Quarterback Drew Novak, who recently graduated from Western Brown High School, attempts a pass during the 76th annual Ohio North-South All-Star Game in Massillon. Ohio High School Football Coaches Association photo
High School football is almost here. But if you’re a reader of this newspaper, you know it’s been here all along.
Hype regarding the 2023 high school football season, which kicks off for area Brown County teams in five weeks, has steadily accelerated. But it hasn’t been, say, just in recent days or even weeks. Rather, area high school football has had a significant presence for months now.
Most noteworthy, it was announced in May that, after not fielding a football team last season, Fayetteville-Perry High School will be back and competing again in Division VII this fall, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s division breakdowns for 2023-24.
The school confirmed the exciting news last week.
“We should be rocking and rolling, back for this upcoming season,” said Tyler Kingus, Fayetteville-Perry athletic director.
The Rockets had competed in Division VII since 2015 before cancelling last season, reportedly because of low participation numbers. They had competed in the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference since 2017. In their last season, in 2021-22, they were fifth in the SBAAC National Division at 1-4, 5-6 overall. The season before that, they had a winning record in both the conference and overall at 3-2 and 5-3, respectively.
Otherwise, Western Brown High School dominated ongoing football headlines among area county teams this “off-season.”
In late April, Broncos’ quarterback Drew Novak was among the stars in prestigious 76th annual Ohio North-South All-Star Game.
In the Division 1-3 all-star game, Novak completed 15 of 26 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns in extensive action, helping lead the South squad over the North, 38-21, April 29 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon.
“Yes, he did (have a great game),” said Nick Osborne, Novak’s coach at Western Brown. “They (the South team) scored on three-fourths of the drives he was in. He played very well and easily could have been player of the game.”
Novak started at quarterback for the South team and, after the North team went ahead 7-0 just minutes into the game, he engineered a six-play, 61-yard drive that culminated with a 12-yard Novak TD pass. He then put the South team ahead, 14-7, with an eight-yard TD pass with 19 seconds left in the first quarter, completing a 13-play, 80-yard drive. Novak threw his third and final touchdown pass, a 20-yard connection, with 29 seconds left in the third quarter for a 30-21 South advantage.
Novak, the SBAAC American Division Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, also was part of a massive signing day at Western Brown in late May.
A school-record nine seniors from the 2022 team that won the SBAAC American Division outright for the first time since 2013 officially signed to play college football this fall during signing ceremonies at the school.
“This is the biggest group of college signees we have ever had for Western Brown football,” Broncos coach Nick Osborne said. “These nine have been great role models for our program since our staff took over three years ago. I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for this program.”
Besides Novak, Western Brown 2023 graduates Matthew Frye, Ryen Marthaler, Austin Brossenne, Noah Brown, Eric Brewer, Andrew Schneeman, Nathaniel Royse, and Andrew Sandefur signed to play at the next level.
But don’t fret, Bronco football fans: While the squad graduated nearly a half-team worth of starters, it returns several all-conference selections from last year and a host of other players who got a taste of conference-championship football.
The beat goes on – for the Broncos, and area football.