Week 1 of Ohio’s 2026 high school football season is in the books.
Let’s take a look back at the key developments and big stars from Week 1, and how the Canton-area teams stack up power-poll style. We’ll also peek ahead at Week 2.
Let’s start with the headlines from the first week of the OHSAA season.
Tigers take it to Tarblooders
The stars shined brightly for the Tigers in their 31-18 season-opening win against defending Division IV state champion Glenville. Michigan State commit Savior Owens ran for 180 yards and closed out the Tarblooders with two second-half touchdowns. Ohio State commit Deontay Malone caught five passes for 149 yards and a TD. The Feister brothers — Brydon and Oregon commit Brayton — combined for 14 tackles, 4.5 of them for loss. Massillon outgained Glenville 369 yards to 146 in avenging an overtime win by the Tarblooders last year.
Impressive first step for Canton McKinley
The Bulldogs put the clamps on Warren Harding defensively and never let go in a 33-0 win at Benson Stadium. The Raiders showed few signs of life, finishing with 53 yards of offense and three first downs. Harding’s 11 possessions included seven punts, two end-of-halves, a missed 38-yard field goal and a 98-yard pick-six by McKinley’s Dwoyne Robinson. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ offense displayed big-play ability — whether it was DeMarco Richardson Jr.’s 51-yard catch and run or 6-foot-5 Legacy Lee leaping over Harding defenders for a 30-yard reception — and a deep run game that produced 195 yards and three touchdowns.
New beginnings for Stark County football head coaches
In a rough week for coaching debuts around the area, Louisville’s Jake Adkins was the exception. The Leopards’ earned a 20-10 win at home against a quality New Philadelphia team in Adkins’ first game as head coach. The Louisville alum and former player takes over for Chris Kappas, who left the Leopards to become the defensive coordinator for Mount Union. Things didn’t go as smoothly elsewhere. Matt Dennison’s debut as GlenOak’s head coach resulted in a 36-21 loss to Dover. The man who replaced Dennison at Canton South, Badre Bardawil, fell to Garaway 20-6 in his first game with the Wildcats. St. Thomas Aquinas lost 43-14 to Strasburg in Isaiah Robinson’s first game as head coach, marking the Knights’ 14th straight loss overall.
Stars of Week 1: Stark County area’s top performers
Ty DeGeorge, Lake
DeGeorge can impact a football game in just about every way imaginable. The senior did it on the ground Friday, running for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries in Lake’s 20-14 home win against North Ridgeville. He added three tackles and a pass breakup from his safety position.
Jonathan Lemon, Perry
Lemon again proved he’s one of the most dangerous players in the area with the football in his hands. The senior scored four touchdowns in the Panthers’ Battle of 13th Street rivalry win vs. Central Catholic. Three of them came rushing, with Lemon going for 157 yards on only 13 carries. He also housed a kickoff. The 90-yard return immediately answered an early Central scoring drive and catapulted Perry to a 42-7 win.
Carter Muhleman, Jackson
Chardon has seen quite enough of the 6-foot-6 Muhleman, who threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns in Jackson’s 34-13 win against the Hilltoppers. Muhleman completed 19 of 32 passes with no interceptions. He threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns in last year’s 35-13 win against Chardon, bringing the two-year damage to 565 yards, six TDs and no interceptions.
Lucas Neff, Louisville
Neff had a monster game stepping in for the injured Owen Wilson. The junior rushed for 184 yards and two TDs on 25 carries in Louisville’s home win against New Philadelphia. Both of Neff’s TDs came in the second half. He also had a 46-yard run that set up Parker Daum’s game-sealing 24-yard field goal with 3:07 left.
Mikey Ritterbeck, Fairless
Ritterbeck is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the area, and it showed in the Falcons’ 44-6 win vs. Sandy Valley. He accounted for five touchdowns — three passing and two running. He completed 13 of 16 passes for 169 yards and no interceptions. Ritterbeck even had a punt return that set up a short field, leading to one of his rushing TDs.
2026 Greater Canton Football Power Poll
A snapshot look at how teams stack up in the Stark County area after one week:
Big Schools (OHSAA Divisions I-II)
1, Massillon (1-0)
2, Canton McKinley (1-0)
3, Jackson (1-0)
4, Lake (1-0)
5, Louisville (1-0)
Others: GlenOak (0-1), Green (0-1), Hoover (1-0), Perry (1-0).
Small Schools (OHSAA Divisions III-VII)
1, West Branch (1-0)
2, Northwest (1-0)
3, Manchester (0-1)
4, Fairless (1-0)
5, Alliance (0-1)
Others: Canton South (0-1), Carrollton (0-1), Central Catholic (0-1), East Canton (0-1), Malvern (1-0), Marlington (1-0), Minerva (0-1), Sandy Valley (0-1), St. Thomas Aquinas (0-1), Tuslaw (0-1).
Stark County-area high school football Week 1 scores
Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com
On X: @jweirREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Week 1 Winners: Stark-area’s best players. Latest rankings. What’s next
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
Reporting by Josh Weir, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Josh Weir, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
