LEIPSIC — It’s not all about the streak. But the streak is important.
Leipsic’s football team will be trying to reach the state playoffs for the seventh year in a row this season. And with starters back at 14 positions, a big senior class and an Ohio State recruit in the lineup, another playoff trip is a realistic goal.
“It’s important to us as a program. Each class wants to keep that streak going,” Leipsic coach Andy Mangas said. “This senior class doesn’t want to be the one to break the streak. We want to keep it rolling.”
Leipsic is coming off a 5-6 season where it got into the playoffs with only one win over a team with a winning record. So, even though the Vikings had some success last season, they aren’t afraid to shake things up a little.
One priority is getting more production from the running game. It’s enough of a priority that first-team All-Blanchard Valley wide receiver Nate Brecht, who caught 46 passes last season, will be moving to running back.
“I look at it this way — he had about 50 catches, and he should get 150 carries. He’s got to get the ball more, and that’s the easiest way to do it,” Mangas said. “He’s not the biggest kid, but he plays a lot bigger than he is. The biggest reason, though, is we need to get him the ball a lot more.”
There also could be a change at quarterback, where Ross Mangas (998 yards, 8 TDs) and Isaiah Lomeli (497 yards, 10 TDs) shared the job last year, with Mangas taking more snaps. This season, Lomeli could spend more time at quarterback, with Mangas playing receiver.
Or they could share time again at QB, where Mangas is more of a drop-back passer and Lomeli is more of a dual threat to mix in some running plays with passing in Leipsic’s spread offense.
Gavin Cupp, a 6-foot, 5-inch, 290-pound guard/defensive lineman who has verbally committed to Ohio State, leads the offensive and defensive lines and defensive end Jordan Brown was first-team All-Blanchard Valley Conference. Cupp was first-team All-BVC and second-team All-Ohio.
Cupp (OL/DL), Brown (TE/DL), Lomeli (QB/DB), Brecht (RB/DB), Mangas (QB/DB) and Jordan Berger (OL/DL) are returning two-way starters. Linebackers Keith Scheckelhoff and Austin Chamberlin are also returning starters.
“Things are looking good,” said Mangas, in his second year as the Vikings’ coach. “I think you can tell it’s Year 2 of the system. The kids look a lot more comfortable. We need more consistency on the lines on both sides of the ball. We need to get our running game going and need to be more mentally and physically tough on defense. We’re big and athletic and need our linebackers to step up.”
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