Heading East: same faces, new places

By JOHN BASSETTI

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Like an infant, not much about the new East High School’s personality has been developed yet.

Even the football team has yet to step foot on the property behind the East High Ave. school because the practice field grass didn’t grow sufficiently due to lack of summer rain.

But there is a clear-cut image already in place: the school’s mascot and its football team’s uniforms.

The East High Panthers will be identifiable by their Carolina blue and silver colors.

The team’s helmets are silver like Ohio State’s and its home jerseys are Carolina blue; white jerseys will be worn for away games. Silver pants will also be worn for all games.

Brian Shaner has a group of 50 to begin his fifth season as head football coach, four of which were at Rayen.

Team makeup

Of the 50 varsity players, 40 are from the former Rayen school, four are from Wilson and six are either from other schools or they are students who moved into the district. Earlier this summer, East athletic director Marco Marinucci did a survey to determine the makeup of the athletic force for all sports. Of the 96 fall/winter sports athletes leaving Wilson, only 16 were assigned to East. The other 80 were assigned to Chaney. Of the 16, only six were football players.

While Shaner considers having the new faces a bit of a drawback because of unfamiliarity, he isn’t complaining about their potential to contribute — both on the field and as a bonding agent in the transition.

“They’ve showed up every day at practice and they act like they’ve been together their entire lives playing football. There’s 100 percent support from everyone. There’s no animosity.”

East — using Rayen as a reference point — will move up to Div. I in volleyball, basketball, girls basketball, softball, baseball and track, but remain Div. II in football.The team held its summer weight training and conditioning along with its summer practices at Rayen.

Standouts

While quarterback Sal Battles (6-0, 215) leads the team, other former Rayen standouts — Maurice Harris, Leon Hamlin, Aaron Straughter, Gary Thornton — and former Wilson heavyweights Luis Charriez and Mike Williams will bolster East’s formidable lineup.

Battles, who accounted for 1,700 total yards last season and had 23 touchdowns, is an impact player.

Shaner said the senior has had official offers from six Mid-American Conference schools, including Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green, and Pitt. He’s also drawn interest from Michigan State, although he has not received an offer.

“Being noticed by the MAC this early isn’t a luxury a lot of kids get,” said Shaner. “If Sal has a good senior year, he’ll get bigger conferences to follow him.”

Although the overall height of Shaner’s new team isn’t exceedingly great, there are exceptions in size.

Harris, at 6-5, 285, is an offensive tackle and defensive end who Shaner believes will find a home at a Division I college.

“He can run block or pass block very well; he does whatever we need him to do,” he said.

Despite a lack of summer football camp exposure, Shaner said that Harris, with a 3.1 GPA and 20 ACT score, won’t be overlooked.

“It only takes a couple of films on him to show what he can do,” he said. “Recruiters will see how well he moves for his size. That should bring him lots of attention and scholarship offers.”

Straughter, a 6-4, 290 offensive tackle, and Hamlin, a 6-3, 265 defensive lineman, are others solidifying the new East contingent.

Apparently, Charriez made his presence felt the day he stepped on the practice field.

Terrific additions

“He’s a great addition,” Shaner said of the 6-3 center. “He’s an emotional leader and one of our captains. From the first day he stepped on the field, he’s been a role model for the entire team.”

Shaner said the 6-0, 200-pound Williams will see action at wide receiver and he’s is penciled in as an outside linebacker.

“As a receiver, he has great speed and good hands. He’s a natural playmaker when the ball is in his hands.”

Chiarrez and Williams are only two former Wilson players who are seniors. They are two of East’s 24 seniors.

Shaner will utilize the Panthers’ athleticism.

“We’re talented, skill-wise, and, with our schedule, we hope to use that speed to our advantage. That’s always been our mode of operation.”

Although not blessed with someone the stature of Tomaz Hilton who is now at the University of Cincinnati, East has receivers who have other assets.

“At 6-3, you could throw the ball up and Tomaz would get it,” Shaner said of the Rayen graduate.

“This year, our guys are route runners. They’re quick and catch well. With little more speed and less height than last year, we’ll accomplish what we’re trying to do.”

One of those receivers is 6-1, 195 Jamel Roland.

Rounding out Shaner’s stellar backfield is Thornton.

“We’re very proud of Gary,” Shaner said of the 5-9, 200 running back/linebacker who gained close to 1,000 yards last year and already has an offical offer from West Point.

Thornton will be a four-year starter at linebacker for Shaner, and a third-year starter at running back.

Bright future

Shaner is pleased to have a freshman squad of 30-plus.

“That’s the biggest frosh group since I’ve been coaching and they’re a very gifted group.”

East will continue to use Rayen’s facility until school begins.

East’s opener is against Canfield, a team Shaner hasn’t beaten in four previous years.

“That’s been our first game every year,” Shaner said. “We always open with Canfield and start off 0-1.”

Canfield was the Div. II state runnerup in 2005, but Shaner and Rayen came close to beating the Cardinals.

“We were close with four minutes left, then Canfield scored again and we lost. I never watched the last three minutes of film,” Shaner said of the ending.

Like Shaner, Marinucci is more interested in beginnings than endings. Past school closings have brought tension — merging Warren Harding and Warren Western Reserve is still a touchy subject — but Marinucci expects the merger to be smooth.

“This could be the easiest merger of all because we’re going into a new building,” he said.

“Once the kids and parents see the building, the two beautiful gyms and cafeteria and library, there will be a sense of pride and something they want to be a part of.”

bassetti@vindy.com