2005 Season Preview
It would be easy to chalk the 2005 football season up as a "rebuilding" year for the purple and white. Gone are 16 Seniors, including 3-year lettermen Jacob Bray, Joe Howdyshell, Patrick Howe, BJ Hughes, Robert Kirkland, Justin Pack, Rob Rose, Jordan Walsh, Jared Walton, and Jake Wolfe. But in Logan, Ohio, "rebuilding" is a dirty word. While 10 3-year lettermen and 2-year starting QB Corey Spackey may be gone, Logan returns 15 lettermen including one of the best backfield duos at LHS since 2001.
If Logan is to succeed in the 2005 football season, the defense will need to be the heart and soul of the football team. And like most Dale Amyx coached football teams, the 2005 defense will be one of the strongest units in SE Ohio. Returning to the defense are two-year starters at Linebacker Justin Coakley (5'8-190lbs) and Kevin Call (5'9-180lbs). Adam Stohs, a 5'7-175lbs FB/LB, will round out a solid linebacking corps. Sophomores Mark Potter (5'9-170lbs) and Corey Kissling (5'7-165lbs) will be the main backups in the linebacking corps.
While the linebackers get all the glory, it'll be the five man front who will need to excel for the Chieftains. In the middle for the Chiefs, Senior Noseguard Stephen Spears (5'4-145lbs) give the Chieftains speed to disrupt opposing offenses. Junior Will Crabbe (5'5-170lbs) and Kissling will backup Spears. Junior Bryce Bumgardner (5'8-240lbs) is a returning starter at Tackle, and Junior Cameron Kiger (5'8-240lbs) will play opposite him. The Chiefs have depth on both lines, and other contributors at Tackle will be Senior Cody Cook (5'9-210lbs), Junior Max Delaplane (5'9-240lbs), Junior Jesse Wilson (5'10-245lbs), and Sophomore Alex Wallace (6'7-275lbs). Rounding out the defensive line will be Senior ends Tyson Kratzenburg (5'10-220lbs) and Michael Sexton (5'10-175lbs). Sexton is a returning starter. Other plays who will contribute at end are Junior Tony Ellis (6'2-190lbs), Senior Justin Vorhees (5'11-165lbs), Junior Zak Gompf (5'10-175lbs), Senior Ed Lindsay (6'0-220lbs), and Sophomore Jeshiah Eggers (5'9-170lbs).
The defensive backfield took a big hit following the graduation of the top four DBs. However, Sophomore Lucas Wright (5'10-160lbs) is a talented young player who will be a young star for the Chiefs at Safety. Playing corner for the Chiefs will be Senior Nick Walter (5'10-165lbs) and Junior Josh Clifton (5'11-165lbs). The Chiefs will have key backups though in case someone should go down. Junior Cody Bower (5'7-155lbs) is capable of playing corner, and Sophomore Seth Moritz (5'9-155lbs) can play corner as well.
Offensively, the Chiefs will rely on their punishing running backs and powerful offensive line to score points. Senior Fullback Justin Coakley led the team in rushing yards in 2004, running for 619 yards. For his career, Justin has amassed 986 yards on 138 carries, that's over 7 yards per carry in addition to his 13 rushing TDs. Justin isn't only a threat running the ball, he's also a capable receiver who has caught 17 passes for 152 yards and one touchdown the last two seasons. Joining Coakley in the starting backfield will be fellow Senior Kevin Call. Kevin was second on the team in rushing yards during 2004, gaining 550 yards on 76 carries. Kevin added 5 touchdowns in addtion to his 7.2 yards per carry. Other purple and white ball carriers are Senior FB Adam Stohs, Sophomore Mark Potter, Junior Zak Gompf, and Sophomore Corey Kissling.
For the first time since 1998, a sophomore will be taking the snaps for the purple and white. Michael Angle, a 5'9-165lbs Sophomore will lead the Varsity Chiefs after piloting the freshmen to a 6-2 record and a perfect run through the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League. Backing up Angle will be Senior Michael Sexton and Sophomore Jon Bapst (5'5-145lbs). Senior Kevin Call also has gotten some work under center during scrimmages.
The LHS receiving corps took a major hit, and must be rebuilt for the 2005 season. The only returning receiver with a Varsity catch under his belt is Sexton, who has caught a total of 4 passes for 34 yards in two seasons. Starting at Split End for the Chiefs will be Senior Nick Walter, while the starter at Flanker will be sensational Sophomore Lucas Wright. Junior Josh Clifton can work at either wide-out spot, as can Sexton. Tony Ellis, a Junior transfer from Pickerington Central will start at Tight End for the Chiefs, with Senior Jake Bowling (6'2-200lbs), and Sophomore Jeshiah Eggers backing him up.
The offensive line will be the key to the Chiefs success in 2005. Senior Tackles Bruce Lehman (6'4-290lbs) and Jon Spohn (6'0-275lbs) will bookend a bulky defensive front. Guards Jesse Wilson (5'10-245lbs) and Bryce Bumgardner (5'8-240lbs) and Center Nick Amyx (6'5-205lbs) form a solid interior front. Lehman and Wilson are returning starters, while Spohn was a key back-up last fall. The line has depth beyond the 5 starters too. Junior Max Delaplane (5'8-240lbs) can play guard and Senior Tyson Kratzenberg (5'10-220lbs) can fill in at any of the 5 positions. Juniors Cameron Kiger (5'8-240lbs), Greg Proctor (5'10-200lbs), and Sophomores Alex Wallace (6'7-275lbs) and Grant Waugh (5'8-210lbs) can all fill in at Tackle.
Offensively Logan is going to look to grind out wins on the ground. With a defense that can shut down opposing offenses, the ability to grind out victories with a bruising running game could be the key for LHS in 2005. Look for the offense to run a lot of 3-back sets and for play-action to be the calling card in the aerial game. Sophomore Lucas Wright is a home run threat.
Some have already chalked 2005 up as a rebuilding year. I guess they forgot to tell Coach Amyx and the Chieftains..