With six straight playoff appearances, the Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy football team is ready to take that “next step” in its quest for a state championship.
The Eagles have failed to advance beyond the regional semifinals in any of the past six playoff trips, but head coach Mark Mueller believes this year is as good as any to break that streak and return to the state title game for the first time since 2005.
“We’re as talented as any team in the state of Ohio,” said Mueller, the first-year head coach for the Eagles. “We have the talent but there are many things that must fall right when getting to that next level … execution, being lucky, getting through the grind of the season. We just need to bring it all together.”
The Eagles will open tournament play 7 p.m. Saturday at home against Blanchester, and former CHCA assistant coach Brandon Sammons. Mueller was a volunteer coach at CHCA last season and worked with Sammons.
“We are just super proud of what Brandon’s done,” said Mueller, who was previously head coach at New Albany High School. “I had to do it when I was a young coach, leave a program you love to make your own name. We’ve talked all year. We just wish this game would be a regional final not the first week. I don’t like playing a friend in the first round.”
The Eagles are a high-octane offense that has scored at least 33 points a game in reeling off 10 consecutive wins this season. The only test on the scoreboard was a 33-28 win over Taft, Clinton-Massie’s first game opponent Friday night.
CHCA has four wins over playoff teams this season — Cincinnati Taft, Cincinnati Summit Country Day, Greeneview and Columbus Bishop Ready.
Kesean Gamble, a 6-1, 218-pound power plant at running back, is the bellcow of the Eagles offense. He has rushed for 1,369 yards and 22 touchdowns on 131 attempts while catching 13 passes for 413 yards and four scores. Mueller said Gamble has five or six Div. I college offers to mull in the off-season.
“He was about 240 (pounds) last year,” Mueller said. “He’s a speciman when you see him in the locker room. That’s all a credit to him and the hard work. He’s a great football player.”
The triggerman for the Eagles is quarterback Danny Vanatsky, who is 100 for 154 passing (64.9 percent) for 1,961 yards and 27 touchdowns. Vanatsky has just two interceptions. Mason Bernhardt has 11 touchdown receptions among his 23 catches this year.
While CHCA has been consistently superior to its rivals on offense, the defensive side of the ball has been up and down.
“We bend a little bit but we’re pretty aggressive and, in the end, things work out,” said Mueller.
The Eagles have given up 22 or more points five times this season but have two shutouts. Cody Shiver has a team-best seven of the Eagles 17 interceptions this season.
WILDCAT NOTEBOOK
• Presale tickets at the Blanchester High School main office will be available 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Friday. All tickets are $8 presale and $9 at the gate the day of the game. Schools keep a percentage of presale tickets only. Anyone 6 or older will be charged the regular admission rate.
• Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. at CHCA.
• Air horns and noisemakers that require electric or power of other sorts are not allowed at the game.
• Banners and signs are permitted, provided they are not personal, negative, unsporting or vulgar. Parades with signs or banners are not permitted.
