The Lexington Minutemen entered the 2025 season with a sense of momentum, finishing with a 9‑2 record and securing three Ohio Cardinal Conference championships, one of them outright. Their playoff pedigree stretched to ten appearances, yielding a 7‑10 postseason record, while the defense forced 31 turnovers, 19 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries, five of which resulted in scores.
Among the standouts, senior tight end and defensive end Daniel Hudson earned an honorable‑mention nod in the OCC after tallying 25 tackles and a sack, while kicker Cohen Lautzenhiser contributed 60 points and was named Special Teams Player of the Year. The line will retain All‑Ohio second‑teamers Wyatt Cornell and Andrew Badnell, and junior running back Bobo White is slated to assume a larger offensive role after gaining 113 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries last year.
A New Era Begins
The coaching staff will see a new face on the sidelines. Jacob Owens, who spent three seasons as offensive coordinator, was appointed head coach following the passing of Andrew Saris. Owens inherits a team with an open quarterback competition after Joe Caudill’s graduation, and junior Lane Schuster, who completed only one passing attempt in the previous campaign, is among the candidates vying for the starting spot.
The 2026 schedule promises a gauntlet of tough matchups, including contests against Ontario, Shelby, Clear Fork, Dover, Wooster, Mansfield Senior, West Holmes, New Philadelphia and Madison, each set to test the Minutemen’s depth and resilience.
Looking back at a storied past, Lexington’s three OCC titles — highlighted by an outright championship in 2025 — set a high bar. The program hopes to translate its defensive tenacity and emerging offensive pieces into another championship run, aiming to extend a legacy that has defined the Minutemen for decades.