Two north central Ohio high school teams delivered impressive playoff performances on November 7, 2025, advancing to the next round of the postseason. Colonel Crawford and Galion each earned decisive victories in their respective football playoff games, combining explosive offense, stout defense, and timely big plays to move one step closer to a regional title. Below is a full recap of both matchups, including final scores, key highlights, turning points, and reactions from coaches.
Colonel Crawford Routs Mount Gilead 42–8
Colonel Crawford receiver Parker Weithman (1) leaps to make a catch over a Mount Gilead defender. Weithman had a monster night with 187 receiving yards and three touchdowns, helping the Eagles cruise to a 42-8 victory in their Division VI regional quarterfinal. Colonel Crawford scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, racing out to a 21–0 first-quarter lead that silenced the home crowd.
A fast start set the tone for Colonel Crawford’s domination. Running back Connor McMichael opened the scoring barely 90 seconds into the game with a 31-yard touchdown run, and moments later teammate Walker Cramer blocked a punt to set up McMichael’s second short TD, making it 14–0 before the host Mount Gilead Indians could settle in. The Eagles struck again before the first quarter was over – quarterback Brayden Holt connected with junior receiver Parker Weithman on a long touchdown pass (with Weithman hurdling a defender at the goal line) to extend the lead to 21–0.
“We wanted to have a great start. We knew this was their first playoff game here in school history. The fans, my goodness, they turned out and we knew they’d be excited,” Colonel Crawford head coach Jake Bruner said, noting his team’s focus on seizing momentum early. The early barrage indeed stunned Mount Gilead, and the Eagles never looked back.
Weithman proved nearly unstoppable on the outside, repeatedly getting behind the defense. He finished with four receptions for 187 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Eagles’ balanced attack. “Parker is a special kid,” Coach Bruner said of the playmaker, crediting the offensive scheme for exploiting one-on-one matchups when Mount Gilead stacked the box to stop the run. Colonel Crawford’s two-quarterback rotation was effective as well – Brayden Holt and Peyton Baker combined to complete 7 of 10 passes for 219 yards, including three scoring strikes to Weithman. On the ground, McMichael’s early runs and the late-game burst from quarterback Peyton Baker, who broke loose for a 64-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, contributed to a potent rushing attack. In total, Colonel Crawford piled up 359 yards of offense and found the end zone six times.
The Eagles’ defense and special teams were equally pivotal. Cramer’s punt block in the first quarter was a major turning point, swinging momentum firmly to Colonel Crawford and setting up an easy score that put Mount Gilead in a deep hole. Defensively, the Eagles shut down Mount Gilead’s vaunted rushing attack, holding the Indians to just 130 yards on the ground – far below the nearly 300 rushing yards per game MG had averaged this season.
“Their kicking game put them in a lot of good spots tonight. Give credit to Colonel Crawford, in all three aspects,” Mount Gilead head coach Mike Reid said, praising the Eagles’ performance in all phases. Reid noted that the big plays to No. 1 (Weithman) stretched his defense to the breaking point: “They spread the field and make you defend the whole field. Sometimes you just run out of enough stops,” he added.
Mount Gilead’s offense struggled to sustain drives, and the team only managed to avoid a shutout with a 36-yard touchdown pass in the final minute of play. Despite the lopsided loss, Coach Reid reminded his players to keep perspective. “I just told the guys it’s nothing to be ashamed of. This program has never been in Week 12 and has only won nine games twice,” he said of the Indians’ 9–2 season, crediting his seniors for making “Mount Gilead football relevant again.”
With the 42-8 triumph, Colonel Crawford (11-1) advances to the regional semifinals. Coach Bruner believes his battle-tested squad’s postseason experience showed in their calm, focused play. “Hopefully, our experience showed a little bit… Our guys were very relaxed and poised in what we did,” he said, noting that special teams and overall team speed were key advantages.
Speaking with FreeWire, Bruner called Centerburg a “formidable opponent — number one in their region, very athletic, very balanced.” The Eagles will carry a four-game winning streak into next week’s matchup as they continue their quest for a regional title.
Galion Pulls Away to Defeat Cloverleaf 41–10
Galion’s Braxton Stuckman (27) fights for yardage against Cloverleaf defenders. The senior running back tallied 79 yards and three rushing touchdowns to lead the Tigers to a 41-10 victory in their Division IV playoff game. Galion, a No. 2 seed, showed some early rust after a first-round bye and led just 13-3 at halftime due to penalties, but shook it off with a dominant second-half outburst.
Galion’s playoff opener at home began slowly before turning into a rout after intermission. The Tigers had a week off as the No. 2 seed and initially struggled to find their rhythm. A series of penalties stalled multiple drives in the first half, and Galion took a modest 13-3 lead into halftime despite two short touchdown runs by Braxton Stuckman.
“A little bit of penalties kind of hurt us,” head coach Matt Dick admitted regarding the sluggish start, noting that one apparent touchdown right before halftime was nullified by an ineligible man downfield. “Our left tackle just went an inch downfield too far… He’s just being aggressive. We’ll take aggressive mistakes,” Dick said of the costly penalty, emphasizing that he prefers errors of commission over timid play.
Rather than panic, the coaching staff kept the team calm during the break. “Our halftime adjustment… we didn’t go in there and yell at them or anything,” Dick said. “They just got to regroup and let’s go play a clean half… Every play matters, I don’t care what the score is.” That measured approach paid off immediately once the third quarter began.
Key plays early in the second half blew the game wide open. On the second play from scrimmage after halftime, quarterback Ayden Schmidt kept the ball on a read-option and dashed 63 yards for a touchdown, extending Galion’s lead to 20–3 as “the floodgates opened.” Moments later, the Tigers’ special teams struck a decisive blow: Zach Sallee blocked a Cloverleaf punt and teammate Dominic Capretta fell on the ball in the end zone for another touchdown, suddenly making it 27–3 less than two minutes into the half.
“The quick scores definitely ignited our sideline,” Coach Dick said of that sequence, which turned a competitive contest into a comfortable Galion advantage. From there, the Tigers never let up.
Galion’s offense found its groove, leaning heavily on a three-headed rushing attack to chew up clock and yardage. After the blocked punt score, the Tigers forced another Cloverleaf three-and-out and drove into the red zone again. Senior workhorse Braxton Stuckman capped that drive with a 3-yard touchdown run – his third TD of the night – to put Galion up 34–3 and invoke a running clock mercy rule in the third quarter. “It’s nice to have three guys (running backs) that are fresh,” Coach Dick said, highlighting the contributions of Stuckman along with fellow backs Camden Kuehlman and Kale Early in the ground game. Indeed, Galion did not attempt a single pass in the second half, relying on the run to grind down the Colts. Before the third period ended, junior Camden Kuehlman took a handoff 23 yards for yet another touchdown, stretching the margin to 41–3.
What had been a tight battle only minutes earlier had turned into a Tiger blowout by the quarter’s end. Cloverleaf, which had managed only a first-quarter field goal offensively, finally scored its lone touchdown on a 2-yard run by Ethan Gray with 4:07 remaining in the game to bring the final score to 41–10. But by then, the outcome was long decided and Galion was already thinking ahead.
Several factors fueled Galion’s dominant second half. The offensive line cleaned up the penalties that hampered the first half (Galion was flagged seven times in the first two quarters but zero times after halftime) and the Tigers committed no turnovers the entire game. With crisp execution, Galion’s superior team speed began to show.
“We put a lot of emphasis on speed,” Coach Dick said of the program’s offseason regimen. “All winter long, we’re running and I think that really, really shows. That’s how that 150-pound kid about 5-8 makes a ton of plays versus all those monsters out there,” he added, referring to his undersized players outmatching bigger opponents with quickness and toughness.
Defensively, Galion swarmed Cloverleaf’s offense, holding the visiting Colts to 190 total yards and preventing any big plays for most of the night. The coach also praised unsung heroes who stepped up: with one of Galion’s top receivers (Jacob Chambers) sidelined by injury since Week 10, senior Jamesen Glew answered the call as a two-way player. “Hats off to Jamesen Glew,” Dick said. “He’s been playing receiver for us all year…and now he’s a 2-way guy” filling in on both offense and defense. Meanwhile, quarterback Ayden Schmidt showed his dual-threat ability by rushing for 97 yards on just five carries (including the long TD) and efficiently passing for 60 yards when needed. Stuckman led the Tigers with his three touchdown runs (totaling 79 yards on 16 carries) and Kuehlman added 38 yards and a score, as Galion’s trio of backs wore down the Colts.
“Our guys are pretty special… Pretty awesome to be around, be a part of,” Coach Dick said after the victory, reflecting on the achievement of reaching Week 13 of the season. But he was quick to note the Tigers have more to accomplish. “We’re trying to shoot for the stars and if we land on the moon, it’s all good,” Dick added, emphasizing that the team’s goals remain high as they advance deeper into the playoffs.
Next Round
Both teams now prepare for stern tests in the regional semifinals. Colonel Crawford (11-1) will travel to face Centerburg (10-1) in a Division VI Region 23 semifinal contest on Friday. The Centerburg Trojans advanced after a 28-14 win in their quarterfinal, setting up a clash with the high-flying Eagles. Meanwhile, Galion (10-1) is set to host Sandusky Perkins (9-3) in a Division IV Region 14 semifinal next week at Unckrich Stadium. Perkins shut out Napoleon 31-0 in its quarterfinal, and will now meet a Galion squad that hasn’t reached a Week 13 game in decades. With both the Eagles and Tigers coming off convincing wins, anticipation is high for the next round as these local teams look to continue their postseason success.
FreeWire compiles its high school football coverage using information gathered from multiple sources, including live reports, official stat sheets, media partners, and postgame interviews. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, occasional discrepancies in statistics or details may occur. If you notice an error or wish to provide additional verified information, please contact us directly through the FreeWire Facebook page or at freewiremedia@gmail.com.
