By Kevin Connelly

kconnelly@vindy.com

GIRARD

Throw out everything you know about Girard High School football. The Indians are ready to usher in a new, that’s right, defensive brand of football.

Don’t expect them to lose their aggressiveness, however, as new head coach Pat Pearson takes over after three years as defensive coordinator.

“Girard’s always been known for their offense and that’s what gets the headlines, so we’re still going to do what we do that way,” said Pearson, a 1999 graduate of Girard. “We’ve always had a really good defense here, too. It just hasn’t been as recognized.”

He expects that to change this season. The Indians have a big thee of their own to replace with the departure of quarterback Nick Cardiero, James Cupan and Jordan Graziano. Cardiero accounted for 2,900 total yards and 23 touchdowns, while Cupan rushed for 1,400 yards and 31 TDs.

Pearson retained the entire staff to help ease the transition and in practice says he lets the offense go.

“We’re going to replace those guys as a unit,” said Pearson of the lost offensive production.

“We’re excited about our skill set. We think we’re pretty deep and we’ve got some guys who are ready to step into some shoes and continue doing what we do here.”

Offense

There’s no easy way to look at it: the Indians are hurting on offense.

Cardiero really came into his own toward the end of last season and took control of the team. The good news is they’re replacing him with another senior, Christian Bello, who does have some varsity experience. The bad news is none of that experience has come on offense.

Bello saw time with the varsity last year on defense, while playing quarterback on the junior varsity.

“We’ve got a lot of weapons on the offensive end,” Bello said. “We’re a heavy dose of run, but we can air it out with the best of them. We spread it out and use our weapons to our advantage.”

Perhaps the biggest weapon will be senior Chaston Williams. Treyvon Mills will be in the backfield.

“Me and Christian are good friends so I feel like the chemistry is already there,” Williams said. “It’s a big role, but I think he can do it.”

Junior Jake Ryser could challenge Bello, or be used in certain situations, at quarterback.

Defense

This side of the ball is Pearson’s wheelhouse. After playing at Baldwin-Wallace, he was a graduate assistant at Youngstown State. He then became defensive coordinator at Warren Harding for his final four years there, before coming home to take the same position at Girard.

His attention to defense won’t change with the new title, but he does expect that unit to be even more important to this year’s team.

“We’re really strong in our secondary and our linebacking core,” said Pearson, who started five sophomores and one freshman on defense last season.

“I’m really fired up about our defensive line right now, too. That group’s really growing for us, so all around defensively I think we’re pretty solid right now.”

Senior Collin Cramer was a big part of last year’s unit and knows what his new head coach expects.

“Coach [Pearson], he’s always about the defense,” Cramer said. “He just wants us to be a team and always be together.

“It’s important that we play for the community.”

Special Teams

John McLane kicked for Girard as a freshman last season and he’ll do the same this season. Bello will do the punting.

Outlook

Expectations are high in Girard, and Bello mentioned that in camp. The Indians missed out on the playoffs a year ago and it would be unrealistic to think they’re in a better position to get there this season, given the holes to fill on offense.

However a more experienced defense could keep the Indians in games. The offense might just be too big a question mark to start the season.

“I’ve said it a couple times before, but I really think it’s going to come down to us,” Pearson said. “I think the sky’s the limit on what we can do, and as we come together as a team, we can go wherever this group wants to take themselves.”