Orrville football revives winning tradition with playoff victory

The Orrville football team’s 35-28 win at Clear Fork in a Division IV, Region 14 playoff opener Oct. 31 was a long time coming for a community with the winningest program in Wayne County history, with 26 playoff trips, two state titles and 10 state semifinal appearances.

Orrville recorded the program’s first playoff win in six years, and its seven wins are the most since that 2019 team finished 11-2.

“It was a very good win on the road in the playoffs,” said first-year Orrville coach Brent Besancon. “It was the first time we’ve won a playoff game in a while. The kids really felt it and were excited about it.”

No. 9 seed Orrville (7-4) took a 35-14 lead after quarterback Cam Kraft’s 1-yard touchdown run with 10:13 left in the fourth quarter.

However, the Riders had to come up with a late defensive stop to come out with the win after No. 8 Clear Fork (6-5) scored the game’s final two TDs.

“We established a pretty good lead early,” Besancon said. “Their kids did not quit, and our kids did not quit. I don't know that I want to say we ‘held on’ for the win because I really felt as though we were in control. But it did come down to one possession at the very end there, and our defense made a stop.”

Orrville advanced to a second-round matchup Nov. 7 at No. 1 Shelby, which is 10-0 and led by quarterback Brayden DeVito, who’s an Air Force recruit.

The Whippets are ranked first in Ohio in the MaxPreps Div. IV poll. Devito has passed for 2,258 yards, 28 TDs and just three INTs while also carrying the ball 96 times for 906 yards and 21 scores.

“Obviously, we know that Shelby is good,” Besancon said. “You see it on film and what’s been written about them all year. They're led by a quarterback who’s a Div. I prospect. But the message to our team is go out and play Orville-style football, and then let the cards fall where they may. When you get to the playoffs, you want to see if you can get into some matchups where you can gain an advantage from time to time. If you do that, then anybody could beat anybody on a Friday night.”

It’s been an up-and-down season for Orrville, and the win over Clear Fork was representative of that in starting strong and then giving up big plays late.

When Orrville has been good, it’s been as explosive as anyone around. An unselfish, versatile group of players on both sides of the ball has made this an overall enjoyable season for Besancon and his staff.

The skill-position players have been led by seniors Kraft (QB-safety) and Breylon McDuffie (WR-CB), along with juniors Parker Hostetler (RB-LB) and Case McDaniel (WR-CB).

Kraft passed for 228 yards and two TDs at Clear Fork, ran for two scores and also had an interception. For the season, he’s passed for 1,654 yards and 17 TDs while adding four rushing scores.

“Cam Kraft is a leader at quarterback, and on defense, he's very instrumental in getting the calls and all that stuff,” Besancon said. “We’ve run two quarterbacks and have played Cam a little bit more of late when we've been throwing the football more.

“(Sophomore) Mark Lorson (429 yards passing, 4 TDs, 444 yards rushing) does things better with his feet, but we've been really highlighting the pass these last couple games.”

Orrville has plenty of versatility with Hostetler carrying the ball 185 times for 1,253 yards and 16 TDs, while the 6-foot-5 McDuffie (58-873 receiving, 9 TDs) and McDaniel (26-404-6) are both big-play receivers.

“Parker’s vision is probably his strongest suit,” Besancon. “He has the ability to be patient at times and the next time just get up in a hole and run the ball physically.

“Obviously, a lot of eyes go to Breylon, and they should because he’s a very good receiver, great route runner and has good hands. The all-around chemistry between the quarterbacks and receivers has just been just really good. You just don't always see linemen, backs, receivers and quarterbacks just all jell together, especially in the first year with a new head coach and new coordinators. It’s just really been great to see.”

Besancon said the offensive line has been “instrumental” in the team’s success, whether it’s run or pass blocking.

The group includes center Reid Shemenski (6-0, 260), guards Lincoln Klutz (5-10, 220) and Carson Cunningham (5-9, 175) and tackles Brahm Hostetler (6-0, 275) and Owen Landis (6-3, 235). Senior Mason Keener (6-0, 270) also rotates in.

“They all really like one another and really work well together,” Besancon said. “They’ve believed in each other and our team from day one. Not every game has been a great success, but overall we’ve had a good season, and it starts in the trenches.”

Hostetler led the defense with 75 tackles in the regular season, while Tyson Woodruff logged 70. Case McDaniel had four interceptions. Getting Blake O’Quinn and Luke Kinser back from injuries has also really helped the defense, and Tate Howell had two sacks against Clear Fork, Besancon said. Brahm Hostetler, Travis Pumneo, Abran Perez and Trey Mosley have also been solid.

Besancon praised offensive coordinator Mike McCreary, defensive coordinator Mike McMorrow and the rest of the coaching staff for working to come up with winning game plans.

No matter how things turn out at Shelby, 2025 has been a good season for Orrville. The goal is to shock the state with an upset — and turn it into a great year.