H.S. football capsules for Orrville, Smithville, Dalton, Waynedale
Jacob Bailey, left, Cooper Haley and Jake Phillips are three of the 17 seniors on the roster at Orrville High. Amid all the uncertainty, it looks like the high school football season will kick off as scheduled Aug. 28 for the Red Riders.
Get to know the high school football teams in the Wayne Bargain Hunter coverage area:
DALTON BULLDOGS
2019 record: (9-2, 7-0 Wayne County Athletic League, outright champs).
Coach: Broc Dial, 28-7 entering his fourth season.
Players to watch: seniors Adam Jarrett (S/WR), Adam Knetzer (DE/K/P), Dillon Horst (WR/S) and Eric Miller (OL/DL); juniors Jaiden Malone (QB/DB), Jaden Schlabach (RB/DE) and Tate Geiser (RB/LB). (NOTE: heights/weights not available.)
Revised six-game schedule: Waynedale, Aug. 28; Smithville, Sept. 4; at Hillsdale, Sept. 11; Northwestern, Sept. 18; at Rittman, Sept. 25; at Norwayne, Oct. 2.
Coach’s comment: “We are hoping we get to play a season and looking forward to playing most of the WCAL teams,” Dial said. “We have a tough opener vs Waynedale. Our players have been working hard and are looking forward to playing in the competitive WCAL.”
Scouting report: Dalton has nine starters back on both sides of the ball and is the favorite to repeat as WCAL champ. Malone will move from WR to take over as QB for graduated standout Adam Bidlack (3,286 yards passing) with the luxury of returning virtually the entire starting line. Riggenbach and Nehemiah Miller are third-year starters on the line.
Everything seems to be lined up for the Bulldogs to make a deep playoff run.
ORRVILLE RED RIDERS
2019 record: 11-2 (6-1 Principals Athletic Conference, outright champs).
Coach: Doug Davault, 92-65 entering his 15th season.
Players to watch: seniors Marquael Parks (RB/DB, 5-9, 160), Cooper Haley (QB/DB, 5-9, 160), Jake Phillips (TE/LB, 6-1, 205), Jacob Bailey (RB/DT, 5-9, 150), Domanik Jonas (WR/DB, 5-8, 160), Rod McDuffie (WR/DB, 6-4, 185) and Trevor Jones (WR/DB, 6-3, 175); juniors Beau Hochstetler (OL/DL, 6-4, 265), Chris Smith (WR/DB, 5-7, 150), Kyle Endsley (OL/DL, 6-0, 180), Haiden Luangraj (OL/DL, 6-2, 210) and Tyler Schroer (QB/DB, 6-0, 165).
Revised six-game schedule: Northwest, Aug. 28; Tuslaw, Sept. 4; at CVCA, Sept. 11; Loudonville, Sept. 18; at Kenston, Sept. 25; Triway, Oct. 2.
Coach’s comment: “Seventeen of our 32 players (grade 10-12) are seniors this year. Five of those seniors have never played before, but they look like they can help us. Then we have nine juniors and six sophomores. We are really inexperienced at linebacker and defensive end. It will be really interesting to see how it shakes out by week three or four.”
Scouting report: The Riders were state champs in 2018 and regional runners-up last year. With a solid senior class led by All-Ohioan Marquael Parks, Orrville should again be among the PAC favorites and a tough playoff matchup for anyone. Parks rushed for 2,286 yards and scored 43 total TDs as a junior. His 121 career TDs are tied for third in OHSAA history and 12 away from tying Canal Winchester Prep’s Daniel Bangura’s record of 133 touchdowns. Haley (1,999 yards passing, 18 TDs last season), Phillips and Bailey are standouts in their own right who will provide lots of leadership.
SMITHVILLE SMITHIES
2019 record: 5-5 (4-3 WCAL, tied for third).
Coach: Mike Baker, 6-14 entering his third season.
Players to watch: seniors Chandler Keener (RB/OLB/S, 5-11, 215), Caleb Keib (RB/DE, 6-3, 200) and D.J. Kuehn (OL/LB, 5-11, 180); juniors Luke Meech (QB/S, 6-3, 185), Brock Lengacher (OL/DL, 6-1, 240) and Jonah Workman (OL/DL, 6-2, 220).
Revised six-game schedule: Chippewa, Aug. 28; at Dalton, Sept. 4; Waynedale, Sept. 11; Hillsdale, Sept. 18; at Northwestern, Sept. 25; at Rittman, Oct. 2.
Coach’s comment: “Chandler Keener is the kid who will make us go,” Baker said. “He had an outstanding junior season, earning second-team All-Ohio. We feel good about Luke Meech taking over as our quarterback. How well the offensive line gels will really be the biggest key for us. We had some really big graduation losses up front.”
Scouting report: Keener had one of the best regular seasons in Smithville history, carrying the ball 231 times for 1,647 yards and 17 TDs. The Smithies graduated some outstanding linemen but also have capable replacements. They have all the pieces for a top-half finish in the WCAL.
WAYNEDALE GOLDEN BEARS
2019 record: 4-6 (2-5 WCAL, tied for sixth).
Coach: Louie Stanley, 7-23 entering his fourth season.
Players to watch: seniors Zach Geiser (WR/DB, 6-1, 165), Storm Stanley (WR/LB, 6-1, 155), Gabe Mathias (WR/DB, 6-0, 165), Kane Murray (RB/LB, 5-9, 195) and Jerren Cutshaver (TE/DE, 6-2, 205); juniors Peyton Lemon (QB/LB, 5-10, 185), Justin Hershberger (RB/LB, 5-8, 170) and Luke Frantz (G/DT, 6-0, 250).
Revised six-game schedule: at Dalton, Aug. 28; Rittman, Sept. 4; at Smithville, Sept. 11; Norwayne, Sept. 18; at Hillsdale, Sept. 25; Chippewa, Oct. 2.
Coach’s comment: “We will be a little more open on offense than in the past,” Stanley said. “We have much more depth in our receiver corps. We are not as big as in the past on defense but have quicker and more skilled defenders. This is the most experienced senior class in five years. We have a great team attitude.”
Scouting report: Lemon will be one of the WCAL’s top dual threats at QB after passing for 1,727 yards and 12 TDs as a sophomore and rushing for 528 yards and six scores. There are more playmakers in the Bears’ den such as Murray and Mathias. The WCAL is always tough, but Waynedale has the talent to make a run for one of the top couple spots.
PLAYOFFS EXPLAINED: All teams qualify for playoffs starting Oct. 9. Teams may have the option to schedule games after they’re out of playoffs. Playoff seeding will be via a vote of the coaches the week of Sept. 28 (Harbin Ratings suspended for 2020 season).
All playoff contests through the regional semifinals (and possibly the regional finals) will be hosted by the higher-seeded team. Schools must commit to participate in the playoffs by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 17. Playoff regions will be drawn on Sept. 18. Schools may withdraw from the playoffs without penalty until Sept. 24.
—Aaron Dorksen