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topicnews · September 30, 2024

Ohio High School Football, Rootstown Rovers 2024 Preview

Ohio High School Football, Rootstown Rovers 2024 Preview

ROOTSTOWN ROVERS

  • Head coach:Tom Hannan
  • LAST YEAR: 9-2 (3-1 Portage Trail Conference)
  • LOST SEASON: Division VI, Region 21

The Returning Lettermen of Rootstown Football (15)

  • Chase Duvall, WR/DB, 6-0, 160, Jr.
  • Dominic Duvall RB/LB, 5-9, 185, Sr.
  • Alex Ely, WR/DB, 5-8, 135, Jr.
  • Mason Fleck, RB/DL, 5-11, 205, Sr.
  • Mason Lisi, WR/DB, 5-9, 160, Jr.
  • George Luli, RB/LB, 5-7, 145, Jr.
  • Nick Malek, WR/DB, 5-8, 170, Sr.
  • Max McEwuen, WR/DB, 5-9, 145, So.
  • Tristan McKibben, H-Back/WR/DE, 6-1, 180, Sr.
  • Blake Mullaly, QB/DB/K, 6-2, 170, So.
  • Damien Reuting, RB/LB, 6-0, 175, Jr.
  • Kiel Reuting, OL/H-Back/LB, 5-11, 200, Sun.
  • Ethan White, RB/LB, 5-10, 180, Jr.
  • Braden Wright, OL/DL, 6-4, 275, Jr.
  • Brian Youngblood, OL/LB, 5-10, 200, Sr.

The Impact Players of Rootstown Football

The Rovers have a strong defense that includes first-team Portage Trail Conference standouts at defense (Tristan McKibben) and linebacker (Brian Youngblood). According to Hannan, Youngblood is a “very physical and aggressive” linebacker who led the team with 103 tackles last year, while McKibben was a “dominant force on both sides of the ball” in 2023 with 59 tackles (11 for loss) and eight sacks . …Speaking of both sides of the ball: Dominic Duvall and Nick Malek made the all-league first team last year on offense, but are just as strong on defense. A “very athletic” defensive back (and wide receiver), Malek impressed with five interceptions in 2023, while Duvall is the “heart and soul of our team,” according to Hannan, having racked up 66 tackles a season ago. … Look for Braden Wright to take a leadership role on the lines after excelling at right tackle last year. Wright, Hannan said, is “big, strong and can move.”

What’s new for Rootstown football in 2024?

Rootstown will have a new quarterback in sophomore Blake Mullaly, who starred at kicker as a freshman. According to coach Tom Hannan, Mullaly is a “very good athlete” with a “good arm” and fans can “expect more passing from the Rovers this season, especially given the depth and talent we have at wide receiver.” .. Rootstown will also have a new lead running back in Damien Reuting. According to Hannan, the junior has “big shoes to fill” after Cody Coontz (2022) and Dawson Morgan (2023) each reached the 2,000-yard mark in a single season. Reuting, who ran for about 400 yards as Morgan’s backup last year, is a “tough downhill runner” and “very physical.” … There’s also a lot of new things on the coaching staff, starting with Hannan, who is in his 28th year as head coach (though his first at Rootstown). Hannan is also excited about new defensive coordinator Chris Kosiorek, who was previously the head coach at Crestwood, Gilmour Academy and Mechanicsburg and the defensive coordinator at Warren Harding.

The Prospects of Rootstown Football

The Rovers have had a number of head coaches recently, Tom Hannan being the fourth since Mark Geis moved to Roosevelt in early 2018. Despite all the changes, Rootstown has had a consistent track record, hitting at least .500 in eight of the last nine seasons. That includes last year’s 9-2 record, led by an impressive defense that scored just 13.4 points per game (just 11.7 after allowing 30 against Crestwood in Week 1). This defense should be strong again in 2024, led by a strong linebacker corps with Brian Youngblood (103 tackles), Dominic Duvall (66) and Damien Reuting. … If defense is a known commodity, offense presents a little more mystery for the Rovers. Can they continue their streak of 2,000-yard runners and continue the legacy of Coontz and Morgan? They will do it this year without long-time offensive standout Tony Karp, who is headed to Marietta, but should still be very strong up front, led by Wright and Youngblood. … Establishing an effective aerial attack should help take pressure off the penalty box, as Hannan is very optimistic about what second-year QB Blake Mullaly can do with top targets Nick Malek and Tristan McKibben ready to to cause chaos.

Rootstown football schedule for 2024

  • August 23 CRESTWOOD
  • August 30th at Champion
  • September 6 FIELD
  • September 13th in Pymatuning Valley
  • September 20 AKRON NORTH
  • September 27th AQUINAS*
  • October 4th at Warren JFK*
  • Oct. 11. GRAND VALLEY
  • Oct. 18. MARTINS FERRY
  • October 25th in Mogadore*

Home games in capital letters. Conference games marked with an asterisk. All games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise stated.

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