Offseason work is good indicator for Indians

The Canal Winchester High School football team entered last year with a lot of uncertainty, centered on a new coach and several new starters on both sides on the ball.

But the Indians went out and won their first five games and finished the regular season 9-1, capped by a 17-0 win at Logan Elm that clinched the MSL-Buckeye Division title outright.

Canal Winchester earned its first trip to the playoffs in 19 years and went on to win its first playoff game, defeating Germantown Valley View 17-16 on a last-second field goal by Tyler Shryock.

The season ended one week later with a 42-17 loss to Monroe Lemon-Monroe in the second round of the Division III playoffs as Canal Winchester finished 10-2.

Shryock, a junior, returns, as do a number of key players from last year's team. For that reason, coach Phil Mauro and the rest of the Indians expect to pick up right where they left off.

"We've got to raise the bar. We're not going to step backward," Mauro said. "We all saw what the seniors did last year and we always ask the kids, 'What kind of senior class do you want to be?' They worked hard in the offseason. I think the investment we put in is definitely a motivator to our degree of play."

"We just keep working hard every day," senior Harrison Rosch said. "We don't even worry about last year. Last year was a great year, but it's our time now."

Leading the offense will be seniors Travis Stevenson (QB), Dom Cosby (RB), Matt Romanowski (WR) and O.J. Green (FB) and juniors Mike Mainella (RB) and Tyler Thompson (WR). All received significant playing time last season.

"Having that kind of experience is always big," Mauro said. "You can't coach experience, so I think that's going to bode well for us."

Canal Winchester does have a question mark on offense, however, and that is the line. All five of the starters up front last year have graduated and they helped pave the way for the Indians' potent running game. Mauro is looking at a number of players to step up, including seniors Sterling Mills (T), Grant Dosch (T), Ryan Toledo (G), Charlie Burns (OL), Rosch (G) and Ryan Huff (OL), juniors Alex Krigbaum (G) and Michael Young (C) and sophomore Ben O'Bryant (OL). Mauro, who got a chance to see the new offensive line in a scrimmage against New Albany and Olentangy Liberty on Aug. 9, said he liked what he saw.

"I was pretty pleased, and I thought they held up pretty well," Mauro said. "They held the schemes pretty well. The pass protection wasn't bad. I think we're progressing pretty well."

Similar to the offense, the defense returns a number of players who saw significant playing time last year.

Leading the defense will be seniors Huff (DT), Rosch (LB), Tyler Steube (OLB), Mike Romanowski (DB), Cory Spelman (DB), Morgan Tucker (DT), Stevenson (DE) and juniors Mainella (OLB) and Ryan Rose (OLB).

The Indians must replace graduates Tony Davis (CB) and Anthony Nixon (DE) who were key performers last season.

One area in which the defense was inconsistent last season was in passing situations, but Mauro expects improvement this season.

"We've got some experience back there," Mauro said. "They keep working at getting better and they're doing a good job with the backpedal.

"We try to give them a lot of different looks in practice so I think that will be positive for them. And we're hoping that will strengthen them for the games."

To defend its league title, Canal Winchester will face tough competition from Teays Valley, Amanda-Clearcreek, Circleville and Hamilton Township.

The schedule does the Indians no favors either as the team has to play on the road against the Aces, Tigers and Rangers as well as a non-league contest at Bexley in the opener Friday.

"They're looking at us as a threat now," Green said.

"All those teams will be good teams so you've got to be ready every week," Mauro said.

Having won a league title as well as earning the team's first playoff win last season has made this team hungry.

Canal Winchester is not only eyeing a return to the playoffs, but also has its sights set on a trip to the Division III state championship game.

"People usually want to go after you when you're a league champ," Mauro said. "I think anytime you have a loss on your schedule from a year ago, you highlight that on the schedule and I'm sure people are going to prepare hard for us."