Since taking over the program for the 2021 season, North Side Legends head coach Ben Johnson and his football program have been on an up-and-down battle. They went 2-7 in his first season, but followed it up with an 8-3 season in 2022. This was a team led by current Notre Dame safety Tae Johnson. The Legends advanced to the Sectional Championship, but lost to the Snider Panthers. North Side would have two consecutive seasons where they were one-and-done in Sectionals, but this season, things just felt different.
My first opportunity to watch this program was their Week 3 matchup against the Northrop Bruins. Although they lost that game, after following them the past few seasons, it was noticeable that this Legends team could hang with the best. Even with Northrop’s record-breaking season, the Legends went into the 4th quarter with a 16-13 lead on the road over the Bruins. They weren’t able to pull out the victory, but this was a sign that this team wasn’t where it was in the past couple of seasons. They had clearly improved and are amongst the best teams in the SAC. It was also the first time in person I saw former Bishop Luers High School, Notre Dame, and NFL linebacker Jaylon Smith helping coach on the sidelines for the Legends. It put a stamp on an already cohesive coaching staff that will all contribute to the future success of the program.
This past Friday, the Legends lost 34-29 in a back-and-forth battle against the now 10-1 Concord Minutemen. This matchup ended up being one of the most competitive games in the area this past week, but the Legends were unable to capture their first Sectional title since 1990. Even in defeat, North Side’s program seemed to remain in high spirits and optimistic about the future. “Wish we had another week with this group. We have a very talented group coming back. I’m excited about next year. The foundation has been set. The takeover is coming,” coach Johnson replied. Before we look to the future, let’s highlight some key senior contributors for this year’s North Side team.
The Legends were led by a newcomer at quarterback. Jaydin Rivers stepped right into the leadership role for this team and was a huge factor in their success. He capped off the 2025 season with 2,506 passing yards (17th in the state), 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with a 113.7 QBR. He also added 254 rushing yards and six rushing TDs as well. Formerly playing for Warren Central, Rivers came into this season needing to learn a new system, program, and everything in between at North Side. After speaking with him, it sounded like what would be a transition for most kids was actually comfortable for him, thanks to North Side’s coaching staff.
“My senior Season was special. My best high school season of my career, I learned a lot from it. Also enjoyed the group of guys I did it with. Those guys were amazing. As far as playing for Coach Bjay, it was amazing; he made sure everyone on the team got an opportunity to make plays, and he is always there for his players. The staff was amazing; such as Coach Courtney, Coach Q, Coach Trell, Coach Davis , Coach Smith, Coach Lo, Coach LB, the list can go on. But they always helped me when I needed it and made this season really easy for me,” Rivers told me.
“Jaydin is a big kid with a strong arm. He is also a smart kid. He brings experience at the QB position. He is not brought down easily, and he can be used in the run/short game to pick up tough yards. He throws a beautiful ball,” Coach Johnson told me a few weeks back.
Jarmeek Harrison was another key contributor on offense with 519 receiving yards and four touchdowns. On defense, one of the biggest losses will be Jalen Jackson, who was 2nd on the team in tackles. Between these two players and Rivers, they’ll be tough to replace, but there is a plethora of talent returning next season. Jasean Early is another player who will leave the program and will likely go off to play at the next level with his latest offer from Ohio Northern University (his 6th offer). He played both safety and, occasionally, running back during his time at North Side.
Three-star recruit Maalik Moore will return for his senior season, who has garnered a ton of college offers. Key offers include Purdue, Miami (FL), Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Cincinnati, some MAC programs, just to name a few. He’s listed as an athlete since he plays both wide receiver and some defensive back, and he will return to be a top player for this program. He finished his junior season with 800 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns, 37 tackles on defense, four interceptions, and three forced fumbles. I was able to catch up with Moore to recap this season and look ahead as well.
“It was just a really great season all around. Coach Bj is an amazing coach. He does what he can for all of the kids and players on and off the field, that’s something I really like about him. Our team had some up and downs getting through some tough situations with losing games. But we faced adversity and stepped up, but we fell short in the playoffs and lost to Concord. It was a very hard loss with knowing that it was the last game I would be able to play with all the seniors. I can’t wait for the next year to show the city what I couldn’t show them this year, and the world will know my name,” Moore replied.
After a season like he had this year, Moore will likely garner even more interest this offseason and going into his senior season. Another player who returns will be running back Caleb Kiengele. Although he missed two games this season, he still rushed for 887 yards and seven touchdowns. He also added 205 receiving yards on the season. The best is yet to come for this young man, as he has gotten better with each game this season.
“It was a great learning experience. I was able to be myself in the play style we had. I was hurt early in the season, but I was able to bounce back and finish the season strong. The staff at North Side is good, we have great support, and it’s a true family around here,” Kiengele replied.
A breakout player this season for the Legends was junior defensive tackle Omarion Waites. He led the team in tackles with 98 total, 16 tackles for a loss, and four sacks. This was enough for him to be named to the 1st Team All-SAC team as a junior.
“Playing for Coach Johnson is a great experience because he is pushing you to your limits. He wants to see you do better in life and help you go to the next level. All of the coaches want to see you grow, be better; they push you to your limits. My success this year was training hard in the offseason, taking opportunities to get better, being a better me, and listening to my coaches by making that switch to go play DT, so I can play at the next level, D1 football,” Waites said about his coaching staff.
Also returning on defense will be Jamarcus Martin, Leslie Woodson, and BJ Johnson. Both Martin and Woodson accumulated over 60 tackles this season. In addition to that, Martin led the team in sacks with eight, and Woodson was 2nd on the team in sacks with seven on the season. Johnson was 2nd on the team in interceptions with three (one behind Moore).
All in all, there’s a tremendous amount of talent returning for the Legends next season. They’ll have to find a new quarterback, but they return nearly everything else and will have a lot of seniors to help lead them next season. As a team, they’ll return 16 starters, and the success of the freshman team (6-2) and JV team (8-1) has this program’s future looking bright.