Broncos make history with school’s first OHSAA football playoff victory

This year’s Western Brown Broncos, under the leadership of first-year head coach Nick Osborne, made history at LaRosa’s Field on Oct. 9, becoming the first varsity football team of Western Brown High School to ever win a game in the Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs.

It marked the fourth OHSAA football playoff appearance for the Western Brown High School football program as the No. 15 seed Broncos hosted the No. 18 seed Athens Bulldogs for round one of the Division III, Region 11 playoffs on Oct. 9.

The Broncos entered the contest with an overall record of 4-2, ending their six-game regular season on a three-game winning streak.

The Broncos dominated the gridiron from beginning to end while hosting Athens in the playoffs, making school history with a 42-12 routing of the Bulldogs.

“We played well,” Osborne said of Friday’s performance by the Broncos. “It feels really good. I’m just very happy for our program.”

“The seniors are on their third head coach in four years, and it’s a special moment for our kids.”

Among Osborne and his coaching staff’s main goals coming into the season was to send this year’s senior football players out with a winning record, a goal they have accomplished. Another top priority was to make history with the school’s first playoff win, so Osborne and his Broncos can also check that box on their list of goals.

For the senior Broncos, this is their first winning season in their high school football careers at Western Brown.

Following the Broncos’ playoff win, Western Brown’s sophomore quarterback Drew Novak is the OHSAA leader in passing yards this season and seventh in the nation with a total of 2,368.

In seven games, Drew Novak has thrown for 25 touchdowns, completed 163-of-243 pass attempts with only three interceptions.

He completed 12-of-15 pass attempts for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the Broncos’ Oct. 9 playoff win.

The Broncos also relied heavily on their ground game in Friday’s victory with senior running back Cade Chisman rushing for 133 yards and three touchdowns while taking 20 carries.

Drew Novak took eight carries for 75 yards.

Chisman is second in the Southern Buckeye Athletic/Academic Conference in rushing yards with a total of 781 on the season.

Western Brown’s junior wide receiver Logan Campbell leads the SBAAC in receiving yards with 800 for the season.

Campbell had only three receptions in Friday’s playoff win for 41 yards and one touchdown, while also returning a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.

Western Brown junior Dylan Novak took three receptions for 35 yards, and Western Brown senior Gary Powell took three receptions for 32 yards and one touchdown.

While the Bronco offense has been putting up big numbers all season, the most improvement in recent weeks has been by the Bronco defense.

“I think out defensive staff is really working hard with our kids, and our defensive players are buying in,” Osborne said of his Broncos’ improvement on defense since the early part of the season.

The Friday night lights were shining bright on the Western Brown defense Oct. 9. Western Brown senior Andre LaJoye (DL) had a sack and recovered a fumble.

Western Brown senior Brian Newberry (DL) came up with big stops throughout the night, as did senior linebacker Bryar Cornett and junior linebacker Dakota Luther. A Luther hit forced an Athens fumble for a Bulldog turnover in Friday’s playoff battle.

The Bronco defense forced a “three and out” for the Bulldogs in the first drive of the night, and the Broncos topped off an early offensive drive in the first quarter with a long touchdown reception by Campbell, followed by junior Evan Grimes’ successful kick for the extra point, to take a 7-0 lead.

Athens wide receiver Peyton Gail was smashed by Newberry for a loss to put the Bulldogs at second down with 11 yards to go at their own 29-yard line midway through the first quarter, and then it was LaJoye taking down the Athens quarterback on a rush attempt to put the Bulldogs at third down with 16 to go.

Later in the Bulldog drive, it was Western Brown sophomore Matthew Frye grabbing an interception on a long pass attempt and making a big return to bring the Bronco offense back on the field to work from their own 45-yard line after the Broncos were called for an illegal block on the return.

The Bulldogs responded with an interception of their own, as Athens’ Trey Harris snatched a Drew Novak pass around the Athens two-yard line.

The first quarter ended with the Broncos leading 7-0.

The Bronco defense made another good showing early in the second period, and it was a sack by LaJoye that put the Bulldog offense at “fourth and 20”, forcing a punt.

The Bronco offense went back to work, capping off its next drive with a short touchdown run by Chisman. Following Grimes’ kick for the extra point, the Broncos led 14-0.

The Broncos continued to expand on their lead in the first half.

After Western Brown’s defensive team held the Bulldogs shy of pay dirt once again, the Bronco offense topped off another drive with a five-yard touchdown run by Chisman (and another successful extra point attempt) to take a 21-0 lead.

After recovering a Bulldog fumble on a kick off return, the Bronco offense finished off their final drive of the first half with a touchdown reception by Powell.

At halftime break, the Broncos’ led 28-0.

Campbell’s 90-yard kick off return for a touchdown got the Broncos going in the second half, leaving the Bulldogs trailing 35-0.

The Bronco offense ended a great night with Chisman rushing for a 39-yard touchdown to aid Western Brown to a 42-6 advantage.

The Broncos moved on to round two of the OHSAA Division III, Region 11 playoffs where they will face No. 2 seed Bishop Harley in Columbus on Oct. 16.

“They’re really good. It’s going to be our toughest game of the season. We will have to play perfect to win,” Osborne said of the upcoming playoff battle against Bishop Hartley.