Harding to keep winning with youth

Raiders are coming off a playoff berth

By BOB ETTINGER

sports@vindy.com

Warren G. Harding football coach Steve Arnold can look around his locker room and the faces staring back at him aren’t the same as they’d been the last three years. He understands that coming off of an 8-3 season and a Division II, Region 5 playoff berth, the youthful roster he sees will have to learn it isn’t going to have those same results just by putting on the Raiders’ jerseys.

“The expectations are there, but we have to talk about their youth,” Arnold said. “There are times they think if they put that jersey on, things are going to happen. They fail to realize there’s a process to get to the ultimate goal. It doesn’t just happen. The process starts in the weight room in January. How dedicated and disciplined are they going to be in the weight room? A lot of them think when they put that jersey on, they’re going to make the playoffs. If anything, it’s the opposite because people put a target on their backs.”

Arnold is trying to send the message that the Harding football standard has been set and the current Raiders have to work to reach that standard.

“We have a sign in the locker room that says a standard is a standard,” Arnold said. “Our standard is we want to practice hard every day, compete, be respectful and, ultimately, get to Week 11. I tell people if you can get to Week 11, anything is possible.”

Offense

Becoming playmakers and learning new roles is necessary for the Raiders. Arnold and his staff are trying to aid them in that process.

“We’re trying to expedite the process,” Arnold said. “There’s a learning curve, but we’re trying to get them ready as quickly as possible. It’s called experience because you have to do it. The kids haven’t played under the lights. They don’t fully know what it’s about. We had three tough scrimmages, Canton Glen Oak, Solon and Euclid, but it’s still different from game day. The message we try and get across is that it’s their turn. It’s the next man up, whether it’s the guy in front of you getting injured or biding your time as a sophomore on the scout team and the guy in front of you graduating. It’s your turn. That’s why I try and talk in terms of a program and not of a team. Some of them are ready and some of them aren’t. It takes time to get them ready.”

Elijah Taylor returns at quarterback and Elizah Smith brings a modest amount of varsity experience to the running back position. They will be joined in the backfield by quarterback Marcus Brown and running backs Emari Burgess and Emarion Perkins. The receivers will include Brandon Arnold, Deavion Burgess, Ty Artis, Ty Pennington, Marquan Brown, Jamel Anderson and Dom Foster.

The makeup of the offensive line will be anybody’s guess.

Defense

Arnold is looking for his young defenders to attack opposing offenses.

“I look at it from the perspective I want them to play hard all the time and be aggressive,” Arnold said. “Our mentality is to just be aggressive. With that style, we’re going to get gutted at times. We have to try and eliminate big plays. We gave up too many of those last year. Having them be aggressive creates a different kind of mentality within the team. Kids want to be aggressive.”

The defensive front returns defensive end Jabari Felton, who will be joined by Jarriel White, Jasier Graham and Jervale Brown. Emarion perkins returns at linebacker and will be joined by Emari Burgess, Chester Adams and Curt Dorsey.

The defensive backfield will include Marcus Brown, Damari Freeman, Marcus Wilkens, Jordan Brantley Jamel Anderson.

Special Teams

Noah Murphy will handle the kicking duties and Cavin Stouffer will be the punter.

Outlook

It’s no secret that playing for the Raiders means taking on some of the most storied and tougher programs in the region. It won’t be easy for a young roster to navigate the ups and downs.

“We’ve got to have the mentality that we have to move on to the next game,” Arnold said. “We can’t sit and mope. We’ve got to get prepared for that next opponent. My job is to make sure they stay focused, keep getting better and correct the problems. We have to stay the course, even when things don’t go well. It’s a long season. There will be adversities and things aren’t always going to go well. We have to adapt and move forward.”

The Raiders will open at Canton McKinley before hosting Cleveland Rhodes, Massillon Washington, Austintown Fitch and Ursuline. A trip to Akron to battle St. Vincent-St. Mary precedes a visit from Boardman before heading off to play Cardinal Mooney. To close the year, the Raiders will play West Toronto Prep at home before taking to the road to play rival Howland.

“Winning cures a lot,” Arnold said. “There are no ifs, ands or buts about that. If you’re a competitor, you compete to get better every day at practice. The measure of a man is not that you never get knocked down, but in having the fortitude to get back up. As adults, we’ve all been knocked down. That’s what they call the game of life. But the question is, are you going to get back up? If you don’t, life is going to trample over you. It’s the same in the game of football. If you don’t get back up, you’re going to get embarrassed.”