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The Trojans took the field in patriotic fashion Friday night. Photo by Jim Freeman

Story and photos by Jim Freeman

ARCANUM — Friday night at Arcanum began with a moment bigger than football.

On the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, those in attendance paused for a moment of silence to remember the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives that day.

The Trojans then ran onto the field carrying large American flags, providing a patriotic beginning to a night that honored the fallen and celebrated America.

Once the game began, Arcanum displayed its strength on both sides of the ball in a 48-0 Western Ohio Athletic Conference victory over Bradford.

The Trojans finished with 411 yards of offense, nearly evenly divided between 209 passing yards and 202 yards on the ground. Defensively, Arcanum recorded nine sacks and 20 tackles for loss.

Arcanum established control immediately, driving down the field on its opening possession and finishing the drive with the first of two MJ Macy rushing touchdowns.

MJ Macy rushed for 134 yards in the win. Photo by Jim Freeman

Bradford struggled to establish any offensive rhythm, repeatedly finding itself behind the chains because of lost-yardage plays and penalties.

The Railroaders’ defense provided an early bright spot by intercepting an Arcanum pass at the Bradford 5-yard line. Bradford could not capitalize on the turnover, however, and was forced to punt.

Arcanum soon returned to the end zone. Facing fourth-and-eight, quarterback Weston Schmidt completed a pass to Talan Stone that gave the Trojans first-and-goal. Schmidt and Stone later connected for the touchdown.

Evan Parks supplied the game’s biggest play, turning his only reception into an 88-yard touchdown. Arcanum led 18-0 with 10:40 remaining in the first half.

Evan Parks takes it to the house from 88 yards out. Photo by Jim Freeman

Raysean Miles caught two more touchdown passes before halftime, helping the Trojans carry a 32-0 advantage into the break.

Schmidt completed 10 of 14 passes for 209 yards and four touchdowns. He distributed those scoring passes among Stone, Parks and Miles.

Stone finished with four receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. Miles caught two passes for 52 yards and two scores, while Parks accounted for 88 yards and a touchdown on his lone reception.

Talan Stone had a solid game receiving foir the Trojans. Photo by Jim Freeman

“I think that’s what makes us a tough out, because we can throw the ball downfield anytime, but they also have to defend our offensive line and MJ,” Arcanum coach Matt Macy said. “It makes it tough. They’ve got to choose.”

MJ Macy gave the Trojans balance on the ground, carrying 21 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

“He didn’t have any big, big runs, but I think he probably ground out a pretty good game,” Matt Macy said.

The second half began with another difficult sequence for Bradford. After the Railroaders went three-and-out, the snap on their punt attempt went through the end zone for a safety.

Kenton Kenworthy then produced a long return on the ensuing free kick, and Arcanum quickly moved inside the Bradford 10. MJ Macy completed the short scoring drive with his second rushing touchdown, giving the Trojans a 41-0 advantage by the end of the third quarter.

Nate Powers completed the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth. He finished with 21 yards on two carries.

Raysean Miles scores one of his two touchdowns on the night. Photo by Jim Freeman

Arcanum was equally impressive defensively, consistently disrupting Bradford in the backfield and preventing the Railroaders from sustaining drives.

“Our defense was lights out,” Matt Macy said. “They had a couple pass plays they completed, but I’d be surprised if they were not negative rushing.”

Hudson Knaus led Arcanum with nine tackles, including three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Chris Greve and Avery Bowser each recorded two sacks.

Macy specifically praised Greve, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound senior defensive lineman playing football for the first time.

“I’m going to have to count how many sacks he had tonight,” Macy said. “He’s never played football before, playing defensive end for us, and I’m not sure he’s not a college football player.”

Despite the decisive victory, Macy said the Trojans must eliminate the mistakes that could prove costly against stronger competition.

“We’ve just got to find a way to play clean at some point,” he said. “We find a way to make things harder on ourselves at times.”

Bradford entered the game with momentum following consecutive victories, but the Railroaders faced a significant disadvantage in available depth. Arcanum listed 43 players on its roster compared with Bradford’s 27, and injuries during the game further tested the Railroaders, particularly along the offensive line.

“We knew what we were getting into,” Bradford coach Bill Trevino said. “We’re always going to be outmanned, but we fought.”

Trevino said Bradford found a few opportunities through the passing game, but penalties, incorrect routes and alignment mistakes prevented the Railroaders from taking advantage.

“I’m not going to put it on the offensive line,” Trevino said. “Some kids were running the wrong routes, lining up wrong. We had too many penalties again. That’s football. We’ll clean it up and keep grinding.”

For Trevino, improvement begins with becoming more competitive at the point of attack.

“From the beginning of football to the end of football, it’s the line of scrimmage, and we’ve got to control that,” he said.

Bradford will attempt to put the loss behind it as it prepares for Tri-County North.

“We’re moving on,” Trevino said. “We can’t let one bad night hang over to next week.”

Arcanum now turns its attention to Preble Shawnee in a matchup Macy believes will show how far the Trojans’ program has progressed.

“Preble Shawnee is good, as usual,” Macy said. “I think they’re at the top of the league, and we can’t make those kinds of mistakes and beat Preble Shawnee. I think we’re finally physical enough as a program that we can compete with them.”

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Cooper Tegtmeyer played his best round leading the way for the Trojans. Photo by Jim Freeman

ARCANUM — The Arcanum boys golf team completed an undefeated WOAC dual-match season in record-setting fashion Thursday at Beechwood Golf Course.

The Trojans fired a one-under-par 143 against Tri-County North, establishing a new nine-hole school record while improving to 11-0 in the conference and 15-1 overall.

All four of Arcanum’s scoring golfers shot 37 or better.

Junior Cooper Tegtmeyer led the Trojans with a two-under-par 34, his best round of the season. Senior Aiden Carlisle followed with a one-under-par 35, which coach Andy Bryant believed was also his best score of the year.

Kaiden Hickey shoots a 37 in route to a team record. Photo by Jim Freeman

Senior Luke Stephens and junior Kaiden Hickey completed the record-setting total with matching rounds of 37.

Together, the four scores placed Arcanum one stroke under par as a team.

Bryant clarified that Thursday’s accomplishment was different from the record Arcanum established earlier this season.

“The record we broke before was the 18-hole tournament record,” Bryant said. “This was the nine-hole record, which I didn’t think would ever be beat.”

The previous nine-hole mark was established by another strong Arcanum team playing the front nine at the former Cliffside Golf Course. Because that side of the course was favorable for low scoring and is no longer available, Bryant believed the record might remain untouched.

This year’s Trojans surpassed it at Beechwood behind four outstanding individual rounds.

“We shot 143 tonight,” Bryant said. “It was great.”

The performance provided a fitting conclusion to Arcanum’s WOAC dual-match schedule. The Trojans entered Thursday 10-0 in conference play and 14-1 overall before defeating Tri-County North to complete a perfect run through their 11 WOAC opponents.

Arcanum’s success has been fueled by both high-level individual play and exceptional depth.

Luke Stephens shoots a 37 in the record setting round. Photo by Jim Freeman

Stephens leads the WOAC with a 36.4 scoring average, 2.6 strokes better than the next golfer in the conference standings. Hickey ranks 10th with a 41.1 average, followed by Carlisle in 11th at 41.7.

Tegtmeyer ranks 15th with a 42.6 average, while senior Cohen Etherington is 16th at 42.7. Altogether, Arcanum has five golfers ranked among the top 16 and eight among the top 26 in the WOAC.

That depth was on full display Thursday. While Stephens delivered another solid round, Tegtmeyer and Carlisle recorded season-best performances, and Hickey added another 37.

The result was a balanced performance in which every scoring golfer contributed a 37 or better.

Stephens, who finished fourth at last year’s OHSAA state tournament, has consistently led the Trojans throughout the season. However, Thursday’s round demonstrated that Arcanum has several golfers capable of producing low scores on any given day.

Arcanum has now established new nine-hole and 18-hole school records during a season in which the Trojans have remained unbeaten against WOAC competition.

Aiden Carlisle shot a season best 35 in the record setting performance. Photo by Jim Freeman

With the WOAC tournament and postseason approaching, Thursday’s performance also suggests the Trojans are peaking at the right time.

After dominating the conference dual-match portion of their schedule, Arcanum will now attempt to carry that momentum—and its record-setting form—into the biggest rounds of the season.

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(Arcanum's Luke Stephens led the Trojans to a 160-181 win over Preble Shawnee)

By Eddie Mowen Jr.

LIBERTY, INDIANA — Arcanum’s boys golf team has put together an impressive regular season, but coach Andy Bryant wants the Trojans to be remembered for more than what they accomplish before the postseason.

The Trojans remained unbeaten in Western Ohio Athletic Conference play with a 160-181 victory over Preble Shawnee on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at Liberty Country Club.

Arcanum improved to 10-0 in conference play and holds a two-match lead over Tri-Village, National Trail and Newton, which are each 8-2. Preble Shawnee fell to 5-3.

Senior Luke Stephens, who finished fourth at the OHSAA state tournament last season, earned medalist honors with a 36 to lead the Trojans.

Junior Kaiden Hickey followed with a 39, while seniors Cohen Etherington and Daniel Kerns carded a 42 and 43, respectively. Cooper Tegtmeyer added a 44.

Bryant said a 160 was near the Trojans’ season average and was a solid performance on a course that presented some challenges, particularly for players who had never played it.

“Our average is just under 160,” Bryant said. “It's always good when you shoot your average at a course that could be tough and it could bite you. So, we played pretty good today.”

Bryant said the Trojans didn't finish the round as strongly as they normally have this season, but he was pleased with the overall performance.

That performance was another example of the depth that has helped Arcanum establish itself at the top of the WOAC standings.

The program has 22 golfers, and Bryant said the competition for spots has remained positive throughout the season. Arcanum's top 12 golfers are averaging approximately 46 or better, giving the Trojans options when determining their lineup.

“I have seven here tonight that proves that at any given moment I can take one out and put another one in,” Bryant said. “They've been competing against each other all year, but what I'm thankful for is at least I haven't seen any negatives, and it's all been positive, motivating each other, encouraging each other, and that's why it feels good as a team.”

Hickey has played well in his second season with the Trojans after playing only half of last season following a transfer. Bryant also pointed to the contributions of Etherington and Kerns, along with senior Aidan Carlisle.

Etherington made a par putt on his final hole against Preble Shawnee that helped the Trojans finish at 160.

While Arcanum's success in conference play has surpassed Bryant's expectations in his first season leading the boys program, he has emphasized that the team's larger goals extend beyond the regular season.

“We've exceeded expectations, but the thing I've always talked about, at least from a Trojan perspective, one thing I want to get the Trojan mindset back into is we might be great during the regular season, but we need to be considered a postseason team,” Bryant said.

“So we're focusing on the postseason, on the sectionals and districts. And we want to make sure we show that the harder the course, the better the teams, we can still shoot the same numbers and still compete at that high level. That's our goals.”

Stephens figures prominently in those postseason hopes.

The senior has continued the form that carried him to a fourth-place finish at state last season. Bryant praised Stephens' composure and ability to recover when a round doesn't begin the way he wants.

“There aren't many people in the area, regardless of how easy or hard the courses are, that have 15 rounds at par or better in a season,” Bryant said.

Bryant recalled an earlier tournament on a challenging course where Stephens struggled on the front nine before responding with a 33 on the back nine and finishing near the top of the field.

“He keeps great composure,” Bryant said.

Preble Shawnee countered Tuesday with senior Gage Powers, who shot a 39.

Junior Grant Buell and freshman Brantly Cross each finished with a 46 for the Arrows. Freshman Mason Moore and junior Will Gulley each shot 51, while junior Blaine Singleton carded a 53.

Despite the loss, Preble Shawnee coach Ryan Klapper has been pleased with what his team has accomplished with a lineup combining experienced golfers with several younger players.

“We've had a nice season up to this point,” Klapper said. “We've had some pretty good leadership out of our older guys, and the younger guys have done OK. Maybe even a little better than I expected, and so that's gotten us off to a good start in the conference.”

Klapper said the Arrows have exceeded his expectations considering the inexperience he anticipated having in the lineup this season.

Powers has been a steady presence for the Arrows. Now in his fourth season with the program, the senior has developed from a golfer who spent much of his freshman season learning and refining his swing into a potential first-team all-conference player.

“The work he has put in has paid off, and he's put himself in position to earn first-team honors in the WOAC and possibly qualify out of our sectional,” Klapper said.

Both teams will soon turn their attention toward the WOAC tournament, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, at Turtle Creek Golf Club.

Arcanum enters the tournament with plenty of familiarity and confidence at Turtle Creek. The Trojans played there earlier this season and set a school record, while several Arcanum golfers regularly play or work at the course.

“We've been prepping for that all year,” Bryant said. “They've been going up there playing, so we're ready to go. We're excited.”

For Bryant, the tournament represents another opportunity for the Trojans to begin turning their regular-season success into the postseason reputation he wants the program to build.

(Photo Courtesy Champine Photography)

By Eddie Mowen Jr.

WEST ALEXANDRIA — Experience will be one of Twin Valley South’s biggest assets this season as the Panthers look to turn last year’s progress into a winning campaign.

Third-year varsity coach Mary Johnson welcomes back an experienced group after South finished 11-11 overall and 6-6 in the Western Ohio Athletic Conference last season.

The .500 finish continued the Panthers’ steady improvement under Johnson. South went 10-13 overall and 5-7 in the WOAC during her first varsity season. Johnson, who previously spent two seasons coaching at the middle school level, enters this year with a 21-24 varsity record and an 11-13 conference mark.

After reaching one of the program’s initial goals last season, Johnson said the Panthers are ready to set their sights higher.

“With several key players graduating and changes within the coaching staff, I am excited about the opportunity for our team to compete at a high level in the WOAC this season,” Johnson said. “Our goal has always been to achieve a .500 season, which we accomplished last year. This year, we are raising the bar and challenging ourselves to build on that success and finish the season with a winning record.”

South should benefit from plenty of familiarity within its lineup, with the Panthers bringing back a veteran group that already understands Johnson’s system and expectations.

Adding to that group are junior defensive specialist Clair Napier and sophomore middle hitter Kamryn Metzger, who will provide additional depth to the varsity lineup.

Johnson expects the Panthers’ experience and versatility to be strengths as they navigate another challenging WOAC schedule.

“Each of our players plays a vital part in our success this year, with them all bringing well-balanced skill and knowledge to the court,” Johnson said.

For South, however, improvement will not be measured solely by its record.

The Panthers will again center their program around the theme “One Team, One Purpose, One Family,” emphasizing relationships, support and a willingness to play for one another.

“Our focus this season will continue to be One Team, One Purpose, One Family,” Johnson said. “We will come together, support one another, and rally around one of our own while embracing the true meaning of being part of a team.”

Johnson said those relationships are an important part of what she wants players to take away from their time in the program.

“Volleyball is more than just a sport — it is about building relationships, creating lasting memories, supporting each other through challenges, and being part of something bigger than ourselves,” she said.

After taking another step forward last season, South enters 2026 with a veteran roster, increased expectations and a clear objective. The Panthers have reached the .500 mark. Now, they will try to use their experience and team-first mentality to climb above it and make a move in the WOAC standings.

The Panthers are currently 3-6 overall and 0-2 in the WOAC. They are scheduled to play Franklin Monroe (Thursday) and Arcanum (Saturday) later this week.

By Eddie Mowen Jr.