Young Niles must grow up quickly

August 24, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

NILES

Following a 7-4 finish in 2012 which included a trip to the playoffs, the Niles McKinley Red Dragons took a slight step backward in 2013.

Offense wasn’t an issue for last fall, as senior QB Kyle Paden and several receivers set numerous school records.

However, records of the dubious sort were set on defense. The Red Dragons struggled to keep the opposition out of the end zone, and the result: a 5-5 finish.

“We had some great moments, but it wasn’t an overall great year,” said Niles coach Brian Shaner. “Not making the playoffs left a bad taste in our mouth. Though this year’s group is young, they are also hungry to get back to Week 11.”

To accomplish their goal, the Red Dragons will have to grow up in a hurry. Just four starters return on offense and three on defense.

OFFENSE

Paden, the Trumbull County Player of the Year, threw for nearly 3,000 yards last fall. This year’s projected starting quarterback — sophomore Tyler Srbinovich — will be asked to produce with his legs.

“Tyler is a Stefan Yuhas clone, a quarterback we had two years ago who rushed for all sorts of yards,” Shaner said. “Tyler is tough as nails, he throws very well, and he’s fearless.

“Coaches can be hesitant to put a sophomore out there under center, but I don’t coach Tyler like he’s a sophomore. He’s got the mindset of a veteran.”

Senior letterman Corey Hayes and sophomore Skylar Major give the Red Dragons a bit of experience in the backfield, while Shaner pointed out that “All of our receivers are guys who haven’t caught a pass in a varsity game.”

The offensive line does include three lettermen; Matt Binion, Addison Crain, Zack Wilson.

“Our line will be our strength, and they will be asked to lead our offense,” Shaner said.

DEFENSE

In addition to guiding the offense, Srbinovich will be asked to direct traffic defensively. As a freshman, Srbinovich led the Red Dragons with 112 tackles. He and Jake Davis will provide an otherwise inexperienced defense with some veteran leadership at the linebacker position.

Hayes will put his athleticism to the test in a defensive backfield which will see an entire cast of new characters.

“The strength of our defense will be our speed,” Shaner said. “This will be the fastest defense we’ve had in my three years here. Our weakness will be our lack of experience.

“We have a very strong sophomore class, but until you put them under the lights on a Friday night, you don’t know how they’re going to respond. We expect some growing pains, but they are going to have to grow up in a hurry.”

SPECIAL TEAMS

Senior Zach Atkins gives the Red Dragons stability in the kicking game. Atkins has been booting field goals and extra points since he was a freshman. Beyond that, Shaner called the special teams “a work in progress.”

“We do have some track athletes playing for us who can get up and down the field in a hurry,” he said. “We have to fill a lot of holes on our special teams, but we feel like we have the athletes who can contribute in a positive way.”

OUTLOOK

The bad news is that the Red Dragons appear to be in a rebuilding mode. The good news is that they have the numbers to possibly make a quick turnaround. The varsity roster includes 54 players — up considerably from three years ago when the numbers were in the mid-30s.

“Enthusiasm for football is sky-high in Niles,” Shaner said. “We had a strong senior class last year who made their mark, and this current group of players are eager to get their turn.

“While we are young, we had five freshmen letter last year. We have some nice talent coming up through the ranks. The future of Niles football is bright.”

Roster

2Corey HayesQB-OLB6-1179Sr.

3Jasson FaisonWR-DB6-0147So.

4Marlon PearsonWR-DB5-11158So.

5Rich LimongiWR-DB6-3170Jr.

7Kenny DubajQB6-0180Jr.

10Danny McCartneyWR-DB5-9145So.

12Steven MintzRB-DB5-7162Jr.

14Ricky PalmerH-LB5-10160So.

20Jordan SodaQB-OLB6-1170Fr.

21Bruce GuyWR-DB5-7108So.

22Chance HanshawWR-OLB5-9160Sr.