The Wildcats will begin their 2025 campaign on Thursday, August 21, at Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet Stadium, when they take on the OHSAA Division II State Champion Avon Eagles. 

It was a rough season, to say the least, for the Wildcats in 2024, finishing with a 1-10 record, which was the first time since 1947 that the program had won just one game. 

Now, the Wildcats met an absolute gauntlet of opponents a season ago. Coming into 2024, it was the toughest strength of schedule in program history since being recorded in 1925. 

Last season, eight Wildcat opponents would appear in a Regional Final, and five would win a Regional Final. Championship, three appeared in a State Championship, and one won a State Title. 

In 2025, the Wildcats will add three new opponents. They will play the Pickerington North Panthers and the Riverside Beavers for the first time in program history. For the first time since 2004, they will face Benedictine Bengals. 

 When calculated, this season features the second-toughest strength of schedule since 1925. It will feature nine playoff teams, a State Title team, and a combined win percentage of 0.783. 

A big change coming into the new season is that the OHSAA has approved a postseason that will look a bit different this year. They have cut the number of qualifying teams per region from 16 to 12, giving the top four seeds a bye in the opening round of the playoffs. 

The return to a winning culture for Wildcat Football will begin with senior leadership. The roster features 26 seniors, 18 of whom are three-year letter award winners. Many of these student-athletes have started on varsity since their sophomore year.

Continuing with the roster breakdown, 31 juniors are featured, 22 earned a varsity letter a season ago. 16 sophomores will earn their paws and stripes for the first time entering the first week. 

A few changes with the coaching staff for the 2025 season. Grant Abbott '19 and Lance Ference have been elevated from the freshman squad and will assist Kevin Sheridan '03 with the offensive line. 

Jack Hyland '14 will assist Drew Haddad '96 with the receivers as he returns to his Alma Mater. Hyland assisted receivers last season, joining the staff during the middle of the season. 

Regan Fitzpatrick '92 was elevated from the freshman team and will help coach the defensive backs and take over Special Team Coordinator duties.

Taking a look at the offense, Mark Ruddy '90 returns as the Offense Coordinator for the Wildcats. "A huge credit this offseason goes to our staff. Since January, we have been meeting weekly to focus on our formations and schemes," says Ruddy. "We are excited to get the ball in our playmaker's hands. I cannot say enough about how great our offensive line has been throughout the summer practices. 

The offense will feature a mix of veteran leadership and sophomores earning their paws and stripes for the first time. This group is looking to unlock its full potential heading into the 2025 campaign, which begins with the signal caller. 

QUARTERBACKS 

Quarterbacks coach Elvis Grbac returns his entire staff from 2024. Three quarterbacks earned at least one start in 11 games. Daniel Chalhoub opened as the starter but suffered a season-ending injury against Hoban. Dane Dononvan would take over, but after an injury against Football North (ONT), Anthony Anghilante would start in the OHSAA First Round against Mentor.  

"All of our guys have progressed well," explains Grbac. "Danny [Chalhoub] is much more comfortable with the offense. With a year under his belt, his leadership skills have blossomed, and he has great chemistry with the linemen and receivers."

Chalhoub was named a Team Captain for this season. In 2024, Chalhoub appeared in five games, completing 50% of his passes for 459 yards and four touchdowns. Chalhoub also ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns.   

Second on the depth chart is an experienced junior in Donovan. Donovan threw for 722 yards and six touchdowns in six games, achieving a QBR of 101.0. Donovan would rush for 197 yards on 28 carries. 

Anghilante appeared in three games, earning one start, throwing for 217 yards. Rounding out the quarterbacks is sophomore Jacob Mikin. Mikin started on the freshman squad a season ago and will likely start on the JV level. 

The quarterback staff has a significant number of athletic targets. Perhaps the receiving corps is the deepest position on the roster, featuring multiple seniors who have started since their sophomore year.

WIDE RECEIVERS

"We are extremely blessed this year," says receivers coach Drew Haddad '96. The receiving corps this season will feature two seniors who have started since their sophomore year. 

Luke Simms and Marcus Tekancic return for the Wildcats for another season. Simms has accumulated a career total of 37 receptions for 623 yards and two touchdowns, while Tekancic has added 34 catches for 395 yards and two touchdowns. 

Matt Joyce enters his third year on the varsity squad and will be a bigger target for the Wildcats this season.

Junior Trey Haddad is coming off a fantastic sophomore season that saw him capture a team-high in receptions (20), yards (369), and receiving touchdowns (3).

Junior Michael Camardo will also appear in the rotation after earning his Paws and Stripes a season ago. 

A pair of up-and-comers include sophomores Billy Cole and Jake Lamirand, both of whom were stars on the freshman squad. 

This group's experience has allowed senior Quinn Kennedy to transition into a defensive-minded player and move to the linebacking corps for 2025.  

A season ago, the Wildcats' receivers accumulated 1,398 yards on 94 receptions, scoring 10 touchdowns. They'll look for significant contributions from their senior class.

"This group has a lot of maturity, especially Luke and Marcus, who have grown so much since their sophomore year," Haddad explains. "The senior class is setting the right examples for the younger guys, and we're excited in this group for this season."

RUNNING BACKS

"We have the best running back room in Ohio," praises running backs coach Luke Baker '17. The running back room highlights leadership for Wildcat Football in 2025. Two team captains are featured in the running back corps, and Owen Colwell and Jake Bobinski lead the way. 

In his varsity career, Colwell has totaled 535 yards on 91 carries. In his junior year, sharing time with Grant Washington '25, Colwell rushed for 492 yards on 77 carries and scored a team-high eight rushing touchdowns. Colwell was the team's leading scorer in 2025, finding paydirt nine times. (eight rushing and one receiving).

The Wildcat theme of "Running Back by Committee" will continue for the 2025 season, as Bobinski will be a significant part of the offense in his senior year. He is a three-year varsity letter winner with 249 yards on 40 carries and two touchdowns. Colwell and Bobinski will look to be a one-two punch for the run game in 2025. 

However, this running back corps will be a "three-headed dragon," as coach Baker calls it. Another key piece for the backs will be senior Zach Putka. Putka has been a rotational back in the previous two seasons, totaling 48 yards on 10 carries. 

"He has been working his tail off for the last three years to be a part of the rotation," explains Baker. "I could not be prouder of my guys, and having two captains speaks about what kind of group we are; we will be run-first, and we have the guys to do it."

TIGHT ENDS

Rounding out the skill group on offense are the tight ends. Senior Shane O'Learly will look to take the reins as the starting tight end. The 6'3, 222-pound tight end adds size to block, but will be a safety valve for the quarterback room.

O'Leary dealt with an injury last season, but will look to have a standout year for the Wildcat offense. O'Leary will also see time on the defensive line and will be the team's starting long snapper on special teams.

Junior Charlie Blasko will add depth to the tight end position. Blasko missed all of 2024 due to an injury. Senior Patrick Carmichael will be thrown into the mix as well. 

 "We have a good senior group with the tight ends," says Ruddy. "O'Leary has had a great camp; we're expecting big things from him this season."

OFFENSIVE LINE

The offensive front will feature a mix of seniors, juniors, and sophomores. With Will Conroy's departure, the offensive line will look to make up for his absence in 2025. 

Senior Michael van der Oord will be featured at left tackle and continue his academic and football career at the University of Toledo. "He has taken that position into his own", explains offensive line coach Grant Abbott '19. "He has stepped up as a leader and has been dominant over the summer." 

Three juniors will potentially start on the offensive line this season. Grayson Halkiadakis will play left guard, Bobby Leskovec will play center, and Jackson Janosek will play right guard. 

Rounding out the offensive line will be sophomore standout Peter Whiteside. "Peter has taken that spot and made it his own as a sophomore," Abbott says. "He has stood out throughout our summer camp and into August."

Other sophomores to watch out for will be Colin Beran and Luke Spinos. Both may see time on both sides of the ball.

DEFENSIVE LINE

"This will be a D-Line by committee this year," explains defensive line coach Dave Cicetti. The defense will be a mix of a 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 base. 

The potential starters on the defensive line will include junior David Hughes III at end, sophomore Luke Spinos, who will rotate between tackle and end, and junior Josh Hanson, who will be a nose guard/tackle. 

Hanson has been a member of the varsity squad since his freshman year. He originally lined up on the offensive side of the ball, but has turned his focus to the defensive line. Last season, he appeared in two games, collecting five tackles, with one tackle going for a loss. 

Hughes is looking to have a breakout junior year, bringing in a significant amount of experience after starting in all games a season ago. Hughes would collect 17 tackles and one sack in 2024. 

"We're looking for David to step up this year," Cicetti says. "He earned a lot of playing time his sophomore year, and we hope it translates to a big season."

Senior Michael Wirtz returns to the defensive line after missing all of 2024 with an injury. He and fellow senior Charles Scott will be in the mix, who also missed most of last season due to an injury.   

This year, multiple offensive linemen will come over to play defensive line as well. Those names include Grayson Halkiadakis, Alex Miller, and Jackson Janosek.

Linebacker James Conrad will also line up on the edge for the defensive line."We are going to see a lot of bigger bodies rotating in this year more than we have in the past," explains Cicetti. "This defensive line will feature a mix and a rotation between a 3-4 and 4-3 base from a season ago for the linebacking core."

LINEBACKERS

The linebacking corps will feature two returning starters from last season. Senior Nick Rivera and junior James Conrad will look to anchor the front seven in 2025. 

Rivera will be a three-year starter for the Wildcats. Rivera would appear in four games in his sophomore year before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He would still collect 33 tackles from the middle linebacker position. 

It would be a breakout year for Rivera in 2024, where he would lead the defense in four categories: unassisted tackles (68), assists (25), total tackles (93), and tackles for a loss (10). This would earn Rivera a scholarship to continue his academic and football career at Air Force. 

"He is our quiet killer," says linebackers coach Jeff Welcsh. "He is the leader of this defense; he doesn't say much, but when he steps onto the field, he gets after the football."

Conrad is another standout defensive player Conrad would appear in seven games a season ago as a sophomore. In those seven games, he would collect 45 tackles, with eight of those going for a loss. Conrad also led the defense in sacks with three in 2024.   

Rounding out the starters is a new face to the linebacking corps in senior Quinn Kennedy. Kennedy was named a Team Captain this season and has been converted to a linebacker after spending last season as a defensive back and receiver.

Kennedy is one of four brothers who have donned the paws and stripes on the gridiron, along with his father, Patrick '88, who is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame. His other brothers to have played for the Wildcats are Connor '18, John '19, and Ryan '23.

Junior Dillon Baker will be in the mix with the linebackers as well. He saw time as a sophomore, appearing in five games and collecting 16 tackles. 

Nick Chime is working his way up the ladder at the sophomore level. The 6'1, 190-pound sophomore will start at the JV level and is the future of the linebacking corps. Chime is the youngest brother of Michael '17 and Andrew '21, both of whom played on the gridiron for the Wildcats and went on to play collegiately.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

The defensive back position features season veterans with multiple years of experience with the Wildcat defense, as well as an all-senior lineup. 

At the safety position, the trio of seniors Jayshon Thomas, Ryan Whelan, and Michael Packer will look to improve even more in 2025. A season ago, the defensive backs limited an opponent to 125 yards per game through the air.

Whelan appeared in all 11 games last season, collecting 31 tackles, a pass break-up, and one fumble recovery.

Packer also played in all 11 games in 2024, registering 35 tackles, two pass break-ups, and one interception.

Rounding out the starting safeties is Thomas, who will enter his third year as a starter for the Wildcats. He has appeared in 23 varsity games and has a career total of 75 unassisted tackles, 65 assists, 140 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, seven pass break-ups, a forced fumble, and an interception. 

With the graduation of Cody Haddad '25 to The Ohio State University. Thomas looks to take an even bigger step on defense this season. "Jayshon has come a long way and is a tremendous leader for our secondary," says defensive backs coach Bob Madden '70. "We think he will take over Cody's position and have a huge year for us."

The Wildcats will feature two corners in their defensive formation at the cornerback position. Seniors Caiden Marvin and Owen O'Brien round out the secondary. Both Marvin and O'Brien saw some time a season ago, but are the projected starters for 2025. 

Senior Caleb Cupp returns in the secondary as well. In 2024, he collected 16 tackles and appeared in four games. 

Senior DJ Malik is the Jim Skerl jersey recipient for the Wildcats this season and will be in the rotation for the secondary.

Underclassmen to keep an eye out for this season will include Coen Luecke and Logan Drummond. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Special Teams unit will have a different look this season as Regan Fitzpatrick '92 takes over the Wildcats' coordinator role.   

The Wildcats' special teams unit is looking to improve from a rough season in 2024. The Cats would not hit a field goal last season. However, there were only three attempts a season ago. They would go 19-of-25 from kicks on PATs. 

The Wildcats punted 42 times a season ago, averaging 33 yards per kick. 

The kicking battle features junior Griffin Roberts and sophomores Kyle Ritt and Ian Phiri. Phiri is also a member of the soccer program. In his freshman year, he was a JVB goalie who started the whole season, earning eight shutouts and giving up just eight goals. Midway through the season, he would kick for football on the freshman level. 

Having the long snapping duties will be Shane O'Leary, with potential help from junior Gavin Foss.

 "We want to score, we want to be the best unit in the state, and we want to see the offense and defense benefit from our play." Fitzpatrick says. "We are trying to put our best 11 on the field for special teams."

Looking at the return game, starting with punt, is a seasoned vet in Marcus Tekancic. Tekancic has been the primary punt returner for the Wildcats since 2023. Through his varsity career, he has totaled 128 yards on 25 punt returns.  

In the kick return game, the Wildcats saw a wide variety of guys return a kick. Owen Colwell was the primary returner with 22 attempts for 574 yards. Other current varsity members who have returned kicks are Jake Bobinski (3 attempts for 26 yards) and Zack Putka (4 attempts for 55 yards). 

The special teams unit will look to have a bounce-back season after having its struggles in 2024. 

The Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network will cover each game in 2025, with a mix of video and audio-only broadcasts. For the Pickerington North, Benedictine, and St. Xavier games, the SIBN will feature a multi-camera setup that will include replays with a partnership with Rock Entertainment Sports Network that will feature Saint Ignatius student broadcasters.

The Wildcats have selected five Team Captains for the 2025 season. Jayshon Thomas, Jake Bobinski, Quinn Kennedy, Owen Colwell, and Daniel Chalhoub. 

Season 114 of Wildcat Football will kick off from Avon on Thursday, August 21, at 7 p.m.