Athlete of the Week: Isaiah Christian, Cedarville

Christian is a senior running back and defender for Cedarville football. In the Oct. 31 road playoff game against Portsmouth Notre Dame, a 41-37 win, Christian ran for 206 yards on 23 carries with three touchdowns and caught a 5-yard pass on offense. He also made 12 tackles with a tackle for loss on defense.

For his efforts, Christian was named the Dayton Daily News Athlete of the Week for Oct. 27 through Nov. 2, earning the honor through reader voting at DaytonDailyNews.com.

“I was just really honored,” Christian said of his nomination. “I know it couldn’t happen without my (offensive) line or D-line. Those guys are all really great and I just feel honored.”

Christian has stepped into more of a two-way role for Cedarville this season. Taking the role as the starting running back for the first time, Christian has rushed for 1,006 yards and nine touchdowns and is currently third in the Ohio Heritage Conference in all-purpose yardage.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

He became the team’s primary ball carrier in the backfield after watching former teammate Colt Coffey, and Christian credits him and others he played with before for helping prepare him for the rigors of staying on the field for nearly every play. Getting to constantly have an impact on the game is also something he relishes getting to do each week.

“You got to look up to them a little bit because of doing the same thing that I’m doing,” Christian said. “I’m on every single special team too and you got to think about [Colt] and just all the other great Cedarville players.”

He has continued his stellar defensive play in the process. Christian is the team’s leading tackler for the second consecutive season, with his 114 tackles ranking third in the OHC. He also has produced 13 tackles for loss and 4 sacks this season.

The Indians raced out to a 28-10 lead at halftime against the Titans and Christian said the bus ride home was filled with music and a feeling of camaraderie he joined with teammates.

“Me and the team played great,” he said. “From the beginning of the game I feel like we really came out strong and I feel like we can come out strong again this weekend.”

Cedarville had to forfeit its spot in the playoffs in 2024. Christian said after the team’s first round win it is ready to make the most of what it missed out on last year.

“We can play and we can win as long as we play hard and fast and we keep our minds and heads straight,” he said.

Send us your nominations

Where to find our coverage

Want to find the latest news on your smartphone? Download the new and improved Dayton Daily News app from your app store.