HAMILTON — Aidan Brown sat back and watched the Badin High School football team a year ago come within a game of making its second straight trip to the Division III state Final Four.
It wasn’t because he wanted to. It was because he had to.
“We have a lot to prove since we were eliminated what we’d like to say early in the playoffs,” said Brown, a senior who transferred from Ross in 2022 which forced him to sit out the second half of last season due to transfer rules. “Our goal was state champs. … I think we can get back there this year.”
Brown hits the field full time for the Rams, who are setting their sights on what’s in front of them and leaving everything else in the rear-view mirror.
“We talk about three phases of time — the past, the future and the present,” seventh-year Badin coach Nick Yordy said. “And we’ve got to focus on the present. I haven’t harped a whole lot about last year or the past couple of years — even from the time we’ve been here.
“Now it’s the seniors’ year and their turn and their opportunity to leave their mark. That’s kind of what we’re harping on every night. We don’t want to focus on what’s happened here in the past, and we’re not going to. We’re going to try and keep moving forward and keep this thing rolling.”
Badin has been rolling.
The Rams have won the Greater Catholic League Co-ed or at least grabbed a share of the title every year since 2019. They’ve won 28 regular season games in a row dating back to that 2019 stint.
Badin reached the state final in 2021 (14-1) before losing to Chardon 21-14 and fell to Tippecanoe 20-17 in the regional final last season (13-1).
“From Day 1, after the year ended, we were like, ‘Hey, we’re making a run next year,’” Brown said. “We’re winning this thing next year. Right away, we knew that this was our goal. There’s nothing else that we want than to be state champs this year.”
That road starts against Hamilton at Virgil Schwarm Stadium on Aug. 18, in a city rivalry renewal — an event that hasn’t happened in over two decades.
“We’re going to coach them up. We’re going to coach them here at Badin,” Yordy said. “We’re going to go out and try and execute.
“We’re going to do whatever we’ve got to do to win football games. I think that’s what we’ve kind of shown,” Yordy added. “If that means the defense is having a great game, then so be it. We’re going to ride our defense. We will do what we’ve got to do. If our offense is able to go out and execute, then we’ll roll with that. If that means we’ve got to run the ball or throw the ball, whatever.
“We just have a mentality of going with whatever is working. Whatever we can be good at, that’s what we’re going to do, and hopefully it continues to work out.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brown had 16 receptions for 245 yards, 25 tackles, an interception and four total touchdowns in five games last season.
Brown, also a defensive back, will be a valuable target for senior quarterback Alex Ritzie, who threw for 2,637 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2022.
“I think it’s the numbers that we have,” Brown said of what stands out the most for the Rams. “… This is just a big moment for us and for the seniors. We just want to enjoy this year.”
Seniors Quinn Brennan and Austin Buckle are back as wide receivers, adding two more weapons for Ritzie to throw to. Senior Zach Yordy returns at running back after rushing for 326 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior.
Senior Carson Cheek (WR/DB) had 59 tackles, 39 receptions, 349 receiving yards and four total touchdowns as a junior. He will be back after receiving All-Ohio honors each of his last two seasons.
Returning is senior Drew Enginger (WR/OLB), who notched 54 tackles and four sacks at linebacker in 2022. Joining him again at linebacker is senior Nate Ostendorf, who recorded 98 tackles and earned First Team All-GCL Co-ed honors as a junior.
On the offensive and defensive lines will be senior Drew Vocke (OL), senior Tyler Abner (OL/DE), senior Gavin Schlichter (OL), senior Luke Franchini (OL), senior Gavin Schlichter (OL), junior Ethan Kent (DL) and junior Royce Rachel (DL).
Senior Nick Warner is back to do the kicking duties after connecting on 49 of 51 extra points and 8 of 12 field goals last season.
Other players to keep an eye on include junior Roscoe Martin (DE) and sophomore Lem Grayson (RB/DB).
“I think we’re still trying to figure some things out,” Yordy said of certain starting positions. “We’ve got some guys back that have experience, but we’ve got to figure out what they’re good at.
“Last year they were good because we had some other really good players out there. So now we have to figure out how to put some of these missing pieces in there — replace some of the guys that we had and kind of figure out what we’re good at.”
QUOTABLE
“They’re going to push you to be your best,” Brown said of Badin’s coaching staff. “If you’re not your best that day, they’re going to make sure that you get there. They’re going to look out for you. … We’re not going to give up. We’re going to take every game and nothing is going to be handed to us this year. So we’re going to go out and win every single game and earn every single game this year that we play.”
“It’s more of what Badin football is all about and what it means to our coaching staff and our alumni and our community,” Yordy said of his players’ expectations and standards. “I think our players have to understand what that is and what it means. Then from there, hopefully it carries over onto the field.”
IN THE KNOW
Badin is 56-16 under Yordy. … Badin has won 17 straight GCL Co-ed contests. … The Rams are 35-3 the last three season and have only given up an average of 8.8 points a game during that span. … The Rams have 24 seniors on this year’s roster.
