ST. MARYS – Following a 10-3 first season under Bo Frye and a third round playoff exit the St. Marys Roughriders will hope to rely on their returning veterans to lead a talented but young squad onto the field in 2022.
This season the Roughriders will look to replace All-WBL honorees including Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year Dylan Giesige and Kicking Specialist of the Year Brandon Bowers.
St. Marys will also look to replace three offensive linemen, a multiple year starter at quarterback, and a handful of defensive starters that included tackling machine Tanner Howell, a first team conference pick.
Another big change for this seasons Roughrider program is their drop of divisions down to Division IV and their inclusion as a member of region 14 from previous years that saw the squad compete as a Division III region 12 member.
“I think we are a work in progress as the season begins. We’re working every day to get better at the fundamentals of the game as those are ultimately what win or lose games” Frye said.
The Riders will start their 2022 campaign on Friday night as they play host to a London squad they defeated to open the 2021 campaign by a 10-7 score with a third quarter touchdown run after trailing 7-3 at the halftime break.
Following a 2-2 start after losses to league foes Wapakoneta and Ottawa Glandorf on the road, the Riders reeled off eight straight victories and outscored opponents by a 272-65 margin before falling victim to a talented Hamilton Badin squad in Week 13.
Returning for St. Marys on the offensive line are Braden Saeler (6’3/305) and Caleb Miller (6’5/260). Newcomers Trent Wycuff (6’1/165), Greg Felver (6’1/225), and Zavier LeClaire (6’2/370) who will seek to protect starting signal caller Cody Wallace.
Back from a collarbone injury that cost him much of his sophomore campaign, Wallace (6’3/200) has shown his ability to throw the deep ball downfield during the teams preseason scrimmages but will be responsible at utilizing his abilities to down the defenses of the Western Buckeye League if the Riders are to be successful this season.
Aiden Hinkle (6’0/210) and Colton Mabry (5’11/200), a senior and sophomore represent the two returning leading rushers for St. Marys as they combined for 875 yards and 10 scores. All-purpose Brayden Sullivan (5’11/185) joins the duo in the backfield after totaling a pair of touchdowns on the ground and one receiving during his junior year.
Asked about his young football squad this season Frye opined that “it takes all 11 guys on offense to complete a pass, to complete a sweep, to master a boot.”
Defensively the Roughriders return four of their top tacklers in defensive linemen Jace Schaefer (6’4/200) and Logan Compton (6’0/215) along with the secondary duo of Keegan Sharpe (5’9/165), and Brayden Sullivan who combined for five pickoffs and nearly 140 tackles in 2021.
Following the home opener with London the Riders hit the road for a week to Defiance before returning home for a pair of WBL showdowns with Wapakoneta and Ottawa Glandorf and a trip to Van Wert that could once again decide how the league title is decided.
Every game this season can once again be heard on the home of Roughriders football for over 40 years, WKKI 94.3 FM with Mike Hirn and Denny Cisco on the call starting each Friday night at 6:30pm with the pregame show.
2022 Season Schedule:
Date Location Opponent
8/19 Home London
8/26 Away Defiance
9/2 Home Wapakoneta
9/9 Home Ottawa-Glandorf
9/16 Away Van Wert
9/23 Away Shawnee
9/30 Home Kenton
10/7 Away Elida
10/14 Away Bath
10/21 Home Celina