OCC-O HIO D IVISION
Reynoldsburg
Raiders to atone for disappointing ’14 By JARROD ULREY THISWEEKSPORTS.COM
Reynoldsburg High School football coach Buddy White has what he believes is an appropriate word to describe what he and his team experienced last season: Crap. With a teachers’ strike hindering the focus of his players and limiting the contact some of his coaches were able to have, the Raiders lost their first three games and never recovered. They lost seven of their first eight before closing the season with back-to-back wins to finish 3-7 overall and 3-4 in the OCC-Ohio Division. After the season, White picked several new assistants and a new conditioning coach. He also has attempted to instill the attitude that this season represents a fresh start. The fact that so many players expected to have key roles this fall were on the field when Reynoldsburg beat Newark 3310 and Groveport 41-14 to close the season might be the biggest positive. “Last year was tough, but the great thing is we played a lot of young kids and they’re all back,” White said. “They’re all in one accord. They’re interested in putting last year behind them, and we’ve got probably more depth than we’ve had since I’ve been here.” A 36-35 double-overtime loss to New Albany on the Thursday night of opening week a year ago seemed to create a “hangover” effect, according to White. Although the Raiders beat Grove City 20-10 in week four of the regular season – on the same day that more than 100 Reynoldsburg students and par-
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At a glance
Senior running back Cameron Young said the attitude around the program has changed since the Raiders went 3-7 a year ago. “It’s just a whole different vibe this year.” RYAN M.L. YOUNG/THISWEEKSPORTS
ents joined their picketing teachers – the season had taken a turn the program couldn’t overcome. The Raiders open against New Albany (Aug. 28) and also will play Middletown (Sept. 11) again in week three, but St. Charles (Sept. 4) has replaced Hilliard Bradley on the schedule. What also has changed, according to senior running back Cameron Young, is the attitude throughout the locker room. “Our freshman year we were undefeated, so we do have a lot of motivation,” Young said. “It’s just a whole different vibe this year. We’re doing some things we haven’t done before. All of our seniors are leading better this year.”
OFFENSE
The Raiders return several skill position players, including senior Cameron Young, who scored five touchdowns and was the leading rusher with 540 yards. Junior Nathan Barko will start at quarterback after seeing action in four games a year ago, and senior Amos Paasewe
returns at running back after rushing for 256 yards and one touchdown. Joe Cooper Jr., whose father is a former Ohio State player serving as one of White’s assistants, should lead the wide receivers. Senior Martee Morse is another returning receiver, and Marion Organ is a speedy option as a sophomore. Seniors Darius Dunning and Keevin Seyfried should lead an offensive line that also will feature sophomores Joe Boggs and Elijah Ratliff. Ashton Dulin, who is playing for Malone, finished with 896 all-purpose yards spread among rushing, receiving and returns. Conner McCloud, who is playing for Capital, passed for 844 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for two scores. Christian Eubanks, who was a second-team all-league offensive lineman, is playing for St. Francis (Pa.). “(Barko’s) had an incredible offseason,” White said. “This is the most confidence I’ve had in a quarterback. We’ve got three different schemes and we’re going to spread it out. One of the things I was (upset) about from last
year was that we’d get it in the red zone and weren’t getting points.”
DEFENSE
Senior lineman Mark Gooden is a Northwestern recruit who will lead the defense after finishing with 34 tackles and five tackles for loss. Senior Chris Tudor (31 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss) and Dunning are others on the line, while senior Nigel Chatman should lead the linebacking corps. Expected to join Cooper in the secondary are junior Sam Cooper, who had 17.5 tackles last season. Dulin, a defensive back who had six interceptions and was first-team all-league, might be the toughest player to replace because of his play-making abilities, according to White.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior Cole Mathias is expected to do the punting and kicking after missing all of last season with an injury. He won the kicking job during the preseason last fall but went down with an injury the week of the Raiders’ opener.
THE LINEUP
Offense Quarterbacks: *Nathan Barko (jr., 6-1, 175), Malik Jones (sr.), Justin Henry (so.) Running backs: Nigel Chatman (sr., 6-0, 250), *Amos Paasewe (sr., 5-9, 200), *Cameron Young (sr., 6-0, 195), Tyler Fredrick (jr., 5-10, 180), Todd Hammond (jr.), Jamal Collier (so.), Desmond Cooper (fr., 6-1, 195) Receivers: Grant Brobeck (sr., 5-11, 190), *Joe Cooper Jr. (sr., 6-5, 185), *Martee Morse (sr., 6-3, 160), Jordan Hay (jr., 6-3, 180), Justice Landers (jr., 5-11, 175), Marion Organ (so., 6-0, 180) Tight ends: *Mark Gooden (sr., 6-1, 220), Tyler Britton (jr., 6-3, 215)) Linemen: *Darius Dunning (sr., 6-1, 250), *Keevin Seyfried (sr., 5-11, 235), Blake Sissoko (sr., 6-2, 265), Alex Woodward (sr., 5-11, 235), Tion Benjamin (jr., 6-3, 300), Colin Dwenger (jr., 6-3, 310), *Joe Boggs (so., 6-4, 255), *Elijah Ratliff (so., 6-2, 240) Defense Linemen: *Dunning, *Gooden, Chris Tudor (sr., 61, 255), Tion Benjamin (jr., 6-
2015 SCHEDULE Aug. 28................at New Albany Sept. 4 ..................at St. Charles Sept. 11..............vs. Middletown *Sept. 18...............vs. Grove City *Sept. 25 ............at Pick. Central *Oct. 2......................at Gahanna *Oct. 9......vs. Pickerington North *Oct. 15.................vs. Lancaster *Oct. 23 .....................at Newark *Oct. 30 .................vs. Groveport 2014 RESULTS (3-7 overall, 3-4 OCC-Ohio) New Albany ........L, 36-35 (2 OT) Hilliard Bradley .............L, 21-17 Middletown ..................L, 35-20 *Grove City ..................W, 20-10 *Pickerington Central ....L, 23-13 *Gahanna .....................L, 37-14 *Pickerington North.........L, 42-7 *Lancaster....................L, 38-10 *Newark ......................W, 33-10 *Groveport ...................W, 41-14 *League contest INSIDE THE RAIDERS •Coach: Buddy White, fifth season •Top players: Nathan Barko (QB), Nigel Chatman (RB/LB), Joe Cooper Jr. (WR/DB), Darius Dunning (OL/DL), Mark Gooden (TE/DL), Amos Paasewe (RB/DB), Keevin Seyfried (OL) and Cameron Young (RB/DB) •Key losses: Gary Boggs (RB/LB), Adrian Bridges (WR/DB), Andrew Callender (WR/DB), Jacob Cicak (RB/LB/P), Ashton Dulin (WR/DB), Christian Eubanks (OL/DL), Shayne Lyons (QB) and Conner McCloud (QB)
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2, 330), Britton, Boggs, Ratliff Linebackers: *Chatman, Keshon Buckner (sr., 6-1, 225), Donte Haley (sr., 6-0, 230), Chris Strickland (jr., 6-1, 235), Blaine Wagner (jr., 5-10, 195), Boggs Secondary: Cooper, Sam Cooper (jr.), *Cole Goodwin (jr.), *Cameron Hines (jr.), *Savon Pullie (jr.) Special teams Kicker: *Cole Mathias (sr., 6-2, 170) Punter: *Mathias Returners: *Paasewe Long snapper: *Brobeck (*Denotes projected starter) julrey@thisweeknews.com
TOP PLAYERS FROM >> 4 ted to Purdue from the 2016 class. Westerville South junior Marcus Williamson already has committed to Ohio State from the 2017 class. Another FBS recruit in the secondary is Upper Arlington’s Tyler Speaight, a transfer from Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary who has committed to Toledo.
Westerville North’s Anthony D’Andrea, Westerville South’s Daylan Haynie, Watkins Memorial’s Cameron Johnson, Big Walnut’s Isaac Lucas, Centennial’s Tyler Patterson, Marysville’s Tyler Stiers, Granville’s Travis Wollenburg and Ready’s Tristin Siemer are other standouts. •SPECIAL TEAMS – The first- and second-team all-district kickers in Divi-
sion I, Gahanna’s Tanner Harding and Westerville Central’s Alex Barnhart, are among the returnees. Devon McMillin is entering his fourth season as Pickerington Central’s kicker, and Olentangy’s Jacob Bell was second-team all-district in Division II. Other area returning kickers include Big Walnut’s Tommy Fleser, Hartley’s Ben Hawk and New Albany’s Joey
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Rolwing. Eastmoor’s Quincy Colvin, Watkins Memorial’s Corey Hare, UA’s Danny Logan, Westerville North’s Andrew Malick, Utica’s Mitchell Marston, Coffman’s Caleb Stoneburner and Bradley’s Brady Whittekind should be among the area’s top punters. julrey@thisweeknews.com
August 27, 2015