CITY SERIES Cowboys looking to stay on top

Chaney returns 15 lettermen from last year's playoff squad.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Chaney High football team will have a new look this season, as the Cowboys try to keep their City Series win streak alive in Ron Berdis' 17th season.
The Cowboys have to replace 17 seniors from last year's team that posted a 7-3 record. Chaney won its 12th City Series championship in the last 13 seasons, including its fifth in a row, and made the playoffs for the third straight year.
Chaney has lost only one City Series game since 1989. East beat the Cowboys in the regular season in 1997, but Chaney beat the Golden Bears later that season in the regional final.
The Cowboys expect to be much smaller this year, while both the offense and defense will be more mobile and attack-oriented.
"We are basing everything on having a bunch of kids that are not going to be as big as last year, so we have to take advantage of our quickness," Berdis said. "So we are [going to be] more perimeter- and less power-oriented."
Some talent returns
Chaney returns 15 lettermen with several experienced players at the skill positions like quarterback Justin Hood, wide receivers Andrew Bowell and Joe Loto, and running backs Chris Eskew and Mike Hall.
But the Cowboys will have to rebuild the line as tackle Kevin Merrell and center Jim Sullivan are the only experienced holdovers.
"The big challenge will be the offensive and defensive lines at this point," Berdis said. "Most of the guys on the line [we lost] were three-year starters."
Their replacements are largely experienced, Berdis said.
"We are trying to get our younger front people ready to play in a short amount of time," he said. "That's the task at hand."
McElroy biggest loss
Berdis said the biggest loss will be running back Eddie McElroy, who finished with 3,000 yards rushing and was last year's Northeastern Ohio Inland District player of the year.
"But we have some backs who have really shown the ability to step up, and our quarterback, Justin Hood, will be more dimensional than a year ago," Berdis said.
"Last year, I didn't tell him to do that much because when you have a great back [like McElroy], you feature that back."
Berdis thinks his special teams will be better.
"I believe that our special teams will be greatly improved and we will be more dimensional offensively," he said.
"We'll have more people involved and more ways to attack."
Included in this is the kicking game that is expected to improve and be geared to accommodate the team's quickness.
kovach@vindy.com