Week 1- Canton McKinley (0-0) @ Warren G. Harding (0-0)

October 11, 2003 is the date that marked the last time that Warren G. Harding defeated Canton McKinley in an OHSAA football game.  The two archrivals wouldn’t play again until the 2017 season opener, which was a 29-7 victory for the Bulldogs.  That result has since grown into a five-game winning streak in the series as they come into Mollenkopf Stadium on August 22, 2025 for the 61st chapter of the long-time rivalry.  

Despite being over two decades removed from 2003, current Harding head coach Matt Richardson was actually a huge part of the Raiders’ success back then as he was in his fourth season as their running backs coach.  That night, his backs netted 223 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries (6.6 yards per carry) in their 45-21 triumph over the Bulldogs. 

Then-Warren G. Harding junior Jon Richardson darts down the sideline for a 71-yard touchdown run against Canton McKinley in 2003. It's the last scoring play in a Harding-McKinley matchup that the Raiders won.

  Today, Richardson continues to sharpen his skill of coaching up young athletes to maximize their full potential.  

Prior to the 2024 regular season, former Raider Chaz Coleman had never played on defense at the varsity level.  Today, because of his hard work and the leadership of Richardson and his staff, he’s entering his freshman year of college as an “edge” for the Penn State Nittany Lions.  While that may seem like a crushing blow to Harding’s roster moving forward, his journey to the Big Ten illustrates the standard that Richardson has set for his young athletes.  If you work hard enough, no goal is ever out of reach.

Then-Harding senior linebacker Chaz Coleman explodes into McKinley's offensive backfield and forces a fumble during their 2024 matchup. After never playing on the defensive side of the ball at the varsity level prior to his senior year, Coleman is now receiving rave reviews as a freshman "edge" for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Now, it’s time for this year’s group of athletes to look in the mirror and find that extra gear to help put not only themselves over the top, but Harding’s program as well.  One group that’s expected to be particularly strong this season is the offensive line. Senior incoming transfer Ellis Daniels (6-foot-3, 288 lbs), the youngest son of former Raider and NFL player LeShun Daniels and baby brother of fellow Harding alumni LeShun Daniels Jr. (NFL) and James Daniels (current Miami Dolphin), will add his pedigree to an already-experienced group in classmates X’Zavion Blackwell (6-foot-0, 262 lbs), Ashton Coleman (6-foot-0, 300 lbs), and Anthony Simpson (6-foot-2, 270 lbs).  They will be joined up front by juniors Josh Flenory (6-foot-2, 290 lbs), Zavion Smith (6-foot-5, 250 lbs), and Mike Wade (6-foot-3, 303 lbs).  With sophomores Jatese Coleman (6-foot-1, 260 lbs) and John Kimbrough (6-foot-6, 264 lbs) as well as freshman Chase Tibbs (6-foot 2, 245 lbs) also in the mix as well, Harding should have a stacked rotation to help keep their offensive front fresh throughout the season.

Another new face to the program is junior tailback Jaylen Murray (6-foot, 210 lbs).  Last year, he carried the ball 126 times for 936 yards and 15 touchdowns, while adding 5.5 sacks on defense, for Warren JFK.  This year, he’ll share the workload with junior Mi’king Adair (48 carries for 333 yards and three touchdowns in 2024) and his big brother Mandes Provitt, who both return to the rotation after suffering season-ending injuries early on last season.

Then-Harding sophomore Mi'king Adair scores on a career-long 41-yard touchdown run during their week 4 matchup against Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

The Raiders will be led under center by quarterback James Jones (6-foot-3, 195 lbs), who connected on 34-of-67 passes for 414 yards, five touchdowns, and just two interceptions as Harding’s backup last year.  While their top five targets from a season ago have graduated (Marcus Crum, Airiz Coleman Bey, Stephen Sims, Devon Morgan and Coleman combined for 88 catches for 1,065 yards and 14 touchdowns), there’s a fresh crop of skill position players who are ready to lead the charge on the outside this year.  The leading returning receiver from last year, (as his father Coach Richardson calls him) “the heir apparent” Matt Richardson (eight catches for 38 yards in 2024), should expect a much larger workload while Khi Blutcher, Austin Blackwell, and Julius “Juju” Ferrell, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound senior transfer from Liberty, are also set to get plenty of work from the wide receiver position.  

Then-Harding sophomore quarterback James Jones throws a 40-yard touchdown pass to Chaz Coleman during their matchup at Solon in 2024. It was the first scoring pass of Jones' high school career.

On the defensive side, the Raiders should also have a solid mix of guys to contribute up front in seniors Amiere Cobb, Simpson, and Daniels, with juniors Xavier Bradley and Justice Dukes also in the mix.  At linebacker, Murray will add his skillset to the core of seniors Tyler Smith (86 tackles in 2024), Raitwan Hill (74 tackles in 2024), and Provitt while sophomore Asa Burch is also expected to contribute.  The defensive backfield will be junior-laden as Richardson (32 tackles in 2024) and Blackwell will start at cornerback while Antonio Dukes and Elijah Phillips will man the safety positions.  Also, look for freshmen Zeri'on Redding and Satavian Hill to see action in the secondary.

Harding sophomore Asa Burch charges into the opposing backfield to force a fumble during their scrimmage against Painesville Riverside.

Meanwhile, junior Jaron Edmonds (5-foot-8, 170 lbs) is back to handle the kicking and punting duties for the Raiders.  Last year, he went 20-of-24 on extra points and connected on three field goals (long of 29 yards).

Harding junior Jaron Edmonds nails a 40-yard field goal during their scrimmage against Painesville Riverside. He'll look to utilize his leg under pressure for the Raiders this season.

As for Canton McKinley, the traditional power enters 2025 with an enhanced coaching staff as well as their own mix of new faces and returning contributors from last season.  For starters, new head coach Renard “Renzy” Parnell spent the last 10 years of his career helping Archbishop Hoban become the perennial powerhouse that they are today as he served as their defensive coordinator.  His experience and prowess should prove to be very beneficial as he’ll look to mold a group of Bulldogs with some serious potential on the defensive side of the ball.  

Junior linebacker Antonio Stevens (5-foot-11, 230 lbs) registered 98 tackles (10 for a loss) and three sacks in 2024 while classmates Shad Davis (5-foot-11, 175 lbs) and Javier Moore (6-foot-0, 200 pounds) already hold Division I scholarship offers.  Meanwhile, senior safety Damere McClellan (5-foot-10, 170 lbs) will lead the charge from the safety position as he finished third on last year’s McKinley squad with 81 tackles, which resulted in a 2nd Team All-Federal League selection.  Moving forward, their defense is also expected to be enhanced by incoming transfers (edge) Amare Mitchell (Reynoldsburg; 6-foot-3, 210 lbs) and safety Chris Crook (Hoban; 6-foot-3, 185 lbs). 

Then-McKinley sophomore linebacker Shad Davis records a tackle for a loss during their 2024 matchup against Harding. As of today, he holds an official scholarship offer from Kent State.

Offensively, the Bulldogs will have the services of incoming senior transfer Trent Hayden, who went 70-of-110 for 1,004 yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception in 10 starts for Hoban last year.  He’ll be armed with some electric targets in wide receivers Darius Hill (29 catches for 484 yards and five touchdowns) and Deejay Britt Jr. (29 catches for 359 yards and five touchdowns).  As a matter of fact, Britt had a huge performance in last year’s season opener against Harding as he hauled in three catches for 62 yards and a 31-yard touchdown.  In addition to that dynamic duo, Parnell is also expecting big things out of 6-foot-3 sophomore tight end Legacy Lee.  

During the first quarter of their 2024 matchup against Harding, then-McKinley quarterback Kam Montgomery hooks up with wide receiver Deejay Britt Jr. for a 31-yard touchdown pass. This season, Britt will look to haul in throws from one of the newest Bulldogs in Trent Hayden.

Meanwhile, McKinley's running game is expected to be powered by another new face in tailback Xion Culver (5-foot-8, 170 lbs), who rushed for 1,153 yards and eight touchdowns for Canton South in 2024.  Him and Hayden will both have the luxury of being protected by an offensive line that’s led by senior tackle Logan Hayes (6-foot-5, 280 lbs).  Last season, he was responsible for over 60 “pancake” blocks and only surrendered one sack for the entire season.  As a result of those efforts, he now holds offers from both Kentucky and Kent State.

Then-Canton South freshman Xion Culver scores on a 16-yard touchdown run against Sandy Valley. It was his fifth score of the night his Wildcats roared their way to a 56-30 victory. Now, the three-year letterman will spend his senior year as a McKinley Bulldog.

Harding and McKinley are both faced with the tall task of replacing some phenomenal talent that has graduated.  However, both schools made a major move over the offseason that will enhance the probability of all of their athletes getting stronger by hiring world renowned individuals to lead their respective strength and conditioning programs in Mike Bartos (Harding) and Mike Winkler (McKinley).  

Mike Bartos, the new Head of Strength & Conditioning for Warren City Schools, has already made a big impact on the student athletes in the district.

Bartos, who previously served as the S&C coach for Youngstown Ursuline, has also helped train some of the strongest people in the world through his company, Mike Bartos’ Power Center (www.mbpowercenter.com) with innovative equipment and instruction.  Meanwhile, Winkler, who serves as the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA) Great Lakes Regional Director (Region 7), has a track record that speaks for itself as Hoban's success (as a school) is directly tied in with his role as their head of S&C from 2014-24.  During that span, their athletic programs combined to win ten state titles in baseball (2021), boys golf (2020, 2024), football (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020), boys basketball (2023), and girls soccer (2015).

On February 14, 2025, Mike Winkler was officially named the Director of Strength & Conditioning at McKinley. He has a lengthy history of training state championship-winning athletes at the high school level.

In other words, the expectations for both Harding and McKinley moving forward won’t just come down to what their returning players did last year or what the incoming transfers may bring to the table.  At the end of the day, they’ll be predicated on just how far their groups of young athletes have come since last year based off of the work that they’ve put in during the off season.  Both schools added two of the absolute best at their profession to compliment the loaded coaching staffs that they already have.  Regardless of the outcome on August 22, everybody who is affiliated with either program should be extremely excited about the potential that lies ahead.