Blue Devils football

team deep, talented

By Brian Dzenis

bdzenis@vindy.com

BERLIN CENTER

Andy Hake needed a few moments to consider a weakness within his Western Reserve football team. The Blue Devils return 20 seniors and 14 juniors to make up more than half of a 60-man roster and they fill every position on the field.

“We got to get better at kicking. Oh my God, we got to get better at kicking,” Hake said. “Coach Hake better not botch it. That’s about it. The kids try like hell, man. They’re everything you could want in a team.”

Western Reserve missed the playoffs last season despite going 8-2 in the top-heavy Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference, but there’s plenty of depth and experience to bounce back in 2019. A lot of players will have to split time with their teammates, but that’s how the Blue Devils roll.

“It’s the brotherhood among everybody. Whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, everybody hangs out with everybody,” Blue Devils senior Todd Henning said. “On the field, we’re all playing for each other.”

OFFENSE

Western Reserve is a series of platoons across the depth chart and that’s the case at quarterback. Senior Preston Reed and junior Nick Cavoulas will be splitting reps under center

“[Reed] is more of a run-oriented, play-action and a 3-step passer. Cavoulas can just gun the ball,” Hake said. “Their both really good. They can both throw the ball and they’re very effective.”

Jimmy Mayberry, Lucky Kiesewetter and Austin Nabb form the running backs corps. Lucky’s twin brother, Hunter, is a fullback and tight end.

The o-line is a big source of Hake’s optimism in 2019 as he lost just one lineman to graduation.

“I got a lot of lineman where it’s like ‘dude,’” Hake said. “A lot of teams in the area would take our second line and start them 100 percent.”

Seniors Aaron Jackson, Gavin Jackson, Christian Rowley and juniors Seth Phillips and Christian Stout all expect to play on the line. Nate Salovich is also in the mix with brothers T.J. and Aaron Hively.

Senior Josh Miller is one of the state’s best long-jumpers — he earned a fourth-place finish at the state track and field tournament this past spring — and he’ll line up at wide receiver with fellow senior Todd Henning. No matter who’s under center, the Blue Devils will be able to get up and down the field.

“We just play great together. We have that team chemistry,” Mayberry said. “We have pieces all around. We have the line, the skills, the quarterback — we have everything.”

DEFENSE

The majority of the aforementioned offensive lineman will fill in the defensive line.

The Kiesewetter twins, Miller and Cameron Durig will line up at linebacker.

In the secondary, Luke Kilbert, Mayberry and Henning are starting defensive backs who will also receive some help from Miller.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Ben Young, Gavin Jackson and Miller having been practicing their punting. Hake is accepting auditions for a kicker.

“We need to value kicking more,” Hake said. “That doesn’t mean getting softer.”