London Red Raiders: Will the Red Raiders reach their goals in 2011?
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The story for the 2011 London Red Raiders can be described as one of high expectations and hard work.
London enters the '11 season with a new head coach, key players back in the lineup and expectations that this is the year they reach the next level in the South Central Ohio League and possibly beyond.
One season ago, the Red Raiders, under former head coach Bill Dennis, finished with an overall mark of 5-5, playing a schedule that included five teams that reached the postseason.
This season, the Red Raiders welcome a familiar face in new head coach Jerry Wasserman, though neither the Red Raider program nor being a head coach is new to him. Wasserman has been a head coach for 42 years, and after taking time off from being a head coach, he has coached the past five season at LHS as an assistant.
Wasserman talked about the difference of being a head coach for so long, then an assistant and back to the head coaching ranks.
"The first year I came over after being a head coach for 42 years was difficult. I wanted to be a good assistant coach because I expected my assistants to be good assistant coaches," Wasserman said. "Sometimes you don't want to overstep your boundaries when you are talking about decisions involving the football team, where the decision is the head coaches.
"I think is was kind of a good experience for me. I helped build for the past five years with these guys, and now when this opportunity came up, I rekindled my enthusiasm and hope to lead the Raiders to a victorious season."
This year being back in the familiar head coaching role Wasserman expects big things from his Red Raider team.
"I expect this football team to play very well," Wasserman said. "We have a good senior class (20 seniors). We have 19 lettermen on this football team … I expect us to play very well."
In those 19 lettermen Wasserman spoke of, one of the key returners is starting senior quarterback Dylan Follrod, who is a three-year letterman for the Red Raiders. Follrod was 44-of-89 for 652 yards passing and six interceptions last season, taking over in Week 2 as the quarterback after an injury to Jeff Yates. Follrod rushed for 214 yards on 74 carries.
Another key returner is senior running back and defensive back Jake Burns, who was selected first-team All-SCOL. Burns finished with 1,541 yards rushing (8.1 ypc) a season ago with 18 touchdowns. He also returned kickoffs with 368 yards for an average of 24.5 per return.
Senior linebacker Josh High (first-team All-SCOL) returns after tallying 85 tackles a year ago, 67 of the solo variety, with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
Junior Kyle Fisher is described as an "athlete" by the Red Raider staff. Fisher had 62 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and returned punts for an average of 38 yards in '10. He rushed for 114 yards on 10 carries last season and caught 12 passes for 148 yards.
On the offensive and defensive line, senior Jared Chastain, who is a three-year letter winner for LHS, returns.
Other key returning or up-and-coming players include: junior Brandon Samons (TE/DE) senior Kory Downing (WR/DB), junior Deion Rockhold (WR/DB), senior Aaron Leedy (OL/DT), senior Anthony Robinson (OL/DE), senior Carson Hiser (OL/DT), sophomore Levi McClellan (RB/LB), senior Kenny Herron (WR/DB), senior Joe Turvy (OL/DT), senior Brian Ansel (OL/DT), senior D.J. Fisher (RB/LB), junior Antonio Wilson (RB/DB), junior Damon Coffill (OL/DT), senior Mason Cremeens (OL/LB) and senior Mike Doyle (OL/DT).
Though the Red Raiders have many returning lettermen and starters from last season, Wasserman said players must work hard to keep those spots or they will be replaced.
"We'll replace anyone who isn't doing their job … it's that simple," he said. "The kids are working hard, I think they are having fun, and I think we are going to win.
"What we have to do right now is either put up or shut up."
The way the offense and defense will run at London should have a different look, or at least some things will be different.
"We are taking and trying to keep everything we did well last year. We just didn't trash what we did offensively or defensively, but we are just trying to add to it or polish it up some," Wasserman said. "I thought Coach Dennis did a good job of building a foundation, and we are just trying to add a family room."
Wasserman talked about the slight changes or adaptations he's made with the offense.
"I've tried to blend my offense with the offense the kids knew from the past four years. I didn't want to throw away everything they knew, so I tried to keep the things where I could adapt to a few changes. We are blending both of them in an offense I would describe as a multiple offense that will strive to make the defense to play the field."
He also spoke about defensive changes.
"Our defense is very similar to what we played last year, except we tailor it a little different," he said. "We do some things different with our secondary, with our blitzes and with the way we'll adjust the defense to the tendencies to the offense that we will face.
"We take a lot of pride in watching film and tailor-making our defense week to week."
Some of the players who helped build that foundation have departed from LHS due to graduation or other reasons, including '10 starters Blake Dennis, Justin Hoosier (second-team All-SCOL), Jordan Johnson (first-team All-SCOL), Jared Long, Darion Rockhold, Larry Sampson, Chris Shifflet and Jeff Yates.
Back to the '11 season, one of the strengths for the Red Raiders is good balance, according to the veteran head coach.
"We didn't get any slower from last season," Wasserman said. "This year, I expect our upperclassmen and our entire team to be unselfish and relentless. We have some goals, and I don't expect us to let up."
The team motto for LHS is: "Let’s see what we can accomplish if we don’t care who gets the credit."
"Most of all, I expect my seniors to be that role model," Wasserman said.
LHS will kickoff the '11 season at Urbana.[[In-content Ad]]
London enters the '11 season with a new head coach, key players back in the lineup and expectations that this is the year they reach the next level in the South Central Ohio League and possibly beyond.
One season ago, the Red Raiders, under former head coach Bill Dennis, finished with an overall mark of 5-5, playing a schedule that included five teams that reached the postseason.
This season, the Red Raiders welcome a familiar face in new head coach Jerry Wasserman, though neither the Red Raider program nor being a head coach is new to him. Wasserman has been a head coach for 42 years, and after taking time off from being a head coach, he has coached the past five season at LHS as an assistant.
Wasserman talked about the difference of being a head coach for so long, then an assistant and back to the head coaching ranks.
"The first year I came over after being a head coach for 42 years was difficult. I wanted to be a good assistant coach because I expected my assistants to be good assistant coaches," Wasserman said. "Sometimes you don't want to overstep your boundaries when you are talking about decisions involving the football team, where the decision is the head coaches.
"I think is was kind of a good experience for me. I helped build for the past five years with these guys, and now when this opportunity came up, I rekindled my enthusiasm and hope to lead the Raiders to a victorious season."
This year being back in the familiar head coaching role Wasserman expects big things from his Red Raider team.
"I expect this football team to play very well," Wasserman said. "We have a good senior class (20 seniors). We have 19 lettermen on this football team … I expect us to play very well."
In those 19 lettermen Wasserman spoke of, one of the key returners is starting senior quarterback Dylan Follrod, who is a three-year letterman for the Red Raiders. Follrod was 44-of-89 for 652 yards passing and six interceptions last season, taking over in Week 2 as the quarterback after an injury to Jeff Yates. Follrod rushed for 214 yards on 74 carries.
Another key returner is senior running back and defensive back Jake Burns, who was selected first-team All-SCOL. Burns finished with 1,541 yards rushing (8.1 ypc) a season ago with 18 touchdowns. He also returned kickoffs with 368 yards for an average of 24.5 per return.
Senior linebacker Josh High (first-team All-SCOL) returns after tallying 85 tackles a year ago, 67 of the solo variety, with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
Junior Kyle Fisher is described as an "athlete" by the Red Raider staff. Fisher had 62 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and returned punts for an average of 38 yards in '10. He rushed for 114 yards on 10 carries last season and caught 12 passes for 148 yards.
On the offensive and defensive line, senior Jared Chastain, who is a three-year letter winner for LHS, returns.
Other key returning or up-and-coming players include: junior Brandon Samons (TE/DE) senior Kory Downing (WR/DB), junior Deion Rockhold (WR/DB), senior Aaron Leedy (OL/DT), senior Anthony Robinson (OL/DE), senior Carson Hiser (OL/DT), sophomore Levi McClellan (RB/LB), senior Kenny Herron (WR/DB), senior Joe Turvy (OL/DT), senior Brian Ansel (OL/DT), senior D.J. Fisher (RB/LB), junior Antonio Wilson (RB/DB), junior Damon Coffill (OL/DT), senior Mason Cremeens (OL/LB) and senior Mike Doyle (OL/DT).
Though the Red Raiders have many returning lettermen and starters from last season, Wasserman said players must work hard to keep those spots or they will be replaced.
"We'll replace anyone who isn't doing their job … it's that simple," he said. "The kids are working hard, I think they are having fun, and I think we are going to win.
"What we have to do right now is either put up or shut up."
The way the offense and defense will run at London should have a different look, or at least some things will be different.
"We are taking and trying to keep everything we did well last year. We just didn't trash what we did offensively or defensively, but we are just trying to add to it or polish it up some," Wasserman said. "I thought Coach Dennis did a good job of building a foundation, and we are just trying to add a family room."
Wasserman talked about the slight changes or adaptations he's made with the offense.
"I've tried to blend my offense with the offense the kids knew from the past four years. I didn't want to throw away everything they knew, so I tried to keep the things where I could adapt to a few changes. We are blending both of them in an offense I would describe as a multiple offense that will strive to make the defense to play the field."
He also spoke about defensive changes.
"Our defense is very similar to what we played last year, except we tailor it a little different," he said. "We do some things different with our secondary, with our blitzes and with the way we'll adjust the defense to the tendencies to the offense that we will face.
"We take a lot of pride in watching film and tailor-making our defense week to week."
Some of the players who helped build that foundation have departed from LHS due to graduation or other reasons, including '10 starters Blake Dennis, Justin Hoosier (second-team All-SCOL), Jordan Johnson (first-team All-SCOL), Jared Long, Darion Rockhold, Larry Sampson, Chris Shifflet and Jeff Yates.
Back to the '11 season, one of the strengths for the Red Raiders is good balance, according to the veteran head coach.
"We didn't get any slower from last season," Wasserman said. "This year, I expect our upperclassmen and our entire team to be unselfish and relentless. We have some goals, and I don't expect us to let up."
The team motto for LHS is: "Let’s see what we can accomplish if we don’t care who gets the credit."
"Most of all, I expect my seniors to be that role model," Wasserman said.
LHS will kickoff the '11 season at Urbana.[[In-content Ad]]