There should not be much mystery about what Chardon Football and Madison Football want to do Friday night.
The Hilltoppers want to run the football.
The Blue Streaks want to run the football.
And by the time the CVC TV Game of the Week is over, one of them will have muscled its way back to .500 and taken an important first step in the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division race.
Chardon visits Madison at 7 p.m. with both teams carrying 1-2 records that may be a little misleading.
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Each has played a challenging nonconference schedule. Each has shown significant improvement since Week 1. And each has developed a rushing attack capable of turning Friday’s game into a long, physical battle at the line of scrimmage.
Add in a rivalry that dates back for decades, and there is plenty riding on the conference opener.
Three backs, one problem for Madison
Chardon has made no secret of its offensive identity.
The Hilltoppers rushed for 333 yards in a season-opening 34-13 loss to Massillon Jackson, then followed a 25-7 win over Cleveland Heights by piling up 376 rushing yards in last week’s 38-31 loss at Erie McDowell.
The biggest development at McDowell was how many different ways Chardon hurt the Trojans.
Andrew Cole rushed for 127 yards, Drew Platz added 109, and Rocco Tarantino finished with 101.
Three backs. Three 100-yard games. One night.
Platz already had demonstrated his big-play ability in the opener when he rushed for 232 yards on only 17 carries, including touchdown runs of 76 and 70 yards.
Against Cleveland Heights, the numbers were more balanced. Platz ran for 85 yards and a touchdown; Cole added 76 yards and Tarantino scored while adding 37 yards.
That was also Chardon’s best defensive performance through three weeks.
The Hilltoppers forced four turnovers, including a goal-line interception by Braedan Shultz, and opened the second half with a 17-play drive that helped establish control of the game.
That formula — run the ball, shorten the game and create takeaways — is hardly new in Chardon.
The personnel carrying it out this season is starting to settle into place.
Madison can play that game, too
If Chardon plans to turn Friday into a test of physicality, Madison probably will not object.
The Blue Streaks have rushed for 589 yards over the last two weeks.
After struggling offensively in a 39-7 opening loss to Perry, Madison broke out with 281 rushing yards in a 36-18 victory at Maple Heights.
Anthony Telenko carried the biggest load, rushing for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Dom Gephart added 106 yards and a score.
Quarterback Lucian Kingus gave Madison some balance by completing 5 of 6 passes for 82 yards. Landon Curry caught a touchdown pass, while Mason Nusker also contributed in the passing game.
Madison led 36-12 entering the fourth quarter.
A week later, the Blue Streaks ran the football even more effectively against Holy Name.
Madison finished with 308 rushing yards. Gephart rushed for 152, and Telenko added 104.
The Blue Streaks also held Holy Name to only 178 total yards.
Yet Madison lost, 16-13.
That brings us to perhaps the most important matchup of Friday night.
The hidden matchup: Taking care of the football
Madison’s rushing numbers against Holy Name were good enough to win most nights.
Its mistakes were not.
The Blue Streaks lost three fumbles and had a punt blocked. Even with those errors, Madison drove to the Holy Name 1-yard line in the final seconds before Gephart was stopped on fourth down.
It was a game Madison coach Mike Gilligan believed his young team allowed to slip away.
Chardon knows the feeling.
Against Jackson in Week 1, the Hilltoppers trailed only 20-13 and were inside the red zone early in the fourth quarter when a fumble ended a potential game-tying possession. Jackson followed with a 16-play touchdown drive and pulled away.
Then came Chardon’s lone victory, when the Hilltoppers forced four Cleveland Heights turnovers.
The lesson through three weeks has been fairly blunt for both teams.
The rushing numbers matter.
Possession of the football may matter more.
A series defined by streaks
Chardon owns the advantage in the recorded series, but the history between these teams has rarely moved back and forth one game at a time.
It has moved in waves.
OhioVarsity’s available history shows Chardon leading Madison since 1972, 15-10, beginning with a 28-21 Hilltoppers victory in a 1993 regional semifinal at Sparky DiBiasio Stadium in Euclid.
Chardon won the first four recorded meetings.
Later, Madison took control.
The Blue Streaks won five straight from 2007 through 2011, including a 62-39 shootout in 2010 that remains the highest-scoring recorded meeting between the teams.
Chardon answered with a 7-0 win in 2012.
Then Madison grabbed the series again, winning three straight from 2013 through 2015.
The last of those was emphatic: a 28-0 Madison victory at home.
Chardon has owned the series since.
The Hilltoppers have won six consecutive meetings, beginning with a 63-14 victory in 2016.
Over those six games, Chardon has outscored Madison 218-30.
The recent numbers are even more striking.
Chardon won 10-3 in 2019, 48-0 in 2021, and 55-0 at Madison in 2022. That is a 113-3 scoring advantage over the last three meetings, and Madison has not scored a touchdown against Chardon since 2018.
But there is one historical number that should get Madison’s attention.
And Chardon’s.
For all of the Hilltoppers’ success in the series, Chardon is only 5-6 in recorded games played at Madison.
The Hilltoppers have won their last two trips there, but Dick Hamblin Field has not always been an easy place for them.
Friday will be the first Chardon-Madison matchup since that 2022 meeting.
What’s at stake
Calling a Week 4 game a must-win is usually excessive.
Calling this one important is not.
Both teams enter at 1-2.
The winner leaves at 2-2 and, more importantly, 1-0 in CVC Lake Division play.
The loser drops to 1-3 before the season reaches its midpoint.
There is also a postseason component.
Chardon and Madison both compete in Division III, Region 9, where only 12 teams will qualify for the playoffs.
In the unofficial Harbin standings entering Friday, Madison sits 16th with a 3.0455 average. Chardon is 20th at 2.1667.
It is early enough that those positions can change dramatically, but neither team wants to spend the rest of September digging out of a 1-3 hole.
The predictive rankings tell another part of the story.
Drew Pasteur’s Fantastic 50 ranks Chardon No. 9 in Region 9 and No. 141 statewide, and Madison No. 12 in the region and No. 189 statewide.
In other words, the model sees two teams considerably more dangerous than their current Harbin positions — or their 1-2 records — suggest.
Friday gives one of them a chance to start proving it.
What to watch
Start with first down.
If Chardon consistently gets four, five, or six yards from Cole, Platz and Tarantino, the Hilltoppers can stay ahead of the chains, control possession and force Madison to defend the full menu of their rushing offense.
If Telenko and Gephart can do the same thing for Madison, Chardon could find itself in a game where the Blue Streaks control the clock and limit possessions.
Then watch the explosive plays.
Platz has already demonstrated that one crease can become a touchdown. Telenko has shown he can carry the Madison offense, while Gephart’s 152-yard performance last week, including 62 yards on the Blue Streaks’ final possession, showed how difficult he can be to put away late in a game.
Finally, watch the turnovers.
Madison probably beats Holy Name without its giveaways and special-teams mistake.
Chardon probably makes its opener against Jackson much more interesting without the fourth-quarter fumble.
And Chardon’s only victory came on a night it forced four takeaways.
There may be no complicated formula required Friday.
Run it.
Protect it.
Stop the other team from doing the same.
For Chardon, it is a chance to extend six years of dominance in a revived series and climb back to .500.
For Madison, it is a chance to end a six-game skid against the Hilltoppers, defend its home field, and announce that a young team has grown up quickly since opening night.
For both, it is a chance to start conference play with a win before 1-2 becomes something much harder to escape.
Sept. 11 history
There is also a calendar quirk working in Chardon’s favor.
The Hilltoppers are 6-2 in recorded games played on Sept. 11 and have won their last three on the date. Chardon beat Benedictine, 31-28, in 2010, rolled past East Tech, 60-0, in 2015 and defeated Kenston, 37-6, in 2020.
Madison is 2-5 in recorded Sept. 11 games and has dropped its last three. The Blue Streaks lost to Perry, 31-28 in overtime, in 2009, fell to Perry again, 27-26, in 2015 and lost to North, 34-0, in 2020.
Chardon’s other recorded Sept. 11 victories include a 22-6 win over Riverside in 1981, a 24-22 win over Rayen in 1987 and a 28-10 win over Steubenville in 1998. Madison’s two wins on the date came against Conneaut, 7-0, in 1987 and Geneva, 30-26, in 1998.
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Chardon carries a 62% modeled win probability because Recent head-to-head favors Chardon; Current season favors Chardon; Home field favors Madison. The model refreshes as new results are entered. The Ohio Varsity Matchup Predictor™ uses the previous three seasons as an early program-strength baseline, then shifts weight toward current-season record and PF/PA as results accumulate. Recent head-to-head results, strength of schedule, momentum and the longer recorded series provide additional context. An unfollowed team's missing data remains neutral instead of erasing known information about its opponent. Home field receives a small adjustment. Predicted score and win probability are editorial estimates, not betting lines. Program record in games falling within each scoring range. Historical Data: Series records shown here cover 1972 through the latest imported season. Earlier meetings may not be included. Latest meeting: Sep. 11, 2026 • Chardon W 20-16 First recorded meeting: Nov. 12, 1993 Chardon longest winning streak: W 7 Madison longest winning streak: W 5 Largest Chardon win: Oct. 7, 2022 • 55-0 Highest-scoring game: Oct. 8, 2010 • 39-62 Closest game: Oct. 22, 1999 • 27-24 Average score: Chardon 23.6 • Madison 18.8
Box Score
Chardon Game Stats
# Player YDS TD INT 14 Andrew Cole 89 1 0 # Player ATT YDS AVG TD 25 Cooper Borden 4 63 15.8 1 6 Drew Platz 10 53 5.3 0 21 Rocco Tarantino 9 48 5.3 0 14 Andrew Cole 10 13 1.3 1 1 Rocco Frisco 1 8 8.0 0 16 Liam Park 1 5 5.0 0 # Player REC YDS AVG TD 7 Aiden Hardesty 1 40 40.0 1 6 Drew Platz 1 17 17.0 0 18 Eli Oleksiak 1 12 12.0 0 25 Cooper Borden 1 11 11.0 0 21 Rocco Tarantino 1 9 9.0 0 # Player RUSH PASS REC 14 Andrew Cole 13 89 0 25 Cooper Borden 63 0 11 6 Drew Platz 53 0 17 21 Rocco Tarantino 48 0 9 7 Aiden Hardesty 0 0 40 18 Eli Oleksiak 0 0 12 1 Rocco Frisco 8 0 0 16 Liam Park 5 0 0 Why the Predictor Favors Chardon
Historical Notes
Chardon Win
Other Statistical Notes
Program Milestones
Record by Points Scored
Chardon scoring history
Madison scoring history
Chardon Results vs. Madison
Date Location Score Sep. 11, 2026 Madison Chardon W 20-16 Oct. 7, 2022 — Chardon W 55-0 Oct. 8, 2021 — Chardon W 48-0 Oct. 25, 2019 — Chardon W 10-3 Sep. 28, 2018 — Chardon W 28-7 Sep. 29, 2017 — Chardon W 14-6 Sep. 23, 2016 — Chardon W 63-14 Sep. 25, 2015 — Chardon L 0-28 Sep. 26, 2014 — Chardon L 0-14 Sep. 27, 2013 — Chardon L 26-43 Sep. 21, 2012 — Chardon W 7-0 Sep. 23, 2011 — Chardon L 3-28 Oct. 8, 2010 — Chardon L 39-62 Oct. 9, 2009 — Chardon L 14-30 Oct. 3, 2008 — Chardon L 10-28 Oct. 5, 2007 — Chardon L 6-38 Oct. 20, 2006 — Chardon W 14-7 Oct. 21, 2005 — Chardon W 43-20 Oct. 22, 2004 — Chardon W 35-20 Oct. 17, 2003 — Chardon W 28-14 Oct. 18, 2002 — Chardon L 12-28 Oct. 19, 2001 — Chardon L 14-24 Oct. 20, 2000 — Chardon W 27-7 Oct. 22, 1999 — Chardon W 27-24 Oct. 30, 1998 — Chardon W 42-7 Nov. 12, 1993 Sparky DiBiasio Stadium Chardon W 28-21 Top Performers
Chardon
Madison
Chardon — Last 5 vs. Madison
Chardon vs. Madison Series Notes
Team Stats
Stat Category Chardon Madison Passing Yards 93 276 Comp-Att 5-12 24-46 Comp % 41.7% 52.2% Yards/Att 7.8 6.0 TD / INT 1 / 0 2 / 2 Rushing Yards 183 518 Attempts 36 109 Yards/Carry 5.1 4.8 Touchdowns 2 2 Receiving Yards 221 100 Receptions 13 0 Yards/Catch 17.0 — Touchdowns 19 29 Defense Tackles 388 0 Sacks 7 0 Interceptions 3 1 Scoring Points 24 0 Player Stats
Chardon Stats (2026-2027)
# Player CMP ATT PCT YDS Y/G TD INT LONG QB RTG 14 Andrew Cole 4 11 36.4% 73 73.0 1 0 0 90.3 38 Dominic Tarantino 1 1 100.0% 20 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 # Player ATT YDS AVG Y/G LONG TD 5 Rylan Miller 1 46 46.0 46.0 0 1 4 Ivan Chuha 9 45 6.0 0.0 0 0 21 Rocco Tarantino 6 31 5.2 31.0 0 0 6 Drew Platz 5 28 5.6 28.0 0 0 25 Cooper Borden 2 10 5.0 10.0 0 0 1 Rocco Frisco 1 9 9.0 9.0 0 0 14 Andrew Cole 10 7 0.7 7.0 0 1 16 Liam Park 1 5 5.0 5.0 0 0 24 Ryan Kolcum 1 2 2.0 0.0 0 0 # Player REC YDS AVG Y/G LONG TD 7 Aiden Hardesty 1 63 63.0 0.0 0 1 2 Lucas Fuhrman 1 41 41.0 41.0 0 1 2 Lucas Fuhrmann 1 41 41.0 41.0 0 1 24 Ryan Kolcum 1 30 30.0 0.0 0 0 18 Eli Oleksiak 1 26 26.0 0.0 0 0 25 Cooper Borden 1 11 11.0 11.0 0 0 21 Rocco Tarantino 1 9 9.0 9.0 0 0 # Player RUSH REC KR PR IR TOTAL Y/G 7 Aiden Hardesty 0 63 0 0 0 63 0.0 5 Rylan Miller 46 0 0 0 0 46 46.0 4 Ivan Chuha 45 0 0 0 0 45 0.0 2 Lucas Fuhrman 0 41 0 0 0 41 41.0 2 Lucas Fuhrmann 0 41 0 0 0 41 41.0 21 Rocco Tarantino 31 9 0 0 0 40 40.0 24 Ryan Kolcum 2 30 0 0 0 32 0.0 6 Drew Platz 28 0 0 0 0 28 28.0 18 Eli Oleksiak 0 26 0 0 0 26 0.0 25 Cooper Borden 10 11 0 0 0 21 21.0 1 Rocco Frisco 9 0 0 0 0 9 9.0 14 Andrew Cole 7 0 0 0 0 7 7.0 16 Liam Park 5 0 0 0 0 5 5.0 # Player RUSH PASS REC TOTAL Y/G 14 Andrew Cole 7 73 0 80 80.0 7 Aiden Hardesty 0 0 63 63 0.0 5 Rylan Miller 46 0 0 46 46.0 4 Ivan Chuha 45 0 0 45 0.0 2 Lucas Fuhrman 0 0 41 41 41.0 2 Lucas Fuhrmann 0 0 41 41 41.0 21 Rocco Tarantino 31 0 9 40 40.0 24 Ryan Kolcum 2 0 30 32 0.0 6 Drew Platz 28 0 0 28 28.0 18 Eli Oleksiak 0 0 26 26 0.0 25 Cooper Borden 10 0 11 21 21.0 38 Dominic Tarantino 0 20 0 20 0.0 1 Rocco Frisco 9 0 0 9 9.0 16 Liam Park 5 0 0 5 5.0 # Player TD 2-PT PTS KICK PTS PTS PPG 14 Andrew Cole 3 0 0 18 18.0 1 Rocco Frisco 1 0 0 6 6.0 # Player SOLO AST TOTAL TFL SACK 6 Drew Platz 0.0 0.0 67.0 4.0 0.5 4 Ivan Chuha 0.0 0.0 59.0 3.0 0.5 24 Ryan Kolcum 0.0 0.0 44.0 4.0 1.0 21 Rocco Tarantino 0.0 0.0 37.0 1.0 0.0 9 Collin Cole 0.0 0.0 23.0 3.0 0.5 15 Nathan Stonis 0.0 0.0 18.0 3.0 1.5 12 Camron Campbell 0.0 0.0 16.0 0.0 0.0 71 Zachary Rosipko 0.0 0.0 16.0 4.0 0.0 3 Luis Medina 0.0 0.0 15.0 0.0 0.0 11 Jack Weaver 0.0 0.0 14.0 0.0 0.0 13 Lincoln Elig 0.0 0.0 14.0 0.0 0.0 8 Matthew Medved 0.0 0.0 12.0 2.0 1.0 10 Braedan Shultz 0.0 0.0 11.0 1.0 0.0 7 Aiden Hardesty 0.0 0.0 10.0 3.0 0.0 33 Christian Vanek 0.0 0.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 1 Rocco Frisco 0.0 0.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 5 Rylan Miller 0.0 0.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 70 Stephen Andrews 0.0 0.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 72 Brayden Gintert 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.5 44 Danny Painter 0.0 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 23 Joey Gagliano 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 34 Joseph Koritansky 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 16 Liam Park 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 2 Lucas Fuhrmann 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 17 Brayden Krafft 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.5 25 Cooper Borden 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 38 Dominic Tarantino 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 28 Joey Davison 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 41 Sawyer Smith 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 # Player SACK YDL HUR TACK TFL 15 Nathan Stonis 1.5 0.0 0.0 18.0 3.0 8 Matthew Medved 1.0 0.0 0.0 12.0 2.0 24 Ryan Kolcum 1.0 0.0 0.0 44.0 4.0 70 Stephen Andrews 1.0 0.0 0.0 3.0 1.0 72 Brayden Gintert 0.5 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 17 Brayden Krafft 0.5 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 9 Collin Cole 0.5 0.0 0.0 23.0 3.0 6 Drew Platz 0.5 0.0 0.0 67.0 4.0 4 Ivan Chuha 0.5 0.0 0.0 59.0 3.0 # Player INT YDS AVG LONG TD 14 Andrew Cole 1 0 0.0 0 0 10 Braedan Shultz 1 0 0.0 0 0 15 Nathan Stonis 1 0 0.0 0 0 # Player FGM FGA FG% LONG XPM XPA XP% PTS 37 Jordan Higham 0 0 0.0% 0 4 0 0.0% 4 Madison Stats (2026-2027)
# Player CMP ATT PCT YDS Y/G TD INT LONG QB RTG 12 Lucian Kingus 24 46 52.2% 276 59.0 2 2 0 66.9 # Player ATT YDS AVG Y/G LONG TD 22 Anthony Telenko 42 183 4.4 45.8 0 1 23 Kamrin Wilson 20 139 13.0 69.5 0 1 24 Jacob Bystry 9 75 8.3 75.0 18 0 13 Mason Nusker 6 63 10.5 15.8 0 0 12 Lucian Kingus 17 29 1.7 5.8 0 0 6 Gavin Mayfield 5 16 3.2 8.0 0 0 21 Jaiontai Henton 2 9 4.5 2.3 0 0 32 Parker Johnston 6 4 0.7 4.0 4 0 # Player REC YDS AVG Y/G LONG TD 22 Anthony Telenko 3 52 17.3 13.0 0 0 13 Mason Nusker 1 21 21.0 5.3 0 0 26 Noah Wargula 1 17 17.0 17.0 17 0 23 Kamrin Wilson 1 11 11.0 13.0 13 0 12 Lucian Kingus 1 11 11.0 2.8 0 0 21 Jaiontai Henton 1 4 4.0 1.3 0 0 21 JJ Henton 1 4 4.0 1.3 0 0 # Player RUSH REC KR PR IR TOTAL Y/G 22 Anthony Telenko 183 52 0 0 0 235 58.8 23 Kamrin Wilson 139 11 0 0 0 150 75.0 13 Mason Nusker 63 21 0 0 0 84 21.0 24 Jacob Bystry 75 0 0 0 0 75 75.0 12 Lucian Kingus 29 11 0 0 0 40 8.0 26 Noah Wargula 0 17 0 0 0 17 17.0 6 Gavin Mayfield 16 0 0 0 0 16 8.0 21 Jaiontai Henton 9 4 0 0 0 13 3.3 21 JJ Henton 0 4 0 0 0 4 1.3 32 Parker Johnston 4 0 0 0 0 4 4.0 52 Caden Mumau 0 0 0 0 2 2 2.0 # Player RUSH PASS REC TOTAL Y/G 12 Lucian Kingus 29 276 11 316 64.5 22 Anthony Telenko 183 0 52 235 58.8 23 Kamrin Wilson 139 0 11 150 75.0 13 Mason Nusker 63 0 21 84 21.0 24 Jacob Bystry 75 0 0 75 75.0 26 Noah Wargula 0 0 17 17 17.0 6 Gavin Mayfield 16 0 0 16 8.0 21 Jaiontai Henton 9 0 4 13 3.3 21 JJ Henton 0 0 4 4 4.0 32 Parker Johnston 4 0 0 4 4.0 20 Dominic Rodeheaver 0 0 0 -10 -3.3 # Player INT YDS AVG LONG TD 52 Caden Mumau 1 2 2.0 0 0
