16C
TROY
Thursday, August 23, 2012
WWW.DAILYCALL.COM
• PIQUA DAILY CALL
New coach, formation; same philosophy Don’t expect ‘Air Trojan’ BY DAVID FONG Ohio Community Media TROY —All the Troy football fans hoping to see objects filling the skies overhead with the departure of long-time Trojan coach Steve Nolan and his wing-T turf-churning offense probably already missed their chance when the Dayton International Air Show came to town this summer. Troy may have a new coach and a new offensive formation — but the philosophy will remain very much the same. “We’re going to run the ball,” said new Troy football coach Scot Brewer, who takes over for Nolan after 28 years of record-setting running backs and eyepopping rushing statistics. “We’re going to be a powerI, ISO team. We’re going to get downhill, we’re going to run North and South and we want to get after people. Then we’ll take our shots with play action when they line up to stop the run. But we’re still going to be a ground and pound team.” While Troy will line up primarily in a power-I formation, but don’t expect Nolan’s beloved wing-T to go away completely. “You can call it whatev-
er you want, but everything we do still has roots in the wing-T,” Brewer said. “We’ll still run a lot of same jet formations, a lot of the same sweeps. “It’s not like we’re going to try to reinvent the wheel around here. “We’re going to stick to what we know.” Of course, it may not really matter what offensive formation the Trojans run if Brewer doesn’t find the proper personnel to run it — and quick. The Trojans lost seven starters off last year’s team — which made back-toback playoff runs — and moved two of last year’s starters to new positions, meaning Troy has exactly two starters returning to the same positions — right tackle Alex Dalton and center Austin Eidemiller. Step one is finding new running backs to fill the backfield. Gone are halfbacks Marcus Foster and Isaiah Williams — both three-year starters — and fullback Zach Jones, a twoyear starter. Troy will have three options at tailback this season — the Whitson brothers, Fred and Tre, and speedster Miles Hibbler. Brewer is hoping this will be the year Fred Whitson, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior, lives up to his considerable promise.
2012 TROY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Aug. 24 Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 * denotes
H/A Opponent Time H Chaminade-Julienne7:30 p.m. A Spr. Shawnee 7:30 p.m. H Xenia 7:30 p.m. H Springfield 7:30 p.m. A Miamisburg 7:30 p.m. H Sidney* 7:30 p.m. A Vandalia-Butler* 7:30 p.m. H Trotwood-Madison* 7:30 p.m. A Greenville* 7:30 p.m. A Piqua* 7:30 p.m. GWOC North game
He was seeing significant carries his junior season before leaving the team after the third game of the season. Likewise, Hibbler — a 5-10, 190-pound junior with 4.3-speed — was seeing playing time early in the season last year before missing the second half of the season with a case of mononucleosis. The third option is Tre Whitson, a 5-11, 170-pound sophomore who may have the smoothest running style of the three. “We’ve got some studs at running back,” Brewer said. Clearing the way for those three will be senior Cody Zeller (5-10, 200pounds), who started at guard last season for the Trojans. Brewer said he
brings an offensive lineman’s mentality to the backfield. Of course, Brewer knows having a fleet of running backs will be largely meaningless if he can’t find an offensive line to open holes for them. He’s certainly confident in Troy’s starting offensive linemen — but knows he’s an injury or two along the offensive line away from disaster. Dalton (6-3, 265pounds) is a junior who started every game for the Trojans last season and already is getting looks from a number of Division I college. At left guard will be senior Beau Emerick (6-0, 240punds), while Eidemiller (5-10, 260-pounds) returns
at center. At right guard will be senior Zach Willis (5-11, 248-pounds), while junior Andrew Kostecka (6-3, 225pounds) rounds out the line at right tackle. At tight end will be junior Seth Overla (6-3, 215pounds), senior Trevior Adams (6-2, 195-pounds) and senior Ian Nadolny (62, 195-pounds). “Our offensive line has played great in scrimmages,” Brewer said. “Our protection was great. Kostecka has settled in at tackle and Dalton is an animal. “Having Emerick and Willis back really helps and Eidemiller is solid as always in the middle. “If we don’t have anyone get injured, we’ll be fine.” If someone does get hurt, however, Troy will have to turn to its back-up offensive lineman. Lineman. Singular. Coming out of summer camp, Overla — who started at right tackle last year — is the only one who has proven himself as the backup at all five offensive line positions. If one starter goes down, Overla goes in. If two starters go down, the Trojans will be left scrambling. “Depth, obviously, is a huge concern for us,” Brewer said.
Of concern, too, is finding replacements for the record-setting duo of quarterback Cody May and receiver Ian Dunaway. May became just the second quarterback in school history to throw for 1,000 or more yards in consecutive seasons, while Dunaway graduated as the third-leading receiver in school history. Stepping in at quarterback for the Trojans will be Matt Barr, a 6-foot-3, 175pound junior. He’ll be backed up by junior Joe Benson (6-0, 175-pounds). “His footwork has gotten so much better since last year,” Brewer said of Barr. “We’ve seen this kid develop and now he’s going to settle in for us. “We think he’ll develop into a force for us.” At the wide receiver slot for the Trojans will be senior Kurtis Johnson (6-1, 180-pounds) and junior Gregory Johnson (6-0, 170pounds). Lining up in the slot will be seniors Blake Williams (5-9, 170-pounds), Devin Blakely (5-10, 165-pounds) and Devante Bush (5-9, 160-pounds). “We’ve got the scheme, it’s just a matter of getting everyone up to speed,” Brewer said. “We’re just lacking experience. “It’s all new faces out there.”
Brewer likes Troy defense Must replace some key components BY DAVID FONG Ohio Community Media TROY — Even the greatest of architects needs the proper building materials. So while new Troy football coach Scot Brewer is confident in the defensive scheme he helped build in his six years as the Trojans’ defensive coordinator, he knows it won’t matter much unless he finds a way to replace seven starters off a squad that gave up just 15.0 points per game (tops in the 18-team Greater Western Ohio Conference) and 257.3 yards per game (second in the GWOC). “We feel good about our defense because we know our scheme works,” Brewer said. “It’s a proven scheme.” The rebuilding project for the Trojans will begin right down the middle of the defense, which was gutted by graduation. Through the center of the defense, the Trojans lost a nose tackle, two inside linebackers and a safety — a quartet of threeyear starters, three of home are going on to play college football. Gone at nose tackle is Alec Sears, who will by playing this fall at Mercyhurt College. Gone at inside linebacker are Chris Blair and Zach Butcher, who led the Trojans in tackles each of the last two seasons. Blair will play his college football at Ohio Dominican. Gone at safety is Marcus Foster, an All-Ohio performer who will play at the University of Cincinnati this fall. “We’ve got a lot of kids to replace, obviously,” Brewer said. Stepping in to fill Sears’ shoes will be senior Nick Cottom (6-foot, 260 pounds), who did see significant playing time last season in a reserve role. He’ll be backed up by senior Beau Emerick (6foot, 240 pounds). Flanking Cottom at the defensive end positions will be Marco Anverse (5-11, 206 pounds), a sophomore who tore up the summer combine scene with speed and strength not typically seen from a high school sophomore) and junior Seth Overla (6-3, 215 pounds), who not only will be expected to play defense for the Trojans, but will back up every position on Troy’s offensive line.
LEE WOOLERY/SPEEDSHOT PHOTO
Ian Nadolny returns at linebacker for Troy. Backing up Anverse and Overla at the defensive ends will be junior Alex Dalton (6-3, 265) and senior Trevior Adams (6-2, 195). “Cottom will be fine at the nose because he doesn’t take a play off,” Brewer said. “Anverse is coming along — sometimes he still plays like a linebacker and wants to shoot the gaps, but he’s got all the physical tools. And Overla is just a strong technician. He does everything right.” Stepping in for Blair and Butcher at the inside linebacker positions will be seniors Logan Schlosser (56, 170) and Anthony McCloy (5-10, 170).
While neither have the size of their predecessors — both Blair and Butcher topped the 200-pound mark — Brewer said he expects Schlosser and McCloy to make up for the lack of size with sheer tenacity. “There’s no doubt Logan Schlosser can bring it — he’s like Mighty Mouse,” Brewer said. “In our Reynoldsburg scrimmage, they got a personal foul because they punched him in the head because he was in their face on every play. People don’t like him very much because he comes up and hits them on every play.” Backing up Schlosser
and McCloy at inside linebacker will be senior Cody Zeller (5-10, 200 pounds) and sophomores Brandon Lee (5-9, 160 pounds) and Anthony Shoop (5-7, 180 pounds). At outside linebacker, senior Ian Nadolny (6-2, 195 pounds), a three-year starter, returns. He’ll be backed up by sophomore Tristan Wright (5-10, 150 pounds). The other outside linebacker position will be manned by either junior Alex Magoteaux (6-1, 163 pounds), who makes the move from safety to linebacker, or unior Joe Benson (6-foot, 175). Those two were neckand-neck coming out of summer drills. As the only returning linebacker from last year’s team, Brewer said Nadolny is the unquestioned leader of that unit. “He’s such a smart kid,” Brewer said. “He’s always in position to make plays. He’s a great leader and a great kid.” With so many personnel losses up front, there is plenty of returning talent in the defensive backfield, even with the loss of Foster. At one cornerback spot will be senior Seth Perdziola (6-foot, 193 pounds). Perziola, a three-year starter, has seen time at every position in Troy’s defensive backfield. At the other cornerback spot will be senior Devin Blakely (5-10, 165 pounds), who started at corner last season for the Trojans. Backing up Perdziola and Blakely at the corners will be senior Blake Williams (5-9, 170 pounds) and junior Todd Norris (60, 170 pounds). At free safety will be sophomore Tre Whitson (511, 170 pounds), who will be backed up by senior Devante Bush (5-9, 160). At strong safety will be senior Nick Zimmer (6-1, 195 pounds), who started at outside linebacker for the Trojans last season. Senior Fred Whitson (5-10, 180 pounds). “Our defensive backs are the strength of our defense right now,” Brewer said.Troy’s special teams will be handled by sophomore Zach Thompson (5-10, 165), who will serve as the Trojans’ kicker and punter. He was Troy’s kicker last season.
ROB KISER/CALL FILE PHOTO
Kaleb Title returns for the Troy golf team.
Playing with motivation Lady Trojans have something to prove Michelle Owen returns for her seventh season at Troy volleyball coach. Graduating off last year’s team that finished 13-10 overal and 3-2 in the GWOC North were Chelsey Sakal, Marie Rank, Tori Fenter and Danielle Wright. Returning letterwinners include seniors Jenna Selby, Jennifer Monnier, Cassandra Rice and Mackenzie Rice; and juniors Leah Selby, Emily Moser and Jillian Ross. “Our goal each season is to win the GWOC North and play in the district tournament,” Owen said. “Last season was a disappointing season in terms of our GWOC North record and our end of the season record. We lost a lot of matches by fewer than four points. “This year our seniors are determined to lead by example and accomplish our goals. We had a chip on our shoulder and something to prove to everyone in the league. We have an
incredibly tough schedule this year, which we hope will prepare us for a good stretch down the season. “We have a very strong core of returning players and a great group of incoming talent that we hope can help us accomplish our goals for the season.” BOYS CC Bob Campbell returns as coach. The Trojans were GWOC North runnerup last year and D-I district champions. Graduating off that team were Cody Fox, Josh Enke, Jared Besecker, Nate Shigley, Thomas Harvey and Brian Holland. Returning letterwinners include senior Jon Osman; juniors Branden Nosker, Blake Guillozet and Nathan Fleischer; and sophomore Troy Schultz and Josh Spayde. Campbell hopes to battle with Vandalia-Butler for the GWOC North title and with Butler, Centervill
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