High school football: Defiance aims to continue climb

DEFIANCE — When Travis Cooper took over at Defiance, he inherited a team that went 1-9 in 2020.

Since then, the Bulldogs have upped their win total each of the past three seasons, going from 3-7 in 2021 to 7-5 in 2022 and 8-4 last season.

Defiance ended the year in a three-way tie with Van Wert and St. Marys in the WBL standings with a record of 6-3. It was their highest league finish since 2014.

With two straight playoff appearances under their belt and eight returning starters on both sides of the ball, this season is all about continuing that upward trajectory, dealing with expectations and handling the pressure that comes with being a winning program.

“For us, it’s about staying hungry and not being satisfied with steps we’ve already taken,” Cooper said. “We were able to sneak up on some people in the past because they knew how we used to be, but our guys have a little more of an expectation they’re being held to. With expectation comes pressure so we’ll see how our guys handle that.”

Defiance will be tested early, starting with four road games in its first five weeks. That includes a matchup with defending WBL champion Wapakoneta in Week 2, followed by its home opener against St. Marys.

Cooper believes that having a high number of multi-sport athletes is something that lessens the blow of a road-heavy first half, meaning his players are familiar enough with the trips that it won’t be a deciding factor in games.

“I’m not sure home or away really matters to them,” he said. “There are parts of me that like the pregame of a road trip because it forces your kids to lock in earlier with fewer distractions. We’re trying to look at that first stretch as a positive in that way.”

The Bulldogs lost six key pieces to graduation, three on each side of the ball.

On offense, that includes first-team WBL and honorable mention all-State safety Garret Rodenberger, second-team WBL running back Brogan Castillo and second-team WBL guard Caden Allman.

Brez Zipfel, a second-team WBL and all-State honorable-mention quarterback, headlines the group of returning players.

The 6-2, 175-pound Zipfel enters his fourth season as the starter after throwing for 1,460 yards and 20 touchdowns. He added 272 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns as a junior.

“He got thrown in there as a freshman and the growth he’s had since then is remarkable,” Cooper said. “It’s such a luxury as a head coach and play-caller to have a guy who’s thinking along the same lines as you. Any coach will tell you that the growing pains of a young quarterback are rough, but it’s going to pay dividends eventually and that’s where we’re at with Brez.”

Cooper said Zipfel gives him the ability to go into more detailed parts of the offense as opposed to the basic points they started with a few years ago.

Zipfel also has three reliable returning pieces in front of him, with offensive linemen Steven Hoffman (WBL honorable mention), Tyler Doden-Kiessling (second-team WBL) and Romeo Valle.

Protection? Check.

What about playmakers?

That’s also taken care of.

Abel Rubio, who took over for an injured Brogan Castillo last year, will patrol the backfield. On the outside is a talented wide receiver group consists of Anothony Wilder, Jordyn Wright, Brady Borton and TJ Kellermyer.

Wilder, a 5-9, 175-pound WBL first-teamer, compiled 1,311 all-purpose yards in 2023 and 14 total touchdowns.

His 4.4 40-yard dash speed allows him to line up all over the field for Defiance. Just like Zipfel, Wilder has been on the field for his entire high school career.

“I think he’s one of the best athletes in the league,” Copper said. “He was a first-team kid, and he’s been playing since he was a freshman. He’s extremely talented.”

In addition to his role at running back, Abel Rubio (Sr.) leads the defense at linebacker along with Joey Robinson (Sr.), who was an all-state player last season.

Other returning starters for the defense include Cohen Stockman (Sr., OLB), Kelton Gibbs (Jr., OLB), Logan Hutcheson (Sr., DB), Eli Howerton (Sr., DB), Alex Hinojosa (Jr., DL) and Ray Salinas (Sr., DL).

Cooper said the plan is to rotate players up front and rely on a veteran secondary

Some other key player who could also work themselves into the mix on either side of the ball are Noah Gomez (Sr., RB/DB), Mitchell Taylor (Sr., TE/LB), Chase Commisso (So., RB/LB), Jackson Becker (So., OL/DL) and Jack Heinze (So., OL/DL).

Depth is the main concern for the Bulldogs. The total number of players on roster is around 50, which is down, according to Cooper. He called it “quality over quantity” but also said they need some luck staying healthy throughout the season to compete in the WBL.

“Top to bottom we’re a really good league,” he said. “I really think that even the bottom teams in the league are better than the good teams in some other leagues. There are no easy games.”

TEAM PROFILE

Coach: Travis Cooper (fourth season)

Division: III

Last year’s record: 8-4, 6-3 WBL

Ticket information: https://defiancebulldogs.org/main/ticketing/

Returning 2023 letter winners: Brez Zipfel (Sr., QB), Anthony Wilder (Sr., WR), Steven Hoffman (Sr., OL), Romeo Valle (Sr., OL), Tyler Doeden (Jr., OL), Jordyn Wright (Jr., WR), Brady Borton (Sr., WR), TJ Kellermyer (Sr., WR), Abel Rubio (Sr., LB), Joey Robinson (Sr., LB), Cohen Stockman (Sr., OLB), Logan Hutcheson (Sr., DB), Eli Howerton (Sr., DB), Kelton Gibbs (Jr., OLB), Alex Hinojosa (Jr., DL), Ray Salinas (Sr., DL)

Top newcomers: Noah Gomez (Sr., RB/DB), Mitchell Taylor (Sr., TE/LB), Chase Commisso (So., RB/LB), Jackson Becker (So., OL/DL), Jack Heinze (So., OL/DL)

2024 schedule

(Kickoffs scheduled for 7 p.m.; subject to change)

8/23 — at Napoleon

8/30 — at Wapakoneta

9/6 — St. Marys

9/13 — at Van Wert

9/20 — at Shawnee

9/27 — Kenton

10/4 — Elida

10/11 — at Bath

10/18 — Celina

10/25 — Ottawa-Glandorf