Whetstone
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Braves counting on experience, depth
By JARROD ULREY
ThisWeek Staff Writer
The City League-North Division title race
tightened last season, but the Whetstone High
School football team wasn’t one of the squads
to benefit from the shifting of power.
While Beechcroft went 6-1 to win a race that
also included runners-up Brookhaven, Mifflin
and Northland at 5-2 and an improved East at
4-3, Whetstone finished 3-7 overall and 2-5 in
the league.
That’s something a more experienced and
deeper Braves team plans to change.
“We want to be able to contend for the
league,” said coach Todd Boyd, whose team
opens Friday against visiting Briggs. “We need
to get our base defense and base offense to be
second nature. We’ve got a lot of experience,
and I think almost all of the teams last year hit
a youth cycle.”
With just five seniors a year ago in James
Fosnaugh (QB/DB), James Kramer (FB/DL),
Thomas Manter (RB/LB), Dustin Mills
(OL/DL) and Matt Tuttle (WR/DB), Whet-
stone was among the squads Boyd was refer-
ring to in terms of inexperience.
This season, the Braves will have 20 seniors,
led by captains Herb Cornell (RB/LB), Ciaran
Lawlor (TE/DL) and Marcus Willis (WR/DB).
The other captain is junior Jeremy Althouse
(OL/DL).
Junior Mario Dovell (5-11, 170) is back at
quarterback after starting at the position for
portions of last season. At one point, Whet-
stone had 17 players — including Dovell —
out with injuries.
Dovell split time behind center with senior
Tommy Williams last season, but Williams is
expected to spend most of his time at
linebacker.
Cornell was the leading rusher with 270
yards and will be at running back along with
seniors Joshua Brown and Blake Callahan (229
yards) and juniors DeShawn Booth, Keiolntay
Harvey and Michael Haynes (236 yards).
Seniors Jamon Hodges and Dillon Volk and
sophomores Marcus Penn and Joe Tuttle will
join Willis at wide receiver.
Althouse (6-1, 239) and senior Ryan Mal-
one each worked at center during the presea-
son, with senior Nino Stucki and junior Adrian
CITY-NORTH
Central Ohio High School Football Preview ’07 • August 22, 2007
Continued from page 52
The Bearcats will play at Beechcroft on
Oct. 5 and also have road games against North-
land on Oct. 19 and Mifflin on Oct. 26.
The Cougars return the City-North’s top
quarterback in senior Marvin Stewart as well
as a sophomore class which Dunlap calls “the
strength of the program.” Beechcroft’s biggest
question mark is its offensive line, which lost
the six players who saw the most playing time
last year.
Beechcroft won its last four last season,
including over Northland 8-0 in the finale.
Mifflin and Northland have been attempt-
ing to break the hold atop the league that
Brookhaven and Beechcroft have had, and
both teams took steps toward that goal last
year.
With more than 60 players, the Vikings
have one of their larger teams. They also
should have one of the bigger teams in terms
of physical size with players such as senior
56 See VIKINGS, page 68
Mario Dovell returns for his second season at quarterback for the Braves, who finished 3-7
last season. Whetstone opens Friday at home against Briggs.
West at guard and senior Ian Heffelfinger (6-
0, 273) and junior Ayo Jerkins-Kerega (6-1,
257) at tackle. Seniors Lazarus Taylor (5-10,
258) and Logan Stokes (6-0, 255) also should
see action on the line but battled injuries dur-
ing the preseason.
“(Dovell) was going to be the starter last
year and then he got hurt, but he’s athletic and
very shifty,” said Boyd, who is 20-20 during
four seasons. “We’ve got some guys who can
play in the 250s this year. The main thing is
that all of them are juniors and seniors (on the
line), and that’s what helps us.”
Callahan and Lawler will be at defensive
end and Stucki, Taylor and West are at nose
guard in a 3-5 defensive set that also will show
a 4-3 look.
Junior DeShawn Booth will be at middle
linebacker, Volk and Williams will play inside
linebacker and Penn and Tuttle will be outside
linebackers. The secondary will be comprised
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season will it be?
GoodLuck
feature will cover all fall
Braves
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Worthington, OH 43085
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At a glance
WHETSTONE BRAVES
Colors: Navy and white
Coach: Todd Boyd, fifth season
Key players: Jeremy Althouse, Blake Callahan, Herb
Cornell, Mario Dovell, Ciaran Lawlor, Marcus Penn,
Tommy Williams and Marcus Willis
2007 SCHEDULE
Aug. 24..............Briggs...............................Home
Aug. 31..............Central Crossing.................Away
Sept. 7...............South ...............................Home
Sept. 14 ............Brookhaven ........................Away
Sept. 21 ............East...................................Away
Sept. 28 ............Linden..............................Home
Oct. 5 ................Northland...........................Away
Oct. 12 ..............Mifflin ................................Away
Oct. 19 ..............Beechcroft........................Home
Oct. 26 ..............Centennial ........................Home
2006 RESULTS
(3-7 overall, 2-5 City-North)
Olentangy Liberty ......................................L, 50-0
Briggs ......................................................W, 14-3
Thornville Sheridan..................................L, 35-14
East ...........................................................L, 6-3
Linden ...................................................W, 42-14
Northland .................................................L, 55-3
Mifflin .......................................................L, 20-0
Beechcroft ................................................L, 33-0
Brookhaven...............................................L, 40-6
Centennial .................................................W, 7-6
By Chris Parker/ThisWeek
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Junior Zach McGuire will be the punter and
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son is expected to kick off. Crossing was 2-8 last year and South went
Several players, including Callahan, Dovell, 6-4.
Hodges and Penn, will be the kick and punt The Braves won 14-3 last season at Briggs,
returners, with Althouse expected to be the which finished 0-10. Whetstone’s other wins
long snapper. came over Linden (42-14), which also went 0-
“We’re way more experienced than last year,” 10, and Centennial (7-6), which finished 1-9.
Cornell said. “Everybody looked at us as under- The Braves struggled all season on offense,
dogs last year and we took a lot of criticism scoring just 89 points and completing just six
with everybody doubting us. We practice a lot touchdowns outside of the win over Linden.
of execution because technique can beat tal- “We’ve got in the upper 60s in numbers,
ent. If we use our technique, speed and talent, which is higher than we have been,” Boyd said.
we’ll be successful.” “We went to Otterbein for our team camp (the
After getting pounded by Olentangy Liberty last two weeks of July) and I think that helped
50-0 and Thornville Sheridan 35-14 in non- immensely. We only lost five seniors from last
league games last season, Whetstone replaced year and I think we should be pretty compet-
the pair with Central Crossing (away, Aug. 31) itive.”
Good Luck
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