How do Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference football teams stack up this season?

Football is almost back, and the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference looks as open as it has in years for this upcoming season .

Withrow was by far the conference's best team in 2023, outscoring opponents by 231 points in conference games, but the Tigers will have to replace two of the conference's best players in 2024. Taft, the second-best team in the conference last season, also lost its star quarterback.

Here, listed in alphabetical order, are previews of the 10 CMAC teams.

More: Fall in love with the Enquirer's 2024 high school sports preseason coverage

How to watch some Cincinnati high school football games

Aiken

2023: 2-8, finished fifth in the CMAC Red division, missed playoffs

Head coach: Harry McCall

Returning players: QB Andre Underwood, RB Mikelle Moore, RB JaTrell Hunter, OL/DL Trey Harris, LB Deymor Thiam, LB Jayden Harrison, CB Kendall Watson

Outlook: Aiken loses two of its best defensive backs, David Cogar and Parrish Feagin, who combined for seven interceptions last season. Defense wasn't Aiken's main problem in 2023, as the Falcons allowed fewer points than three teams in the CMAC that finished with a better record than them. The quarterback Underwood and his two favorite weapons, Moore and Hunter, return, giving Aiken hope of improving on a conference-worst 6 points per game in 2023.

Cincinnati College Prep

2023: 7-2, lost in first round of postseason

Head coach: Jeff Cargile Sr.

Returning players: QB Eries Evans, RB/OLB Malik Simpson, WR/DB Jaelen Griffin, OL/DT Petey Jones, OL/DE Sir Michael Miller, OLB Labaron Oliver, DB Marlan Robertson

Outlook: Cincinnati College Prep only threw the ball 53 times in 2023. The team will have to deal with losing its leading rusher Rico Johnson, who rushed for 1,334 yards (8.0 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns in 2023. Malik Simpson, a rising senior, will likely take on bell-cow duties for the Lions. He rushed for 502 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and four touchdowns in 2023.

The team also loses major contributors on defense: Chris'Jen Dickey had 17 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2023. Johnson had 11 tackles for loss. Marlan Keith and Hansen Thomas combined for five interceptions. Cincinnati College Prep will need multiple players to step into big roles to replicate its success from 2023.

Dayton Christian

2023: 3-8, lost first round of postseason

Head coach: Luke Hurst

Returning players: QB/FB/LB Dysson Wilcox, QB/S Cameron Hartman, WR/DB Caden Shepherd, OL/LB Shawn Collier, OT/DT Kameron McCray

Outlook: Dayton Christian loses its starting quarterback, top two leading rushers and top two leading receivers from 2023. Austin Sellers, the starting quarterback, was also the team's best defensive player, leading in tackles, sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles while also reeling in two interceptions. More top defensive contributors have also graduated, including Tristan Hill who had four interceptions last year.

The Warriors return a few impact players, including Dysson Wilcox, who finished second on the team in passing yards and tackles in 2023, but replacing all of those seniors will be a difficult task for Dayton Christian, a squad that already saw limited success in 2023.

Gamble Montessori

2023: 4-5, missed postseason

Head coach: Dave Brausch

Returning players: QB/DB Amir Colvin-Brown, RB/TE/LB Josiah Neblett, QB/RB/DB Dez Brookins

Outlook: It's been an interesting offseason for Gamble Montessori. Former coach Robert Rachel stepped down in January after eight years with the team. Chris Mobley Jr. accepted the head coaching job in February, but he left less than two months later for the head job at Purcell Marian. Then the school hired Dave Brausch, who has been coaching football at the high school or college level for 40 years. He has the experience to stabilize this team.

Gamble Montessori finished 4-5 last season and hasn't made the playoffs since back-to-back appearances in 2021 and 2022. Gamble was almost exclusively a running team under the previous administration, but its top three rushers won't be returning in 2024. Gamble also loses Desmond Davis and Ricky Trimble, who combined for 14 sacks, 42 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles in 2023.

Hughes

2023: 3-7, missed postseason

Head coach: Lorenzo Engleman

Returning players: QB/WR/DB Elijah Engleman, OL/DL Jamere Carr

Outlook: Hughes loses nearly all of its top offensive contributors going into 2024. Its starting and backup quarterbacks, TJ Engleman and Lorenzo Engleman Jr., are gone as is every player who recorded a rushing stat in 2023 and every receiver who recorded more than one catch, except for Elijah Engleman, according to league statistics.

Shroder

2023: 3-6, missed postseason

Head coach: Darren Sellers

Returning players: QB Brian McGrady, TE/DE Jayden Bowen, WR/DB Christian Hutchinson, OL/DL Keyontay Dupree

Outlook: Shroder had a decent defense in 2023, finishing fifth-best (of 10) in the CMAC for points allowed. The offense, however, goes for just over 17 points per game. Shroder returns its starting quarterback and leading rusher, rising junior Brian McGrady, which should help that, but the team's top two receivers and second-leading rusher will not return.

Jayden Bowden, who was one of the most fearsome defenders in the area in 2023 with 19 sacks and 18 tackles for loss, will return to lead the defense once again in 2024.

Taft

2023: 9-3, advanced to second round of postseason

Head coach: Tyler Williams

Returning players: RB/LB Aaron Dowdell Jr., RB Joey Isaac, WR/LB Najia Hill, WR/DB Eddie Holloway, WR/CB Jahvion Jarmon, OL/DE Drayden Peavy

Outlook: Taft was quite good in 2024, a very complete team that finished second in the CMAC in scoring and fourth (but just a touchdown away from second) in points allowed.

The offense leaned heavily on a passing game led by star quarterback Armoud Seals, who threw for 2,722 yards and 28 touchdowns. Seals won't be back in 2024, so the prime concern for Taft is finding a signal caller who can come close to replicating his production. Aaron Dowdell Jr. and Joey Issac, who each had success running the ball in 2023, will return, which should help with that some. Rising sophomore receiver Eddie Holloway Jr., who already has a Division I offer from Toledo, should help replace the production of 2023 leading receiver Jay'Quan Bostic.

The star of last season's defense Tayshawn Banks, who led the team with 143 tackles, two forced fumbles and five interceptions in 2023, won't be back, but the team returns other top defensive contributors Dowdell Jr. and Drayden Pavey, who had 7.5 sacks as a junior.

Western Hills

2023: 4-7, lost first round of postseason

Head coach: Derek Webster

Returning players: QB/DB Chris Smith, WR/DB Daronte Copeland, RB/LB Emir Williams, RB/LB Raheem Peoples

Outlook: The Western Hills defense allowed nearly 40 points per game in 2024. New players and veterans must take every chance to improve that stat to compete at the top of the CMAC. The defense loses its top two leading tacklers, including Tiosa Sherman, who had 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 2023.

The offense loses starting quarterback Macmarqco Zanders and its leading man Izayah Camp, who rushed for 1,850 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2023.

Withrow

2023: 12-2, reached Region 8 final

Head coach: Anthony Berry

Returning players: RB Andy Spiller, RB Jayel Harris (transfer from Purcell Marian), WR Quintin Simmons, WR Kristian Bonner, WR Mark Madden, WR Carlyn Neal (transfer from Purcell Marian), LB Christion Browner, LB Alai Uaisele

Outlook: Withrow tore up the CMAC in 2023, finishing 5-0 in-conference and scoring 244 points while allowing just 13 in those games. Starting quarterback Luke Dunn, who threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2023, will not return in 2024. Neither will leading rusher Demetrius Howard or leading receiver Chris Henry Jr., the No. 2 player in the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports . Henry Jr. is an Ohio State commit, and he transferred to California powerhouse Mater Dei before his junior season.

That doesn't, however, mean the cupboard is bare. Withrow added a pair of transfers from Purcell Marian who should make a difference. Running back Jayel Harris, a Central Michigan University commit, rushed for 2,109 yards and scored 29 touchdowns, both good for first in the Miami Valley Conference. Carlyun Neal, a receiver, went for 367 yards last season at Purcell Marian and recently committed to play football at Eastern Illinois.

University of Kentucky commit Quintin Simmons, who finished four slots behind first-place Henry Jr. in CMAC receiving yards, should have an expanded role at receiver in 2024.

The team has lost a lot of its top defensive producers as well but returns leading tackler Christion Browner and Alai Uaisele, who had 9.5 tackles for loss in 2023.

Woodward

2023: 1-9, missed playoffs

Head coach: Tony Bray

Returning players: QB Tyler Walker, RB/CB Kyenes Mincy, RB/LB Anthony Jasper, WR/DB Micheal Cephas

Outlook: Woodward scored just 80 points the whole season in 2023. The team returns many of its offensive contributors from last season, and Woodward will find success in 2024 by putting the ball in the hands of Kyenes Mincy more often. Mincy, a rising senior, was one of the only players on the team who saw much success running the ball in 2023, but he received very limited action. First-year head coach Tony Bray will hope to turn the team around this season.

Note: All statistics are via the CMAC website .

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How do Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference football teams stack up this season?