Blue Devils install spread offense to produce more points

The Columbus High Blue Devils will have a new look on offense when they hit the gridiron this fall. Head Coach Phil Marino and his staff have ditched the traditional I-formation and installed a spread offensive attack with four wide receivers and one running back. Coach Marino hopes the change will enable the Blue Devils to score more points and improve on its 2-8 season from 2010 when they beat only Kendrick and Central-Carrollton.

“I’ve been running the I-formation forever but don’t have the lineman or backs to run that particular offense,” said Marino. “We are adjusting to our personnel and lack of size. We are a lot more athletic. We are going to run the spread, throw the ball around a little bit more, make it a little more exciting and create more opportunities to score. We will be in the shotgun about 80 percent of the time.”

Columbus has been working on its new offense since after Christmas, when the staff and key players first began to talk about the change and plan for it. The spread offense was officially installed at spring practice. “It went pretty well,” said Marino. “They are adapting pretty quickly.”

Leading the charge at quarterback will be sophomore Wyatt Peterson (5’11/170). “He has a very strong arm and a good pocket presence,” said Marino. “He throws the ball as well as anybody I’ve seen in a while. He’s very smart in the pocket.”

Last year’s quarterback, senior Ryan Lang (5’11/185), is moving to defense where he will play cornerback. “He was willing to make that move. We feel like he will be a good defensive player for us,” Marino said. “He is a hard worker and a dedicated young man. He has good speed and he is strong.”

Pass blocking is the focus for the Blue Devils’ offensive line in the new scheme. The O-line will be anchored by senior Trey Robertson (5’10/230), junior Tedric Palmer (6’2/260), junior Gabriel Pudichery (5’11/190), sophomore Adams Clark (6’2/230), and junior center Gavin Bonner (6’0/227).

The primary target in the passing game is senior wide receiver Anthony Padron (6’3/185). Padron caught 37 passes last season and scored two touchdowns. He will also see playing time at safety and serve as the back-up quarterback. “He is an outstanding athlete,” said Marino. “He will get a lot more balls thrown his way this year. He runs great routes and if the ball gets near his hands he is going to catch it.”

Another target in the air will be junior wide receiver Tony Alexander (5’10/170). “He is a talented young man and will be a big part of our offense,” said the third-year coach.

The running back position is still up in the air. Marino said they would use two or three different players in the offensive backfield.

The Blue Devils are changing their defensive scheme, too, abandoning the 4-4 from last season and switching to a more athletic and agile 3-3-5. “The reason is because of our personnel,” said Marino. “We have more linebackers and defensive backs than we do defensive lineman.”

Expected starters on defense include senior linebacker Patrick Stallings (5’11/215), senior linebacker/defensive back Ben Bice (5’11/180), senior linebacker/defensive back Carden Doolittle (5’11/192), junior inside linebacker Trey Taff (5’11/205), junior cornerback Luke Thompson (5’11/175), and senior defensive end Terrance West (6’1/215).

Marino said Columbus has 67 players on the roster, which includes 18 freshmen. “We have some pretty good athletes out of that group,” he said.

After back-to-back 2-8 seasons, Coach Marino took caution when talking about expectations for the upcoming season. “Our goal is to take one day at a time, take one practice at a time, and take one game at a time,” he said.

Columbus High Blue Devils

GHSA, Class AAA, Region 6

Colors: Orange and Blue

Head Coach: Phil Marino

2010 Results:

Record: 2-8, Region: 1-5

Points Scored: 110

Points Allowed: 297

Players to Watch 2011

Wyatt Peterson, QB,  5’11/170, SO

Ryan Lang, CB, 5’11/185, SR

Tedric Palmer, OL, 6’2/260, JR

Trey Robertson, OL, 5’10/230, SR

Gavin Bonner, C, 6’0/227, JR

Gabriel Pudichery, OL, 5’11/190, JR

Adams Clark, OL, 6’2/230, SO

Anthony Padron, WR/QB/S, 6’3/185, SR

Tony Alexander, WR, 5’10/170, JR

Patrick Stallings, LB, 5’11/215, SR

Ben Bice, LB/DB, 5’11/180, SR

Carden Doolittle, LB/DB, 5’11/192, SR

Trey Taff, LB, 5’11/205, JR

Luke Thompson, CB, 5’11/175, JR

Terrance West, DE, 6’1/215, SR

Sam Dunton, K, 6’0/185, JR

BY JOHN CARROLL

IN THE GAME HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE

http://columbusvalley.inthegamemagazine.com/

Brookstone football seeks return to post-season

Blair Harrison will have his work cut out for him this fall as he begins his ninth season as the head football coach at Brookstone. The Cougars lost 12 seniors from last year’s team that finished 7-3 and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. It was the first year that a Harrison-coached Brookstone team failed to make the post-season.

“Not to take away from any other teams, but last year was arguably the best team I’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Harrison, whose career record at Brookstone is 65-25 and includes seven consecutive playoff appearances from 2003 to 2009.

Last year’s Brookstone team lost three games by a combined 13 points (Marion County, 10-7; Hawkinsville, 20-14; and Greenville, 14-10). Against Hawkinsville and Marion County, Brookstone scored go-ahead touchdowns on their final possessions, but both were nullified due to illegal motion penalties.

“We did it. They were penalties,” said Harrison, who reviewed the plays on video. “It was just bad timing. Unfortunately, we had penalties at the wrong time.”

Drew McCluskey, left, rushed
 for 1,004 yards in 2010.

Only four seniors are on the Brookstone roster for the 2011 season. The most experienced senior is running back Drew McCluskey, who rushed for 1,004 yards on 110 carries in 2010 and scored 12 touchdowns. McCluskey (5’8”/170) also caught 10 passes for 155 yards and serves as the Cougars punt returner.

Joining McCluskey in the offensive backfield will be his first cousin, Madison McCluskey (6’0”/165). The junior playmaker rushed for 125 yards on 23 carries in 2010.

“We need a big year from the two McCluskeys,” said Harrison. “They really need to shine for us to have a chance.”

Also carrying the ball for the Cougars will be senior running back E.J. Schwan, who last year gained 195 yards on 20 carries. Schwan (5’8”/165) also plays linebacker and was the leading tackler in 2010 with 80 tackles.

The Cougars return experience at quarterback with junior Duncan Fletcher (6’3”/185) once again calling signals under center. Last year, Fletcher passed for 781 yards and eight touchdowns while connecting on 39 of 70 attempts (55.7%). He threw three interceptions.

“Duncan Fletcher needs to step up and have a great year to take us to the next level,” said Harrison. “He can do everything we need him to do to be successful. He will run the ball more this year. He is ready to carry this team.”

Two of Fletcher’s receiving targets will be juniors Tim Kennedy (5’10”/160) and Max Williams (5’10”/165). In 2010, Kennedy caught seven passes for 105 yards. “Max Williams is a baseball guy who needs to step up as a receiver and tight end,” said Harrison.

Anchoring the offensive line for the Cougars will be senior Will Whilden (6’3”/250) and juniors Bo Jones (6’2”/240) and Jackson Mansour (5’10”/170). “Whilden is our best lineman. He started last year,” said Harrison.

Up-and-coming players to watch, added Harrison, include sophomore Nick Sargent (6’2”/175) and freshman lineman Tripp Valentini (5’10”/180).

Brookstone’s kicking game should be strong, noted Harrison, with sophomore place kicker Miller Page and junior punter Tim Kennedy. “Kennedy has an excellent leg,” said the coach.

With only 31 players on the roster, including 18 sophomores and freshmen, Harrison said several offensive players with also need to play defense this season. “We will play guys both ways this year more than we ever have,” he said.

The linebacker corps will be led by E.J. Schwan, Jackson Mansour and Madison McCluskey.

When asked about his expectations for the 2011 season, Harrison joked, “I hope we can make it through the year alive.”

Then on a serious note: “The expectations are the same every year—win every game. Win the region championship. Go far in the playoffs and ultimately win a state championship. We don’t have the numbers that we had in the past, but I still think we have very good players.”

Brookstone Cougars

GHSA, Region 4A

2010 Stats:

Record: 7-3

Region: 7-3

Total offense: 3,401 yards

Average points allowed per game: 10

Most points scored against: 20

Opening game: Macon County, 8/26, home

Players to Watch:

Drew McCluskey (5’8”/170), RB, SR

Madison McCluskey (6’0”/165), RB/LB, JR

EJ Schwan (5’8”/165), RB/LB, SR

Duncan Fletcher (6’3”/185), QB, JR

Will Whilden (6’3”/250), OL, SR

Bo Jones (6’2”/240), OL, JR

Tim Kennedy (5’10”/160), TE/P, JR

Max Williams (5’10”/165), TE, JR

Jackson Mansour (5’10”/170), OL/LB, JR

Miller Page (6’2/140), K, SO

Nick Sargent (6’2”/175), DE, SO

Tripp Valentini (5’10”/180), OL, FR

JOHN CARROLL

IN THE GAME HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE

http://columbusvalley.inthegamemagazine.com/

#######

Football debuts at Calvary Christian School

Friday night lights are coming to Calvary Christian School this fall in the form of a brand new football team—the first in school history. Calvary headmaster Len McWilliams hired Brian Osborne away from Brookstone to serve as the school’s athletic director and inaugural head football coach.

“Not many coaches can say they’ve had the opportunity to start a football program from scratch,” said Osborne. “It feels tremendous to have that honor. It’s an opportunity that I’ve been working for.”

Osborne worked as an assistant football coach at Brookstone for eight years where he studied and learned from head coach Blair Harrison. He served as the Cougars defensive coordinator for three seasons.

The Calvary Knights prepare for their inaugural
football season in 2011.

Osborne said he plans on running the same offense as Brookstone at Calvary—the Wing T—which relies heavily on the running game. “We are going to be running the ball most of the time and throw a pass when they are not looking for it,” he said.

The team had 31 players participate in spring practice, which mainly consisted of teaching the fundamentals of football and practicing proper technique. More than 20 Calvary players are playing football for the very first time.

At the first day of spring practice, Osborne and his seven assistant coaches put the players through several drills and taught them the proper football stance. When the head coach told a group of players to go forward on “hut one,” one player raised his hand and said, “Coach, what is hut one?”

There have been other lighthearted moments, too, according to Osborne, who said he embraced the opportunity to shape and mold his players.

 “We don’t have any bad techniques to get them out of because they don’t have any techniques,” said Osborne. “And that’s a great thing. We’ve been starting out with the basic fundamentals—what steps to take, and proper placement of head and shoulders on tackling.”

The current Calvary roster consists of 10 seniors, five juniors, 11 sophomores, and five freshmen. Osborne said senior Steven Thomas (6’1/195), a star basketball and baseball player, will most likely see a lot of playing time at fullback and linebacker. “He is one of the better athletes at Calvary,” said the coach.

Senior Adam Nantz will anchor the offensive line. “He is one of the most enthusiastic players on the team,” said Osborne. “He has been in my office a lot just wanting to talk football.”

Another senior, Joseph Webb, has stood out in practice. “He is picking up things real quick. He’s smart. I think he can play multiple positions for us,” said Osborne.

Calvary Christian will compete in the Independent Christian Schools of Georgia and Alabama Athletic Association (ICSGA). The Knights will play an 8-game schedule with six games on the road, mostly in the Atlanta area. “We are going to travel some,” said Osborne. “One of the things about being a start-up program is not many teams want to ride down to Columbus.”

Calvary’s first game is Aug. 26 at Loganville Christian Academy in Loganville, Ga. The school’s first home game is Sept. 9 vs. defending state champion Covenant Christian Academy. The Knights will play their two home games in 2011 at Britt David Park.

The last four games on the Calvary schedule are all region games. Osborne said the Knights play in a region with five schools where four teams make the playoffs. One win in the region will put Calvary in the playoffs. “That’s a big goal for us,” said the coach.

Osborne, who played high school football at Brookstone and college ball at Rhodes, said there has been a constant buzz of excitement surrounding the Calvary football program. He said people constantly ask him, “How is football going?” His standard reply: “The guys look great out there.”

A Columbus native, Osborne said it will take time to build and grow the football program at Calvary, and admitted the team may struggle in its first season.

“I want to go out and win a championship in the first year, but that’s probably not realistic,” said Osborne. “But we are going to start building for the future. We just want to get out there and play football. Our ultimate goal in the future is to join the GHSA so we can start playing Brookstone and Pacelli and cut down on travel. We think that would be a great rivalry, if we can play those two schools.”

BY JOHN CARROLL

IN THE GAME HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE

http://columbusvalley.inthegamemagazine.com/

CALVARY KNIGHTS ROSTER

Number        Name                         Grade                           Position        

         3           Clayton Bray             12                           TE/DB

         4           Corey Carroll            10                           RB/DB

         5           Derek Bigham           12                           RB/DB

         7           Jeremy Walker          11                           RB/DB

         8           Patrick Cook             12                           RB/DB

         9           Adam Gray               10                           QB/DB

         10         Luke Giegerich          10                           TE/LB

         12         Steven Thomas          12                           RB/LB

         15         Landon Rush               9                           QB/DB

         18         Jacob Ammons           11                           QB/DB

         21         Tim Thomas                9                           RB/LB

         23         Cole Parker                9                           RB/DB

         24         Justin Moss                11                           RB/DB

         31         Caleb Ashburn            12                           RB/DB

         36         Trent Burns               10                           TE/LB

         50         John Greene              12                           OL/LB

         55         Joseph Webb             12                           OL/DL

         56         Noah Jenkins             10                           OL/DL

         57         Tyler Jones                12                           OL/DL

         60         Jason Fowler              11                           OL/DL

         63         Chase Womble             9                           OL/DL

         65         Dylan Tumlin              11                           OL/DL

         66         Adam Nance               12                           OL/DL

         71         Jacob Struecker          10                           OL/LB

         74         Clayton Barefield         10                           OL/DL

         75         Aaron Struecker          12                           OL/DL

         77         Will Buck                    11                           OL/DL

         82         Andrew Walsh             10                           TE/LB

         89         Joshua Mixon              10                           TE/LB

Head Coach: Brian Osborne

Assistant Coaches: Robb Riddell, Floyd Clements, Richie Ashburn, David Spitzmiller, Jason Robertson, Dillon Bigham, Brandon Walker         

Harris County seeks the elusive playoff victory

As the saying goes, close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes. Just ask Harris County head football coach Tommy Parks. His Class AAAA Tigers were close in a lot of Georgia High School Association football games in 2010, but struggled to finish, losing six games by a touchdown or less, including two in overtime and three by a mere field goal.

That’s enough to make Coach Parks lose his religion. Take the Griffin game, for instance. Harris County was beating Griffin 6-0 with less than two minutes remaining when the Bears connected on a Hail Mary pass to win in dramatic fashion.

“They had third and forever and threw a 97-yard touchdown pass,” lamented Parks, who starts his eighth year at Harris County this fall. Painful losses during the 2010 campaign, like the one to Griffin, left the Tigers with an underachieving record of 3-7, and 2-4 in Region 3A competition.

Harris County defensie end Jordan Jenkins (90) is one of the
top college prospects in the nation.

What’s more, last season was the first time the Tigers missed the playoffs since 2006. For the 2011 season, Parks hopes the Harris County defense can once again keep the Tigers in ballgames and the offense can produce enough points to win. The Tigers return eight starters from the 2010 defense that only allowed 10 points per game.

Anchoring the defense is the highly touted and explosive Jordan Jenkins (6’3/245), a four-year starter and one of the top college football prospects in the nation. The senior defensive end had 80 tackles and 8.5 sacks as a junior while routinely fighting through two blockers. Jenkins had similar numbers as a sophomore, said Parks.

“All I can tell you is the kid can play football,” said Parks. “He is real explosive off the ball, very athletic. Plays hard. He practices like he plays. He is targeted by other teams—let’s block No. 90. He gets double teamed every play. His biggest asset is his competitiveness. That’s what keeps him grounded.”

The supporting cast around Jenkins on defense includes senior linebacker Jagger Buggs (6’3/230), junior defensive end Jay Ellison (6’2/285), senior outside linebacker Jalliane Coverson (5’10/190), junior free safety Diquan Roberts (6’0/175), junior linebacker Tyler Denova (5’10/190), senior defensive lineman Jordan Durham (6’2/210), senior defensive back Roquez Harris (5’10/170), and senior defensive back Devon Moore (5’9/160).

“We take a lot of pride in playing defense in Harris County,” said Parks. “My job is to move that over to the offensive side of the ball. We are going to be fairly young on offense, but athletic. We’re starting some sophomores and juniors. We’re real excited about it. They are hungry to play and eager to make a difference.”

Projected started on offense, per Parks, are seniors Curtis Johnson (OL, 6’2/230), Zac Rovig (FB, 6’1/210), and Tevon Moore (WR, 5’9/160). Expected to see playing time at running back Roberts, Harris and sophomore Esiasas Chapman (RB, 5’10/175). The Tigers have four spots to fill on the offensive line. “We got five or six kids fighting for offensive line spots,” said Parks. “We lost all of our offensive line but Johnson.”

The starting quarterback job is still up for grabs, Parks said, but the leading contenders are junior Justin Wright (5’10/170) and freshman Taeqan Marshall (5’10/165). Marshall was the Middle School Player of the Year two years in a row at Harris County Middle School. Marshall’s teammate, wide receiver Tay Crowder (6’1/175), is another outstanding freshman player. “They won back-to-back championships in middle school,” said Parks. “They played everywhere—running back, receiver, quarterback.”

Other players who should contribute this season, said the coach, are junior wide receiver Zac Kelly (5’11/170), sophomore wide receiver A.J. Howard (5’9/165), and senior running back/wide receiver Zac Thomason (5’10/170).

“The goal is to win a playoff game,” noted Parks. “We’ve never won a playoff game. Every time we’ve made it we’ve had to play one of the powerhouse schools like Peach County, Griffin and Statesboro in the first round. It’s time to jump back up, strap on our boots and get back to work.”

By John Carroll

IN THE GAME HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE

http://columbusvalley.inthegamemagazine.com/

Harris County Tigers

GHSA, AAAA, Region 3A

Head Coach: Tommy Parks

Colors: Black and Gold

2010 Results:

Record: 3-7, Region: 2-4

Points scored: 142

Points allowed: 157

#####

Glenwood Gators embrace high expectations for 2011 football season

In 2010, Glenwood head football coach Jason Allen led the Gators to a 6-5 record and a berth in the playoffs. Not bad for Allen’s first year on the job at the Phenix City private school, especially considering that he inherited a team that finished 1-9 in 2009.

“We laid the foundation for where we want our program to be in the coming years. We established that,” said Coach Allen. “We emphasized work ethic and how we wanted to practice and how we wanted to finish everything. Finish drills, finish practice and finish games. We emphasized finishing.”

Glenwood's Jason Allen believes the Gators could
go all the way in 2011.

The Gators started strong in 2010, pushing their record to 5-1, before stumbling down the home stretch to finish the regular season 6-4. They lost in the first round of the Region 3A playoffs to Bessemer, 31-28. Glenwood competes in the Alabama Independent Schools Association.

Allen said one of the biggest wins of the season was beating rival Lee-Scott Academy 28-27 at home. “That got the ball rolling for us, gave us some confidence,” he said. “We realized we could have a pretty good team if we played hard and didn’t make mistakes.” Another huge victory for Glenwood was beating 2AA defending state champions Edgewood, 13-12, in the ninth game of the season.

The Gators have 13 seniors returning for the 2011 season, including leading rusher Will Allison (6’0/170), who ran for more than 1,200 yards as a junior. “He’s a hard runner and very fast,” said Allen. “When he gets in the open field, he doesn’t get caught.”

Joining Allison in the backfield is senior Deion Goshay (5’7/160), who rushed for more than 800 yards last season. Allen said both Goshay and Allen are duo-threats as rushers and receivers in Glenwood’s high-power spread offense, which scored 69 points in a win over Ward Military Academy. “They both catch the ball well,” said Allen.

The Gators’ top returning wide receiver is senior Chase Silvani (6’0/175). “He is a deep threat. He is really fast. He is has extremely good hands,” assessed Allen. Throwing the ball to Silvani will be junior quarterback Brandon Dailey (5’11/165).

The offensive line will be anchored by four seniors—Kyle Langston (6’2/245), Wesley Bowers (5’11/170), Eric Lynn (5’11/170) and center Tip Lynch (6,0/230). Allen said Lynch did a good job of snapping the ball in the shotgun formation last season. “His snaps were good. Center is a very important position for us. His blocking got better as the year went on,” said Allen.

Glenwood’s defense should be stout this season with senior defensive linemen Jesse Hill (6’3/225) and Cole Knight (6’1/280), senior linebackers Judson Neel (6’0/180) and Markel Smith (6’0/232), and senior cornerback Adaam Wilson (5’8/160).

Coach Allen does not shy away from saying he wants to win a state championship this season. “We feel like this is the best chance that Glenwood has had to win a state championship in a long time,” said the coach. “We’re not going to beat around the bush. We have good kids, good talent and a good team. That is a recipe for championship contenders. That is our No. 1 goal. Anything else is a failure.”

In the Glenwood clubhouse, Allen has worked hard to transform the facilities into championship form. He installed theater-style seating in the film room. He built new oak lockers in the locker room, where he also installed new carpet, lighting and three flat-screen televisions for watching football. He hung motivational signs in the weight room. Everything has a fresh coat of orange and green paint.

“We know we are going to have a good, athletic team,” said Allen. “We want to embrace expectations. Every day they are out there throwing up, we talk about what it’s going to feel like to win a state championship, how the hard work will be worth it.”

By John Carroll

IN THE GAME HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE

http://columbusvalley.inthegamemagazine.com/

Glenwood Gators

AISA, Region 3A East

Head Coach: Jason Allen

Team Colors: Orange and White

2010 Record: 6-5, Region: 3-3

Points Scored: 354

Points Allowed: 276

New Football Coach Rebuilds Pacelli From Ground Zero

St. Anne-Pacelli in Columbus is coming off a dismal 2010 football season that saw the Vikings go 0-10. The Catholic school hired a new football coach, Randy Grace, with hopes that a change in leadership will spark a change in direction for the Class A football program that competes in Region 4.

Grace is no stranger to Pacelli. He was the defensive coordinator for the Vikings for three seasons under former head coach Kevin Pettis (2002, 2003, 2004). The Vikings won back-to-back region titles in 2003 and 2004, and finished both regular seasons a perfect 10-0. Grace said he is excited about returning to the school where he has a lot of good memories.

“I get a chance to come back to the school that I loved more than any place I’ve been throughout my career,” said the 36-year-old coach. “I love Pacelli and I missed it ever since I left. It has a great family atmosphere. There is a lot of tradition at the school. It’s a place where kids come to be successful. It’s a good fit for me and I was very excited to get the opportunity to come back.”

Grace knows his job of restoring football at Pacelli to a higher level will take time and require a lot of hard work. But he’s not backing down from the challenge. The coach said his players are lifting weights or conditioning five days a week on Monday-Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Friday mornings from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

New Pacelli football coach Randy Grace and senior captain
Drew Spikes hope to turn around the program in 2011.

“Right now we have to build it from the ground up,” said Grace. “We’re having to start at ground zero. The first thing we did is get the weight room back going and get weight clubs started.”

At spring practice in May, 43 kids showed up to play football, 23 of them freshman. “The way I look at it that’s 23 seniors four years from now. We’ve been beating the bushes, trying to build it young,” said Grace.

The Vikings coach hung a sign in the Pacelli weight room that reads: Tradition Never Graduates. “Each team every year has the responsibility to uphold the tradition of our school. We are trying to bring that back,” Grace said. “We want to have fun and play at full speed all of the time and honor the tradition of our school.”

Grace pointed to the legacy of great football coaches at Pacelli like Nathan Rustin and Kevin Pettis, and the tradition of great football players like Calvin Baker, Matt Dunham, Russell Harris, Mark LeGree, Jaquez Terry, and Taylor Moss.

The coach is also emphasizing “to finish” in everything the team does. “Finish our play. Finish our drill. Finish the game,” said Grace. “We got to learn to finish and finish strong. That is one of our main goals. It is most important.”

Another important goal said Grace is to beat cross-town rival Brookstone. The Cougars have won six in a row in the series and 12 of the last 15 games. When Grace was an assistant coach at Pacelli for three years, the Vikings never lost to the Cougars. “When I was here we beat Brookstone three in a row—48-0, 50-0, 38-0,” said Grace. “They have a great system and one of the best programs in the city. Pacelli hasn’t been very competitive with Brookstone the last few years.”

As far as Pacelli football players, Grace said everything starts with his senior captain Drew Spikes (5’8/165). Last year, Spikes played an entire game with a broken back. “In 16 years of coaching he probably has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen,” said Grace. “He has a heart as big as a tractor-trailer. I’m looking for big things out of Drew from a leadership standpoint. He is a great leader.”

Another player Grace expects to emerge as a team leader is senior linebacker and fullback Anthony Huff (5’11/235). “He has not had a chance to come into his own yet. He was injured a lot last year,” said Grace. “But he is really looking good and I am expecting big things from him.”

Other players to watch, per Grace:

Seniors: Jake Braley, DB/RB, (6’1/175); Justin Gaus, OL/DL, (5’9/180).

Juniors: Jay Dawahare, QB/K, (6’1/175); Daniel King, QB, (5’10/165), Brice Morpeth, C, (6’1/245); Mitchell Torbert, OL, (6’2/250); Daniel Solomon, OL, (6’2/255); Alex Fernandez, OL-LB, (5’10/155).

Sophomores: Noah Forhand, RB, (5’5/165); Darrell Smith, WR, (5-10/175); K.T. Walls, DB/RB, (5’7/140)

Freshman: Eric Hughes, QB, (5’10/140); T.J. Brascomb, DE, (6’2/257); Chris Rehak, TE/DE, (6’2/240); Keandre Ashley, RB/LB, (5’9/165); Charlie Oliver, RB/LB, (5’9/140); Thomas Russell, RB/LB, (5’9/160); Kevin Jacobs, K, (5’8/135).

St. Anne Pacelli Vikings

GHSA, Class A, Region 4

Head Coach: Randy Grace

Colors: Red & White

2010 Results

Record: 0-10, Region: 0-10

Points for: 201

Points allowed: 463


By JOHN CARROLL
IN THE GAME HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS MAGAZINE
http://columbusvalley.inthegamemagazine.com/