2002 Postseason Awards and Wrap-Up
With the 2002 season at an end, it's time for my first ever postseason evaluation. First I'll hand out postseason awards to the 2002 squad, then do an evaluation of returning players position by position. Congrats on another great season is deserved by the purple and white.
Post-Season Awards
Most Valuable Player - Senior OG/DT Tyler Wadsworth. Tyler was influnetial on both sides of the ball for Logan this year. His work ethic and leadership was obvious all season long.
Offensive Player of the Year - Continuing in the tradition of great halfbacks, Junior Austin Rohr had a break-out season. Considering in the pre-season many wondered whether Rohr was the answer at tailback, I think 1387 yards answers that question. Austin led the Chiefs in scoring as well. Look for big things out of Austin Rohr in 2003.
Defensive Player of the Year - This award is a little tougher to pick. There are a lot of deserving candidates. But for my money Junior OLB Josh Sturgell was the man. Sturgell made a seamless transition from DE over the summer, and really held the Logan "D" together, especially early when Steve Call was out with a shoulder injury. I don't have Defensive stats, but I'm sure he was near the top in tackles and also intercepted two passes.
Most Outstanding Senior - I know he sat out the second half of the season due to injury, but Jason Dicken still finished the season as the teams leading receiver and provided a lot of leadership. His loss was a tough one for an inexperienced football team. But Jason shouldn't be penalized because of an injury, and deserves this award.
Most Outstanding Junior - OLB/FB Steve Call had an oustanding Junior season. He was one of the leaders of a solid linebacking corps and proved to be a dependable FB in the offensive backfield. Steve will no doubt be an important player on next year's football team. His size could allow him to move to middle backer.
Most Outstanding Sophomore - OG Jared Walton was the final piece of a surprisingly strong offensive line. An offensive line which lost three starter came back this season to end up being one of the teams strengths. Jared stepped in early, and was a dependable Guard all season. Jared is a year more experienced now, and will be a dependable building block for next year's line.
Where's this kid been? Award - Senior WR Brandon Metzler. It's too bad Brandon waited until his Senior year to play football. We knew he had speed, but his great hands were a welcome gift.
Most Improved Player - Sophomore DT Kasey Yates and Senior DE Josh Jarrell. Yates made his return to the gridiron after a one-year hiatus and was a dependable player on the Defensive Line. Josh Jarrell finally emerged into a dominating DE about the 6th game. He had a real solid league season.
Biggest and Brightest Future Awards - Sophomore DB/WRs B.J. Hughes and Patrick Howe. These two were reliable contributors on both sides of the ball this year in a big way. More importantly they proved to be as reliable return men as Logan has had in a long time. Look for them both to be real stars before their careers in the purple and white are over.
And now for the position by position breakdown:
OFFENSE -
Quarterback-- Dave Ellis was a steady player at QB in 2002, and considering his lack of experience, he really did an adequate job. He did what we needed him to do: Not make mistakes. It would be easy to look at the last two game and argue that point, but I look at the other 8 games as well. I prefer to go along the lines that Marietta and Gallia were just better teams, thus somewhere we were going to make mistakes. It happens. But, the quarterback position is important nonetheless, and it's unfortunate that Corey Spackey's injury sidelined him for the later part of 2002. Corey will be "the man" next year as a Junior. Spackey was 3-3 passing for 59 yards while rushing for 48 yards on 6 touches including two TDs. Fellow Sophomore Tory Kratzenburg is likely destined for the Defensive backfield or wide receiver will the two QBs in the Sophomore class. Spackey will provide Logan with good size and GREAT mobility. Spackey will be a threat to take off running anytime. His arm is accurate, and he makes good decisions. It may take a game or two for him to get acquainted to the speed of the Varsity level, but he will be a good player for the Purple and White. Two Sophomores-to-be will back Spackey up. Andrew McKee and Michael Sexton.
Halfback -- The debate about halfback will be non-existant entering 2003. Austin Rohr is a bonafied SEOAL POY candidate this year as a Junior. Rohr's 227 1387 yards and 16 rushing Touchdowns puts him among SE Ohio's elite. Austin has shown an amazing amount of power and stamina for a player his size, and that combined with his speed makes him a dangerous weapon for the Logan arsenal. Junior-to-be Justin Pack will be Rohr's primary back. Pack rushed for 85 on 25 carries and two touchdowns in 2002. Pack scored Logan's first touchdown of 2002. Sopomore-to-bes Kevin Call and Justin Coakley will be the young guns in the backfield. Both players were standouts in Junior high, and continued that success to the Freshman level.
Fullback -- Steve Call was a steady performer here as Junior splitting time with the graduated Josh Bailey. Call rushed 41 times for 174 yards and caught 8 passes for 58. He also rushed for one TD and scored 2 2-point conversions. Bailey contributed 146 yards on 39 carries and also added a TD. Call likely will see time again at Fullback, but could also find himself splitting time again, just to keep him fresh on both sides of the ball. Juniors-to-be Ryan Kemper and Jacob Bray are both likely to be candidates to see time at fullback. Kemper rushed 14 times for 56 yards and caught a 2-point conversion pass. Bray saw a litt time as well, gaining 2 yards on his only carry. The incoming Sophomore Adam Stohs will eventually put his name into the mix, although PT will be hard to come by with the talent returning at this position.
Tight-End -- Sophomore Cole Resler kept the TE position "in the family" by replacing his graduated brother in 2002. Cole was a steady performer, catching 2 passes for 21 yards in 2002. Senior-to-be Matt Carlton was the projected starter during the summer, but an injury kept him out of the line-up for most of the year. Look for both players to battle for this spot again in 2003. Junior-To-Be Jacob Wolfe is also a possible candidate for some PT at TE as well.
Wide Receivers -- Wide Receiver appears to be a non-competition position as well. B.J. Hughes and Patrick How both were go to guys this season, and should be ready again in 2003. Junior-to-be Tory Kratzenburg may also fight for some time, as well as Junior-to-be Jordan Walsh. All 4 will definetly get the opportunity to catch passes next year. Sophomore-to-be Clayton Frederick made a lot of noise as a Freshman during 2002. He drew accolades all over the league.
Center -- Kevin Rinehart was a steady performer in 2002, and will be tough to replace. With that said, Junior-to-be Ray Robinson is probably the heir apparant at Center for the Chiefs. Ray started for the JV and saw time as a backup in 2002. No other center appeared on the 2002 roster.
Tackle -- With three-year starter Trevor Emerson and two-year starter Tyler Edgar lost to graduation, Logan has some rebuilding to do at the Tackle spot. Junior-to-be Jake Howdyshell (6' 236), Seniors-to-be Jason Starr (6' 210), Jesse Herring (5'7 209) and Kasey Kernen (6'2 336) should all compete for the two spots. Howdyshell and Herring/Starr appeared to have a leg up at the end of 2002.
Guard -- Tyler Wadsworth is lost to graduation, but Junior-to-be Jared Walton is back again in 2003. Jared was dynamite as a Sophomore in 2002. Jacob Bookman (6'2 239) is probably ready to step in at the other spot. Seniors to be Pete Clark (5'9 183) and Tyler Ackison (6'1 186) will also compete for PT.
DEFENSE -
Noseguard -- Hickory Ogle made a nice transition here from runningback/Defensive Back during his previous 2 years on Varsity. Ogle might not have been a Trent Woodgeard or Ryan Berry, but he was a tough player nonetheless. Logan has no clearcut noseguard going into next year. It's one of the few wide open spots. Does Logan go with someone who's big to take up space or another little quick guy? We'll have to wait and see.
Defensive Tackles -- 3-year Starter Tyler Wadsworth will be dearly missed, much like Colt Thompson and Matt Sigler in previous years. Don't cry too much though, Kasey Yates returns as a Junior for 2003 and will only improve. Jason Starr is on cadidate to replace Wadsworth, with several other players in the mix as well. A lot of the decision on who plays here will probably come down to how many players the coaches want to play both ways.
Defensive Ends -- Jason Dicken and Josh Jarrell both leave the program, as does Noah Yates, leaving this position pretty wide open. Senior-To-Be Matt Carlton was thought to have been a starter during the preseason, but injury kept him off the field most of the season. He is one favorite for these two spots. The snapper from 2002, Jake Wolf, is another possibility here as well. Don't forget about Tory Kratzenburg. He's a kid with great athletic ability and descent size. He could fill in at a lot of positions. His body is Noah-Yates-esque.
Middle-Lineback -- The heart and sole of the Logan defense. Josh Bailey improved every week in 2002, and by the end of the year was another in a long line of solid MLB. The spot will be open in 2003, with Steve Call making claims for it. Sturgell is better suited for outside backer b/c of his height and speed. Steve has a little more size, and thus will probably be the middle backer. Juniors-to-be Ryan Kemper and Jacob Bray will probably be the main backups to Steve.
Outside Backers -- Senior-To-Be Josh Sturgell had a breakout season in 2002, and big things are expected of him in 2003. With Steve Call possibly moving to middle-backer, the other outside spot opens up. Junior-To-Be Justin Pack seemed to be the coaches favorite out of the Sophomore class. Look for Ryan Kemper and Jordan Walsh to stick their noses in as well. Also sophomores Adam Stohs, Justin Coakley, and Kevin Call could find themselves with some PT as well.
Cornerbacks -- B.J. Hughes and Patrick Howe both reurn from solid Sophomore campaigns. Both improved every week, and were strong contributors by the end of 2002. Howe was tied for the team lead in interceptions with 2. Depth will come from sophomores like Clayton Frederick.
Safeties -- Another pretty wide-open position. Juniors-to-be Tory Kratzenburg and Jordan Walsh are definitie possibilities here. Sophomores-to-be Andrew McKee and Michael Sexton are other possibilities. It'll be interesting to see how this spot shakes out.
Overall, there is a lot of talent. There should be solid competition at many positions, and quality depth all around. It'll be another exciting year of Logan Chieftain football.