Shawnee’s Chase Beery is being moved from flanker to running back for the Indians this year.
First they played defense. Then they mixed in enough offense to produce seven wins, the most at Shawnee since the 2009 football season.
Now, after doing that in 2021, Shawnee wants to take the next step, which would be taking on and beating the top football programs in the Western Buckeye League and challenging for a league title.
Shawnee’s seven wins included only two over teams with winning records – Lima Central Catholic in last year’s season opener and Cincinnati Hughes in a first-round playoff game. And its four WBL losses were to the league’s four strongest teams – Wapakoneta, St. Marys, Van Wert and Ottawa-Glandorf.
“I don’t think there is anybody on our schedule we can’t compete with. But we have to play good football in all three phases. You have to play good defense, you have to be efficient on offense and you have to be productive on special teams,” Shawnee coach Jerry Cooper said.
“I think we have all the components. But now we have to get on the field. You can’t just say that. You have to show that. I think our kids are ready to compete at the top of the WBL,” he said.
With returning starters at seven positions on offense and eight on defense, Shawnee has a lot of experience. But the Indians also have to replace starting quarterback Tyler Windau and three of their top defensive players –Myles Aldrich, Luke Cowan and Keaton Cooper.
Shawnee’s hopes for more improvement might begin with the offensive and defensive lines, where almost all of last year’s starters are back.
“Probably the strength of the team is we have five of the six offensive linemen, if you count the tight end, back and three of the four defensive linemen returning,” Cooper said.
Up front offensively, tackles Champ Keysor and Shandon Sewell, guard Alton Clayton, center Cole Marshall and tight end Carter Fay are returning starters. Along the defensive line, Reece Peterson, Fay and Sewell are back.
Junior Dominic Lynch is expected to be the starting quarterback. Lynch was a starting free safety for Shawnee last season.
“He’s probably faster and a little more athletic than Windau. We run and we sprint pass and we drop back pass too with him. We try to do all three of those things with him. I don’t want to run him a whole bunch but we’ll run the quarterback,” Cooper said.
Beery, who was a flanker last season, will move into the backfield this season. Christian Jones and Garrett Looney also could be part of the rushing attack.
“We feel like our explosiveness is much better. I’ll be that our longest run last season was about 25 yards. Now we have a lot more speed and a little more explosiveness,” Cooper said.
Top receiving targets could include Julian Makely. Keegan Wilson and Michael Garlock.
Shawnee scored 15.4 points a game last season and its defense allowed 13.7 points a game. If the defense is going to be able to lock down opposing defenses that well it needs players to step up to account for the absence of Aldrich, Cowan and Cooper.
Aldrich was first-team All-WBL and first-team All-Ohio. Cowan and Cooper were first-team All-WBL.
“Aldrich covered a lot of ills. Those guys were probably three of our best defensive players. We’ve got some work to do to fill those linebacker spots,” Cooper said.
Beery is a returning starter at outside linebacker. Wyatt Morgan, a starter at safety last season, is moving to linebacker. The third starting linebacker has not yet been determined.
Zach Noonan and Keegan Wilson are returning starters at cornerback. Lynch will play some of the time but will not be a full-time player at safety.
“The key for us is getting off to a good start,” Cooper said. “Then when you get to that meat grinder (consecutive games against Wapakoneta, St. Marys, Van Wert and Ottawa-Glandorf) we have to see where we match up with those teams at the top of our league. If you want to win a league title you have to beat some of those good teams.”
SHAWNEE
Coach: Jerry Cooper
Years At School: Fifth (19-22 at Shawnee and 270-136 overall)
Last Year’s Record: 7-5
Division: III
Returning Starters: Jordan Banks (RB/DB), Chase Beery (WR/LB), Dominic Lynch (DB), Wyatt Morgan (DB), Keegan Wilson (CB), Tyler Kimmet (K), Carter Fay (TE/DE), Cole Marshall (OL), Champ Keysor (OL), Alton Clayton (OL), Shandon Sewell (DE), Reece Peterson (DL).
Players To Watch: Dominic Lynch appears to be the leader in the competition to become the starting quarterback. Shawnee is experienced on the offensive and defensive lines. There are some big holes to fill on the back end of the defense, starting with Myles Aldrich, who had a huge senior season.
