Eagles have quite a collection of standouts

Warren JFK will play Amanda-Clearcreek Saturday in a state semifinal.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
WARREN -- Kennedy High's football team has quite a collection of individual standouts this season: Tony Napolet, J.J. Townsend, Rob Dray and others.
Napolet was chosen coach of the year for the Northeast Inland All-District team for Division V.
Townsend, Warren JFK's quarterback, was offensive player of the year.
Dray, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior, was selected as a first-team linebacker for the unbeaten Eagles, who play Amanda-Clearcreek in a state semifinal in Ashland Saturday.
He's among the three-year starters, along with safety Anthony Kokal, noseman Tom Mariani and monsterback Jim Broadbent.
"I've been calling plays since my sophomore season when a linebacker got hurt in the third game," Dray said. "I started the fourth game and have been ever since then."
Napolet said he's like a coach on the field.
"He does a lot for us and he's knowledgeable," Napolet said of Dray's contributions, including 101 total tackles before the South Range game last weekend.
Dray, a son of Mary Jo Dray and the late Rob Dray, takes signals from the bench, then makes on-field adjustments after reading the offense.
"After we come out of the huddle and line up, I wait to see how the offense lines up and then make final adjustment calls for angling or blitzing."
Strong defense
This year's defense has allowed only 56 points in 10 games and 92 points through 13 games, but it wasn't always that strong.
"Two years ago, our defense wasn't doing too well," he said of a unit that gave up 270 points.
Dray, Kokal, Mariani and Broadbent were part of that unit, but Dray says they've matured.
"The plays haven't changed, but the players wanted to make stops and keep the scoring down. We set a goal not to give up touchdowns. We have a passion to play, we like to hit and swarm to the ball and we have fun doing it. It seems simple now because we know each other's thinking and we work together."
Rob's father died when he was 10, so the senior would love to attain the ultimate prize for his dad.
"My uncle [Mike Mordent] went to JFK and then played at Findlay. He calls me before every game and gives me a little talk. He says my dad is watching. I've been playing these playoff games for him."
Townsend is a multi-threat
Townsend, a senior, is a 25-game starter.
"He can run as well as throw," said Napolet. "He's a leader. The kids look up to him. He's got great ability in both running and throwing. He's been our guy, offensively."
Townsend (6-3, 190) broke into the offense after a battle for the position before his junior year.
Towsend has completed 111-of-218 passes for 1,681 yards. That's a 50.9 percent completion rate and 15.3 yards per completion. He has thrown 20 touchdowns and six interceptions.
In JFK's 21-14 over South Range in the Region 17 championship game, he was 9-of-18 for 82 yards.
For 13 games, Townsend also has 665 yards rushing on 120 attempts.
He'll also play in the secondary when an opponent's receiver is taller than a JFK defender.
"His height helps the match-up if we get stuck with a tall receiver against a smaller secondary guy," Napolet said. "He can cover and play."
As a junior, Townsend saw more two-way action than this year because of progress from other secondary players.
"They took some playing time off of J.J.," the coach said.
Kokal is another leader
Kokal is another defensive leader in the secondary who also gets plugged into various roles, including receiver on offense, punter and punt-return man.
Kokal is already committed to Kent State where his dad, Greg, played in the 1970s. A brother, Mike, is quarterback for Miami (Ohio).
JFK's 13 wins are unprecedented as the most in school history.
"They accomplished something no other Kennedy team has done," Napolet said.
Two other teams went undefeated -- in pre-playoff 1971 (10-0) and also 1979 (10-0).
bassetti@vindy.com