Here is a look at the area football action set to take place Friday:
Benjamin Logan at Bluffton
The Raiders were 3-2 in the CBC and 3-7 overall last season.
Coach Paul Jenne begins his fourth season at the helm.
Sophomore Wyatt Predmore is the quarterback. Last season he had 713 yards passing and 363 rushing with four total TDs.
The run game will be in the hands of juniors Jordan Pender, Alex Hassell and Diesel Baughman.
When the Raiders go to the air, they will rely on juniors Brandon Heater and Cayden Brown and Peyton Vermillion, and sophomore Andrew Frederick.
Heater also has a strong leg, hitting a school record 42-yard field goal last season.
The Pirates were second in the Northwest Conference last season, going 6-1 behind Columbus Grove. They were 13-2 overall, They reached the state semifinal before losing to eventual state champion Coldwater.
Next week, Ben Logan will host West Liberty-Salem.
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Indian Lake at Bath
The Lakers have a change of pace, starting the slate with a trip to Bath.
They faced Anna to open up last season.
Cach Jon Rapp’s squad was 5-0 in the CBC and 11-3 overall. This is Rapp’s fifth season.
The quarterbacks are junior Bradey Golliday and sophomore Reed Strayer.
Taking handoffs will be seniors Noah Shirk and Draden Stevenson and junior Colin Bendler, with other options as well.
Brodey Reisinger leads the receiving corps, and is joined by seniors Silas Holbrook, Brody Lewis and Jordan Vance.
Those at tight end will be seniors Gavin Henry and Wyatt Whitsett and juniors Tristan Taylor and Keith James.
Bath tied for fourth in the Western Buckeye League (5-4) and was 6-6 overall in 2024.
Next week, Indian Lake will play its home opener against Fairbanks.
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Jonathan Alder at West Liberty-Salem
West Liberty-Salem will enjoy the comforts of home in week one, taking on Jonathan Alder.
Brad Jarzab will make his head coaching debut with the Tigers. He has served as an assistant since 2018.
WL-S was 13-2 last season and 5-0 in Ohio Heritage Conference play.
There will be new faces in plenty of positions for West Liberty-Salem. Returning lettermen include running backs Bradley Petry and Naaman Stidham, tight end Carson Poppe and wide receiver Reese Oder, plus linemen Sam Strapp and Bryant Eaton.
Jonathan Alder struggled last year, going 2-3 in the CBC and 5-6 overall.
Quarterback Brock Hughes saw very limited action behind Grant Horne, who has graduated.
Senior Cashton Wheeler was the team’s leading receiver with 34 catches for 473 yards and five TDs.
The Tigers travel to Ben Logan next Friday.
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Riverside at Ansonia
The Pirates will load up the buses and head to Darke County to take on the Tigers.
Riverside went 3-4 in the Three Rivers Conference and was 4-7 overall. Coach Bryce Hodge is ready to begin his seventh season.
Senior Tony Robinson leads the rushing attack, and will be joined by sophomore Gunner Carpenter and junior Dylan Trimble.
As with Bellefontaine, a younger brother will replace an older one, with sophomore Brody Orsborne replacing Gavin, who was part of the Class of 2025.
Ansonia is coming off a strong season, as they went 9-0 in the Western Ohio Athletic Conference and winning the title. They were 11-2 overall, losing to Riverside 41-32 in the season opener, and not falling again until meeting Marion Local in the regional semifinal of the Division VII bracket.
Next Friday sees the Pirates have its home opener with Northeastern as the opponent.
