Eric Boggs
Championship week in Canton delivered everything Ohio high school football fans could hope for—dominance, star performances, and plenty of future Buckeyes flashing their potential at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Over three days from Dec. 4–6, seven state champions were crowned, with Northeast Ohio once again proving its statewide power as Avon, Glenville, and Kirtland all brought home titles.
The weekend opened with a Division II rematch between Avon and Cincinnati Anderson, a repeat of the 2024 final that the Eagles won 20-13. Avon repeated history—and then some—rolling to a 37-20 victory to secure back-to-back state championships. Senior quarterback Blake Elder delivered a performance worthy of a championship encore, throwing four touchdown passes to tie the Division II title-game record. This marked Avon’s 19th state tournament appearance and just the second state championship in program history, another milestone in a remarkable two-year run.
From there, Glenville reminded Ohio why it remains one of the state’s premier programs. With Ohio State commits Cincere Johnson and Jamir Perez anchoring the defense, the Tarblooders won their third title in four years—this time in historic fashion. Jaquan Gibson set the tone early with a 92-yard punt return touchdown, the longest in OHSAA championship history. Behind dominant rushing performances from Romell Phillips and Chris Newell Jr., Glenville pulled away for a 45-7 win. Defensively, Johnson and Perez spearheaded a unit that allowed just 27 total yards, the fewest ever surrendered in any division of an OHSAA championship game. Shelby never had a chance against Glenville’s speed, physicality, and sheer defensive force.
Johnson, a Mr. Ohio finalist, summed up the Tarblooders’ mindset simply: “We always said, take them to somewhere they’ve never been before… They haven’t faced a Glenville defense with the speed, size and somebody in the middle like myself.”
Kirtland then closed the weekend with yet another display of sustained excellence, claiming their eighth state championship in a 41-6 rout of Hopewell-Loudon in Division VI. Behind head coach Tiger LaVerde—now the third coach in OHSAA history with eight or more titles—the Hornets extended their astonishing run of eight straight state championship appearances, winning five of them. Senior running back John Silvestro put on a title-game performance for the ages, tying the Division VI record with four rushing touchdowns and piling up 255 yards on the ground.
Saturday’s additional champions included St. Henry in Division VII and Liberty Center in Division V, where 2027 Ohio State commit Kellen Wymer dominated the trenches in a 35-3 victory over Wheelersburg. Wymer, a two-way force, helped control the line of scrimmage from start to finish as the Tigers built a 21-3 halftime lead and never looked back.
Across all three days, multiple future Buckeyes delivered championship-level play, reminding Ohio State fans just how bright the in-state pipeline remains. In total, Johnson, Perez, and Wymer all lifted gold trophies in Canton—a fitting cap to a weekend filled with Buckeye-bound excellence.
All championship teams will be honored at the Cleveland Browns’ Dec. 21 home game against the Buffalo Bills, a final celebration of a remarkable weekend of Ohio high school football.
