Staff file photo / R. Michael Semple. McDonald head coach Dan Williams walks down the sideline during the Blue Devils’ regional quarterfinal playoff game against Warren JFK on Nov. 7 at McDonald Stadium in McDonald.

McDonald football’s 100th season was one to remember.

Finishing with a 13-1 mark and the top seed in Division VII, Region 25, the Blue Devils reached their first state final four since 1994. This marked the 21st undefeated regular season in program history, tied a program-high in wins and was the team’s 33rd league championship.

“It was unbelievable. It was one of the best that I’ve had in my 26 years,” said McDonald coach Dan Williams, who was named co-coach of the year for the Northeast All-Inland District Division VII team. “It was a pleasure to coach a group of kids like this. And I’m not surprised at the outcome based on the type of kids that we had on this football team and the type of leadership we had from our seniors and in the unselfishness we had.”

While Williams could see the seeds of a great season in last year’s group, the Week 2 game against Columbiana, McDonald’s alumni night, being around so many players from over the years really inspired the players on the roster.

As the season progressed, Williams saw that desire for greatness only grow.

“You step back now, when it’s all said and done, and you look at it like, ‘Wow, that’s like a storybook,'” Williams said. “Who would have thought, on our 100-year celebration of football, that we could pull off the season like we did. To be honest, when we were honoring those alumni and past coaches back in Week Two, I could see that it meant something to our football team.

“It meant something that they were going to be part of this legacy or make their own legacy be part of this tradition and leave their mark. You could see it in their expressions, and the way they approached that one game, because they were showing off for the alumni that were there, but you could see it as the season progressed as well. They were willing to make this year a special year, not just for themselves, but for the thousands of players that came before them in the 99 years prior.”

McDonald’s offense was dominant this season, to say the least. The Blue Devils amassed nearly 5,000 yards of offense and averaged 34 points-per-game, scoring more than 40 points in eight of the team’s games.

A big part of that was the one-two backfield punch of Drew Zajack and Casey Miller. The pair had nearly identical numbers prior to the team’s final game, with Miller running for 1,172 yards and 14 touchdowns and Zajack running for 1,176 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Jordan Perry and senior Josh Krumpak were dynamic out wide, bringing in eight and 13 touchdowns, respectively. Krumpak finished with 900 receiving yards.

Under center, senior Kyle Puckett threw for 1,882 yards and 26 touchdowns on the way to earning a share of the Offensive Player of the Year award for the Northeast All-Inland District Division VII team.

Puckett, Krumpak, offensive lineman Amari Carayol, Zajack, Miller and Perry all received first-team honors. Jacob Bowser, Preston VanMeter, Quinn Schmidt, Brady Klockner and Dominic Sampson, the team’s leading tackler with 94, all earned honorable mention nods.

As for what’s next for the Blue Devils? A reload. Krumpak, VanMeter, Schmidt, Sampson, and Carayol all return next season, and the foundation has been laid. The McDonald seniors have set a standard for hard work, dedication and closeness that will be the blueprint for success the program has going forward.

“They need to learn from and take some advice from the seniors, the guys that are graduating,” Williams said. “I think they set a good foundation that these kids that are coming behind them have learned. And they were there firsthand when the seniors were working out in the offseason or putting in the extra time.

“They learned from example, I think, and they know what it takes now. Our program has been solid. We’ve been successful for quite a few years now, but I think they just got that little extra knowledge from this group of seniors that showed that with hard work and teamwork and closeness, like making your team a family, I think they learned that that’s the blueprint for success.”

As the years pass, and members of the 2025 team are back at the McDonald Athletic Complex, this time as alumni and not a player showing off for them, Williams hopes that the family aspect of this team is what sticks out.

There were plenty of on-field things to remember — a hard-fought win over a scrappy Lowellville team, a 7-6 win over Springfield and a 20-14 win over rival Mineral Ridge in the last two weeks to preserve an undefeated regular season, while also taking down Warren JFK and Mogadore in the postseason. Not to mention all the accolades earned as individuals and tying a program-high for wins.

All of that said, to Williams, it’s the memories made with people you fought alongside that matter most.

“Having all those memories with your best friends (is special),” Williams said. “The senior class, they’re a close group of kids that have been playing a lot of football together. I always tell them, you’ll somewhat remember the bad times, but you’ll talk a lot about the good times 10-15 years from now, when you’re sitting down having a drink with your buddies. I just think they’ll remember those friendships that were developed, and how they just enjoyed being together, and the time that they put in.”