Football preview: Tri-Valley to lean on speed, new faces

DRESDEN — Replacing proven players with those lacking experience is nothing new at Tri-Valley, so the alarms of fear aren't exactly sounding off around Jack Anderson Stadium as another football season approaches.

That doesn't mean coach Cameron West is without tension, however. The Scotties' third-year head coach has watched his team suffer some injuries and fight through two-a-day afternoon practices.

But it's the task of acclimating new faces, especially on offense, and how quickly it happens, that figure to make or break another Scottie team aiming for the top of the Muskingum Valley League-Big School Division.

A schedule featuring Division II schools Columbus DeSales (Week 1) and Licking Heights (Week 2) and Division III power Jackson (Week 3) in consecutive weeks to start the season, followed by what figures to be another highly competitive league campaign, will give no quarter to a team needing to grow up fast.

Just three starters return from a senior-laden offense that finished 9-2, won a league title and hosted a first-round playoff game. Nary a yard returns, as every varsity contributor at quarterback, receiver and running back are gone.

West, however, has seen many Tri-Valley teams reload and succeed since his days as a Scottie quarterback in the mid-2000s. He's confident this could be the next in line — if the kids find their way.

"A lot of spots are getting filled by young guys who played (reserves) last year, because we didn't have a freshman team, which helped," West said. "But it's not varsity football. We're going to have a bunch of guys offensively who have never played varsity football."

Senior captain Hansel Holmes, an All-Ohio linebacker in 2021, said the newcomers are ready to carry the torch.

"Football, it's a grind, but everyone has been showing up all summer," Holmes said. "We're getting better every day. We lost a lot of good seniors (last year), but I love the guys we've got coming back and we've got some younger guys. You look at Max (Lyall) and some of the other sophomores and juniors, we've got some guys who are going to make an impact."

OFFENSE

Many questions surround a unit that relied heavily on the playmaking ability of All-Ohio receiver Jalen Goins-Chandler and dual threat quarterback Drew Burkhart, both of whom have vacated due to graduation.

Goins-Chandler caught 41 passes for 514 yards with 6 TDs, but also ran for 75 yards and threw a touchdown pass. He was a model of reliability, particularly in the biggest games, which helped him earn second-team All-Ohio.

Burkhart was 116-of-212 passing for 1,793 yards and 23 TDs and added another 540 yards with 7 TDs rushing, a season that saw him set the school's single-game passing record with 401 yards against New Lexington. His 77-yard TD run clinched a 20-7 win against John Glenn in Week 10 that sealed the Big School title and a home playoff game.

Just three starters are back, all up front in senior right tackle Aaron Frueh (6-5, 190) and classmates Mason Prouty (5-8, 215), the center, and right guard Ethan Helms (5-10, 200). Each is a captain.

Sophomore left-hander Max Lyall (6-4, 205), a defensive starter as a freshman, steps into the quarterback role with a glut of potential pass catchers surrounding him eager to make their mark. West described Lyall as "a real heady kid" who frequently asks questions and shows an eagerness to work.

"He's fun to coach and that makes me feel a lot better, knowing he's going to be leading that inexperienced group," West said. "Coaching him, it feels like he has been a starter for a couple of years. He's a sponge. He's the kid, even when he's not in, asking questions. That's the guy you want leading your offense."

Of the new receivers, five are seniors in Hansel Holmes (6-0, 195), Jayden Walker (5-10, 160), Thomas Williams (5-11, 155), Caden Leckrone (6-2, 190) and Jake Slaboden (5-8, 175), along with a junior in Trey Goins-Chandler (6-0, 145). Holmes also returns to handle the punting tasks.

There is far more youth in the backfield, where senior letterman Drake Durst (5-11, 160) will share time with promising sophomores Kam Karns (6-2, 165) and Jayden Wallace (6-0, 172), who has turned many eyes between practices and the scrimmage against Millersburg West Holmes.

"We've got to figure out where that offense is going to come from," West said. "It makes it easier when we have a pool of 10 guys who could be varsity wide receivers. We have three good running backs. It's good to see, because we do have some skill. We just have to find the right mix of guys, because all of our yards on offense are gone."

Helms said that while the team won't be able to replace the singular productivity that Burkhart and Goins-Chandler provided, the overall mix has increased the total firepower as a unit, which he feels can help more overall.

"Since we work so well together, we all know our jobs individually and we're not going to try to do more than the other," Helms said. "We know what we're supposed to do."

The line he helps anchor will again lack the size of the Scottie lines of yesteryear, and loses an All-Ohio player in Jacob Kinder. West, though, is bullish on their potential, citing strong mobility and versatility to accompany the experience factor.

The three starters are flanked by senior guard Drew Hines (6-1, 220) and sophomore tackle Chris Gargasz (6-2, 225). Sophomore Gavin Spiker (6-4, 230) will back up both tackles, while senior Emre Sparks (5-11, 190) provides depth at guard and sophomore Payton Johnson (6-2, 240), a capable utilityman. Senior Ashton Sensibaugh (6-0), 180) will man the H-back and tight end roles.

"We'll just have to be quicker than them," Frueh said of opposing defenses. "We've got some athletic dudes up front that will be able to beat the big guys with speed. That's how we will combat the size difference."

Last year, it meant less power runs and more screens and quick passing to keep the chains moving. It resulted in plenty of big plays, but hindered their ability to grind out drives, West said. The latter was a key factor in their playoff loss to Bellefontaine.

The players, though, have embraced the idea of athleticism over size.

"We're definitely not the biggest team — we're never going to be the biggest team — but we've got speed and we're just going to grind through everything," Holmes said. "Any adversity we face, I trust in our team to get it done."

DEFENSE

Jalen Goins-Chandler, a second-team All-Ohio pick on offense, might have been equally valuable in the secondary, where only Thomas Williams, a free safety, returns as a starter. There is plenty of proven experience elsewhere, however.

Frueh and Holmes were honorable mention All-Ohio picks in 2021, when Frueh led the team with five sacks and six tackles-for-loss from his end spot. Holmes displayed strong all-around play at linebacker — he had 10 pass break-ups in addition to 35 1/2 sacks.

"The dude has a motor that doesn't stop," Frueh said of Holmes. "He will run, run, run, and he knows how to get guys going when we're down. He will put his foot down and make that defense make a stand."

Frueh is joined in Jeremy Cameron's 3-4 scheme by a returning starter at nose guard in Prouty and Gargasz at end, while one of the league's top linebacker corps features three returning starters in Holmes and Helms inside and Sensibaugh on the outside with Slaboden. Karns is in the mix with Sensibaugh, while Sparks and Durst are the backups inside.

The real battle is at strong safety, where juniors Jaleel Brown (5-8, 150) and Tanner Newton (5-8, 160) are fighting for the starting job in a battle West said is still too close to call. The cornerbacks are new, with Trey Goins-Chandler and Walker starting and Kaden King backing them up.

OUTLOOK

West knows it will take time for his new players to gain experience and the early schedule gives no quarter. The final three games include road games with Philo and John Glenn sandwiched around a home tilt with Sheridan.

All are MVL-Big School games against veteran rosters. By then, West hopes they'll be nearing their peak. It's a roster he feels will improve greatly by season's end.

"We're not even close to the plateauing of our talent," West said. "There are probably eight sophomores that are vying for spots, and those kids are going to continue to get better and continue to get stronger. You're going to see things get better. That's why I am excited about this team."

The seniors will do their part, Holmes said.

"Being a senior on the team, it's your team," Holmes said. "Coach says it every day. The team is going to go as far as we let ourselves go."

Helms echoed that.

"The chemistry we have one this team this year, it just feels different," Helms said "The energy in the locker room, everybody likes everybody. We all work together as one. It just feels different this year."

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Tri-Valley football to lean on speed, new faces in 2022