Staff file photo / R. Michael Semple McDonald running back Casey Miller (11) is tries to fight through a tackle during a game against Columbiana on Aug. 29 in McDonald.

Earlier this season, the McDonald community celebrated 100 years of Blue Devils football with an event that reunited more than 250 former players and coaches.

The gathering wasn’t just a reunion; it was also a salute to a program that has logged more than 600 wins, 32 league championships, 16 undefeated seasons and 20 playoff appearances.

McDonald senior fullback Drew Zajack said that the celebration also served as a bit of a wake-up call for him and his teammates.

“Humbly speaking, I’ve always viewed McDonald as a village of winners,” Zajack said. “Whether it’s track, basketball, football or any other type of sport or activity, there’s just a mentality that there are standards to be met.

“We sort of saw all of that history of winning come together during the 100-year celebration. Now, I think me and my teammates are more driven than ever to make sure we add to that legacy.”

The Blue Devils are off to a good start.

For the first time since 2018, McDonald (4-0) is unbeaten through the first four weeks of the season. The 2018 season also marked the last time the Blue Devils went 10-0 in the regular season.

Tonight, the Blue Devils will look to remain perfect when they play a road game against Jackson-Milton (3-1).

“We thought we had the makings of a good team when this current group of seniors were freshmen,” McDonald coach Dan Williams said. “They won five games as sophomores, then went 7-3 last year.

“This past offseason, the entire group of kids, led by the seniors, they really did a ton of work on their own to get ready for this year. Whether it was extra time in the weight room or the quarterbacks and receivers throwing on their own, they all went out of their way to do the little things to make this year special. So far, their work has paid off.”

For a second straight year, the Blue Devils’ offense revolves around the Wing-T formation. It was a McDonald staple for decades, but Williams transitioned to the spread offense in 2018 before going back to his roots last year.

The move back to the Wing-T paid dividends. Last year, the Blue Devils scored 33 or more points in eight of their 11 games. Through four games this year, the Devils are averaging 46.5 points per game.

“Last summer, we worked really hard to introduce the Wing-T to this group,” Williams said. “We had to keep things simple early on because the kids weren’t accustomed to any of it. There were parts of the offense that weren’t introduced until the eighth week of the season or later.

“This year, we came into the summer with a full understanding. We’re way ahead of where we were last year at this time.”

Zajack leads the rushing attack with 422 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 7.81 yards per carry. Casey Miller has also crossed the goal line six times. He has rushed for 320 yards, averaging 7.44 yards per carry.

The McDonald passing game has been near perfect under the direction of Kyle Puckett. The senior quarterback has completed 23 of 29 passes for 579 yards, including 10 touchdowns. In McDonald’s two most recent games, Puckett completed 12 of his 14 pass attempts. Eight of the 12 passes went for touchdowns.

Williams referred to Puckett as “one of the most accurate quarterbacks I’ve been around in 35 years of coaching.”

Josh Krumpak, a fourth-generation Blue Devil, has nine receptions, six touchdowns and 330 receiving yards. Jordan Perry is close behind with eight receptions, accounting for 171 yards.

“We have a very talented and very experienced group at the skilled positions,” Williams said. “These guys have been a huge part of this program for several years now; they understand what it takes to reach that next level. Play-calling is pretty simple with this group.”

Williams also praised the unselfishness of the entire unit.

“In this style of offense, there are no statistical superstars because the football is spread around in so many different directions,” Williams said. “To a man, no one cares who gets the football. The unselfishness of this team is unbelievable.”

Puckett admits that he was at first skeptical when the offense was revamped last year. He has since fully embraced the Wing-T mentality, saying it “has opened up a ton of opportunities” for him and his teammates.

“We have so many options in the backfield at the receiver positions, it just makes sense to spread things around and it keeps the defense guessing,” Puckett said. “From a passing perspective, I love it, because when we run the play action, the defense doesn’t know what’s coming. It opens up opportunities for me to connect with my receivers.”

Puckett also acknowledges that he is surrounded by “an immense amount of talent.”

“My receivers are the best, I love throwing to those guys,” Puckett said. “Any one of our backs could be a featured back, they’re all that good. And it all starts up front with the offensive line. I don’t think I’ve been sacked once this year thanks to those guys.”

Following tonight’s game against Jackson-Milton, McDonald will play two more games on the road. The second half of the regular season includes games against the likes of Lowellville, Springfield and Mineral Ridge.

Williams insists his team is solely focused on the task at hand.

“Every week, we tell the kids that we’re practicing for this week, nothing else,” Williams said. “As coaches, our focus is our next opponent. We’re lucky because we have a very smart group of kids. They understand the importance of taking things one game at a time. They’ve been good about that from the start.”

Zajack echoed his coach’s comments, noting that “the entire team has had a different level of focus since early summer.” Still, Zajack says he and his teammates are also not backing down from setting lofty goals from here on out.

“We want that 10-0 season. We want a league title. We want a deep playoff run,” Zajack said. “We don’t know how the season will play out, but we want to make our mark on McDonald football history in some way.

“There’s a lot of tradition with this program. We just want to keep that tradition alive.”