ORRVILLE RED RIDERS
Last year: 11-2, 6-1 (lost regional finals Div. V playoffs)
OHSAA Region: Div. V, Region 18
Playoff appearances: 24
Began playing: 1903
League: Principals Athletic Conference
Stadium: Red Rider Stadium
Head coach: Doug Davault, (15th season, 92-66)
WHEN ORRVILLE HAS THE BALL
Everyone knows what Orrville is going to try to do, but few — if any — will be able to stop it. The Riders are going to get the ball into the hands of Marquael Parks and see how far he can take them. The Riders’ coaches will move him all over the field as running back, receiver and wildcat quarterback to maximize his game-break-ing abilities. Parks’ Reggie Bush-like quickness leaves defenders utterly helpless if they face him one-on-one in space. Asiah Smith and Jacob Bailey could spell Parks when he needs a rest.
QB Cooper Haley will lead the offense once again. If he shows marked improvement during his second year as a starter, it could mean a big leap for the Riders offense.
However, Haley won’t have top target Elijah Hall back and there isn’t a clear predecessor to step in as Orrville’s top receiver. Phillips, a tight end, and Chris Smith are Orrville’s only returning players with more than 10 catches a year ago outside of Parks. The 5-foot-7 Smith might not have size, but has the speed and quickness to become a major playmaker as a junior.
Domanick Jonas will likely step into a major role in the passing game. Newcomer seniors like Trevor Jones and Rod McDuffie will be asked to step into major pass-catching roles right away as well.
On the line, Orrville lost most of its experience, but brings back Beau Hochstetler, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound tackle who started last season as a sophomore.
Other projected starters on the line — Kyle Endsley, Ashton Garrett, Haiden Luangraj, Jagger Kauffman and Marquaez Bullard — haven’t seen much time at all on the varsity level.
“With the exception of Beau, none of them have played Friday nights,” Orrville head coach Doug Davault said. “We’re gonna have four new offensive linemen.”
WHEN ORRVILLE DOESN’T HAVE THE BALL
Up front, Orrville has to cope with the loss of two of the best front seven players in the county in Ben Amstutz and Austin Armstrong. Jacob Bailey returns as the Riders’ undersized defensive tackle, but without Amstutz and Armstrong on the outside, it’s hard to say if he’ll be as effective. Endsley and Luangraj will play major roles as the starting defensive ends.
Phillips will anchor the second level of the defense at linebacker, but the Riders don’t have much experience surrounding him. Expected starter Kaiden Griffin suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason. Tyler Schroer and Rod McDuffie will step into the other starting roles.
If Parks wasn’t such an electric offensive player, he’d likely be lauded as one of the best defenders in the state too, ball hawking with the very best of them. When he’s locked in defensively, he can change games from his safety position like he does at running back.
The losses of Hall, Zach Walker and Colt Ramsdell in the secondary will sting, but starting corners Chris Smith and Cooper Haley have some experience.
SEASON OUTLOOK
Undoubtedly, this will be a different team than what Orrville has put on the field the past two seasons. Numbers are low within the program and the Riders are almost completely devoid of the players who made their 2018 state championship team go. There are plenty of question marks, but the Riders always have talent waiting in the wings.
With Parks, the linchpin of that great team, back, Orrville will still be able to beat just about anyone on the right day.
However, this is the most uncertain Orrville season in three years, especially with Triway and Northwest on the rise in the PAC. But with Manchester likely down this season with the departure of All-Ohio back Ethan Wright and retirement of legendary coach Jim France, the Riders will remain the team to beat in the league.
THREE STARS
RB/S Marquael Parks
In three years, Parks has probably had the finest high school career of anyone in Wayne County football history, annihilating the county record book while leading Orrville to a 2018 state championship and another deep playoff run in 2019. Parks needs just 13 touchdowns — he’s scored 121 in three years — to become Ohio’s all-time leading touchdown scorer. He’s one of the best players in Ohio and is a legitimate threat to score anytime he touches the ball and is also a menace defensively. It could be decades before Wayne County sees another player like Parks.
LB/TE Jake Phillips
Just one of many defensive playmakers a year ago, Phillips will be counted on as the leader of the unit in 2020. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior should be one of the top linebackers in Wayne County with top-notch football instincts and athleticism.
DT/RB Jacob Bailey
Some defensive lineman use brute size and strength to invade opposing backfields, but the 5-foot-9, 150-pound Bailey is cut from a different cloth. He’s basically Taz, the Looney Toons tornado of a Tasmanian devil, on a football field, employing quickness and a non-stop motor in order to disrupt offenses.
THE BIG QUESTION: Can the supporting cast help Marquael Parks enough?
Football is the ultimate team game, but when a smaller high school team like Orrville has a high-level college prospect like Parks, one player can mean a whole lot. However, the Riders lost 19 letterwinners from last year’s 11-win regional finalist and many players who are returning weren’t key contributors a year ago. Especially after losing some of its top guys from the trenches and the edges, Orrville will need a few players with little varsity experience to come up big in 2020.
One of the main reasons Orrville fell to Oak Harbor in the playoffs a year ago was because Parks was asked to be a little too much of a one-man show. If he has to do that all season long in 2020, it will leave the Riders in a tough spot come playoff time.
PROJECTED STARTERS
OFFENSE
QB Cooper Haley (sr.)
RB Marquael Parks (sr.)
WR Chris Smith (jr.)
WR Domanik Jonas / Braeden Higgins (sr.)
WR Trevor Jones (sr.) / Rod McDuffie (sr.)
WR/TE Jake Phillips (sr.)
T Beau Hochstetler (jr.)
G Kyle Endsley (jr.)
C Haiden Luangraj (jr.)
G Jagger Kauffman (sr.) / Marquaez Bullard (soph.)
T Ashton Garrett (jr.)
DEFENSE
DE Kyle Endsley (jr.) / Ben Crabtree (soph.)
DT Jacob Bailey (sr.)
DT Marquaez Bullard (soph.) /Jeremy Bailey (sr.) / Beau Hochstetler (jr.) / Ashton Garrett (jr.)
DE Haiden Luangraj (jr.) / Braeden Higgins (sr.)
LB Jake Phillips (sr.)
LB Tyler Schroer (jr.)
LB Rod McDuffie (sr.)
S Trevor Jones (sr.)
SS Marquael Parks (sr.) / Caleb Orosz (sr.)
CB Cooper Haley (sr.)
CB Chris Smith (jr.)
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS (15)
Cooper Haley (sr.), Marquael Parks (sr.), Jake Phillips (sr.), Jacob Bailey (sr.), Andrew Hawk (sr.), Dominik Jonas (sr.), Kyle Endsley (jr.), Ashton Garrett (jr.), Kaiden Griffin (jr.), Beau Hochstetler (jr.), Haiden Luangraj (jr.), Chris Smith (jr.), Tyler Schroer (jr.), Asiah Smith (soph.), Marquaez Bullard (soph.).
SCHEDULE
Aug. 28 NORTHWEST, 7 p.m.
Sept. 4 TUSLAW, 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 at CVCA, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 LOUDONVILLE, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 *at Kenston, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 at Triway, 7 p.m.
*denotes out-of-conference game
ALL CAPS denotes home game
GAME TO WATCH: Aug. 28 vs. Northwest
The new-look Red Riders will be tested right away with a Northwest team that’s been on the precipice of breaking out for a few years. An absolute thriller in 2019 — Orrville prevailed 47-43 — this is the perfect way to start out the six-game sprint of a regular season for both teams.
The Link LonkAugust 28, 2020 at 11:13PM
https://www.the-daily-record.com/story/sports/high-school/2020/08/28/h-s-football-preview-orrville-red-riders/5636575002/
2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW| Orrville: New-look Red Riders still have high hopes with Parks back - Wooster Daily Record
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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