Zayne Perkins is back on the field for Kenton this season after seeing some playing time as a sophomore in 2023.
Don Speck | The Lima News
KENTON – With two state championships, two state runners-up and six other trips to the semifinals of the state football playoffs in the last 32 years, expectations are always high at Kenton.
For the last three seasons, results have not been on the high end of the scale for the Wildcats, who went 3-7 last season, 1-9 two years ago and 0-10 the year before that.
In trying to get more positive outcomes on Friday nights in the present, Kenton coach Zach Turner has looked into the past and emphasized what he calls the standard of Kenton football.
“At the end of my second year I started evaluating things a lot harder,” Turner said. “What I learned is we’ve got to create the right behaviors, we’ve got to create the right mindsets. That’s what made Kenton football great. We had kids who worked really hard, we had kids who loved the program and poured their heart and soul into it.
“When I say get back to the standard of Kenton football, what I believe Kenton football was is blue collar, gritty kids who worked hard. Our kids have really taken to that aspect. We’re starting to see that standard come back” he said.
Kenton’s offense is led by quarterback Korbin Johnston and receiver Grady Kleman-Beazley, both of whom were second-team All-Western Buckeye League selections last season.
Johnston, a four-year starter, passed for 2,712 yards and 19 touchdowns last season and rushed for 796 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kleman-Beazley had 90 catches for 1,007 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Turner calls Johnston “one of our best leaders,” and said, “He never misses a day of weight lifting. He’s been there every single day from Dec. 1 to now. He is what you ask for in a senior quarterback.”
The Kenton coach said Kleman-Beazley “is a kid we have high expectations for.”
“We have a good group of receivers. Maddox Hommel, a sophomore is going to be a big piece of that. Blaine Bushong is going to be in the slot. We have Carson Delong coming back Steven Piper is going to be a split end and Zayne Perkins is going to be a slot on the other side,” Turner said.
“I have really high expectations for our receiving corps and their ability to make plays and to block on the perimeter, which is important.”
Linebacker Jayden Mustain had a big freshman season last year with 95 tackles and was honorable mention All-WBL.
Kenton ranked first in the WBL in total offense (421.4 yards per game) last season but was only sixth in the league in scoring at 23.4 points a game.
Defensively, the Wildcats were ninth in the WBL in yards allowed (375.5 yards per game) and tenth in points given up (36.1 per game).
“We stalled a little bit in the red zone and Korbin kind of got banged up late in the season. A big emphasis is how we score the ball, and how we put the ball in the end zone. You’ve got to be able to score when you get down in there. You can’t settle for no points or three points. That’s a big emphasis for us this year,” Turner said.
“Our defense is going to be much improved. That tenth in points allowed is going to change,” he said.
TEAM PROFILE
Coach: Zach Turner (fourth season)
Division: IV
Last year’s record: 3-7, 3-6 WBL
Ticket information: kentonathletics.com/online-ticketing
Returning 2023 varsity letter winners: Korbin Johnston (Sr.), Bob Wilkinson (Sr.), Bill Wilkinson (Sr.), Austin Ashbrook (Sr.), Ethan Ashbrook (Sr.), Grady Kleman-Beazley (Sr.), Carson Delong (Sr.), Ty Coomes (Sr.), Trenton Delong (Sr.), Quinn Reffner (Sr.), Zach Burroughs (Sr.), Dylan Searson (Sr.), Matt Handel (Sr.), Zayne Perkins (Jr.), Blaine Bushong (Jr.), Alex Rogel (Jr.), Junior Wright (Jr.), Maddox Hommel (Soph.), Jayde Mustain (Soph.)
Top newcomers: Lincoln Hjima (Soph.), Maddux McFarlin (Fr.), Gavin Sealscott (Fr.)
2024 schedule
(Kickoffs scheduled for 7 p.m.; subject to change)
8/23 — Eastwood
8/30 — at Ottawa-Glandorf
9/6 — Elida
9/13 — at Bath
9/20 — Celina
9/27 — at Defiance
10/4 — Wapakoneta
10/11 — at St. Marys
10/18 — Van Wert
10/25 — at Shawnee
ONLY ON LIMASCORES.COM
See more about 2024 high school football season at LimaOhio.com/tag/hsfootball24.
