Football preview: Sheridan to lean on seniors, better defense

THORNVILLE — For a team that finished 8-2 in 2021, Sheridan usually didn't resemble the sort of outfit many in General Country have come to expect.

A rebuilding offense with a new offensive line leaned heavily on the running of senior running back Jason Munyan. He responded with a first-team All-Ohio season that allowed him to leave as the school's all-time leader in career rushing and career touchdowns.

The defense yielded 25 points per game, the most since Paul Culver III became coach in 2016. They allowed more than 20 points eight times, including 49 in a shutout loss at home to John Glenn.

Despite their defensive struggles, the Generals still took perennial power Columbus DeSales to the brink in a 21-14 loss that saw Sheridan fail to score on a first-and-goal in the final minute.

Improving the defense was priority No. 1 in the offseason for Culver's veteran squad, which returns 20 seniors to a team that again has lofty expectations. He has been pleased with the offseason efforts.

"We gave up 25 points a game last year," Culver said. "We all know that's not good enough."

OFFENSE

Junior Caden Sheridan (5-10, 200) is back at quarterback after almost reaching 1,000 yards as a sophomore. He will share time this season with senior Reid Packer (6-2, 185), who Culver said has earned the opportunity to see what he can bring to the offense.

The latter made significant strides in the weight room in the offseason and has developed into one of the team's unquestioned leaders, Culver said.

They combined for 67-of-130 passing for 1,056 yards and 9 TDs in 2021 and ran 111 times for 510.

"Reid, in terms of commitment to the weight room, has turned himself into a grown man," Culver said. "His arm has come so far. He is a starter in every sense of the word, but Caden is a very talented quarterback in his own right. I struggle with naming a returning starter because I feel like I have the best two quarterbacks in the league — two of the best in the area. It's a matter of keeping them both happy and managing minutes."

Culver said of the 25 lettermen returning, "it starts with Packer and Sheridan."

"Both performed admirably in their QB battle last season," Culver said. "Our success this year will rely on their leadership and playmaking abilities."

Filling Munyan's shoes in the backfield is a troika of capable runners in seniors Alex Poirier (6-0, 190) and Chase Elson (5-9, 180) and junior Beau Hatem (5-9, 175), none of whom boast any varsity backfield experience. Munyan's brother, 5-11, 175-pound Justin Munyan, a starting safety, is also in the running back mix. Culver said all will receive carries.

Paving the way for them is an offensive line that loses a productive physical presence in Holden Bowen, but is led by one of the best the program has produced in senior guard Hunter Zizek (5-8, 195), who doubles as a standout wrestler.

He is joined by tackles Noah Miller (6-4, 240 sr.) and Bryden Gladstone (6-5, 225 sr.), guard Thomas Helsel (5-10, 185 sr.) and center Jacob Ramey (6-2, 200 sr.), with Reece Hale (6-0, 245 sr.), Hunter Sites (5-9, 215 jr.), Conner Backus (6-0, 265 jr.), Cole Davis (6-0, 220 jr.) and Jack Robinette (6-0, 275 soph.) in backup roles.

The receivers feature a returning starter in big play man Andrew Holden (5-9, 160), a senior, along with seniors Drew Boyer (5-9. 160) and Austin Clifton (6-1, 160). Juniors Bryson Ruff (5-10, 165), A.J. Winders (5-11, 160) and Brayden Weaver (5-11, 165) are also in the mix for time.

The H-backs are Casey Johnson (6-3, 200), a senior, and classmate Thor Knapp (5-10, 200), with junior Ryan Kuhn (5-10, 175) also vying for time.

Boyer, Holden, Miller and Zizek are returning starters. History suggests that an all-senior line figures to be a strength.

Culver called Holden the team's top playmaker. Holden's 386 receiving yards led the team in 2021 and his 21.4 yards per catch trailed only Clifton's 23.1.

"The thing that concerns me a little bit with this team is the speed," Culver said. "We have decent speed, but we don't have genuine game-breakers. Maybe they will become that. We have to develop big play capability to truly compete at the level we want to."

DEFENSE

Tackling, a major concern last season, has been a focus of the staff during the offseason, which meant more attention being paid to improving form during preseason camp.

"You just have to work at it," said Packer, a returning starter at free safety. "You have to go out there and work at it almost every single day. It's not something where you just show up and hope you can do it in a game. You have to practice it through the week and take that to the game. ... Our practices have been a lot crisper, a lot more physical than they have been in the past."

Getting Poirier back from injury figures to help that cause. A two-year letterman at linebacker, he missed much of last season after suffering a stress fracture in his leg. He proclaimed himself full healthy last week.

"I think we will do a much better job this year," Poirier said of the tackling. "We've been really grinding on that and just having the rest of the team come together on that, I think it will work out pretty well."

Poirier is joined at linebacker in the 3-3-5 by a physical returning presence in Elson and a returning starter in Hatem, while Zizek and Hale return to the line at end and nose guard, respectively. Knapp is the other end, with Davis, Miller and Ramey all fighting for snaps.

The secondary loses an experienced ball hawk in Corey Amspaugh, but still returns two reliable safeties in Packer and Munyan, who forced three turnovers in the loss to DeSales.

Spencer Showalter (5-9, 165 sr.) is manning the other safety spot, while Clifton is the newcomer at the other corner. Sophomore Coltyn Reedy, a wrestling standout, Winders and Zach Hines (5-8, 150 jr.) are the backups pushing for time at safety and Boyer the backup at corner.

Helsel, Kuhn and Darrin Vogelmeier (5-10, 185 jr.) provide the linebacker depth.

Culver is confident this is a better group than the one that struggled to stop quality opponents a year ago. The positive in that many of the eight senior starters on defense gained valuable experience.

Now they're another year into the weight program and hungry to show they have improved.

"We gave up in the neighborhood of 250 points last year," Culver said. "I don't ever remember giving up over 150, let alone 250. The Red Rage was not the Red Rage. They're not wearing red jerseys in practice anymore. Probably should have done that last year."

OUTLOOK

Culver likes his team, particularly the depth at quarterback, running back and linebacker. There are 25 lettermen and 85 players in the program, including 58 dressing varsity.

They have learned from past experiences that a wealth of capable bodies always pays off.

"We have three senior running backs who also play linebacker," Culver said. "I do believe in the playoffs that you have to have extraordinary depth. It's an absolute necessity. Those teams playing 12, 13, 14 kids, you might get away with that in D-V, VI and VII, but not in Division IV, III and II, let alone in D-I."

It's a big reason why Culver expects this team to compete for another league crown.

"It will be a disappointment if we're not there," Culver said.

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Sheridan football to lean on seniors, better defense