Cincinnati Hills League football preview: Can Indian Hill stay on top?

For the better part of a decade, you could pencil in Wyoming as kings of the Cincinnati Hills League each fall and one of the top teams in the state.

Last season, the CHL appeared to be on the same trajectory as Wyoming broke the Ohio high school state record for consecutive regular season wins (72). However, Indian Hill spoiled Wyoming's plans for an eighth consecutive league title just a month later with a 21-3 victory over the Cowboys.

The Braves would beat Taylor in the regular-season finale to win the CHL outright for the first time since 2015. Wyoming slid to the runner-up spot in the conference, but still managed the deepest playoff run of any CHL squad, reaching the Division IV regional finals .

Can Indian Hill go back-to-back or will Wyoming fight to the CHL summit once again? Or is a new contender in the works? Reading has won seven games in each of the last three seasons and Madeira hasn't missed the playoffs since 2017.

Here's an alphabetical breakdown of each CHL team this fall.

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Deer Park

2023: 3-8, lost first round of playoffs

Head coach: Tucker Berger

Returning players: QB/DB Tink Sellers, LB Isaiah Alford, DL Nemo Triggs, DB Kevin Guzman, WR/DB E.J Goure, OL Henry Hays, OL Clark McGowan,

Outlook: Deer Park looked in-house for its new head coach and gave the job to offensive coordinator Tucker Berger, who has his work cut out for him in his first season after the Wildcats went just 1-6 against CHL foes in 2023. Fortunately for Berger, his offense last year churned out nearly 2,300 rushing yards and averaged 6.6 yards per carry. While the Wildcats lost their two leading rushers, they return all-league selections on the offensive line in McGowan and Hays.

Based on the roster layout, Sellers, a sophomore looks to be next in line at quarterback. He was an honorable mention All-CHL pick last season with contributions in all three phases of the game. Deer Park's biggest concern is fixing a defense that allowed the most points in the CHL (352) last season.

Finneytown

2023: 3-7, missed playoffs

Head coach: Armand Tatum

Returning players: TE/DB Alex Anderson, WR/DB Brandon Wise, OL/DL Daziah Roberts, OL/DL Darius Wilson, WR/DB Jahlil Youngblood

Outlook: Finneytown had a two-win improvement in the second season of the Tatum era and will look to build off that this fall. Tatum and company can also look to continuity in the trenches as a positive with a pair of honorable mention all-league selections returning in Roberts and Wilson. Senior Jamarria Youngblood is the only quarterback listed on the roster. He'll have a few returning weapons to work with like junior receiver Jahlil Youngblood and senior running back Alex Dykes.

Indian Hill

2023 : 9-3, lost Division IV regional quarterfinals

Head coach: John Rodenberg

Returning players: RB Devlan Daniel, OL Robert Hayes, DL Drew Roeder, LB/RB Penn Picton, OL Logan Bass, OL Aidan Rippe, QB Ethan Cole

Outlook: Indian Hill's group is highlighted by Daniel, who stepped into varsity football as a freshman last season and ranked second in the CHL in rushing yards (1,468) and touchdowns (16). Daniel averaged a league-best 10.1 yards per carry and has some familiar faces up front paving the way for him like Hayes, Rippe and Bass. Indian Hill's second-leading rusher last season was Picton (407 yards, 7 touchdowns), who was a two-way standout at linebacker, where he registered 68 tackles (9.5 for loss) with a fumble recovery and a pick. Indian Hill graduated its starting quarterback, leaving the Braves with options going into this season. Sophomore Ethan Cole threw for 572 yards and 7 touchdowns last season and ran for 228 and five scores. Junior Ben Sitchel went 17-of-41 for 186 yards and a touchdown in 2023.

Madeira

2023: 5-6, lost first round of playoffs

Head coach: Chris Stewart

Returning players: WR Aidan Hopewell, QB/WR Colin Miranda, OL/DL Aiden Audretch, RB/LB Liam Bowen, RB/LB Robby Lewis, OL Jeffrey Schwallie

Outlook : Madeira recovered from a four-game September losing streak last season to make the playoffs. Now the Mustangs will have to replace CHL Offensive Player of the Year Peter Breidenbach, who threw for 2,500 yards and 26 touchdowns a year ago. Junior Braeden Wallace appears to be next in line and he inherits some nice weapons in Miranda (56 catches, 524 yards, 3 touchdowns in 2023) and Hopewell, who had 45 receptions for 684 yards and seven scores before missing the last month of the season. Junior Robby Lewis could be the next great two-way standout in the CHL. Last season, he was Madeira's leading rusher and tallied 67 total tackles at linebacker.

Mariemont

2023 : 4-6, missed playoffs

Head coach: Nick Leone

Returning players: OL/DL Hunter Metze, TE/DL Jack Simpson, RB/LB Finn Warden, RB/LB Max Duckwall, OL Micah Hromadka

Outlook: It was a year of almost for Mariemont in 2023 as the Warriors lost five one-possession games and missed the postseason. Now, Leone's group will look to turn the corner after losing a lot of production via graduation. Starting under center, sophomore Owen Boettcher is back after serving as Charlie Tully's backup last season. Boettcher went 21-of-37 for 225 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. Mariemont does return Duckwall, who ran for 424 yards and had 39 tackles. The Warriors lost their top three receivers and will rely on some new full-time faces like senior Jack Walton (four catches, 28 yards in 2023) and CHCA transfer George Georgostathis.

Warden is one of the best players in the CHL and should be the anchor on the Warriors' defense after an all-state season (114 tackles) at linebacker in 2023.

Reading

2023: 7-4, lost first round of playoffs

Head coach: Luke Cripe

Returning players: DB Connor Davis, QB Charlie Hess, RB/DB Landen Schaefer, OL/DL Jackson Hirt

Outlook: Reading graduated several first- and second-team All-CHL selections last season and Cripe will try to continue the Blue Devils' winning ways by replacing that production. A good start is the return of quarterback Charlie Hess and leading receiver Connor Davis (22 catches, 416 yards, six touchdowns), who was a first-team all-league pick. In the backfield, Reading has to replace 1,600-yard rusher Austin Fancher. Senior Landen Schaefer could fill into the bell-cow role after averaging six yards per carry in 2023.

Taylor

2023: 4-6, missed playoffs

Head coach: David Dransman

Returning players: WR Aaron McFarland, OL/DL Ryan Massie-Cable, TE/WR Cooper Sandusky, RB/DB Jeremiah Jones, DL Mike Branch, WR/LB DJ Handy, LB Brody Lehmann, RB/DB Grant Ferguson

Outlook: Taylor lost just four seniors from last season, but they were impactful losses headlined by quarterback Jackson McGowan. Sophomore Charlie Kantz is listed as the only QB on the roster and will have a talented skilled group around him, starting with All-Ohio wide receiver Aaron McFarland, who averaged 21.3 yards per reception last season. Handy and Ferguson combined for 39 catches for 699 yards in 2023, as well. Taylor also returns Lehmann, the squad's leading tackler last season.

Wyoming

2023 : 12-2, lost DIV regional final

Head coach: Aaron Hancock

Returning players: OL/DL Jess Hauer, RB/DB Joel Hancock, K Carter Rummer, OL/DL Jack Feldmeier, WR/DB Josiah Gault, RB/LB Jackson Hamilton

Outlook: Hancock has another squad that looks primed for playing deep into the fall. Despite losing two-way stud Quaid Hauer, Wyoming still returns Hancock, one of the city's top running backs who finished third in the CHL in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2023 despite playing in only eight games. Hamilton is back, as well, to form one of the area's top 1-2 backfield punches. Hamilton ran for 718 yards and six scores last season. Defensively, the Cowboys lost their top four tacklers last season but bring back Hauer, who had 3.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss in 2023.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Hills League football preview: Can Indian Hill stay on top?