Football preview: Veteran West M ready for life after Harley

FALLS TOWNSHIP — Many forces congealed to help West Muskingum football shed the label of loser.

There were the facility upgrades spearheaded by community fundraising. There was the hiring of Nathan Brownrigg as head coach. And there was the emergence of a star in two-way dynamo Harley Hopkins, who set the tone for future Tornadoes.

Two of those elements remain on The Hill. The stadium and new weight and locker room facilities are among the area's best. And Brownrigg enters Year 3 with a program fully entrenched.

Hopkins? The 210-pound wrecking ball is now at Marietta College. How effectively they adjust to life after Hopkins could very well decide the current Tornadoes' fate this season.

Hopkins was a first-team All-Ohio quarterback and leading tackler on a 6-4 team that had its first winning season in 12 years in 2021. His 2,055 yards accounted for more than 80 percent of the team's total offense; his five sacks led the team.

Brownrigg hopes those around him took notes, particularly with his unmatched work ethic and team-first disposition. He compared Harley's impact at West to that of Cameron West at Tri-Valley, where Brownrigg was a longtime assistant under Justin Buttermore.

"You don't replace a player like Harley," Brownrigg said. "He's the dude that hopefully years from now we can look back and I can talk about him being kind of the kick-start (for program success). And it wasn't always that way. That first year it took six or seven games to really buy in and trust us, and once that happened he set the standard."

With many large strides having already been in made in terms of player participation and the weight room, however, the stage remains set for improvement in the Muskingum Valley League's Small School Division, where Meadowbrook has consecutive championships. Their 49-20 loss to the Colts in Week 10 kept the Tornadoes out of the playoffs.

Nate Brownrigg
Nate Brownrigg

"It's crazy, and we tell this kids this all the time, how after just three years that 6-4 isn't good enough anymore," Brownrigg said. "We tell the kids that all the time and they tell each other that, so we're still playing with the same chip on our shoulder of getting rid of the old West, and starting something new. We feel we should be able to compete every single week."

OFFENSE

The void is obvious, but this is far from Mother Hubbard's barren cupboard.

Slippery, versatile Rashid Sesay (5-11, 185), now a junior, leaves his slot receiver spot to fill Hopkins' shoes at quarterback after leading the team with 31 receptions and seven touchdowns in 2021. His 483 receiving yards trailed only big play man Dylan Padgett, who is back for his senior season after a 29-catch, 526-yard campaign. They combined for 11 TDs. He was also the MVL's top sprinter as a sophomore.

Maysville's Nate Harper trips up West Muskingum's Rashid Sesay during a 31-7 loss during the 2021 season in Newton Township. Sesay will move to quarterback this season to replace graduated Harley Hopkins.
Maysville's Nate Harper trips up West Muskingum's Rashid Sesay during a 31-7 loss during the 2021 season in Newton Township. Sesay will move to quarterback this season to replace graduated Harley Hopkins.

A veteran line will help lead the way — senior center Isaac Husk (5-11, 300), junior guards Cord McKenzie and Colin Thornton and junior tackle Connor McKenzie all return. Connor McKenzie earned All-East District honors as a sophomore.

Another senior, hard-charging Ty Shawger — now 5-11, 190 pounds — returns after running for 414 yards and catching nine passes for 125. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry.

"He's an every-down back," Brownrigg said. "He's built himself into that. He can do a lot of things for us. He catches the ball really well."

Junior Mike Farley (6-2, 260) steps in at the vacated right tackle spot, while classmates Keegan Karns (6-0, 200) and Wes Houston (5-10, 200) are the new H-backs. Sophomore Jake Anton (6-2, 165) and junior Cam Fowler (5-11, 150) join a talented receiver corps.

And then there's the headliner — standout River View receiver Slater Sampsel has joined the mix as a transfer. He was Carter Fry's top target last season, corralling 35 receptions for 636 yards and 7 TDs in earning All-East District honors in Division IV.

Sampsel, a rangy target at 6-2, 180, adds even more weapons to an already stocked mix of pass catchers for Sesay and Anton, who also is in the quarterback mix after missing last season with an injury.

"Last year, we needed Harley to do a lot of stuff on his own," Brownrigg said. "I'm hoping this year, with the way that the kids have worked in the weight room, that we can basically take what he did and spread it out, maybe even surpass what he did production wise. Spread it around between three or four guys, instead of him having to do everything on his own."

Shawger agreed.

"We've got a lot of guys who need to step it up this year," Shawger said. "Obviously Rashid at quarterback has to step it up, but he's got our whole team behind him to back it up."

Brownrigg said quarterback isn't foreign to Sesay, who played the position in middle school, and said he won't force-feed him between the tackles like the powerful Harley did with regularity. Sesay's speed will be utilized, he said.

"We're not going to use him like a tailback like we did Harley," Brownrigg said. "We're going to use him out in space and let him use his speed, because he's fast. He's much different than Harley when it comes to that."

DEFENSE

Harley was good enough at linebacker to earn a spot in the North-South All-Star Classic, where he starred in a game his South squad failed to yield a point. Like the offense, however, experience returns in the form of three secondary starters and two more at linebacker.

Shawger and sophomore Carter Winland (5-8, 190), who play outside linebacker, lead the charge for defensive coordinator Pat Reilly's 4-3 front. A young unit allowed 334 yards and 40 TDs in 2021, but the experience at linebacker and senior Kam Foraker (5-9, 210) back at end has the Tornadoes hoping for vast improvement in those areas.

Maysville defenders, including Wesley Armstead (2) and Nate Harper (11) swarm West Muskingum's Ty Shawger.
Maysville defenders, including Wesley Armstead (2) and Nate Harper (11) swarm West Muskingum's Ty Shawger.

Shawger had a 56-yard interception return for a touchdown last season, while Winland had a sack playing as a freshman. Houston will man the middle as a first-year starter.

"Obviously (Hopkins) was a super good player and he made a lot of our tackles, but us three back there (at linebacker), if we focus on film and what spots to fill we can replace him," Shawger said. "He was really good at defeating blocks. He really knew what he was doing to fill gaps and make the right plays. He was a good guy to watch on film to know what to do."

Cornerbacks Sampsel and Sesay join safety Karns, who had an interception as a sophomore, in the secondary with another starter at safety in Padgett. Sesay scored three defensive touchdowns.

The line is mostly new, with Thornton and senior Jack Stonerock (6-0, 235) inside with both McKenzies, Husk and Farley also seeing snaps. Senior Brayden VanDyne, a 6-3, 210-pounder, starts opposite Foraker at the other end, with junior Andrew Stark (5-9, 195) also in the mix.

Winland and Shawger will handle the kicking duties, while Sampsel will be the punter.

OUTLOOK

Of the team's losses — to Maysville (31-7), Philo (40-26), Coshocton (39-33) and Meadowbrook (49-20) — it was usually the defensive struggles that proved the difference. A win against the Redskins in Week 9 would have sent them into the Division V, Region 19 playoffs.

Shawger said the team "can't stop" in terms of its effort on the field and film study away from it. The first scrimmage was Saturday and he was eager to see if the improvement shows against a new opponent.

"We've got to put everything together," Shawger said. "We had some close games last year where we didn't execute as well as we could have. We need to make sure that we finish the ones that are close."

Foraker said the team learned a year ago that in most cases “it’s all about the little things,” when it comes to winning and losing. He echoed Brownrigg in that another 6-4 season won't be good enough.

“We're really trying to focus on the little things more," Foraker said. "That's pretty much it. We're trying to win a championship."

The season kicks off on Aug. 19 at Lakewood, followed by consecutive nonleague games at Marietta and at home against Cincinnati Schroder. MVL crossovers include a road game against Philo in Week 5 and a home tilt with bordering rival Maysville in Week 6.

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Veteran West Muskingum football ready for life after Harley Hopkins