Rayen's coach breaks the ice

The Tigers are 1-1 under first-year coach Brian Shaner.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Brian Shaner's second game ever as a head football coach and his first win give the former Brookfield resident a .500 start at The Rayen School.
"I sense determination," said Shaner, an offensive coordinator for three years under the previous coach, Pete Lymber.
"These kids realize that we have a good team this year and playing together is the key," Shaner said. "They had a lot more enthusiasm going into the second game and they're hungry to play football right now."
Rayen lost to Canfield, 12-0, in Shaner's debut, then bounced back with a 20-7 win over Ravenna last Friday.
"We made mistakes," Shaner said of two interceptions and five fumbles against Canfield. "It's hard to win with five turnovers. We shot ourselves in the foot."
Strong unit
It doesn't bother the former offensive coordinator that the defensive unit is Rayen's strength so far this season.
Junior linebacker Derrick Slocum (5-11, 170) has played well in both games.
"The entire defense has played well in both games," Shaner said. "In the past we were offensive-minded. This year, we're focused on being a more solid defensive team."
Sophomore Dwayne Smith, Rayen's starting safety, performed double duty against Ravenna when the 5-foot-10, 170-pounder started at tailback in place of Phil Morgan and gained 140 yards.
Morgan suffered a hip-pointer injury in the Canfield game.
The Tigers have a two-headed quarterback with first-year players Mark Jones and Kevin Faucette.
Jones is the better passer, but he was injured against Ravenna.
Faucette, the backup, came in midway during the third quarter and ran for a touchdown, threw for a touchdown and also succeeded on a two-point conversion run.
After Faucette's arrival, Jones, who improved from Week 1, popped in for a few pass plays.
In the second quarter, Jones hit Andreous Gillam on a 4-yard TD pass after Ravenna had taken a 7-0 lead.
The 5-11, 175-pound Faucette, a junior, put the Tigers ahead, 12-7, with his 8-yard run in the third period.
"He's the backup, but he can run the ball well," Shaner said.
Spread offense
In Rayen's spread offense, the shotgun formation appears for 90 percent of the snaps.
"Our quarterback has always been the leading rusher and Faucette takes advantage of it," Shaner said. "If his first look is the lane, he'll run."
Looking good at the receiver position have been Eric Brown and Sergio Martin.
Brown is a 5-9, 170 senior, while Martin (5-11, 180) scored Rayen's final TD when he caught a 10-yard pass from Faucette. Martin also had a sizeable gain on a wide receiver sweep.
"Our defense this year is very different than in the past," said Shaner. "It keeps us in the game. We need to limit mistakes on offense and let the defense dictate the pace of the game."
Although Ravenna was a physically bigger team, Rayen had the speed advantage and that is the Tigers' strong suit.
"We're not as big as most teams, but our speed seems to cause teams problems. It's hard to practice against the speed we have. Our defensive speed is phenomenal. They get to the ball in a hurry."
Staff makeup
Shaner, who attended Brookfield for three years before graduating from Warren Harding in 1990, brought in Andy DeNiro as a new coach on Rayen's staff. DeNiro played at Cardinal Mooney and was a three-year starter at YSU.
Shaner's other assistants are Casey Bogerd, formerly a tight end at YSU; Dennis Parise, Nick Horvath and Keith Brown.
Rayen plays Friday at Niles. The Red Dragons are also 1-1 after losing their opener to Girard, 34-14, before blowing out Cleveland John Marshall, 47-0.
bassetti@vindy.com