Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
The Genoa football team features a trio of offensive stars among a talented squad as the Comets look to compete for a Northern Buckeye Conference title in head coach Bill Fisher’s fourth year at the helm.
“We have a family mindset, so we're trying to take care of each other,” Fisher said. “Everybody has put in the kind of work that has been needed to be successful. We're in a position now where we can compete, and we have goals.”
The Comets, who finished 6-5 overall last year and reached the first round of the Division V state playoff, will have to replace seven seniors — highlighted by Alex Spencer, who was a slot receiver, running back and defensive back, and Dom Lindenberger, who was an all-state linebacker. Cam Agler, an Honorable Mention All-Ohio punter, also graduated.
That starts with the trio of quarterback Myles Mollenhauer, running back Luke Clement and wide receiver/tight end Jaxon Magnone.
Clement produced 973 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, while Magnone caught 37 passes for 684 yards and nine touchdowns. Mollenhauer tallied 1,457 yards passing with 14 touchdowns.
“Those three guys are special players,” Fisher said. “They have a lot of potential.”
Clement, who will also team up with Alex Materni to form a nice duo at inside linebacker, is a crossbreed of speed and power, Fisher said. Materni will likely fill Lindenberger’s role.
“(Luke isn’t) your 100-meter dash sprinter guy, but he's got enough speed that he can pull away from people,” Fisher said. “He's extremely difficult to bring down, and he has great vision with the ball in his hand.”
Mollenhauer will direct the offense, and Fisher is confident in his IQ.
“He understands how to take care of the ball and be a field general out there,” Fisher said. “He has a live arm to put the ball in multiple areas of the field.”
Magnone is a matchup nightmare for defenses. He was a Second Team All-Ohio selection last year as a sophomore.
“He's hard to bring down,” Fisher said. “He's tall. He's going to go over the top on you, and he can run. To be able to have him as a threat on the outside and then also in the trenches as a tight end is a great matchup problem for us — him versus a linebacker is great for us, and then him versus a defensive back is also great for us.”
Fisher said Magnone is getting some Division I interest, and he’s been on visits to Toledo, Akron and Bowling Green.
Clement, returning Second Team All-NBC offensive lineman Eric Messenger and halfback/safety Logan Routson could also potentially play at the next level.
Messenger will play both sides of the ball, and Fisher said he’s a solid defender up the middle as a nose guard.
“We're really putting our time and energy into being able to fight back, compete, and sustain gaps versus trying to make the play,” Fisher said of his team’s line play. “Like we always tell our guys, you can make a play without getting your name in the paper. You can make a play without getting your name said over the PA system. We’re just trying to build that level of trust amongst the linemen to sustain a gap.”
Aside from that group, two other key returners include Evan Millner, who was a First Team All-NBC center and Second Team All-NBC defensive end, and Ryan Routson, who was an Honorable Mention All-NBC selection at H-back last year.
Adam Knight, who plays corner and receiver, is very good on the defensive side of the ball, Fisher said.
“We’re really excited about his cover skills and ball skills,” he said. “He’s pretty solid all around.”
Then there’s senior Zayden Dunn, a receiver/tight end/safety who played JV last year but is set to make an impact this year.
“He just continued to work and put his time in,” Fisher said. “It's his turn to shine.”
One of the team’s big focuses this year is performing better in key moments of big games. The Comets jumped out to a 5-1 start last year before falling off late in the season.
“We were not very good coming out of halftime,” Fisher said. “We'd have to get the ball back, and we'd go three and out in numerous games. We've got to rise to the level of play when the lights are bright. I really think that we can make a run at the conference championship, and I think the combination of seniors and juniors that we have is something special. We've just got to be able to put it together and take care of the opportunities when they present themselves.”
Some positives Fisher will rely on are an emphasis on not turning the ball over, having strong quarterback play that will provide for an efficient offense, and an ability to run on defense.
“We’ll be able to give multiple looks and have good matchups across the board,” he said.
Genoa, which has 12 seniors, will open the season at home against Archbold on Aug. 22.
