That incomparable atmosphere, the roar under those Friday night lights in Greater Cincinnati? It’s almost here! Over a hundred teams, from Union to Springboro, from Lawrenceburg to Mt. Orab, are about to hit the field. The chase for state championship glory officially kicks off on August 20, and everyone’s ready for some gridiron action. We’re talking pure community bonds, the pageantry of the band, the cheerleaders, and straight-up electric action.
Record-Breaking Performances That Still Stand
When you talk about setting the bar high, Cincinnati players have been absolutely out of their minds. Take Jahmeir Spain, the Mt. Healthy quarterback, for example. Back on August 30, 2024, he threw for *eight* touchdowns against Ross. Eight! That ties him for fourth in the entire Ohio High School Athletic Association history. Then there’s Austin Fancher from Reading, who, on September 1, 2023, rushed for eight scores against Summit Country Day. That’s tied for second all-time in OHSAA history for rushing TDs in a game. And Clermont Northeastern’s Brady Schmidt? He dropped eight passing touchdowns on East Clinton on October 24, 2025, landing him tied for third in the OHSAA record books. Seriously ridiculous numbers, man.
But let’s talk about the OG legend, Jason Bainum from Williamsburg. This dude still holds the top spot in the OHSAA record books for most rushing yards in a single game: a mind-blowing 523 yards against Clermont Northeastern on September 28, 2001. Think about that for a second. Over *five hundred* yards in one game! And get this: he’s got five other games on that same list, racking up 498, 475, 417, 415, and 413 yards. Talk about carrying the rock!
Career Milestones and Season Dominance
These aren’t just one-off flashes, either. We’re talking about consistent, season-long, career-defining greatness. Corey Kiner, the running back from Roger Bacon, put up some insane career numbers from 2017 to 2020. He scored 772 points, which is fourth in the state, and notched 125 total touchdowns, also fourth in the state. And the craziest part? The guy sat out 34 quarters, that’s like 8.5 games, because of score differences, injuries, or even weather. Imagine what he could’ve done with even more time! He also had 116 rushing touchdowns in his career, tying him for fourth in the OHSAA books.
Then there’s Wyoming running back C.J. Hester. In just the 2022 season alone, he tied for fifth in OHSAA history with 51 touchdowns and scored 306 points, tying him for 14th. He also had 49 rushing touchdowns that year, tied for fourth overall. And Jason Bainum, the rushing king? Not only did he crush single-game records, but he’s seventh all-time in OHSAA history for rushing yards in a season with 3,386 in 2001. He also had 3,043 yards in 2000, good for 13th. His career total of 8,216 rushing yards from 1998-2001 places him fourth in the OHSAA record books. Oh, and he had 27 consecutive 100-plus yard games from 1999 to 2001, putting him second in the state. Talk about ridiculous consistency!
So, as we gear up for Week 1, which kicks off on August 20, you gotta wonder who’s gonna be the next legend to etch their name in the OHSAA record books. Will we see another 500-yard rusher? Another eight-TD game? With these kinds of historical performances, the bar is set unbelievably high. Get ready, Cincinnati, because this season is about to be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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