'Harrison football is fun.' Wildcats are rolling with regional redemption on the mind

HARRISON, Ohio − Midway through his postgame speech, Harrison head football coach Derek Rehage paused because his team couldn't hear him.

The pep band behind him loudly marched off the field and the speakers at Bill Kuntz field blared Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline."

Let the good times roll.

While Rehage harped on some things his team needed to work on, nothing could dampen the mood of Harrison's 3-0 start following Friday's 49-19 victory over Indian Hill.

"Harrison football is fun!" running back Cole Koops said. "It's only gonna get better from here."

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Harrison keeps checking off goals

You can't get ahead of yourself this early in the season, but Harrison is starting to realize its full potential. One of the team's goals was to beat East Central, which Harrison achieved last week by snapping the Trojans' 22-game winning streak.

On Friday, Harrison handled an Indian Hill squad that should be in the running for a Division IV, Region 16 title.

"The first three weeks have been awesome," Rehage said. "Right now, we're rolling into the season."

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It wasn't much fun in Harrison just a few years ago. In 2022, the Wildcats went 1-9 and finished in the basement of the Southwest Ohio Conference. Last season proved how big a difference one year could make as Harrison made a run to the regional semifinals . That turnaround was enjoyable, now the Wildcats are hungry for more.

"The end goal is to win a regional," Rehage said. "That's gotta be our end goal as a team and a program."

Quarterback Dickie Engel added: "Last year was kind of a rebuilding year and this year we're trying to top that. The standard is already set. We expect to win. We expect to go 10-0. We expect to be in the regional final."

Harrison is averaging 41.3 points per game so far this season

No one had a more joyous start to Friday's win than Koops. The senior running back, who ran for over 1,300 yards last season, looked up at the jumbotron while running down the Harrison sideline, trying to get a read on any defenders coming up on his heels.

Koops high-stepped past the final defender en route to a 78-yard touchdown. He finished with 185 yards and two scores on 22 carries.

But Harrison's offense is experienced and tough to defend. Either through the air or on the ground, the Wildcats are wearing out the lights to that jumbotron through three games this season.

"We've got a lot of threats," Koops said. "They gotta defend every aspect of our game. That's what makes it hard on every defense."

Engel threw for 148 yards and three touchdowns. The senior began his career at Reading before joining the Wildcats last season. He has 10 touchdowns in three games so far and has grown his game while at Harrison.

"I've grown a lot as a quarterback coming to Harrison. I came from a wing-T offense where I didn't really do much," Engel said. "Last year was a building year for me getting into a spread offense. Now I know the offense and it's like everything's clicking."

Everything clicked for Harrison's offense when it got the ball to Preston Flick. The junior celebrated his birthday Friday by turning seven touches into 100 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns.

"I'm a team player," Flick said. "When I have my chances, I do it for them."

Flick's unselfishness helps fuel Harrison's high-octane attack. On one snap, he's mixing it up in the trenches as a lead blocker in the run game. On the next, he's slicing up the seam for a long reception.

"We call Preston (Flick) our Swiss Army Knife," Rehage said. "He had an awesome game. He's a really tough kid."

Harrison defense can change a game, too

Indian Hill running back Devlan Daniel was the focal point of Harrison's defense Friday. Daniel still got his numbers, finishing just shy of 200 rushing yards with two touchdowns. Still, Harrison was able to slow down the sophomore early in the second half while the offense pulled away.

What Harrison struggled with at times in the run they made up for with a stellar pass defense. Junior defensive tackle Logan White had 3.5 sacks, and the Wildcats tallied four interceptions, including two from senior Hank Rotert.

An opportunistic pass defense that changes the game with momentous turnovers could be the difference for this year's Wildcats.

"They say defense wins championships," Rotert said. "I think our defense holding up will win us some important games."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Harrison football is fun.' Wildcats are rolling with regional redemption on the mind