CINCINNATI, Ohio — Miami Valley Christian Academy football closed out one of the most successful seasons in program history with a commanding 56-7 victory over New Miami on Friday, October 23, at MVCA All-Weather Field, securing the Lions' first-ever Miami Valley Conference football championship.

Under head coach Kyle Gulley, MVCA finished the 2026 campaign with a 7-3 overall record and a perfect 2-0 mark in MVC White Division play. The Lions recorded their first seven-win season since 2018, finished undefeated on the road at 5-0 and closed the year with three consecutive victories.

The regular-season finale also served as Senior Night, with MVCA recognizing 11 seniors who helped lead the program to its historic championship season.

LIONS DOMINATE NEW MIAMI IN SEASON FINALE

MVCA delivered one of its strongest offensive performances of the season, totaling 353 yards and eight touchdowns against the Vikings.

Sophomore quarterback Will Cameron completed five passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns, while freshman Drew Springer added 19 passing yards and another touchdown.

Senior Aydin Sistrunk led the rushing attack with 102 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, averaging 14.6 yards per attempt. Fellow senior Anthony-Jack (AJ) Ardizzone added 62 yards and a touchdown on six carries.

Senior Jeremiah DesJardins contributed two rushing touchdowns, while Santiago Vides added another as the Lions finished with 169 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Through the air, senior Hans Erickson caught two passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Lucas Livezey added a 50-yard touchdown reception, while DesJardins finished with two catches for 61 yards.

Erickson also converted all eight extra-point attempts, finishing the night with 20 points.

Defensively, MVCA forced three turnovers, including interceptions by Livezey and Adam Dooley. Dooley also recovered a fumble, while Erickson led the Lions with six tackles.

The victory completed a three-game winning streak in which MVCA outscored its opponents 79-26.

A HISTORIC CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

The 2026 campaign marked a significant step forward for the MVCA football program.

After consecutive 4-6 seasons in 2024 and 2025, the Lions opened the year with back-to-back road victories, shutting out East Clinton, 40-0, before defeating Clermont Northeastern, 49-28.

MVCA continued its success away from home with a 21-20 victory over Western Hills on September 11 and a 42-8 win over Fayetteville-Perry on September 25.

Despite setbacks against Deer Park, Summit Country Day and Cincinnati Country Day, the Lions remained in contention for both a conference championship and a postseason berth entering the final weeks of the regular season.

Following a heartbreaking 28-27 overtime loss to Cincinnati Country Day during Homecoming, MVCA responded with two of its most memorable victories of the year.

On October 9, the Lions earned a dramatic 17-16 victory over Summit Country Day, avenging an earlier loss to the Silver Knights.

Erickson connected on a 44-yard field goal to put MVCA ahead, and DesJardins secured the victory with an interception on Summit's final possession.

The following week, MVCA traveled to St. Bernard-Elmwood Place for a matchup with conference championship implications.

In a defensive battle that remained scoreless through regulation, the Lions forced a turnover in the first overtime before St. Bernard took a 3-0 lead in the second overtime.

DesJardins delivered the decisive rushing touchdown on MVCA's ensuing possession, lifting the Lions to a 6-3 victory and securing at least a share of the MVC White Division championship.

The victory over New Miami the following Friday completed an undefeated conference campaign and secured the outright division title.

The Miami Valley Conference officially recognized MVCA as its White Division champion, marking the first football conference championship in school history.

The Lions finished the season with 271 points scored and 2,862 yards of total offense, including 1,549 rushing yards and 1,313 passing yards in the published statistical totals.

RECORD-SETTING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES

Several Lions established new milestones and climbed the program's historical statistical leaderboards during the 2026 season.

Will Cameron | Quarterback

Cameron finished his sophomore season with 591 passing yards and six touchdowns, bringing his career total to 1,570 passing yards.

According to the school's all-time statistical records compiled by Gulley, Cameron ranks first in program history in career passing yards.

Lucas Livezey | Wide Receiver/Defensive Back

Livezey completed a standout junior campaign, establishing new single-season marks in the available historical statistical archive with 31 receptions and 379 receiving yards.

His reception total surpassed the previous mark of 21 set by Erickson in 2025, while his receiving yardage exceeded his own previous record of 366 yards from last season.

Livezey also finished with four receiving touchdowns and five interceptions, matching the highest documented single-season totals in both categories.

Through two varsity seasons, Livezey has accumulated 745 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns, placing him first in both categories on the school's all-time career leaderboard.

Jeremiah DesJardins | Quarterback/Running Back/Wide Receiver/Defensive Back

DesJardins delivered one of the most versatile offensive seasons in recent program history.

The senior finished with 520 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns while also throwing for 514 yards and five touchdowns.

As a receiver, DesJardins added 11 receptions for 241 yards and four touchdowns.

In total, he scored 13 touchdowns and threw for five more, accounting for 18 offensive touchdowns during the campaign.

Defensively, DesJardins added 71 tackles and two interceptions, contributing on both sides of the ball throughout his senior season.

Hans Erickson | Wide Receiver/Linebacker/Kicker

Erickson concluded his senior campaign as MVCA's leading tackler, recording 85 total tackles, including four sacks.

Offensively, he added 18 receptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns while converting 17 extra-point attempts and a field goal during the season.

His 594 career receiving yards rank second in program history, while his six career receiving touchdowns are tied for second on the school's all-time leaderboard.

Erickson's impact extended across all three phases of the game, highlighted by his decisive field goal against Summit Country Day and perfect eight-for-eight extra-point performance in the season finale.

Anthony-Jack (AJ) Ardizzone | Running Back/Defensive Back

Ardizzone concluded his varsity career with 1,171 rushing yards, placing him sixth on the program's all-time career rushing list.

The senior finished the 2026 campaign with 326 rushing yards and three touchdowns while adding 154 receiving yards and another score.

Aydin Sistrunk | Running Back/Defensive Back

Sistrunk provided an explosive presence in the Lions' backfield, rushing for 431 yards and seven touchdowns on just 41 carries.

His 10.5 yards per carry led MVCA's rushing attack, while his performance against New Miami included 102 yards and a touchdown in the season finale.

DEFENSE PLAYS KEY ROLE IN CHAMPIONSHIP RUN

MVCA's defense played an instrumental role throughout the championship campaign, particularly during the Lions' three-game winning streak to close the season.

Erickson led the team with 85 tackles, followed by senior Jonah Criste with 79 and DesJardins with 71.

Junior Layton Reeves anchored the defensive front with a team-leading seven sacks, while senior Zach Holland added 6.5.

In the secondary, seniors Aidan Frisby and DesJardins, along with juniors Livezey and Judah Walters, helped establish one of the Lions' greatest strengths throughout the season.

Frisby and Livezey each recorded five interceptions, matching the highest documented single-season total in the program's available statistical archive.

Walters added four interceptions, while DesJardins contributed two.

The Lions' defensive performances against Summit Country Day and St. Bernard-Elmwood Place proved particularly important, with MVCA allowing just 19 combined points in those two victories.

LIONS FINISH JUST OUTSIDE PLAYOFF FIELD

Despite finishing with seven victories and entering the final week in postseason contention, MVCA did not qualify for the 2026 Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs.

The Lions finished 13th in the final unofficial Division VI, Region 24 computer rankings with a Harbin average of 13.1500, one position outside the 12-team playoff field.

MVCA entered the final week ranked 10th in the region, but results from other games ultimately moved the Lions outside the qualifying positions despite their victory over New Miami.

Although the season concludes without a postseason appearance, the Lions leave 2026 having accomplished several significant milestones, including the program's first MVC football championship, its first seven-win season since 2018 and multiple individual statistical records.

BUILDING ON A CHAMPIONSHIP FOUNDATION

The 2026 season will be remembered as a historic year for MVCA football.

The Lions captured their first conference championship, matched the program's highest win total in the available 2017-2026 records and finished undefeated on the road.

The season also marked the conclusion of the varsity careers of 11 seniors who helped guide the program to its championship campaign.

With several key contributors returning, including Cameron, Livezey, Reeves and Walters, MVCA will look to build on its championship success heading into the 2027 season.

For the Lions, the 2026 campaign concludes with a conference title, a collection of individual milestones and another significant chapter added to the history of MVCA football.

2026 SEASON RESULTS

Final Record: 7-3 | *MVC White Division: 2-0 | Road: 5-0

Points Scored: 271 | Points Allowed: 205

MVCA FOOTBALL RECORD BOOK

SINGLE-SEASON STATISTICAL LEADERS (2017–2026)

The following rankings represent the best individual performances in a single varsity football season, not career totals. Rankings reflect available Miami Valley Conference statistical records from 2017 through the conclusion of the 2026 season. Players who were members of the 2026 MVCA football team are shown in bold. Tied rankings are included.

OFFENSIVE SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS

Passing Yards

Passing Touchdowns

Rushing Yards

Rushing Touchdowns

Receiving Yards

Receptions

Receiving Touchdowns

Points Scored

Total Touchdowns Scored

Includes rushing, receiving and return touchdowns. Passing touchdowns are not included.

DEFENSIVE SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS

Total Tackles

Total tackles are based on the MVC's published solo and assisted tackle totals.

Sacks

Interceptions

SPECIAL TEAMS SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS

Extra Points Made

Field Goals Made

Punting Average (Minimum 10 Punts)

Longest Punt

ALL-TIME CAREER STATISTICAL LEADERS

Unlike the single-season rankings above, these totals represent statistics accumulated throughout each player's recorded varsity career. The rankings are based on the available Miami Valley Conference statistical archive (2017–2026) and historical records compiled by MVCA head coach Kyle Gulley, including certain seasons before 2017.

Players from the 2026 MVCA football roster are shown in bold. Some historical categories contain fewer than 10 documented entries.

OFFENSIVE CAREER RECORDS

Career Passing Yards

DesJardins' total includes five passing yards from 2024 in addition to 514 yards recorded in 2026.

Career Passing Touchdowns

Career Rushing Yards

Career Rushing Touchdowns

Career Receiving Yards

Career Receiving Touchdowns

DEFENSIVE CAREER STATISTICS

Complete all-time defensive career rankings have not yet been established. The following are selected documented multi-season totals rather than definitive school-wide top 10 rankings.

Documented Career Interceptions

Documented Multi-Season Sacks

Documented Multi-Season Tackles

The tackle totals above represent sums from the specified MVC seasons. Additional seasons, where applicable, are not included.

MIAMI VALLEY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY FOOTBALL

2026 FINAL RECORD: 7-3

MVC WHITE DIVISION CHAMPIONS

FIRST MVC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP IN PROGRAM HISTORY