Football Preview: Maysville relying on skill, speed

NEWTON TOWNSHIP — Physicality has been a hallmark of Craig Clarke's teams at Maysville.

With a slew of new faces in the trenches, the Panthers will lean on another asset — veteran playmakers.

"We're green on the lines, especially on offense, so we're going to rely on our skilled guys, using their speed and getting them into space," Clarke said. "We want to spread the ball around on offense and make teams defend all 53 yards (across).

"Defensively, we have a lot of speed and want to use that to our advantage," he added. "We're going to lean on our defense, as our offense grows together."

One of the top skill players returning in the area will be senior running back Hayden Jarrett. He ran for around 1,136 yards and 11 TDs a year ago and provides a combination of strength and speed out of the backfield. He is also a proven pass catcher, having pulled in 20 for 206 yards in 2021.

Junior Alex Bobb returns to quarterback, while juniors Wesley Armstead and Coen Fink will also get some carries at running back. The receivers are also deep with talent, as senior Josh Maxwell and juniors Sammy Scott and Tyler Debolt return to headline that group.

"Hayden is a nice kid to have in the backfield. He can do a lot of things, and he has the speed to get the perimeter," Clarke said. "Alex will provide more leadership under center. He can also check into some things and use our audibles to help spread the ball around. We're going to be more balanced and look to get the ball in the air more often. We have a lot of speed and guys with good hands.

"We have smart kids, many of them are honor students. They really grasp our scheme," he added. "I've seen this group ad lib some over the summer. They feel comfortable with what we're doing, and we're going to lean on our strengths."

Getting another summer to work together has Bobb confident in the skill players around him.

"We've been working on changing from being a power team to one more reliant on speed," Bobb said. "As the quarterback, I want to encourage our line and keep them up even if they make a mistake. It helps that we have more leaders on the field, especially in moments where we lost the momentum in games last year. We don't want to let that happen this year."

That athleticism and quickness can allow the offensive line to grow together, as the Panthers replace the whole group, including Gauge Samson and Garrett LaFollette. Senior Trenton Pitts, who saw some time as a sophomore before battling injuries last season, is set to be the center.

Two more players who missed last season to injury will fill in the guard spots, juniors Kyle Dennis and Tony Munlux, while juniors Connor Luman and Gavin Baker will step into the tackle roles. Senior Austen Stotts and sophomore Cage Dumolt, who are battling injuries, will be added to the rotation when they return.

"This is a very green group and we'll take baby steps with them," Clarke said. "Our skill players know it's a growing process, and they have been very encouraging. They congratulate them when they do a good job. It's going to take time to mesh, but there's definitely promise with that group."

Jarrett, a three-year starter, believes the Panthers have the talent in the key spots to excel, while the young offensive line comes together.

"They may be undersized, but they can get off the ball quick," Jarrett said about the line. "We have a lot of speed around them, and Alex has taken a big step from last year. We've grown together, and we're going to be in better condition."

Losing a strong group of linemen has also led to a change on the defensive side where the Panthers will use a 3-3-5 alignment.

Juniors Dylan Stevens and Andrew Baughman are listed as the defensive ends and 6-4, 300-pound freshman Colton Dumolt will be the space eater at nose guard. Pitts and Munlux could also see time with that group.

An experienced group of linebackers and defensive backs will take pressure off the front line. Jarrett anchors the linebacking corps with junior Todd Saxton, who is the backup quarterback, and sophomore Logan Wilhite will be the outside backers.

Maxwell, Debolt and Smith return as the cornerbacks, while Fink, Armstead and Bobb, along with sophomore Mathew Harper, will split the safety duties.

"Hayden is going to be our leader on both sides of the ball, and Todd coming back out this year is huge. He didn't play last year but he brings a lot to the table," Clarke said. "We'll platoon up front, trying to get all our guys varsity experience. We have a lot of athleticism behind them so we wanted to get that speed on the field."

The defense will also take a more aggressive approach, added Jarrett.

"We may lack some experience up front, but we have the speed and experience behind them to help out," Jarrett said. "We want to play aggressively and use our speed to get to the ball."

Special teams should also be a strength. Scott returns as the placekicker, while Bobb, Fink and Armstead can handle the punting duties. The skill players are also expected to take care of returning kickoffs and punts.

"Having experience on special teams is key for us. It's a way for us to keep teams honest, and we have confidence in all those guys."

Maysville will again play 10 teams from the Muskingum Valley League. The first three weeks feature Meadowbrook, New Lexington and Coshocton, but none count as crossovers. Yet, those games will be vital as the Panthers look to gel and be in better shape.

The Panthers also scrimmaged Bloom-Carroll on Saturday and will scrimmage Licking Valley next Friday.

"We have two strong scrimmages and good games early on to get our linemen reps and adapt to the varsity speed," Clarke said. "We've also focused on conditioning. That cost us a few games last year, and we have to be in better shape because the Big School is a grind. We will lean on our skill and speed, but the key to our season is the improvement of our offensive line."

After a 3-7 season, players like Bobb are confident Maysville will improve and reach its goals.

"Our defense is going to fly to the ball and gang tackle. Our offense seems to have better chemistry," he said. "We're working as hard as anyone in the MVL. We're going to rely on that competitiveness to give us an edge every Friday night."

bhannahs@gannett.com

Twitter: @brandonhannahs

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Football Preview: Maysville relying on skill, speed