Coach Johnson Looking to Build “Overlap” Between Faith, Football For Warriors
As the Worthington Christian High School football team prepares for the season opener, 7 p.m. Aug. 21 at Grove City Christian, senior offensive and defensive lineman Cooper McGlothlin feels like the Warriors are back to page 1 of their playbook.
McGlothlin and the Class of 2027 are playing for the fourth head coach in as many years.
“It has its challenges,” said McGlothlin, whose team finished 5-5 overall. “We have to learn a new playbook every year.”
That challenge is not lost on first-year coach Andy Johnson, who has coached football with stops at Worthington Kilbourne (two years), Beavercreek (eight years), and Dublin Jerome (four years). When the position opened up, he jumped at the chance to build “an overlap with faith and football.”
After being named the new coach, Johnson reached out to the players and their families through a series of in-home visits during the off-season to build a sense of trust.
“Unfortunately, the seniors have not had a lot of continuity across their four years,” said Johnson, who has eight years’ experience as an offensive coordinator but also coached defense and special teams. “The kids have also had different schemes and systems each year, so that’s a lot of different vocabulary and language they’ve had to learn.
“Despite all that, the kids have been great. They’ve bought into the things we’re trying to do, and they’re approaching each day with great attitudes and effort.”
The Warriors will face a daunting stretch in the first five games of the season, facing road tests at Grove City Christian and Centerburg (Sept. 4) and play host to Bexley (Aug. 28), Newark Catholic (Sept. 11), and Columbus Academy (Sept. 18). Those five teams were a combined 32-23 last year and the Eagles, the Trojans, and the Vikings all made their respective playoffs.
Under former coach Chris Royal, Worthington Christian just missed the 12-team Division V playoffs after placing 13th in Region 19. The Warriors lost four out of their first five games but closed out the year by winning four of their last five.
“We really just got into the swing of things,” McGlothlin said. “I think we made some position changes, and once we started really getting a groove with things, it all just came together.”
Three teams Worthington Christian faced at the beginning of last season — Danville, Columbus Academy, and Centerburg — made deep runs in the playoffs. The Blue Devils made a surprising run to the Division VII state finals before losing to Hillsdale 25-20. Both the Trojans, who lost to eventual Division VI state champion Colonel Crawford 42-13, and the Vikings, who lost to Division V state runner-up Nelsonville York 10-7, were defeated in the semifinals of their respective tournaments.
Despite the difficult start, Worthington Christian defeated two playoff teams during the second half of the season, beating Grandview 13-6 and Dayton Christian 51-38.
If Worthington Christian is to improve on last year, it must retool an offense that averaged 24.8 points per game a year ago. The Warriors lost offensive lineman Emman Gyapong, who was first-team all-Ohio and all-district last year, and tight end C.J. Royal (all-district honorable mention) to graduation and quarterback Tommy Hartings (all-district second team), who transferred to Olentangy. A two-year starter at quarterback, Hartings completed 56 percent of passes for a total of 3,809 yards and 43 touchdowns against 22 interceptions.
Junior Isaac Zerkle has emerged as a replacement for Hartings in Johnson’s spread offense.
“We ask a lot of our quarterback,” Johnson said. “He has to throw the ball, run the ball, make tons of good decisions over the course of a game, and carry the weight of teammates looking to him.
“It’s a lot for anyone to handle. Isaac has put a lot of work in this offseason to get himself ready to play ball this year.”
Johnson said Worthington Christian’s passing attack will be a mixture of Air Raid, West Coast, and play-action concepts “to stretch the field both horizontally and vertically.”
Zerkle will have a multitude of receivers to throw to, including juniors Jack Smolenski, a first-team all-Ohio and all-district selection, Dominic Ortega (all-district honorable mention), and junior Ezra Styer. As sophomores, Smolenski hauled in 58 passes for 1,069 yards and 14 touchdowns, and Ortega caught 48 passes for 460 yards and four TDs.
To counterbalance the passing attack, Worthington Christian will rely on a power- and counter-read running attack. Seniors Josh Unger (all-district honorable mention) and TiJe Adediran, and juniors Bailey Murray and Michael Long will provide depth at running back. Senior McGlothlin and Jayden Gesler (all-district second team) will set the tone for the offensive line, and senior Blake Miller (all-Ohio honorable mention and all-district first team) returns as a placekicker.
Defensively, Johnson hopes his 3-4 base formation, mixing cover 2 and quarters coverage, will help the defense improve. Last year, the Warriors allowed 29.5 points per game, including 34.6 in their five losses. Linebacker Jacob Mercer (all-Ohio second team and all-district first team), Royal, and Gyapong graduated. Seniors Jayden Gesler (all-district second team) and Ezra Styer at linebacker, junior Kavion Reynolds and senior Logan Thompson at defensive back, and senior Asher Gilbert on the defensive line, will anchor the defense.
“Our defense starts with Styer and Gesler, who will both be three-year starters at linebacker,” Johnson said. “Having experienced guys like that who are more developed physically is going to be huge.
“We have a lot of guys that will help us in the secondary. We are still trying to sort out position battles up front, but Gilbert will certainly be a big part of our defensive line.”
Johnson anticipates juniors Lucas O’Neil, David Graham, and Noah Flanigan to compete for starting jobs or playing time on the offensive and defensive lines, and added freshman Maddox Ball, “is a great athlete who could help us this year in some different ways.”
Johnson said how well Worthington Christian does this season comes down to avoiding injuries and maximizing their talents.
“We also talk a lot about maximizing our talents through Mind, Body, and Soul, and then surrendering the outcome to the Lord. It’s easy to say those things before adversity hits, but what will make this team special is their dedication to that vision — that regardless of record, stats, what people are saying — will you keep working to maximize your talent and lift your teammates up along the way?”