The key has been a balanced offense and a relentless Blackshirt defense, said Knights coach Josh Wooten.
“You’ve got to prepare each week when given the opportunity and take advantage of it,” he said. “You’ve got to take care of what we need to do and I think we’ve done that. … Each week I feel like we’re getting better and that’s always the goal. I’ve always said that the goal is to be playing your best football by the end of the season.”
Greenon has averaged 275 yards rushing in its last two games. Knights senior Trevor Stewart has rushed for 639 yards and eight TDs this season. He’s rushed for more than 100 yards in four of the Knights five games this fall, including 215 yards against Triad in Week 5.
“He’s a weapon for us,” Wooten said. “Our offensive line does a great job up front. They did their part.”
Knights junior quarterback Kaden Wooten is also starting to get comfortable in his firstyear as the starter. He’s thrown for 591 yards and six TDs and rushed for 191 yards and a TD .
“It’s a new offense, new terminology,” Josh Wooten said. “He still has some bumps in the road, but our goal is for him to get better each week. He’s been able to make some plays we’ve asked him to make.”
He’s leaned on senior wideout Clay Hough, who’s caught 22 passes for 397 yards and six TDs. He topped 100 yards for the first time this season in last week’s 42-7 win over Cedarville, catching three passes for 143 yards and a TD.
“He’s done a tremendous job offensively and defensively,” Wooten said.
Defensively, the Knights defensive unit is allowing 16.6 points per game this fall. They’re led by senior linebacker Mason Vawter (65 total tackles, 3.5 sacks) and junior linebacker Zack Stevens (56 tackles).
“We’ve been able to create some turnovers and that helps,” Wooten said. “Field position is huge.”
Stevens has a knack for finding the football and made one of the biggest hits Wooten has seen in years during their game against Triad, he said.
“He loves contact,” Wooten said. “He’s going to make some college coach pretty excited that they get him. I’m excited to see what the future holds for him because he’s definitely a college football player.”
In Week 5, Cedarville scored on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead, but the Knights scored 42 unanswered points to seal the OHC South Division opener. Greenon knows it’s got a target on its back after winning back-to-back division titles.
“We’re not sneaking up on anybody,” Josh Wooten said. “We’re going to get everybody’s best. Cedarville did that last week on that first drive. We tell the kids every week, we’re going to see everybody’s best week-in and week-out. We put ourselves in that situation and I’m extremely proud of our kids’ attitude and effort. We always preach those two words. This is where you want to be. The alternative isn’t very fun.”
Every game is crucial for the Knights moving forward as they seek to qualify for the Division V, Region 20 playoffs. They currently hold the 16th and final spot in the Region 20 playoff rankings, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s weekly computer points.
The first goal, Josh Wooten said, is to win the OHC South title. They have three division games remaining against Catholic Central, Madison-Plains and Greeneview.
“We’ve got to take care of business each week and if we do that, the big picture will take care of itself,” Josh Wooten said. “I don’t care if it’s the 16-seed or the 1-seed. You want an opportunity to extend your season. Obviously, that’s a reward for our kids and our staff for the hard work they’ve put in.”
Friday’s games
Springfield (5-0, 3-0 GWOC) at Springboro (3-2, 2-1 GWOC): The Wildcats have won the last two matchups, including a 23-0 victory at Springboro in 2019.
Cedarville (0-6, 0-1 OHC South) at Catholic Central (5-1, 1-0 OHC South): The Indians beat the Irish 36-14 last season.
Shawnee (4-2, 5-1 CBC Kenton Trail) at Bellefontaine (5-1, 1-0 CBC Kenton Trail): The Braves have won three straight against the Chieftains, including a 13-6 victory in OT last year.
Northeastern (4-2, 0-1 OHC North) at Mechanicsburg (6-0, 1-0 OHC North): The Jets are seeking their first victory against their longtime OHC rivals since 2011.
Jonathan Alder (2-4, 0-1 CBC Kenton Trail) at Kenton Ridge (3-3, 0-1 CBC Kenton Trail): The Pioneers are 4-0 against the Cougars since joining the CBC in 2017.
London (4-2, 1-0 CBC Kenton Trail) at Tecumseh (3-3, 0-1 CBC Kenton Trail): Arrows senior running back Braden Berner gained 143 all-purpose yards in his season debut last week against Belleftontaine. He missed the first five games of the season with a foot injury.
Northwestern (0-6, 0-1 CBC Mad River) at Graham (3-2, 0-1 CBC Mad River): The Falcons have lost two straight after starting the season 3-0.
Fairbanks (4-2, 1-0 OHC North) at Triad (2-4, 0-1 OHC North): The Cardinals have lost three straight games after a 2-1 start this fall.
West Jefferson (6-0, 1-0 OHC North) at West Liberty-Salem (1-4, 0-1 OHC North): The Tigers last beat the Roughriders 42-39 at home in 2019.
Madison-Plains (1-5, 0-1 OHC South) at Greeneview (2-4, 1-0 OHC South): The Rams have won five straight games against the Golden Eagles.
Urbana (1-5, 1-0 CBC Mad River) at Indian Lake (4-2, 1-0 CBC Mad River): The Hillclimbers will look to make it two in a row after snapping a 22-game losing streak with a 26-18 victory over Graham last week.
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