By Rick Cassano

HARRISON – Ben Markarian has found himself in a win-win-win situation with Harrison High School’s football team this season.

He likes the history. But he loves the winning.

The Wildcats are off to a 3-0 start and have high hopes for the Division II postseason with guys like Markarian, a senior who has smashed the school’s career interception record and continues to add to it.

“It just happens. It’s just business,” Markarian said. “I love the picks. I love to get them. But I’d rather have the team win. If I could get the picks and be the all-time leader in wins, that would be great. But the wins are way more important.”

The 6-foot, 195-pound Markarian has 16 interceptions with four already this year, having started the season tied with 1989 graduate Jeff Bond at the top of the career list.

Markarian is a lifelong Harrison kid who became a defensive back almost by accident just before his sophomore campaign began.

“He didn’t play football until sixth grade, and he played wide receiver,” Wildcats coach Derek Rehage said. “His sophomore year he was battling for a wide receiver spot, and we actually had a DB decide not to come out. We needed a good player and we moved him to DB, and the rest has kind of been history.

“We could tell right away that he was different as a DB. We knew he was going to make an immediate impact. The twitch and the explosion and the ball skills were phenomenal, and the physicality at corner was unlike anything we had ever really seen before.”

Markarian said he played freshman and junior varsity ball as a ninth-grader. When it came to battling for a varsity position as a sophomore, he wanted it to be as a receiver. But cornerback became his job right before the season started, and he was fine with that.

“I wanted to play varsity,” Markarian said. “Any way I could be on varsity, I was going to go that route.”

He picked off two passes against Loveland in the 2024 season opener, kindling a defensive career that’s led Markarian to a verbal commitment with Northern Illinois University.

Rehage conceded that the initial move to defense wasn’t a huge hit with Markarian.

“I don’t think his mom and dad were the most on board with it either, but slowly the offers came in and he committed and they understood why,” Rehage said. “With his height, it’s tough to get recruited as a receiver, but there’s a lot of 5-11 safeties and corners, ball-hawking guys. He’s a big corner. He’s a big safety. I think deep down he really does believe that he’s a wide receiver at heart, but he’s realizing that he’s going to get paid to play DB.”

Markarian still sees some action as a receiver. He’s caught two passes for 96 yards and a touchdown this year. But he spends most of time moving between cornerback and safety positions.

Last week, Markarian got a chance to play some middle linebacker against Beavercreek. The Harrison coaches told him to simply follow the ball in the Beavers’ option offense, and the result was 11 total tackles.

“We want him to play wherever he has the biggest impact on the ball,” Rehage said. “His ability to get picks is his understanding of routes, understanding where he needs to be, his understanding of leverage. And he’s not afraid to gamble, I will say that. You have to have a short memory as a DB, and he has one of the shortest memories I’ve ever seen. The willingness to make the big play is just in his blood.”

Markarian said while instincts are vital for a successful defensive back, knowing your opponent is just as important.

“I watch a lot of film,” Markarian said. “When they line up in a certain formation, I kind of know where the ball’s going. Not every time of course, but I have a feel for it. If I can get a pick, I’m going to go for the pick. But the first job is not to get burned deep, so you need to stay on top of your guy.”

Markarian has an affinity for the weight room and immersing himself in lifting. He’s gained about 50 pounds during his time at Harrison.

“I love the weight room,” said Markarian, whose father Alan played football at Colerain and Hanover (Ind.) College. “Me and my brother Sam go up there, and he pushes me every day. If I don’t get my two hours a day, I kind of feel bad. I want to be in there.”

Rehage said Markarian has raised his game this year after playing most of his junior season with a shoulder injury. An offseason of 7-on-7 competition also sharpened his skills.

Harrison’s program has taken 7-on-7 seriously since the Ohio High School Athletic Association made a rule change two years ago and started allowing 7-on-7 at any time prior to and after the season (other than the 28-day no-contact period immediately after the season).

Seven players from the same school team can play together in 7-on-7, and there is no limit on the number of competitions in which a player or coach can participate.

Harrison started a club team and has players shuttling between its Wildcat Elite and the Ohio Players. There are 7-on-7 events around the country.

“We had over 20 Harrison players play this spring, which is great for us,” Rehage said. “Orlando in January, Vegas in February, then it got real heavy in March and April. It gets the kids more exposure. It gets them more film. It helps them with recruiting. It’s like AAU basketball for the skill players. That’s the way I look at it.

“The kids get to bond and be around guys from other schools. It’s a different experience, and maybe they get to see the coaches in a little bit different light where we’re not so uptight. We’re all just working together and trying to get better. It’s not quite as intense as Friday night.

“Our kids have been around some of the best players in the city, and it’s really made us more confident as a football team. We’re 8-1 combined as a program right now. We believe in what we’re doing and the attitude and culture we’re trying to set here.”

The Wildcats will host Withrow (2-1) on Friday and Markarian could be squaring off with Charles Alexander Jr., a highly regarded receiver for the Tigers. Markarian and Alexander played 7-on-7 together this year.

“He’s real athletic,” Markarian said. “Me on him 1v1 would be something.”

He said playing college football has always been a goal. Markarian said he had a half-dozen Division I offers, but choosing NIU wasn’t difficult once he visited the campus last spring.

“I loved the coach, and when they were showing me the facilities, I knew that’s the place where I wanted to play,” said Markarian, who plans to major in business finance and minor in computer science. “I could see myself there on Saturdays. It felt like home.”

There’s still plenty to be done at Harrison before Markarian officially becomes a Huskie. He said the Wildcats fully expected to be 3-0. They believe they can play deep into the playoffs.

Markarian said the team has outstanding camaraderie across all grades. That hasn’t always been the case during his time in high school.

“Everyone wants to win, and everyone’s on the same page of how we get there,” Markarian said. “It’s going to be a special season.”