2024 Northmor Football Guide: Last year's most successful teams could be again this season

IBERIA — Northmor was the most successful Marion-area football team a season ago.

The Golden Knights were runners-up in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference, earned 10 wins, won a couple of home playoff victories and made a trip to the regional semifinals in Division VI's Region 23.

"We have been working hard since the spring," Northmor coach Scott Armorse said. "Our turnout to offseason workouts has been better that it ever has. These guys are excited to get things going Aug. 1 (for the first official practice)."

Like it's been over the last seven years, Northmor will again be one of the area's top squads. Here are three things to know about the Knights as they get ready for 2024.

Last year's Northmor preview: Northmor football guide: Golden Knights tough on edges

Check out last year's football stats: Who finished as regular season stats leaders in Marion-area high school football?

1. Northmor's offense is dynamic

An All-Ohio quarterback, an All-Ohio receiver, an all-district receiver and an all-district running back, that's what the Knights have back for this season.

Directing it all will be senior QB A.J. Bower (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) who is coming off a season where he went 155-for-255 passing and 2,545 yards with 39 touchdowns and 14 interceptions to make second-team all-state. Jaxson Wenger (Sr., 6-2, 185) caught 48 balls for 908 yards, scoring 16 times to make it as a second-team all-stater, too.

Fellow senior Bo Landin (6-0, 165) is a speedster who made 37 catches for 772 yards and 12 touchdowns and All-Central District, while Cowin Becker (6-0, 150) — an All-Ohioan in wrestling and track — promises to be more involved in the offense after making 18 catches for 248 yards and two scores, plus running 29 times for 103 yards. Junior Carson Campbell (5-10, 170) rushed for 1,209 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 129 more yards. Senior Cameron Goldbach (6-1, 210) will operate at tight end.

Will Naylor (Sr., 6-2, 190) and Conner Stockdale (Jr., 5-10, 155) add depth at receiver, and Garrett Deisch (Jr., 5-11, 185) does the same in the backfield.

"Our strengths this season will be depth at skill positions, experience and balance offensively" Armrose said. "Our major concern right now is developing our offensive line. While we return several starters in the skill positions, we only return two starting offensive linemen."

The two offensive line holdovers are left tackle Ryan Lowry (Sr., 6-2, 260) and left guard Nicholas Armrose (Sr., 6-0, 225) who was a second-team KMAC pick. Playing center is Thomas Detwiler (Jr., 5-10, 225), while right guard is Parker Harbolt (Sr., 5-10, 210), and Alex Toth (Sr., 6-3, 235) is the right tackle.

2. Northmor's defensive wall

Armrose knows what he's got up front on defense this year as all four starters return.

Goldbach was all-league and district as an end, putting up 58 tackles, nine sacks and two interceptions, while opposite him is another All-KMAC selection in Ashton Clark (Sr., 6-0, 200) who had 53 tackles five sacks and six tackles for loss. In the middle are Lowry who had 60 tackles and Vance Johnson (Sr., 6-1, 295) who had 35 tackles.

Wenger and Becker in the backfield are the other two starters returning as Wenger made 59 tackles and Becker 44 with two interceptions.

The Knights will miss All-Ohio defensive back Hunter Fulk who picked off six passes and made 31 tackles, and they need to replace the entire linebacking crew of Caleb Schnuerer (97 tackles, All-Ohio kicker), Paul Cramer (85 tackles, five interceptions) and Garrett Harvey (86 tackles, two fumble recoveries).

"We return five guys with experience on the defensive line, and they will be the strength of our defense," Armrose said. "We have guys with experience at the JV level ready to step up, but they lack varsity experience."

Tabbed to fill those spots at linebacker are Naylor, Armrose and Campbell, while Will Sears (Sr., 6-0, 160), Landin, Stockdale and Brady Carr (Jr., 5-8, 145) will play in the backfield with Wenger and Becker. Thomas Detwiler (Sr., 5-10, 225) is in the line rotation with Aiden Yeater (Sr., 5-8, 180).

3. Knights ready to work

Coming off the program's most successful season in more than 60 years of football at Northmor, enthusiasm is high in northern Morrow County.

"We challenged ourselves with good competition in our 7-on-7s this offseason. We've worked our pass defense and we got the passing game installed. That is really the only thing we get from 7-on-7. Now is the time to work on the most important parts of football, blocking and tackling," Armrose said.

Northmor's outlook

The Knights are in an enviable position. They bring back the most skilled of skill players at quarterback, receiver and running back. Their formidable defensive line runs it back, too. Those are all great positions of strength to hold.

Based on that alone, it should be a special season at Northmor. However, if the program can sort out its offensive line and restock at linebacker and those two position groups get up to speed quickly enough, this could be the best team, yet, in Iberia.

"We want to compete and improve every week," Armrose said.

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Northmor Football Primer

● League: Knox Morrow Athletic Conference.

● Playoff Division: VI, Region 23.

● Head Coach: Scott Armrose (eighth season, 53-27).

● Assistants: Nate Hall (offensive coordinator, receivers), Al Sears (defensive coordinator, defensive line), Phil Johnson (running backs, linebackers), Mitchell Whisler (special team coordinator, defensive backs), Blake Miller (defensive line, receivers), Andrew Armrose (linebackers, running backs), Duston Sanders (offensive line, defensive line), Gavin Ramos (defensive backs, receivers).

● Playoff Appearances: 7 (2017, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23).

● Playoff Record: 4-7.

● Last Year: 10-3, 6-1.

● Letter Winners Returning: 17.

● Starters Returning: 7 offense, 6 defense.

● Base Offense: Gun-T.

● Base Defense: 4-3.

2024 Schedule

Aug. 23 Upper Sandusky

Aug. 30 at South Central

Sept. 6 Mapleton

Sept. 13 at Centerburg

Sept. 20 Danville

Sept. 27 at Fredericktown

Oct. 4 at East Knox

Oct. 11 Mount Gilead

Oct. 18 Cardington

Oct. 25 at Loudonville.

2023 Results

Upper Sandusky, W 42-21

South Central, W 60-0

Mapleton, L 33-40

Cardington, W 44-6

Danville, L 21-32

Fredericktown, W 35-0

East Knox, W 27-6

Mount Gilead, W 31-3

Centerburg, W 48-7

Loudonville, W 34-7

*Coal Grove, W 44-22

*Trimble, W 31-6

*Garaway, L 7-42

* denotes playoff game

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: 2024 Northmor Football Guide: Last year's most successful teams could be again this season