07/18/2025
🏈 Garage Sports 2025 Bellefontaine Chieftain Football Media Guide Preview 🏈
Receiving Record Holders
Riley Neer
- Touchdown Receptions Season: 21 (2023)
- Touchdown Reception Career: 27 (2020-2023)
- Receiving Yards Season: 1,873 (2023)
- Receiving Yards Career: 2,356 (2020-2023)
I wrote the following article for the Bellefontaine Examiner describing Neer's historic 2023 season..........
The history of football at Bellefontaine High School stretches into the final years of the 19th century. For the first 100 years, throwing the football was used as an occasional distraction from the consistent onslaught of a power run game.
The last decade has seen the arrival of a “modern” offensive attack. Season by season, the bar for aerial statistics has steadily risen. Much of that growth has been in predictable increments. Daniel Boy’s 2014 single-season receiving yards record of 732 was eclipsed by Ethan Yoder's 818 in 2021, and then by CJ Wilson’s 948 in 2022.
Then, along came Riley Neer and his recently completed 2023 season. The 6’1 185 lb. Senior stamped a video game-like mark on the receiving record board at BHS. 113 catches for 1873 yards and 21 touchdowns make for a tall mountain to climb for any future BHS pass catchers.
For Neer, completing the greatest receiving season in school history wasn’t always in the plans. Neer moved to BHS before his 8th grade year, and led the Middle School Chiefs to an undefeated season from the quarterback position. “I was so excited for the opportunity to play football for BHS. I had been preparing since third grade to play quarterback at this level and was ready to make an impact for our team.”
He entered High School in the fall of 2020 amidst COVID-19 restrictions and promptly suffered a season ending back injury.
As a Sophomore, Neer entered the 2021 season as the starting quarterback. His goals were right in front of him.
Then along came freshman phenom, Tavien St. Clair. St. Clair quickly moved into a timeshare with Neer and both led the young resurgent Chieftains through the early part of the season. “Tavien is an incredible football player and quarterback. He is on a level this area and community has maybe never seen. We have both been pushing each other to be the very best since the very first days of being together as quarterbacks here and this has continued in a really positive way every single day we have been together at Bellefontaine.”
Midway through the season, the decision was made to move St. Clair into the quarterback role full time. Neer would remain involved in the offense but as a wide receiver. “The transition from quarterback to wide receiver presented some challenges for me. I had only played quarterback to this point and had really committed so much time and effort in offseason skill development to prepare for this time.” The switch left Neer in limbo and without a clearly defined role.
As fate would have it, he wouldn’t be in limbo long, as injuries thrust Neer into the role of primary running back vs. Kenton Ridge in week 9. Neer responded with almost 200 yards of total offense, including an electric 79 yard touchdown on a screen pass to propel the Chiefs to an overtime victory. The win would put the Chiefs into the playoffs as the 13th seed.
The young Chiefs would use that opportunity to go on the road and upset the heavily favored Tri-Valley Scotties. Unfortunately, Neer’s season ended the week prior with a broken leg.
Neer’s junior season was one of growth, but the continued adversity of a man without a clearly defined position.. His dynamic play making ability, football intelligence and willingness to sacrifice for the team placed him as sometime feature back, sometime slot receiver. 638 yards rushing and 483 yards receiving in addition to 6 touchdown runs and 6 touchdown catches were enough to earn him First Team All Central Buckeye Conference.
“I was still very raw in overall wide receiver play when you think about how to run routes with the level of detail required, necessary footwork and skill in catching the football along with the overall art of being a great wide receiver. The individual success I had in my Junior season was much more a result of my athletic ability instead of my knowledge of the position and being excellent in my role.”
For all his success in 2022, Neer knew that he could take his game higher as he entered the offseason before his Senior year.
“After the season was over and knowing that our last year was immediately in front of us as Seniors, I was committed and focused on doing everything possible to maximize my impact on the Chieftain football program.”
Neer came out firing on all cylinders in the Chiefs opening game vs. Sidney. 10 catches, 130 yards and 2 Touchdowns helped BHS blow out the Yellow Jackets. Week 2 brought the much anticipated rematch vs. state power Coldwater. The St. Clair to Neer connection almost single handedly carried the Chieftain offense to a road victory. While the Chiefs came up short 28-25, Neer caught 13 balls for 212 yards and 2 more scores.
For a short time, the Coldwater game appeared to have set a school record for single season receiving yards. Upon further review, Neer ended his night just short of the school record. It wouldn’t be the last time Neer would threaten the BHS record books and for the four subsequent records, he wouldn’t leave it up to interpretation.
Neer continued to put up strong numbers in weeks three through five. Then came the game of the year vs. the defending CBC Champion and state ranked London Red Raiders. London had quickly become a thorn in the side of the Chieftains in their short time as members of the Central Buckeye Conference.
This meeting was no different. London dominated the Chiefs in all phases and held Neer to 55 yards on just four catches. Suddenly, the Chiefs season was at a crossroads. Two losses through six weeks was not up to the expectations of Neer and his highly touted classmates.
An offensive explosion the next two weeks vs. Tecumseh and arch-rival Urbana weathered the storm for the Chieftains. Neer led the way with 354 receiving yards on 15 catches, 3 of which were for touchdowns.
In the spirit of complimentary football the Chieftains “wolfpack” defense also found their footing during this stretch, giving up only 51 points in a five week stretch from game seven through eleven.
A hard fought win over a tough Johnathan Alder squad set the Chiefs up for a home playoff game in Week 11. The Chiefs entered the OHSAA Division 3 playoffs as a seven seed and would host 10th seed John Glenn from New Concord.
Against the Muskies, Neer had a night the BHS faithful won’t soon forget. 9 catches for 166 yards with 3 touchdowns wasn’t quite enough for the dynamic Senior as he added a 87 yard kickoff return for a touchdown for good measure. The 49-7 blowout set the Chiefs up for a week 12 showdown with an old familiar foe.
True second chances are rare in life and especially High School football, but the Chiefs found themselves traveling to London with an opportunity to right the wrongs of a week 6 implosion.
In a veritable 180 degree turnaround the Chiefs put together one of the most complete efforts in recent memory. The BHS offensive and defensive lines pounded the Red Raiders into submission. Along with 150 yards rushing from fellow Senior Chris Fogan, Neer put up his now standard 183 yards receiving on 12 catches with 3 touchdowns. None bigger than the 28 yard strike from St. Clair late in the third quarter that would put the Chiefs ahead for good.
The win was BHS’s first over London in 6 tries since the Red Raiders joined the conference in 2019.
“The game meant so much to not only our team, but our school and most importantly our community. The way we lost to them the first time we played this season was embarrassing to all of us involved. This created a desire for redemption which is what drove us to beat London.”
The redemption theme continued in week 13 as waiting in the Regional Sem-Finals would be the Blue Aces of Granville. Granville had defeated the Chiefs in the first round of the 2022 season on a controversial non-touchdown by the Chiefs as time expired.
Like London, Neer and Fogan would dominate the stat sheets for BHS. Fogan rushing for almost 200 back-breaking yards and Neer catching 11 of St. Clair’s 13 completions for 204 yards and two touchdowns.
For Neer, Granville capped a historic four game stretch of 731 yards receiving with 11 total touchdowns. Just 10 short years ago, that four game run would have signified a historic season's worth of output.
Through the first three weeks of the playoffs, Neer and his teammates captured the attention of the entire Bellefontaine community. Crowds grew with each passing week and school spirit spread through the hallways of BCS. The sky high expectations held by Neer just three short years prior were being realized all at once.
The Regional Finals, only the 3rd in BHS history, would bring another familiar foe. The Bishop Watterson Eagles had eliminated the Chiefs on two occasions in playoff runs of 1999 and 2009. A non-conference game in 2021 served as a springboard victory for the then young Chieftains.
The Eagles Defense proved too much on this night at Marion Harding Stadium. Watterson players swarmed to the football, holding the Chieftain offense in check throughout the night. The BHS defense kept the team in the game throughout but a fourth quarter Eagle touchdown gave Watterson a 19-13 victory and trip to the State Semi-Finals.
While the season ended with a disappointing outcome against the eventual State Runner-Up, the journey completed will stick with Neer and his teammates for a lifetime.
“The support provided from the community throughout the playoff run was unmatched and will be a memory I will always remember and be thankful for.”
Neer’s place amongst the legends of BHS past is deeply rooted. In addition to the single season receiving record, his 21 touchdown catches almost doubled the 11 by Chuck Wrobel in 1990. His career receiving yards record of 2,356 also bests Wrobel's mark of 2,261 of 1990. Finally, the 27 career receiving touchdowns eclipses Jack Clements 19 in 2018.
With a season like his, Neer is gaining traction from college coaches and is excited to take his game to the next level.
“I am currently finalizing my decision on where I will be attending college and playing football at. It is a blessing to have several opportunities and I am so excited to get started on this next step of my journey. I will be majoring in Pre-Medicine with the goal of going on to medical school after graduation.”
⚠ Update⚠ Neer is entering his second season as a member of the Ohio Bobcats. He has repeatedly impressed the Bobcat coaches with his talent, determination and intelligence. Neer looks to be a factor in the punt and kick return games, as well as a rotational player at slot receiver.
O.U. opens it's season on the road vs. Rutgers on August 28th at 6 pm. Two weeks later the Bobcats will travel to Ohio Stadium to face Neer's former teammate Tavien St. Clair in the Horseshoe vs. the Buckeyes.
