By TOM WILLIAMS

August 25, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

NEW WATERFORD

Winning five straight league titles brings high expectations to the Crestview High football team.

The Rebels wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It definitely puts on a lot of pressure,” senior linebacker Jake Ferris said. “We want to keep that streak alive.”

Ferris said the seniors must convince the younger players that winning the Inter Tri-County League Tier One is not a given.

“We just need to stay focused, get the job done, don’t get big-headed,” Ferris said. “The older guys understand that we have to keep working hard and stay focused.

“I think some of the younger guys thinks it just comes easy and we need to get the message across that it doesn’t, that you have to work for it every single year,” Ferris said. “It’s harder to stay on top than it is to get there.”

The Rebels’ seven league opponents might argue that point — since 2008, the Rebels have shared or won outright their league, the longest streak in the Mahoning Valley.

“I don’t know if it’s necessarily the pressure, but that’s what we’re expected to do,” senior quarterback Collin Gilbert said. “That’s our goal — league title, number six this year.

“Every day we talk about it,” Gilbert said. “That’s the goal and nothing less than that. The last few years, that’s been our goal but we’ve been wanting to go above and beyond that. To make a run in the playoffs and make that run to Week 15.”

That goal remains challenging. In the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s revamped playoff format, Crestview remains in Division V. So does Youngstown powerhouse Ursuline.

“We don’t worry about it,” head coach Paul Cusick said of the playoff format. “The only difference [this year] is we’re one of the smallest Division V schools — I think we made it by four boys.”

OFFENSE

Gilbert and the offensive linemen all return from last year’s 11-1 team.

Cusick said the concern is replacing running back Nick Blower, who finished his four-year career as Crestview’s all-time leading rusher (4,298 yards), as well as the wide receivers who graduated.

Gilbert, who rushed and passed for more than 1,000 yards, is the player opposing defenses will be watching.

“We knew that Collin had the potential,” Cusick said. “He started as a sophomore as a a receiver and he showed a lot of big-play capability.

“We knew he was going to make a lot of big plays for us so I guess we weren’t shocked. He was a great complement to Nick.”

Gilbert says Blower “was a great running back. The St. Thomas [playoff] game, they keyed on him every play and it made my game a whole lot easier because two or three guys — the linebackers, even a safety — were shadowing him. It definitely made it easier for me to get my open lanes.

“Since I’m the only returning skilled guy, I’m sure defense are going to [key] on me until they see the other guys who can play,” Gilbert said. “[Senior running back] Trevor Cope is doing a great job.”

DEFENSE

The Rebels return four starters on defense, including linemen Josh McDade and Clint Linhart. Cusick said it’s no big deal.

“Last year, we only had two [returning starters] so we’re going to be young again on defense,” said Cusick who is beginning his 15th season as Crestview head coach. “Our strength should be team speed and athletic ability.”

OUTLOOK

Cusick said the key to another strong season is how well the team’s underclassmen mature.

“We have graduated a ton of key players over the past two seasons,” Cusick said. “We better mature early.”