St. Paul looks to stay in FC race at Crestview

Back in the picture. For how long depends on how the St. Paul football team fares this Friday in a critical Firelands Conference road game at Crestview. The Flyers (3-3, 2-1) face the Cougars (4-2, 3-0) at 7 p.m. at Scott Bailey Field. With Western Reserve (4-2, 2-1) losing to Monroeville (4-2, 3-0) last week, St. Paul still controls its own destiny in the FC, as it still faces the Cougars and Eagles in the final month. From a playoff perspective, the Cougars enter the game tied for 13th in Division VI Region 23. The Flyers are No. 8 in Div. VII Region 25. The top 12 teams qualify for the state playoffs, with the top four teams in each region earning a bye and seeds 5-8 hosting in the first round. "I think more than anything, it will take four-quarter effort," St. Paul head coach Chris Doughty said. "We cannot start slow, which we've done a few times this season. Our kids need to be intense on the first snap, and that has to carry over throughout the duration of the game. "We talk a lot about the 'next play' mindset, and that will be imperative down there in what figures to be a good atmosphere," he added. "They always have a lot of fans, and it's a great venue, so we're anticipating a conference championship kind of game." The Cougars are fairly balanced on offense, as they have 1,132 yards rushing and 1,004 yards passing. Quarterback Liam Kuhn is 63-of-98 passing for 1,001 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He adds 119 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. His top three receiving targets are Max Durbin (15 catches, 243 yards, 3 TDs), Karter Goon (17 catches, 349 yards, 1 TD), and Carson Keener (12 catches, 179 yards, 1 TD). On the ground, Bransen Hider has totaled 367 yards and 4 TDs on 56 attempts, and Ayden Reymer has 344 yards and 5 TDs on 61 attempts. Wyatt Barber adds 195 yards and 3 TDs on 24 attempts. Kicker Keith Abshire is 16-of-21 on extra point attempts and has made a pair of field goals, including a 41-yarder. Defensively for Crestview, Dylan Burge leads the team with 53 tackles and also has broken up four passes with two interceptions. Barber has 48 tackles and a sack, Hider has 38 tackles and two sacks, and Goon has 36 tackles and 4.5 sacks. "Crestview is a very good team once again, and we know that going in after quite the four-quarter battle with them last year at home," Doughty said in reference to a 16-15 win in the final seconds on Oct. 12, 2024. "They have a lot of guys back from last year as well, and Jack Stephens leads an offensive line that is strong on both sides, which also includes Montgomery Kline and Bronson Rose," he added. "Those guys really come off the ball low and get great movement. It's going to be a battle in the trenches, so hopefully our guys have a great week of preparation for that, and we show up ready for a fight on Friday night." For St. Paul, QB Grant Kuhnle is 69-of-127 for 1,022 yards with 7 TDs and 2 INTs. His top targets include Landon Fries with 23 catches for 269 yards, Connor Lindenberger with 18 catches for 330 yards and 4 TDs, and Levi Rospert with 19 catches for 292 yards and 2 TDs. On the ground, Nick Pocos has 354 yards and 5 TDs on 54 attempts. Landon Fries adds 148 yards and 5 TDs on 41 attempts, and Casey Fries has 182 yards and 4 TDs on 26 attempts. Linebacker Raphael Gross leads the defense with 77 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Nate Sandor has 50 tackles with a sack and a forced fumble. Abel Couch adds 26 tackles, one sack, and an interception, and Landon Fries has 28 tackles, four pass breakups, and an INT. In last week's 47-6 win at New London, the Flyers scored three times in under three minutes, including interceptions returned for TDs by Landon Fries (97 yards) and Rospert (32 yards). "I was happy with the way our defense rose to the occasion," Doughty said. "We did a great job of limiting New London's rushing and passing yards, and the two quick interceptions for touchdowns in the third quarter were a big turning point that helped us put the game away. "It was nice to see our kids rise up in those moments," he added. "A lot of times when you see an interception, you're focused on the kids who made the pick. But we had a lot of guys up front getting pressure and linebackers in coverage. It was a full unit of guys that helped make those two turnovers happen."