in 2023 or start to rebuild. We will learn a lot when they head to Sycamore on Friday.
17. Highland, Medina (12-1)
Adding to the list of teams who will be happy seeing TCC move to Division III is the Highland Hornets. TCC eliminated Highland from the postseason each of the past two years. There is no question that the Hornets are the heavy favorites in the Suburban League American Conference. The questions come with how deep will they go in the postseason. They host Hudson in Week 1.
18. Walsh Jesuit, Cuyahoga Falls (9-3)
The Warriors fell out of our top 25 early last year, letting Benedictine take them to double overtime, followed by a loss to McDowell (Pennsylvania) on the road. Things turned around and they won eight of their final 10 games, including a regular season finale win over St. Vincent-St. Mary. The Warriors host Benedictine on Friday to kickoff the season.
19. Winton Woods, Cincinnati (12-1)
The Warriors put together an incredible run, winning 21 straight games between their 2021 and 2022 seasons. Losing the Eastern Cincinnati Conference's best rusher Trey Cornist to Tulane and a pair of four-star corners (Jermaine Mathews, Jr and Cameron Calhoun) to the Big Ten, the Warriors could take a step back in 2023. How big? That we don't know. Winton Woods opens up at Trotwood-Madison on Friday.
20. New Albany (10-4)
The Ohio Division of the Ohio Capital Conference may be the most competitive in the conference. Gahanna is obviously in the mix after going perfect in division play. Pickerington North showed flashes of elite play in 2022. However, our pick is New Albany, who probably want to wait a week after the whole town migrated to Williamsport for the next week for the Little League World Series. The Eagles host Marysville on Friday.
21. Mentor (9-4)
Another team that started cold in 2022 but finished strong, the Cardinals were 3-3 after six weeks and created plenty of discussion in the SBLive break room. However, an upset win over Medina en route to the regional championship game showcased the potential of this Cardinals team. Will they take that momentum into 2023? They head to Massillon Jackson to open the season.
22. Marysville (7-5)
Last season was a rebuilding one for the Monarchs and showcased a team posed for a rebound in 2023. The graduation of OCC Cardinal Division Defensive player of the year Colton Powers will be big shoes to fill. The Monarchs head to No. 20 New Albany in Week 1.
23. Badin, Hamilton (13-1)
The Rams belong here solely for their regular season dominance among mid-sized schools in southwest Ohio. Badin has not lost a regular season game since October 2019 when they fell to Chaminade Julienne and have won 26 straight regular season games since. The Rams open at Hamilton in Week 1.
24. Elder, Cincinnati (10-3)
The Panthers lost plenty of big weapons on offense to graduation as quarterback Ben Schoster, wide receiver Justin Re, and two-way threat Luke Flowers are gone. Linebacker Joshua Dugan will anchor a young Elder team as they look to repeat much of their 2022 success in the Greater Catholic League South. They host Pickerington North on Friday.
25. Marion Local, Maria Stein (16-0)
The Flyers come into the season on a 32-game winning streak, the result of state championships in Division VII in 2021 and Division VI last year. The Flyers have been reclassified back to Division VII for the 2023 season into a difficult Region 28. Marion Local will host Wapakoneta, the defending Western Buckeye League champion, this Friday.
