Which District 10 football teams will take the next step under second-year coaches?

The Erie Times-News takes a look at 25 topics when it comes to high school football. The series of 25 topics will run daily until the beginning of the regular season on Aug. 23.

24. Will second-year coaches take the next step?

It was a tough year for new head football coaches in District 10 in 2023. Most of the teams with new coaches struggled to win games, but they also showed improvement by the end of the season. There are four second-year coaches in District 10 this fall looking to take that next step and become a contender now that their teams have had a full offseason in the new systems.

No. 25: What changed in District 10 football regions, classifications?

Manny Johnson, Iroquois

Iroquois coach Manny Johnson enters his second season after the Braves went 1-9 last fall. The Braves were on the brink of winning several games as they fell to Mercer 31-28 and Maplewood 6-0 on the road to start the season. The Braves gave Johnson his first win in Week 3 with a 13-7 win over Northwestern, but the Braves lost to Union City, Eisenhower and Saegertown by two scores or less. The Braves are in basically the same region this year with some winnable non-region games as well. Iroquois could go from one win to at least a .500 team if the players continue to buy in.

Bill Henwood, Northwestern

Northwestern had a big change in the offseason with former Sharpsville assistant coach Bill Henwood traveling north to take over the Wildcats. Henwood had several starters back, but Northwestern struggled to win on the road. The Wildcats lost to Iroquois, Oil City, Eisenhower and Seneca on the road but also beat Conneaut 27-19 down in Linesville. Northwestern finished 2-8 in Henwood’s first year and although the Wildcats graduated several key seniors, they could be an interesting team in Region 3 this fall.

Mike Menold, Greenville

New Greenville coach Mike Menold was facing several obstacles when he took over for longtime coach Brian Herrick. He had a young team in maybe the toughest league in the state. There were no off days for the Trojans as they took on the best teams in Mercer County in region play. Greenville also had to travel to Ohio powerhouse Hubbard and take on Harbor Creek. The Trojans took advantage of a winnable non-region game on the road and beat Iroquois 35-0 in a downpour to give Menold his first win. Greenville had a proud tradition of football and isn’t used to losing seasons. The Trojans had a young team last fall but bring back plenty of experience to get back on track as they dropped into Class 1A.

Cody Bupp, Warren

Another program that isn’t used to losing seasons, let alone winless seasons, is Warren. The Dragons went 0-10 under new coach Cody Bupp, but it was hard for the Dragons to get going with not much experience back and a loaded schedule as well. Warren had to start the season with Oil City and all-time rusher Ethen Knox before taking on District 10 3A contender Sharon. After being shut out the first two games, Warren continued to struggle to get some momentum going with losses at Girard, at home against Conneaut and on the road at Fairview. Warren was shut out five times in 10 games last year, but the potent Dragons offense could return this season with a chip on its shoulder.

Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com . Follow him on X @ETNreisenweber .

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Which District 10 football teams will take the next step under second-year coaches?