Smithville football rediscovers winning tradition with 10-win playoff season

Fifth-year Smithville football coach Phil Olsen will never forget the thrill of playing on the Smithies’ 2002 Division V state runner-up team, which had the best finish in school history.

One of the biggest reasons Olsen has worked tirelessly to lead the Smithville program is in hopes that his players can experience winning playoff memories of their own.

It's mission accomplished in 2025, with the Smithies enjoying the program’s best season in a decade.

Fifth-seeded Smithville (10-2) will visit Kirtland (11-0, ranked No. 1 in MaxPreps state poll) in a Div. VI, Region 21 semifinal game Friday, Nov. 14.

The Smithies have won down-to-the-wire playoff games over Cuyahoga Heights (28-24) and United (27-26) to reach the regional semifinals for the first time since 2015. The 10 wins are the most for a Smithville team since 2004.

“I think all of us in our coaching office have such fond memories from when we played, and a lot of us are Smithville alums,” Olsen said. “My defensive coordinator Jason DeMassimo coached me in high school.

“We've always just wanted that experience for our players, so when they're fat and 40 like I am, they can talk with their buddies and say, “Do you remember that game? Do you remember the bus ride there? The community send-off?’ Those are all just really surreal moments, and the kids have been able to experience those types of things this playoff season.”

Smithville has steadily improved during Olsen’s tenure, starting 2-8 in 2021 and then going 6-5, 5-5 and 8-4 last year. The 2024 Smithies won their first playoff game under Olsen when they defeated LaBrae 20-13 before being blanked 39-0 by eventual state runner-up Kirtland.

A rematch on the Hornets’ home field is about as tough a challenge as a small-school team can get in Ohio, but the Smithies’ senior-laden team won’t back down.

“Kirtland’s accolades precede them and what they bring to the game,” Olsen said. “Tiger LaVerde (255-21, seven state titles) is a super-successful coach, and I don't think it's any secret of what we're up against, but we're willing to go play anybody, and I think our kids have really bought into that.

“They’re a No. 1 seed for a reason, but there's also a reason why we play the game on Friday night. The past is the past. This is what's going on right now as far as us getting ready for a really good opponent, and we're really excited as a program to get to play Kirtland to see where we're at.”

Smithville will bring a stronger, more experienced team into the rematch with the Hornets.

Senior Mason Haines — a 5-foot-8, 195-pound running back-linebacker — is the school’s all-time leading rusher with 4,029 yards. This season he’s carried the ball 207 times for 1,322 yards and 14 TDs.

“It means a lot,” Haines said of holding the Smithies’ rushing record, “but I couldn't have done it without the offensive line blocking for me. They’ve done a great job. It's not a one-man show; it's a whole team together.”

The Smithies’ offensive line consists of center Nathan Horst, guards Robbie McCulty and Cayden Clark, and tackles Dylan Kreider and Bryden Sustar. They’re all seniors except for Sustar, who's a junior. Senior Chase Tomasetti also was part of the group until going down with an injury.

“I think it's been awesome,” the 6-4, 210-pound Kreider said when asked how the veteran line has come together over the years. “I feel like we’ve excelled and really kicked it up another level starting last year. We were all seniors starting on the offensive line until Chase got hurt. We have a lot of dudes who have been around the game and worked really hard.”

Smithville’s 35-19 win over Dalton in week four was its first triumph against the Bulldogs since 2016. Winning two playoff games has taken the excitement to a new level.

“It feels really good,” Horst said. “We've had a couple close games, but we fought through and played hard to get the wins, and we're just excited to be out here playing week 13. It wasn't much of a winning program when we came in freshman year, but we just went up from there. We kind of took it to the next level, just practicing hard.”

Sophomores Isaiah Lee (WR-RB-DB) and Brady Sidle (QB-DB) have been crucial to the playoff run.

Lee leads the team with 33 receptions for 612 yards and four TDs while carrying the ball 58 times for 383 yards and seven scores. Sidle has passed for 849 yards and eight TDs while carrying the ball 34 times for 334 yards and five scores.

“For sophomores to really shine on Friday nights, they have to be pretty special,” Olsen said. “Friday nights are handled by juniors and seniors for most teams.

“Isaiah and Brady stepping up as well as they have, it's just crazy. Ben Beichler (50-235 rushing, 1 TD) has had a bunch of carries for us, and Zach Lanneaux has started at inside linebacker, and they're also sophomores.”

Olsen called fourth-year starter Haines the easy and warranted pick as the team leader but labeled the Smithies’ success an overall team effort.

Senior Will Blankenship (team-high 38.5 tackles) has excelled after moving to inside linebacker. Lanneaux and junior Brennan Piatt lead the team with three interceptions apiece.

“We’ve had a lot of kids who just stepped into roles and embraced being team players,” Olsen said. “They don't care who gets the success. They just like to win and be with each other.”

Olsen has made sure to reward the Smithies for their efforts in the away playoff games by arranging chartered buses. It’s all part of the postseason experience.

“They’re pretty fun, yeah,” Horst said.

No matter how the Smithies’ bus ride to Kirtland turns out, the 2025 team has raised the bar and brought back memories of the glory days under former coach Keith Schrock.

“It’s really cool that there are some similarities that have been drawn back to the coach Schrock days,” Olsen said. “That’s still the standard that we’re striving for. We’re really looking forward to hopefully building the program to where this isn’t the exception anymore, but this is the standard for us again.”