Part 2: Ashland County's top returning offensive football players

For most sports fans, football season is their favorite time of the year. That means Friday high school football gamedays are right around the corner. With that, the Ashland Times-Gazette is highlighting the top returning offensive football players in Ashland County this fall. This is Part 2.

Nathan Bernhard, Ashland

As just a sophomore, Bernhard threw for 1,718 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while rushing for 266 yards on 120 carries and eight rushing touchdowns for the Arrows. Coming off a 5-6 record, the Arrows will be looking to boast a winning record this time around and Bernhard will be at the center of it. The 6-foot-5 quarterback was a second team Ohio Cardinal Conference performer last season and is currently being recruited by and has received college offers from Division I schools like Iowa State, Duke, Penn State, Michigan State, Louisville, Akron, West Virginia, Toledo and Indiana.

Michael Franz, Ashland

Franz, one of Bernhard's main receiving targets last season, returns this year. During his junior year, Franz was an OCC honorable mention choice and led the Arrows with 52 receptions, 695 yards receiving and nine touchdowns.

Liam Kuhn, Crestview

In Kuhn's first year as a starter in his sophomore year, he threw for 1,361 yards passing, had a 52.5% completion percentage, averaged 16.2 yards per completion and threw 12 touchdowns passes against 10 interceptions. A second team All-Northwest District and Firelands Conference honorable mention selection in 2023, Kuhn will aim to get the Cougars back in Firelands Conference title contention in the fall after a 4-7 season last season.

Karter Goon, Crestview

Goon emerged as one of Crestview's leading pass targets last season as a sophomore at tight end. Goon was second on the team in receptions (21) and receiving yards (364), averaged 17.3 yards per catch and was first in touchdown catches (3). He was a second team Firelands Conference pick.

Owen Sloan, Hillsdale

Sharing rushing duties with Braylen Jarvis last season who graduated, Sloan will likely take on more of the running back responsibilities this fall. During his sophomore season, Sloan led the Falcons in rushing yards (798) and rushing touchdowns (6) on 131 carries, along with one touchdown catch. Playing both ways, he had 24 tackles too. With that, he found himself on the first team Wayne County Athletic League team in 2023.

Isaac Beun, Northwestern

After coming off a 9-3 season in 2022, the Huskies fell to 1-9 in 2023. Northwestern will look to try and bounce back with Beun behind center. As a junior, Beun passed for 2,206 yards, completed 152 of 277 passes and threw 15 touchdown passes in his first year as a starter.

jsimpson@gannnett.com

Twitter/X:@JamesSimpsonII

James Simpson II is a sports reporter with the Ashland Times-Gazette, and was recently at the Mansfield News Journal. He is a self-published author and has gotten the opportunity to interview sports figures like Bernard Hopkins, Norm Nixon, Vince Dooley, Jimmie Johnson, etc., for stories at different publications. He also produced a pretty cool feature on late NBA great Wilt Chamberlain.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Key offensive football players in Ashland County to watch: Part Two