Strong ground game, powerful defense lift Orange to first OHSAA title
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
CANTON – Because the game plan worked almost to perfection in the Division I state football final, the grand plan for Olentangy Orange stayed right on, if not ahead of schedule.
The Pioneers finished far and away the best year in their 18-season history, with the usual pairing of a strong running game and disciplined, suffocating defense wearing down Cincinnati St. Xavier on Dec. 5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. With a 28-14 win, Orange capped off a 15-0 season and captured its first state championship.
Having led Granville to a Division III state semifinal in his second season there in 2021, Orange coach Wes Schroeder – who took over the Pioneers in January 2024 – admitted this looked all along like a team that could make history.
“Year ones are tough; year two, you still have the mix of excitement from the new coach and buying in,” Schroeder said. “With kids like this, we knew it was a possibility. To say I thought we were going to go 15-0 and win a state championship, I don’t know if I thought it was going to happen. It seems so surreal.”
Behind 226 yards rushing from the senior duo of running back Lucas Fickel (31 carries, 133 yards, 1 TD) and quarterback Levi Davis (14 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD) and a huge second quarter from senior receiver MC Walker, the Pioneers turned drives of 91 and 86 yards into touchdowns and were in firm control throughout most of the game.
Walker had all of his five catches for 123 yards in the second quarter, including a 4-yard score that gave Orange the lead for good at 14-7 with 5:25 left in the half.
Catches of 24 and 39 yards, the latter an over-the-shoulder catch, set up a 15-yard TD strike from Davis to Fickel, who got behind the Bombers defense to make it 21-7 just 13 seconds before halftime.
“That was a backbreaker,” Schroeder said.
Meanwhile, a defense that gave up more than two touchdowns just twice this season never let St. Xavier senior quarterback Jackson Frey, the son of former Ohio State quarterback Greg Frey, get comfortable.
Frey, who played for Bexley the past three years, was intercepted by senior defensive back Zane Konczak on the third play of the game. He was sacked three times and finished with 114 yards passing and a touchdown, a 13-yarder to Aidan Newdigate with 5:03 left.
Jake Britt scored on a 39-yard run to tie it at 7 with 7:55 left in the second quarter.
Senior linebacker Brennan Kesler’s eight tackles, including two sacks, led the Orange defense.
“That starts with our defensive coordinator, (Bobby) Roth; he sets us up great with our game plan and knowing tendencies,” said senior defensive back Treyton Schroeder, the coach’s nephew who had eight interceptions this season and a program-record 23 for his career. “Our guys are out there just executing our jobs. That’s what led to our success.”
St. Xavier players lauded Orange’s efficiency and discipline on both sides of the ball.
“(Davis) is a lot of fun to watch on film and a nightmare to prepare for,” Bombers coach Steve Specht said. “The bigger issue is when you combine Davis and Fickel as a one-two punch. It’s pretty potent. You can’t simulate (Davis) in practice.”
Making its eighth final appearance, St. Xavier (11-3) was denied its fifth championship and first since 2020.
Orange, whose previous high in wins was 10 in 2019, gave central Ohio its second straight big-school title, hours after Watterson repeated as Division III champion. Olentangy Liberty won Division I in 2024.
“It’s about time Columbus gets a little respect for going back-to-back,” Wes Schroeder said. “Central Ohio is doing pretty well right now.”
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at dpurpura@dispatch.com and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Olentangy Orange captures first OHSAA football state championship
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos