A pretty good start…sophomore Will Speck put the ‘Skins on the board with a 26-yard touchdown in the first quarter. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
St. Henry completed one of the most appreciated seasons in the community’s history with a dominating win over Hillsdale for the Division VII championship…and almost everyone came away satisfied.
Canton, OH – In the end the only people who came away disappointed with St. Henry’s 37-3 win over Jeromesville Hillsdale High School Saturday were those from Hillsdale, understandably.
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That, and those wanting to see a more competitive match for a state title in these 54th Annual OHSAA state finals. “They’re not exactly squeakers anymore,” a security guard mentioned during the second half of St. Henry’s seventh state title, overall…the first since 2006.
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And a generational title at that, if you will. By game’s end all three of the title-winning coaches at St. Henry – Tim Boeckman (’90, ’92, ’94, ’95), Jeff Starkey (2004, ’06) and Josh Werling (2025) – shared broad smiles and appreciation for the competitive reality…that you never take it for granted, and there is no bad time to win the next one.
And it seemed there was something, too, for nearly everyone with an interest in the legacy of Redskins football.
Quarterback Charlie Werling showed the big game leadership of a Bob Hoying by rushing for 178 yards and three touchdowns.
Sophomore running back Will Speck showed that St. Henry football was not just a power show. The quickest player on the field Saturday, Speck ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
The offensive line, for months now the talked-about obstacle in preparing for St. Henry, gradually wore down the Hillsdale defense, paving the way for 328 yards of total offense, 278 of it on the ground.
Charlie Werling scored the first of his three touchdowns on this 70-yard run in the first quarter.
The defense, so much taken for granted throughout Division VII football in 2025, held Hillsdale to just 157 yards, and just 27 on the ground. “They were more physical than us,” said Hillsdale coach Trevor Cline. “And you expect that when you play a MAC team.”
And senior leadership, from Charlie Werling through Anderson Kramer, Brayden Heath and Kale Schwartz, et.al…Josh Werling leaned on his upper classmen throughout the year, and on the biggest day of the year they didn’t disappoint.
One might understand, that after nineteen years of waiting they might have tip-toed a bit at the outset, and after taking the opening kickoff Charlie Werling and the offense didn’t exactly light things up.
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But by 3:33 of the first quarter sophomore Will Speck lit a fire when he ran a counter play, got to the boundary, and turned it upfield for a 26-yard touchdown to put St. Henry on the board, 6-0. Hillsdale was called offside on the point after, and choosing to go for two from half the distance, Charlie Werling ran it in to go up 8-0.
St. Henry’s Nick Lefeld wrestles Hillsdale quarterback Kael Lewis to the ground.
Moments later Hillsdale flummoxed its best momentum opportunity of the day when receiver Hayden McFadden contested St. Henry defensive back Harrison Schwieterman for a desperation third down bomb at the Redskins’ 20 yard line. McFadden wrestled the football away from Schwieterman to set the Falcons up inside the red zone for their only opportunity of the game.
But coming up empty on their first three downs, coach Trevor Cline decided it was more important to put points on the board than to risk making a physical statement on fourth down. He settled, and later admitted…”given the way they were controlling the line of scrimmage, I would have made the same decision again.”
They kicked the 23-yard field goal at 11:07 of the second quarter, but no sooner than the Redskins got the ball back a minute later Charlie Werling broke contain and ran it 70 yards for a touchdown, untouched, set up by a massive block by guard Nick Lefeld. Again Hillsdale went offsides on the PAT attempt, and again St. Henry took advantage with a two-point conversion by Werling…16-3.
Four minutes later, after another three-and-out by Hillsdale, Werling again rang the bell from from 23 yards away after just five plays, extending the lead to 23-6.
And adding more diversity on how you take over a state championship game, on the ensuing possession Drew Langenkamp got a hand on a Kael Lewis punt attempt, giving St. Henry a short field for the third time in the half. Three plays later Will Speck gathered in a screen pass from Werling and took it 16 yards to the end zone to put the game out of reach…and Hillsdale out of answers.
Charlie Werling earned game MVP honors…178 yards rushing and three touchdowns. This one put it out of reach.
In fact, there can be no doubt that last year’s 74-0 thrashing by Marion Local was conspicuous with their frame of mind as Hillsdale trudged to the halftime locker room. And given St. Henry’s growing confidence, there really weren’t any 27-point plays you could access from deeper in the playbook.
“Things that had gone our way this year just didn’t go our way today,” said Cline during the post-game press conference.
And that may be true, but things going your way against Smithville, West Salem Northwestern, and Rittman is a far cry from things going your way against the likes of Marion Local and Coldwater.
“And you realize that when you get here,” said Cline. “That if you’re going to win a state title in Division VI or VII you’re going to have to go through a team from the MAC to do it. That’s the best football conference [per size] in the state.”
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And in eight years as the head coach at Hillsdale Cline has no doubt made strides.
“Eight years ago you wouldn’t have considered us getting this far.”
Why not start young? St. Henry showed up in force to support the Redskins.
But as was the case last year against Marion Local, it wouldn’t be enough again in the second half. After forcing another three-and-out punt to open the third quarter, St. Henry took possession and used up nearly six minutes of clock before Charlie Werling scored his third touchdown of the day to push the margin to 37-3 after an Owen Zimmerman kicked extra point.
And on their final varsity push of the game, Hillsdale quarterback Kael Lewis was picked off by cornerback Tate Boeckman, a fitting finale for the defense and its domination over an offense that had averaged nearly 42 points a game.
Afterwards Cline asserted that his team had made strides this year, as the final score affirmed…37 points better than the 74 they gave up a year ago.
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But to the delight of an overwhelming St. Henry partisan crowd, MAC football was again established as the acknowledged standard of small-school football.
Power.
Confidence.
The complete picture, including the future.
A community that turned out in masse to support a restoration of respect.
“I’ve spent the time in the weight room, once I made the transition to quarterback,” said Charlie Werling. “I take it seriously because it shows up on the field, absolutely.
“Throughout the year we’ve always been who we are. We’ve run the ball consistently against everyone. Credit to the offensive line and our coaches for drawing up schemes and executing them.”
Physical play was to the Redskins’ advantage…Kale Schwartz tangles with a Falcons’ tackler.
People in the stands were pleased to see it…power football in the tradition of Jeff Hartings, Jim Lachey, and Bob Hoying – how St. Henry and the MAC plays.
“And I’m extremely proud of it,” said Josh Werling. “And it all stems back to the way we started on December 10, when we got in the weight room last year after the season. Their commitment to that, from a coaching standpoint, is all you can ask for.”
And the future.
Without question the contribution of Will Speck (5’9″, 145 lbs), a solid junior class, and the excitement that only a state championship can attract bodes well for the future.
“Will has been an important catalyst for us all year,” added Werling. “It gives the defenses one more thing to worry about because he’s hard to find behind those big guys. We’re very proud of Will and when he finished in the end zone there for our first score it was important…to get on the board, and from there you settle in and play ball. It was definitely one of those moments where you go, ‘Alright, here we go.’
Fitting end to the defensive play…junior Tate Boeckman picks off a pass in the third quarter of St. Henry’s 37-3 win.
“The defense went right from that to getting another stop, we got another score, and there it went how we hoped it would go. So, yes, Will was very important to our offense today.”
And if it needed additional emphasis, 37-3 and a seventh state championship in football helps to make the MAC more interesting in 2026. To Cline’s assessment that anyone who wins in VI or VII is going to have to beat a MAC team to do it…St. Henry can no longer be questioned over what needs to be better. Marion will again be locked and loaded, as will Coldwater, New Bremen, and Anna. And those are just the known entities. Fort Recovery proved this year that you never take anyone for granted.
The point that made the trip back to St. Henry as happy as the trophy, itself.
The Champions….Coaches Jeff Starkey, Josh Werling, and Tim Boeckman were there to renew past and future memories.
Football is again generational, and it has been since 1990 when Tim Boeckman won the first one. Every once in a while the script changes, as it did with Jeff Starkey, who mentored Josh Werling in 2006, and as it has presently, with Werling. Proof, that no one ever forgot how.
The MAC won’t let you forget, with 44 state titles, and once again, seeing ‘red’.
Hail to the Redskins, Fish-Mo’s, and tradition.
Til the next change of script, almost perfect.
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