Saint John getting ready for tough road test at Mogadore

Before the 2026 season started, the Saint John football team’s mantra was to be a playoff-caliber squad and change last season’s one-and-done in the postseason.

“They’ve bought into that and they’ve proved it now winning in the first round,” Heralds coach Bob Dlwgosh said. “But if you want to consistently be a playoff team in Division VII, that means you got to plan on running into Mogadore from time to time.”

Last season, the Heralds, in their first playoff game since 2018, fell to Malvern 34-0 on the road.

After defeating Northeastern Athletic Conference opponent Mathews 41-24 in a Division VII, Region 25 opening-round matchup, Saint John, as the sixth seed, will play at No. 3 Mogadore, a school with four state titles, at 7 p.m. Friday.

“They are very disciplined and clearly well coached,” Dlwgosh said of the Wildcats. “The QB [Maddox Smith] impresses me. He throws an accurate ball and has a lot of arm strength, and he can run at you too.

“Defensively, I would say they’re not too flashy, just very sound. They get to the ball quick and they gang tackle. They are aggressive. They like to go for two, and kick onside, so we have to be prepared for all of that.”

The Wildcats have 40 playoff appearances, which also includes five state-championship game appearances.

Mogadore, which received an opening-round bye, enters Friday’s game at 8-2 overall.

The Wildcats are on a four-game winning streak after losing to Linsly (W. Va.) 21-20 Sept. 25.

One of those wins was against Pymatuning Valley, a Saint John rival in the NAC, 38-7 Oct. 3.

Mogadore’s other loss was 19-8 to Canton Central Catholic in Week 2.

The Wildcats are averaging 32 points per game, while allowing 14.3 per contest.

But Saint John is also on a winning streak, capturing five straight since a 28-15 loss to Grand Valley Sept. 26.

Against Matthews last Friday at Lakeside, the Heralds used a 28-14 second-half performance to earn the win.

“Coach [Bill] Lipps had talked to them pregame about facing adversity, so we just took the opportunity to reiterate that message and challenge the kids,” Dlwgosh said. “We asked them to respond to being down four and without the momentum. They answered our challenge.”

Saint John claimed its first playoff victory since 1982.

“That was a very big win not just for this team, but for our program,” Dlwgosh said “The atmosphere was awesome, and seeing the Heralds win a home playoff game meant a lot to a lot of people. For our kids, though, it was a great credit to how hard they’ve worked all year, and gives us confidence moving into Week 12.”

Against Mathews, Chase Newsome scored three rushing touchdowns, while Anthony Benedict connected with Gus Petros for another score.

Newsome led the way with 178 yards. He increased his season total to 1,418 yards with 20 scores.

But sophomore, Bentley Baker has made his presence known, especially in recent weeks. He rushed for 102 yards and his two fourth-quarter TDs helped put the game away.

Baker upped his season total to 607 yards and 10 scores.

“Bentley puts in a lot of work, so I wouldn’t say we’re surprised with his level of production, but we sure are happy about it,” Dlwgosh said. “Bentley runs the ball really hard, and sees the field well. Being able to count on him to pick up yards with or without Chase on the field is a real game changer for us.

“He’s explosive, too, how many times this year have we given him the ball between the tackles hoping for four yards and a first down, and he finds the end zone? Gives us a truly dual threat backfield.”

While the offense picked it up against Mathews, so did the Saint John defense, limited the Mustangs to just one score.

Through 11 contests, the Heralds have allowed 14 or less points seven times, including recording five shutouts.

Jayden Hommes has recorded 12.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, while John Miller, Akoni Phillips and Andrew Miller check in with two interceptions each.

“Coach [Bob] Frey does an excellent job with our defense,” Dlwgosh said. “There is a lot of talent out there as well. Our secondary is very athletic and they play smart. Our linebackers have gotten more confident and aggressive as the year has gone on and they are playing really well right now.

“Then you throw in guys like Jay Herron, Jayden Hommes and Carlo Fasano on the line, and yeah, you have a defense capable of pitching five shutouts.”

Dlwgosh is looking forward to playing Mogadore.

“I don’t think we’ll be intimidated, but I do think we’re aware of the challenge ahead of us,” he said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to compete with these guys.”