Rootstown Rovers 2024 high school football schedule, preview

ROOTSTOWN ROVERS

• HEAD COACH : Tom Hannan
• LAST YEAR : 9-2 (3-1 Portage Trail Conference)
• POSTSEASON : Division VI, Region 21

Rootstown football's returning lettermen (15)

• Chase Duvall, WR/DB, 6-0, 160, Jr.
• Dominic Duvall RB/LB, 5-9, 185, Sr.
• Alex Ely, WR/DB, 5-8, 135, Jr.
• Mason Fleck, RB/DL, 5-11, 205, Sr.
• Mason Lisi, WR/DB, 5-9, 160, Jr.
• George Luli, RB/LB, 5-7, 145, Jr.
• Nick Malek, WR/DB, 5-8, 170, Sr.
• Max McEwuen, WR/DB, 5-9, 145, So.
• Tristan McKibben, H-Back/WR/DE, 6-1, 180, Sr.
• Blake Mullaly, QB/DB/K, 6-2, 170, So.
• Damien Reuting, RB/LB, 6-0, 175, Jr.
• Kiel Reuting, OL/H-Back/LB, 5-11, 200, So.
• Ethan White, RB/LB, 5-10, 180, Jr.
• Braden Wright, OL/DL, 6-4, 275, Jr.
• Brian Youngblood, OL/LB, 5-10, 200, Sr.

Rootstown football's impact players

The Rovers return a loaded defense, including first team all-Portage Trail Conference standouts at defensive end (Tristan McKibben) and linebacker (Brian Youngblood). Youngblood, per Hannan, is a "very physical and aggressive" linebacker who had a team-leading 103 tackles last year, while McKibben was a "dominant force on both sides of the ball" with 59 tackles (11 for loss) and eight sacks in 2023. ... Speaking of both sides of the ball, Dominic Duvall and Nick Malek earned first team all-league on offense last year but are equally stout on defense. A "very athletic" defensive back (and wide receiver), Malek impressed with five interceptions in 2023 while Duvall is the "heart and soul of our team," per Hannan, after racking up 66 tackles a season ago. ... Watch for Braden Wright to step into a leadership role on the lines after excelling at right tackle last year. Wright, said Hannan, is "big, strong and can move."

What's new with Rootstown football in 2024

Rootstown will have a new quarterback in sophomore Blake Mullaly, who starred at kicker as a freshman. Per coach Tom Hannan, Mullaly is a "very good athlete" with a "good arm" and fans can "expect more of a pass game from the Rovers this season, especially with the depth and talent we have at wide receiver." ... Rootstown will also have a new lead running back in Damien Reuting. The junior has "big shoes to fill," per Hannan, after Cody Coontz (2022) and Dawson Morgan (2023) each hit the 2,000-yard mark in a single season. Reuting, who rushed for roughly 400 yards as Morgan's backup last year, is a "hard downhill runner" and "very physical." ... There's also plenty of new with the coaching staff, starting with Hannan, who is in his 28th year as a head coach (but his first at Rootstown). Hannan is also excited about new defensive coordinator Chris Kosiorek, previously a head coach at Crestwood, Gilmour Academy and Mechanicsburg, as well as a defensive coordinator at Warren Harding.

Rootstown football's outlook

The Rovers have had a number of head coaches of late with Tom Hannan their fourth since Mark Geis left for Roosevelt in early 2018. Even with all the change, Rootstown has amassed a steady record of success, finishing at least .500 in eight of the last nine seasons. That includes last year's 9-2 record, led by an impressive defense that yielded just 13.4 points per game (just 11.7 after giving up 30 to Crestwood in Week 1). That defense should be strong yet again in 2024, led by a loaded linebacker corps featuring Brian Youngblood (103 tackles), Dominic Duvall (66) and Damien Reuting. ... If the defense is a known commodity, the offense carries a little more mystery for the Rovers. Can they extend their streak of 2,000-yard runners, continuing the legacy of Coontz and Morgan? They'll be doing it this year without longtime offensive line standout Tony Karp, who is off to Marietta, but should still be very strong up front, led by Wright and Youngblood. ... Establishing an effective aerial attack should help unstack the box with Hannan highly optimistic about what sophomore QB Blake Mullaly can do with top targets Nick Malek and Tristan McKibben ready to wreak havoc.

Rootstown football schedule for 2024

• Aug. 23 CRESTWOOD
• Aug. 30 at Champion
• Sept. 6 FIELD
• Sept. 13 at Pymatuning Valley
• Sept. 20 AKRON NORTH
• Sept. 27 AQUINAS*
• Oct. 4 at Warren JFK*
• Oct. 11 GRAND VALLEY
• Oct. 18 MARTINS FERRY
• Oct. 25 at Mogadore*

Home games in all CAPS. Conference games marked with an asterisk. All games at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted .

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Rootstown Rovers 2024 high school football schedule, preview