North Union Football: Experienced returnees will key Wildcats in 2022
RICHWOOD — North Union is the Marion-area's most experienced football team this season. While that's a luxury many coaches would love to have, it's not without its challenges, according to head coach Nick Hajjar.
"It’s good to have veteran guys, but sometimes you have to fight against being a veteran. Just because you’ve been through it doesn’t mean you can take a certain path. You’ve got to want to get better and want to push forward. That’s hard sometimes for any football team," Hajjar said.
With a roster filled with talented veterans, it's forced Hajjar and his staff to get creative in their approach to the game and preparation.
"We’ve got to do different things in practice with them as we go week-to-week," he added. "How you communicate with the kids is when it gets fun as a coach. They understand how to do some of these things, and now you’re getting into more of the whys. It’s them grasping it and understanding the big picture of the why. That’s the fun part of it."
The Wildcats have been on a run of seven or more wins for the last four years. North Union has also won two of the last three Mad River Division titles in the Central Buckeye Conference.
And with what they have returning, more of the same could follow.
"One of the biggest differences for us this year is we’re not going to sneak up on anybody," Hajjar said. "People know we have a better team. It’s day-to-day knowing we have the target on us and what that ownership means to have that target on us and the responsibilities that go with that. That’s a different mindset at times. We’re going to get everybody’s best shot, so we have to understand that."
The Wildcats have the athletes to match those best shots.
Key among them is Purdue-bound senior linebacker Owen Davis (6-foot-2, 216 pounds), who led the team with 1,059 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns as a fullback and running back. Also back for North Union is senior speedster Lincoln Harrah (5-9, 155), who ran for 547 yards and averaged 12.4 yards per carry.
But those aren't the only ones who will get carries in 2022. Hajjar said they are deep in the backfield and have the ability to line up several players in different spots in the wing T offense.
Junior Nolan Draper (6-0, 170), sophomore Tyler Krebehenne (5-8, 150), junior Aaron Vanderpool (6-0, 165) and senior Trey Bossaller (5-11, 160) could all get touches over the course of a game.
"We’re going to have a lot of different guys carrying the football, a bunch of guys in a bunch of spots to share the load and see who gets hot. It helps spell them for breaks so they’re fresh late in the game," the coach said.
Running the show at quarterback is senior returnee Cayden Lassiter (5-10, 180). He completed 51 percent of his passes for 687 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Bossaller, Davis and Harrah were his top three targets a year ago, combining for 39 receptions.
"It’s his second year in the system and is more comfortable with it from everything from play calls to just how things operate. It’s paid dividends," Hajjar said. "It’s slowed down for him which is good. There’s consistency with some of the same guys he threw to and was handing off to last year. They’re all back and that helps."
What also helps is a big and experienced offensive line.
Senior All-Ohioan Drue Duncan (6-2, 252) plays right tackle, while senior Brian Norman (5-10, 222), is at right guard. At left guard is senior Liam Adams (5-9, 210) and at left tackle is junior Rylan Keever (5-10, 235). All four are returning starters, and Hajjar has a couple of options on the roster to fill the open spot at center.
With the exception of a 42-14 loss to Jonathan Alder at midseason, North Union's 3-4 defense was tough to beat all year as it produced six shutouts.
The Wildcats lose second-team All-Ohio linebacker Gavin Miller and his 115 tackles, four sacks and four forced fumbles, but Dalton Wilson on the line, Davis at linebacker and Bossaller in the secondary are all retuning All-Ohioans. Wilson had 57 tackles and 3.5 sacks, Davis 55 tackles with three recovered fumbles and Bossaller 27 tackles with five interceptions.
"Dalton Wilson anchors the D-line and is an all-state returner for us. Hagan Albert has done some things for us in camp and has earned some snaps on the D-line," Hajjar said. "A lot of the same names of those big fellas up front on the offense have not played defense for a couple of years because we’ve had the luxury of going with one-way kids up front, but those guys will rotate and help out the D-line as well."
The Wildcats went 8-3 last year, but Indian Lake spoiled a potential outright Mad River Division title and Genoa Area upset them in the first round of the playoffs 16-13.
The last three weeks of the 2021 season has stuck with the returnees.
"We’ve had a good run here," Hajjar said. "These kids want to continue to push that tradition forward. That’s the natural competitive nature of kids and coaches. I think there were a lot of things we learned last year throughout the season. Even facing some adversity at the end there, that wasn’t easy to swallow. I think it took us a little bit in the offseason to fully move on. Now we have no choice."
The league race will be tougher than it's been in the first three years North Union has competed in the CBC, running a 13-2 record in the Mad River Division. Many of the teams gained experience a year ago and feature outstanding athletes. Continuing that run in the conference and earning a three-straight spots in the playoffs are some of the goals.
But for Hajjar, it's about keeping it simple and focused — veterans or not.
"What drives this group has got to be trying to get better every day. At the end of the day, we control what we control, and the byproduct of those actions will take care of itself," he said.
rmccurdy@gannett.com
419-610-0998
Twitter @McMotorsport
Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star
North Union Wildcats Football Bullet Points
Conference: Central Buckeye, Mad River Division.
Coach: Nick Hajjar.
Assistants: Mike Adams, Christian Koch, Andy Owens, Trevyn Feasel, Josh Sowder, Jeff Yates, Jesse Miller.
Postseason: Division V, Region 18.
Playoff Appearances: 8 (2009, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 20, 21).
Playoff Record All-Time: 5-8.
Last Year: 8-3, 4-1, Mad River Division champions.
Base Offense: Wing T.
Base Defense: 3-4.
North Union 2022 Football Schedule
Aug. 19: Pleasant at North Union
Aug. 26: North Union at Triad
Sept. 2: Danville at North Union
Sept. 9: North Union at Kenton Ridge
Sept. 16: Jonathan Alder at North Union
Sept. 23: Northwestern at North Union
Sept. 30: Benjamin Logan at North Union
Oct. 7: North Union at Graham
Oct. 14: North Union at Indian Lake
Oct. 21: North Union at Urbana
North Union 2021 Football Results
Pleasant, W 36-0
Blanchester, W 40-0
Danville, W 41-14
Kenton Ridge, W 35-0
Jonathan Alder, L 14-42
Northwestern, W 42-0
Benjamin Logan, W 35-7
Graham, W 14-0
Indian Lake, L 21-28
Urbana, W 33-0
Playoff: Genoa Area, L 13-16
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: North Union Football: Experienced returnees will key Wildcats in 2022
