Staff photo / Preston Byers South Range linebacker Dylan Smesko attempts to make a tackle during Friday's game against Springfield.

Under normal circumstances, Howland’s 28-0 win over arch-rival Niles last Thursday would have had Tigers coach Brian Jones jumping for joy.

As it was, well, Jones sort of hobbled with happiness.

Jones’ tempered celebration was the result of an injury he suffered earlier this summer during a Howland practice session.

On July 1, Howland returned to the practice field following a week break, and Jones was demonstrating a wide receivers drill when he tore his Achilles tendon in his right leg.

“I was demonstrating a release move, I took a step and there was a pop that was heard by the entire team,” Jones said. “The pain was so immense I blacked out for a few seconds.”

Ironically, seven years earlier Jones suffered the same injury in his left leg.

“I just sat there on the field for a good ten minutes, knowing what was in store for me,” Jones said. “The timing of the injury made things especially disheartening, knowing I would be facing surgery as we were heading into the heart of summer practices.”

Jones did indeed undergo surgery on July 10, but from that point on he didn’t miss a beat. He was on hand July 11 when the Tigers took part in a passing scrimmage. He was able to navigate practice sessions throughout the summer via a golf cart.

Jones praised the support he received from his family and his coaching staff, calling his recovery process “a total team effort.”

“My wife Lauren is a godsend, she’s been with me every step of the way, getting our two children up extremely early and getting me to practice every day,” Jones said. “My mother-in-law has gone out of her way to help things run smoothly. My children are the best.

“My coaching staff has been unbelievably supportive. I like to really get involved in practices, and they’ve picked up the slack. They have gone out of their way to make the best of the situation. I appreciate them more than they’ll ever know.”

Last Tuesday, Jones was fitted with a walking boot, which allowed him to roam the sidelines in Thursday’s season-opening win. He was advised by his doctor to remain 10-20 yards away from any possible ongoing plays, but admits that “instincts kept kicking in and I didn’t always follow doctor’s orders.”

Once the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard signaling Jones’ first win at Howland, the second-year coach was willing to let others celebrate on his behalf.

“It was actually kind of nice to just take a step back and witness the jubilation of those kids who banded together during the off-season and grew closer than ever. They deserved that moment,” Jones said.

OCTOBER ROAD WARRIORS

For the first time in memory, South Range will not host a football game in the month of October.

The Raiders open their season with six consecutive home games, with the sixth taking place Sept. 27. The final four games of the regular season — all on the road — fall on the four Fridays of October.

“This is definitely a first as far as I know of,” South Range athletic director Don Feren said. “Just a strange scheduling quirk that we are forced to deal with, and we’ll make the best of it.”

South Range opened its season last Friday with a 42-14 win over Springfield. Non-conference games follow against Salem and Barberton before the Raiders start league play. There is also a non-conference game Oct. 18 at Louisville.

“In searching for non-conference opponents, and looking at which schools needed home games in specific years, we just ended up with a unique schedule,” Feren said. “It’s not the most ideal situation, but at the same time we love our schedule in terms of opponents. It’s really going to be an exciting 10 weeks.”

Feren pointed out that the original 2024 schedule had Jefferson visiting South Range in week seven prior to Jefferson’s departure from the Northeast-8 Conference.

Feren’s biggest challenge with the scheduling quirk involves fitting in Hall of Fame Night, Homecoming and Senior Night all in the month of September.

“We like to add some of those extra event games on nights when we don’t expect large visiting crowds, but in our case we opened with Springfield, a great rival,” Feren said. “Now we play Salem for the first time ever, then it’s Barberton, a pretty good size school.”

Homecoming will take place Sept. 20 against Struthers, followed by Senior Night a week later against Poland.

Of course, there is the possibility that the Raiders could return to Rominger Stadium in November. Because of its top four seeding in each of the last four years, South Range has played nine home playoff games since 2020. A top eight finish in Division V, region 17 would assure at least one post-October home game this year.

“It’s definitely something to look forward to, I’m sure these kids would love to play at home after spending the month of October on the road and it might provide a little extra incentive,” Feren said.

COWBOY THIEVERY

In Chaney’s 21-6 win over Akron East, the Cowboys defense recorded six interceptions.

Pulling in the picks were seniors Dashawn Langston (two), Matt Jones and Jordan Hewlett, along with juniors Allen Hill and Allex Hill, who also recovered a fumble.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, I’ve never been on either side of a game that involved that many interceptions by one team,” Chaney coach Seth Antram said. “I didn’t even realize how many picks we had until after the fact. I know our defensive coaches and our players were paying attention, but in the moment, I had no idea.

“The thing was, those interceptions were all crucial to the win. They all came at crucial times in what was a very close game. We intercepted a few near the goal line, and we had some pretty long returns that changed the course of the game.

To put Chaney’s week one feat in perspective, the Cowboys recorded six interceptions during the course of the entire 2023 season.

The Akron East offense features Ziaire Stevens, a Purdue commit who last year rushed for 2,001 yards and 20 touchdowns.

“Our entire defense did a tremendous job of forcing East into passing situations, and then our defensive backfield took advantage of the opportunity,” Antram said.

Antram noted that it was especially rewarding to see five different players pull in the six interceptions.

“We changed up the defense a bit from last year so heading into the first game you’re a little nervous about how quickly the kids will adapt,” Antram said. “This was a testament to the great senior class who took leadership and who brought everything together. This group has sort of grinded it out the last two or three years, and now this reinforced the belief that they are ready to take charge. It’s a great reward for their dedication.

“This wasn’t a one-man or two-man accomplishment, it was truly a team effort,” he added. “The other thing that stuck out was the unselfishness. Every time one kid made a play, the rest of the team was there to celebrate for him.”

Chaney returns to action Friday with a road game at Struthers.

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