Football is almost back, and the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference looks as open as it has in years for this upcoming season.
Withrow was by far the conference’s best team in 2023, outscoring opponents by 231 points in conference games, but the Tigers will have to replace two of the conference’s best players in 2024. Taft, the second-best team in the conference last season, also lost its star quarterback.
Here, listed in alphabetical order, are previews of the 10 CMAC teams.
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Aiken
2023: 2-8, finished fifth in the CMAC Red division, missed playoffs
Head coach: Harry McCall
Returning players: QB Andre Underwood, RB Mikelle Moore, RB JaTrell Hunter, OL/DL Trey Harris, LB Deymor Thiam, LB Jayden Harrison, CB Kendall Watson
Outlook: Aiken loses two of its best defensive backs, David Cogar and Parrish Feagin, who combined for seven interceptions last season. Defense wasn’t Aiken’s main problem in 2023, as the Falcons allowed fewer points than three teams in the CMAC that finished with a better record than them. The quarterback Underwood and his two favorite weapons, Moore and Hunter, return, giving Aiken hope of improving on a conference-worst 6 points per game in 2023.
Cincinnati College Prep
2023: 7-2, lost in first round of postseason
Head coach: Jeff Cargile Sr.
Returning players: QB Eries Evans, RB/OLB Malik Simpson, WR/DB Jaelen Griffin, OL/DT Petey Jones, OL/DE Sir Michael Miller, OLB Labaron Oliver, DB Marlan Robertson
Outlook: Cincinnati College Prep only threw the ball 53 times in 2023. The team will have to deal with losing its leading rusher Rico Johnson, who rushed for 1,334 yards (8.0 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns in 2023. Malik Simpson, a rising senior, will likely take on bell-cow duties for the Lions. He rushed for 502 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and four touchdowns in 2023.
The team also loses major contributors on defense: Chris’Jen Dickey had 17 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2023. Johnson had 11 tackles for loss. Marlan Keith and Hansen Thomas combined for five interceptions. Cincinnati College Prep will need multiple players to step into big roles to replicate its success from 2023.
Dayton Christian
2023: 3-8, lost first round of postseason
Head coach: Luke Hurst
Returning players: QB/FB/LB Dysson Wilcox, QB/S Cameron Hartman, WR/DB Caden Shepherd, OL/LB Shawn Collier, OT/DT Kameron McCray
Outlook: Dayton Christian loses its starting quarterback, top two leading rushers and top two leading receivers from 2023. Austin Sellers, the starting quarterback, was also the team’s best defensive player, leading in tackles, sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles while also reeling in two interceptions. More top defensive contributors have also graduated, including Tristan Hill who had four interceptions last year.
The Warriors return a few impact players, including Dysson Wilcox, who finished second on the team in passing yards and tackles in 2023, but replacing all of those seniors will be a difficult task for Dayton Christian, a squad that already saw limited success in 2023.
Gamble Montessori
2023: 4-5, missed postseason
Head coach: Dave Brausch
Returning players: QB/DB Amir Colvin-Brown, RB/TE/LB Josiah Neblett, QB/RB/DB Dez Brookins
Outlook: It’s been an interesting offseason for Gamble Montessori. Former coach Robert Rachel stepped down in January after eight years with the team. Chris Mobley Jr. accepted the head coaching job in February, but he left less than two months later for the head job at Purcell Marian. Then the school hired Dave Brausch, who has been coaching football at the high school or college level for 40 years. He has the experience to stabilize this team.
Gamble Montessori finished 4-5 last season and hasn’t made the playoffs since back-to-back appearances in 2021 and 2022. Gamble was almost exclusively a running team under the previous administration, but its top three rushers won’t be returning in 2024. Gamble also loses Desmond Davis and Ricky Trimble, who combined for 14 sacks, 42 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles in 2023.
Hughes
2023: 3-7, missed postseason
Head coach: Lorenzo Engleman
Returning players: QB/WR/DB Elijah Engleman, OL/DL Jamere Carr
Outlook: Hughes loses nearly all of its top offensive contributors going into 2024. Its starting and backup quarterbacks, TJ Engleman and Lorenzo Engleman Jr., are gone as is every player who recorded a rushing stat in 2023 and every receiver who recorded more than one catch, except for Elijah Engleman, according to league statistics.
Shroder
2023: 3-6, missed postseason
Head coach: Darren Sellers
Returning players: QB Brian McGrady, TE/DE Jayden Bowen, WR/DB Christian Hutchinson, OL/DL Keyontay Dupree
Outlook: Shroder had a decent defense in 2023, finishing fifth-best (of 10) in the CMAC for points allowed. The offense, however, goes for just over 17 points per game. Shroder returns its starting quarterback and leading rusher, rising junior Brian McGrady, which should help that, but the team’s top two receivers and second-leading rusher will not return.
Jayden Bowden, who was one of the most fearsome defenders in the area in 2023 with 19 sacks and 18…
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