WH football has new coach but expectations remain the same
West Holmes’ Lynn Cline (9) will play a big role on offense and defense this season.
A new coach will lead the West Holmes football team this season.
Keaton Leppla, a 2013 WH graduate, is the new man in charge.
And a new outlook for the program comes with that change.
“The team schematically will change (from last season),” said Leppla, who coached at Wooster High for the past five years. “We will be more aggressive overall on both O and D. A lot of the same faces (are back), and (we) will be able to (be) creative and get the ball in our playmakers’ hands.
“There will not be monumental changes (from last season), but this will be a fun team to watch.”
Leppla is taking over a program that has reached the regional semifinals the past four seasons including the program’s first state semifinals berth in 2021. The Knights finished 10-3 overall and 6-1 in the Ohio Cardinal Conference last season. They had won at least a share of three consecutive OCC titles before finishing second last year.
“The league is wide open with no clear-cut winner and will be a battle every week in the OCC,” Leppla said. “There is an expectation of competing and winning championships around here, and that is our goal as a program.”
West Holmes returns plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Eleven letterwinners return on offense and eight on defense.
The offense will run a power spread scheme using multiple formations.
The unit will start with senior All-Ohio quarterback Morgan Smith, who completed 261-of-372 passes for 4,101 yards and 45 touchdowns with 12 interceptions last season. He also rushed for a team-high 1,175 yards and 17 scores on 228 carries.
Logan Zollars, Lynn Cline, Brock Gallion, Chance Jackson and Blake Weiss are the projected starters at receiver. Zollars caught 63 passes for 956 yards and four touchdowns while Cline snagged 59 balls for 927 yards and six scores.
Zach Shepler (249 yards rushing, two TDs) and Brody Bowman are the projected starters at running back.
The offensive line is expected to be a significant strength this season and will consist of Morgan Eastep, Max Coakley, Braylen McKinney, Darren Gallion and Hayden Smith.
The Knights defense will be aggressive using multiple fronts and coverages.
Like the offensive line, Leppla expects his big guys up front to set the tone for the unit. The line will consist of ends Hunter McCluggage and Eastep and linemen Hayden Smith, Coakley, Grady Hawkins, Dylan Sours and Wes Yoder.
Cline, who led the team with 169 tackles last season, will anchor the linebacker unit. He’ll be joined by Braxton Blake, Bowman and Maddax Graham.
The secondary will consist of Brock Gallion, Shepler, Jackson and Weiss.
“Our biggest strength will be our offensive and defensive lines returning most starters and having lots of varsity experience,” Leppla said. “We also have a lot returning skill-wise who also have a good amount of varsity experience. We have a lot of playmakers in our skill room and a very cohesive, big, physical and cerebral line on both sides of the ball.”
Leppla expects his players to go through a bit of an adjustment period since they’re learning new schemes.
“There will be growing pains with a new system and adjusting a few of our skill players into playing varsity for the first time,” he said.
The Knights will open the season at Triway on Aug. 23. They will then play at Orrville and host Dover before starting OCC play at home against Mansfield Senior, last year’s conference champion, on Sept. 13. That begins a stretch of six consecutive league games before finishing the regular season at home against nonconference foe Holy Name on Oct. 25.
West Holmes will compete in Division IV, Region 15 this season after being in Region 14 the past two seasons. The Knights have made the playoffs four consecutive seasons and five out of the past six. Each of those postseason appearances came under former coach Zach Gardner, who resigned during the offseason.