Harvest Prep goes for undefeated season, league title

CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio (WCMH) — The Harvest Prep Warriors are one game away from completing a perfect regular season and being the only team in central Ohio to go 10-0 this year.

"We put in the work so for us to be undefeated, it's not surprising," Harvest Prep quarterback Aidan Rogers said. "We're putting in all the effort all the time this week to make sure we come out on top."

A perfect regular season isn't the only thing on the line Friday. The Mid-State League Ohio Division title will also be decided when the Warriors face Buckeye Valley.

"Just another game," defensive end and quarterback Ernest Pierce said. "This is just one accomplishment we've got on our list of goals, so we got out here, accomplish this Friday, and keep going,"

The Warriors are 88-19 and counting with 7 league titles since Milan Smith took over the program in 2014.

"2014, I think, like any other new program, the first thing you've got to do is win the program over, get the guys on the same page, get your coaches on the same page," Smith said. "Nine years later, we've started to find our footing a little bit."

They've found their footing more than just a little bit and more than just the varsity team. Harvest Prep's middle school and junior varsity teams also went undefeated this year.

"When I took the job, the idea was to not just build a really good football team but to build a really good program," Smith said. "One of those ways to build a program was to really make sure your foundation was well, and we were able to do that."

Pound for pound, Harvest Prep is arguably the most balanced team in central Ohio.
The Warriors average 41 points a game and only allow 11 points a game, including six games of giving up seven points or less. Now, they're on the cusp of a 10-0 season.

"10-0 is great but 16-0 is better," running back and linebacker Marchello Cox said about winning a state championship.