Led by a large and talented senior class that has come up together since junior high, the Ottawa Hills football team is the favorite to repeat as Toledo Area Athletic Conference champion.
Ottawa Hills received four of five first-place votes in a preseason poll of conference coaches and is favored to edge Edon just like last season, when the Green Bears beat the Bombers in the final game of the regular season to win the title.
At a small school like Ottawa Hills, overall numbers can be an issue, but this year's team has 40 varsity players, including 17 seniors and 16 returning starters.
Second-year Ottawa Hills coach Brandon Carter knows there will be a target on the back of the Green Bears in the league after the team won a TAAC championship and advanced to the third round of the Division VI playoffs before falling to Bluffton last season.
But he is preaching this year's team still has everything to prove.
“This team hasn't won a game yet,” Carter said. “...We have a lot of experience back, and that is why people are picking us to win the league. But we haven't proven anything yet, and we have to prove something every week.”
In early July, Cardinal Stritch announced it was canceling its varsity football season because of projected low participation numbers.
Here is a look at the league in predicted order of finish:
OTTAWA HILLS
■ Coach : Brandon Carter, second season
■ Last season : 11-2 overall, 4-0 TAAC
■ Top players : Seniors Chase Miller, 6-0, 175, QB-DB; Reddik Pillarelli, 6-0, 185, WR-DB; Teddy Szyperski, 5-10, 185, HB-DB; Nick Anderson, 6-0, 165, WR-DB; Jackson Snyder, 6-3, 185, WR-DB; Micah Walker, 6-0, 180, K-P; Junior Rocco Pillarelli, 5-8, 170, RB/DB.
■ Outlook : The Green Bears had an excellent season that included an undefeated conference record and a playoff run highlighted by a second-round win over Colonel Crawford. Ottawa Hills returns all of the skill players from that team including Miller (1,949 yards, 34 total touchdowns last year), receivers in honorable mention all-Ohio selection Reddik Pillarelli (1,019 total yards, 21 total TDs), Anderson (206 receiving yards, three TDs), and Snyder (440 receiving yards, six TDs), and honorable mention All-Ohio running back Rocco Pillarelli (1,347 yards, 19 total TDs). Depth and experience are areas that Carter identified as being needs, as well as staying healthy.
“Health is wealth for us,” Carter said. “If we can stay healthy we can build off the success we had last season. The target on our back has gotten significantly bigger, which means the chip on our shoulder has gotten just as big, also.”
EDON
■ Coach : Bob Olwin, fifth season
■ Last season : 7-5 overall, 4-1 TAAC
■ Top players : Seniors Cohen Hulbert, 6-0, 202, LB-RB-WR; Kyler Sapp, 6-2, 199, QB-DB; Parker Kelley, 6-0, 234, OT-DT; Blake Baker, 5-11, 182, OL-DE; Max Radabaugh, 5-10, 154, WR-DB; juniors Kendol Brigle, 6-3, 166, WR-DB-LB; Briggs Gallehue, 6-4, 206, WR-DB.
■ Outlook : Edon returns a strong offensive core with Sapp returning for his senior season with weapons at wide receivers in Radabaugh, Brigle, and Gallehue. Overall the Bombers have 10 seniors and 17 returning lettermen with eight starters returning on offense and nine on defense. Edon challenged Ottawa Hills for the league title last year and will look to do the same this season. Last season, the Bombers made the second round of the Division VII playoffs before falling to McComb.
“We are going to compete for the league title and try to qualify for the playoffs for the fifth year in a row,” Olwin said.
MONTPELIER
■ Coach : Andy Robinson, third season
■ Last season : 7-4 overall, 2-2 TAAC
■ Top players : Senior Kam Smith, 5-10, 185, WR-DB; Juniors Hayden Sharps, 6-1, 175, QB; Griffin Cooley, 6-1, 180, RB-LB, Jaxson Stahler, 5-10, 170, WR-S; Logan Pontious, 5-10, 210, OL-DL; Sophomore Wesley Harsock, 6-2, 165, WR-DB.
■ Outlook : Montpelier returns an experienced quarterback in Sharps, who was second-team All-TAAC at the position last season as a sophomore. Juniors Colley and Stahler are explosive athletes at the skill positions. Offensive line experience and depth are concern areas for Robinson.
“We are coming off of one of the best seasons in recent history of Montpelier football,” Robinson said. “What we learned from last year we hope to carry over to our upcoming classes. This season's success will revolve around how quickly our young group of players can grasp our schemes and we will have to grow up fast.”
NORTHWOOD
■ Coach : Ken James, 39th season
■ Last season : 3-7 overall, 1-3 TAAC
■ Top players : Seniors Julien Chappell, 5-11, 200, FB-LB; Anthony Gomez, 5-9, 150, S-P; Andy Foster, 6-1, 242, OT/DE; Justin Espino, 5-9, 200, DT; Hunter Owens, 6-4, 173, WR; junior Jason St. Claire, 5-10, 170, RB-DB.
■ Outlook : Northwood returns 13 lettermen and has six seniors on the roster this season with five returning starters on offense and nine on defense. The Rangers will field an extremely young team, but should showcase good team speed a the skill positions. James identified depth and experience on the offensive line as potential trouble areas.
“Only 13 of our 48 players are upperclassmen, so we will need to depend on several sophomores and possibly even some freshmen to fill our lineup this season,” James said. “Those individuals must develop into varsity players quickly for us to be competitive. If we can stay healthy and develop continuity, we should be able to field a competitive squad by the end of the season.”
HILLTOP
■ Coach : Nate Massie, seventh season
■ Last season : 1-9 overall, 0-4 TAAC
■ Top players : Cameron Schlosser, WR-DE, Brock Kesler, QB-DB; Brycen Grubbs, WR-DB; Scott Bowers, RB-LB, Terry Rebeck III, RB-LB; Brian Guillen, OL-DE; Jesus Guillen OL-DE.
■ Outlook : Hilltop returns eight starters on offense and nine on defense from last year's squad. Kesler and Cameron Shrimp will compete for the starting quarterback role and lead a group with several key skill position players returning. Offensive line depth will be a concern area for the offense. Defensively, the defensive line and linebacker units should be strong, while developing depth in the secondary will be a focal point.
“I believe if we can stay healthy, we can compete in the conference this year,” Massie said. “We have experience returning in many positions, and many players have worked hard this offseason to get better.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0