‘He’s always smiling’: Olentangy Orange’s Davis enjoying success in senior season
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
By Michael Rich
mrichnotwealthy@gmail.com
Olentangy Orange senior quarterback Levi Davis throws against Olentangy earlier this season. The Pioneers are averaging more than 40 points in their first four games. File photo
Treyton Schroeder has always been impacted by Levi Davis’ demeanor. The two have a long history together through youth sports and middle school and high school, highlighted by a state championship last winter in basketball.
Known for his incredible athleticism, Davis, a senior quarterback for the Olentangy Orange football team as well as a standout in basketball and track and field, is headed to Ohio University on a football scholarship after he graduates in December.
While his pursuits in sport are impressive, Davis has a way about him that’s infectious to be around.
“He’s always smiling … always smiling,” said Schroeder, a senior defensive back, who was also a key player as a guard on last year’s basketball team. “He could do something wrong – turn (the ball) over or something and he’ll be smiling. He’s ready to move on to the next play. He’s a competitor. He’s a winner. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to help us win.”
Davis has plenty to smile about, helping Orange football to its best start since 2017 at 4-0 after defeating Gahanna 35-21 on Sept. 12. The 2017 Pioneers won their first eight games.
“He’s just a good, good kid,” said second-year coach Wes Shroeder and Treyton’s uncle. “I don’t want to downplay it because he’s an elite, elite athlete, but we love coaching him just because he’s just fun to be around. He’s always smiling, he treats people the right way, he always shows up and he doesn’t show up late. He’s the kind of guy you like to coach because he loves (taking) coaching, he loves football and he’s committed to our program.”
Orange senior defensive back Treyton Schroeder (17), Levi Davis’s teammate since youth sports, appreciates Davis’s upbeat way of leading. File photo
Davis had quite a junior season taking home honors such as second-team all-state in football and special mention all-state as a guard in basketball as well as finishing seventh in the long jump and 17th in the high jump at the state track and field meet.
Smiling has very little to do with success for Davis.
“I feel like it’s just kind of like a mindset thing – knowing that nothing is ever too serious,” said Davis, who has 613 yards passing, six touchdowns and three interceptions on 45 of 71 completions as a passer, adding 214 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 30 carries this season. “You can always influence your situation and knowing that your mindset is the biggest factor in whatever you do.
“I feel like just keeping a positive mindset is like one of the biggest things that can set you over the top. Once you start getting in your head about what’s going wrong or what could happen – I feel like it all starts to fall down. So, just keeping that positive mindset – the smile is just, like, the effect of that.”
Davis began playing football and basketball as a young child. His older brother Labronz Davis II graduated from Westerville Central in 2019 before playing quarterback at Bowling Green. His sister London, a 2021 Orange graduate, played volleyball at Kansas.
He took up track and field as a freshman to fill the time and stay active for football and basketball. Davis won a regional title in the long jump and district titles in the long jump and the high jump last season. He placed third at state in the high jump as a sophomore.
Levi Davis plans to graduate in December to get a head start in college. Both parents (Labronz Sr. and Melissa) and older siblings are in or pursuing a career in medicine. He plans to follow in their footsteps.
Levi Davis scores during Orange basketball’s state championship run this past season. Davis has been a key contributor in football, basketball, and track and field for the Pioneers. File photo
“I feel like there’s a lot of benefits to (going) earlier, (like) graduating (college) early and (begin to) work towards the masters later on,” said Levi, who holds program records in passing touchdowns and passing yards, both season and career, according to coach Schroeder.
“You just get a little head start in (the spring than) the freshman coming in in the summer as far as figuring out campus, figuring out how to adjust to the college schedule and college life, because that’s a big change. But yeah, I’m excited.”
The Pioneers lead Division I, Region 3 in the latest projections by Joe Eitel with a non-league game at Olentangy Berlin Sept. 19. After that is a brutal OCC-Central Division schedule that begins at Hilliard Davidson Sept. 26. The Wildcats are seventh in Region 2 after beating Hilliard Darby last Friday.
Also included are a trip to Upper Arlington Oct. 10, ranked second in Region 3, and hosts Hilliard Bradley, second in Region 2, on Oct. 17. Dublin Coffman (home, Oct. 3) and Olentangy Liberty (away, Oct. 24) are also perennial playoff contenders. The Patriots are reigning state champions in Division I.
Senior Lucas Fickel leads the Pioneers with 510 yards and nine touchdowns rushing on 80 carries and classmate MC Walker has 16 receptions for 266 yards and a pair of scores.
Junior Brennan Kessler has 38 tackles and senior Zane Konczak has three interceptions to lead a defense that is allowing 8.75 points per game and has two shutouts already this season.
“Just staying connected because I think that was the biggest thing with our basketball team,” Treyton Schroeder said. “We were so connected … everyone. It felt like a brotherhood. That’s what we’re building this year on the football team.”
Levi Davis (right) will head to Ohio University to begin his collegiate career after graduating from Olentangy Orange this December. File photo