HS Football Preview: Rangers And Eagles Excited For New Season
RANGERS BEGIN THOME ERA
LHS hired new football coach Tom Thome (rhymes with “home”) this past winter to replace the outgoing Tom Hannan. Thome, who will teach social studies at LHS, arrived from Twinsburg High School. He and the team have been working hard this offseason and are anxious to hit the field.
The program has seen an impressive influx of freshmen this season, with 22 9th graders joining the team. The group offers quality as well as quantity. “I’m blown away at their IQ,” Coach Thome says of the newbies. As many as three of the freshmen could see playing time on the varsity squad. More importantly, the group is large enough to field a full freshman team this year – something that hasn’t been possible in recent seasons.
Coach Thome hopes to continue growing the program through outreach with Lakewood’s middle and elementary schools. To that end, each home game this year will feature a tailgate party for a different Lakewood School. The opening night event will feature Horace Mann. Coach Thome encourages fans to come out and support the team. “We want a positive environment [for the team],” he says. The season opener will be on August 24 at home against Garfield Heights.
Here is a preview of the team:
OFFENSE
After running a “Wing-T” offense last year under Hannan, this year’s squad will return to a “read option” system similar to what they did in 2016. The “read option” depends heavily on the quarterback’s decision-making. Junior Albert Wilhelmy is expected to start at quarterback this year. “To me Albert is a complete quarterback,” says Thome, “he makes great decisions.” Thome also likes Wilhelmy’s arm. “His strength is the vertical passing game.” Fellow junior Sean Mahoney, who is also very capable, is expected to be the back-up quarterback.
Wilhelmy will have a solid crew of running backs, led by brothers Milan and DJ Jackson. Milan, a junior, has the breakaway speed to make “home run” type carries. DJ, a senior, is adept at picking up tough yardage with his strength. The Jacksons will be joined by senior Will Adams, who will see time at running back and other positions.
The Ranger receiving corps includes an interesting trio that also plays on the Ranger baseball team. Sophomores Evan Hampton, sophomore Phoenix Jouriles, and junior Billy Murphy bring not only athleticism, but height to the postion. Each is over six feet tall, which Thome hopes will create favorable matchups against opposing secondaries. Senior Aaron Kerney, who is 6’5”, is another big target. Slot receivers will include senior Kyren Jefferson, junior Edwin Rodriguez, and Will Adams. Will Rosenberger and Tico Jones provide a versatile skill set at the tight end position.
The offensive line includes four starters returning from last year’s team. Senior Alvin Musai, considered by Thome to be the strength of the unit, will play at left tackle. Junior Justin Steiner, who played multiple positions on the line last year, will be starting center. Junior Spencer Reynolds and senior Keegan Frear will each bring their experience to the guard positions. Kicking duties will be handled by senior Justin Crislip, who shared the job last year.
DEFENSE
Coach Thome brings his defensive coaching experience to a unit that gave up over 43 points per game last season. His plan is for the team to play fast and physical…or in his words, “Get eleven hats on the ball." Stopping the run, which is imperative in the very physical Southwestern Conference, will be the first priority.
The Ranger defensive line will include senior Ahmed Muhammad at strong end. “I am so pleased,” Thome says of Muhammad, “he has done everything we want.” Junior Yousef Awad, who was the SWC Heavyweight Wrestling Champion last year, will play strong tackle. “He’s the most talented defensive lineman we have,” says Thome. Senior Mike McCollum will bring quickness to the nose tackle position. Will Rosenberger will be an anchor on the line; Tico Jones and James Morrissey are expected to be in the mix as well.
The Rangers feature a diverse set of linebackers. Senior Nate Bilski returns to fill the weak side spot. Bilski has impressed Thome all offseason. “I just trust him,” Thome says of Nate. Spencer Reynolds, Will Adams, and freshman Brandyn Bates will fill the middle linebacker role. Junior Ethan Uechchi, junior Isaac Gomez and James Morrissey will play the strong side.
The secondary will include strong safety DJ Jackson, who Thome describes as his “most complete” player in the unit. “All summer everyone has been raving about him,” says the coach. The ball-hawking Evan Hampton will play free safety, and there are numerous others in the mix. These include Edwin Rodriguez, junior Austin Dachtler, and sophomore Matt Bowen. The two cornerback positions are a fight between four talented players: Kyren Jefferson, Phoenix Jouriles, Billy Murphy, and Calvin Tillett. There will be lots of rotating among this group to keep them fresh. Punting duties will be handled by Edwin Rodriguez.
TICKET AND SCHEDULE INFO
As in previous seasons, all varsity football games will be played at 7pm on Friday nights. All five home games will be at First Federal Lakewood Stadium. After the season opener with Garfield Heights, the Rangers will play four of the next five games on the road. They host Olmsted Falls on September 14. Homecoming is October 5th against Avon, and Senior Night will be October 26 against North Ridgeville. Tickets to the Garfield Heights game are priced at $7 for adults; $5 for student presale; tickets for the nine nonconference games (home and away) are $6 for adults and $4 for student presale. All home games are FREE for Lakewood senior citizens (60 and up). Most home games will include a tailgate for middle and grade school students and their families. The LHS team will make a pregame visit to these tailgates to better connect with young fans.
EAGLES GET EARLY CHANCE FOR REVENGE
Last year’s St. Edward season ended with a second round playoff loss to Mentor in the OHSAA tournament. As fate would have it, this year’s Eagles will open the season at Mentor High School on August 24th. The Eagles, 10-2 last season, return many weapons from last year’s squad. Senior Garrett Dzuro, who shared duties last year with Zach Kincaid last year, will be the sole starting quarterback this year. His targets include playmaking wide receiver Quintel Kent. Kent has committed to play college football at the University of Michigan. Senior Jordan Castleberry is expected to lead the running attack. Defensively, the secondary will include senior Caden Kolesar; other key returners include Seamus O’Malley, Deeb Alawan, and Teon Smith.
As always, the Eagles play one of the toughest schedules in the area. Perhaps the biggest news this year isn’t WHO the Eagles play, but WHEN they will play. For the first time in decades, St. Edward will host most of its home games on Friday night instead of Saturday. The move is intended to boost attendance, which is adversely affected on Saturdays by competition with college football and other weekend activities. One of the Eagles five home games (October 12th vs. St. Joseph (Ontario)) will be played on campus at Brother James Everett Stadium. The other home games will take place at First Federal Lakewood Stadium. The regular season will end with the traditional “Holy War” matchup against St. Ignatius. This year’s event, which is a Wildcat home game, will be played at First Energy Stadium in downtown Cleveland.
Mike Deneen has extensive experience covering sports and community stories for "The Lakewood Observer." Mike has been a Senior Industry Analyst for the Freedonia Group in Cleveland, Ohio, since 1998. He has appeared on CNBC’s "Closing Bell," NPR’s "MarketPlace" and has been quoted multiple times in "The Wall Street Journal." He has made multiple guest appearances on ESPN Cleveland radio. Mike also writes for "Inside Northwestern," a website that covers Northwestern Wildcat Athletics. You can reach him on Twitter at @MikeDeneen1
Mike Deneen
Mike Deneen has extensive experience covering sports and community stories for "The Lakewood Observer." Mike has been a Senior Industry Analyst for the Freedonia Group in Cleveland, Ohio, since 1998. He has appeared on CNBC’s "Closing Bell," NPR’s "MarketPlace" and has been quoted multiple times in "The Wall Street Journal." He has made multiple guest appearances on ESPN Cleveland radio. Mike also writes for "Inside Northwestern," a website that covers Northwestern Wildcat Athletics. You can reach him on Twitter at @MikeDeneen1