Staff photo / Greg Macafee South Range coach Dan Yeagley hugs senior Shane Lindstrom after the Raiders' victory in the Division V state championship.

CANTON — As kids, South Range’s youth team, headlined by the Class of 2023, went a perfect 42-0 in their first six years of football together. With Friday’s state title victory, they got to bookend their careers, capping off a 16-0 season.

“These kids are awesome and I’m so happy for them. When the clock hit zero, I guess it was more or less a relief that these guys accomplished what they set out to do,” Raiders coach Dan Yeagley said. “I’m so proud of them. These kids, these seniors especially, are very deserving of this. With how hard they worked all year. We went through a little adversity there early in the year but they bounced back and made things happen.”

Being in a small town, the classes are typically close-knit. Those bonds only make each victory more enjoyable. With a group of 20 seniors this year for South Range, there’s plenty to celebrate.

“Winning state with these boys is awesome,” South Range lineman Chris Colucci said. “We’ve been together for a long time and this is just the cherry on top.”

Looking back, there was a clear turning point for the Raiders this season. In the fourth week of the season, South Range played close with Struthers, beating them 23-13. While they picked up the win, they weren’t satisfied.

The Raiders didn’t play up to their standard and it motivated them. That following week, they came out and took down Poland 48-0. Their response to the early-season adversity made them realize how special this group is.

“It was actually a low point (in the year),” Colucci said. “We were playing Struthers. We didn’t do that well on offense, so we really took it to a different level that week in practice and we have just been better since then. At halftime during the Poland game, it was the loudest I’ve ever heard our team. We were screaming and hollering and that’s when we were like, ‘We’ve got a pretty damn good team.'”

A big aspect of South Range’s success this season has simply come down to its attitude.

Their response to the Struthers game is a prime example of that.

They’re passionate and they’re emotional, but it’s not over the top. While big plays are celebrated, it’s never excessive.

On the inverse, when things went wrong for South Range this season, few as they were, it was quickly onto the next play.

Senior receiver Shane Lindstrom touched on that after their state championship win over Ironton on Friday. As the challenges got tougher, it became more and more important to keep emotions in check.

“It’s huge,” Lindstrom said about the team’s demeanor. “Playing against good teams, one play can change momentum and can be a difference maker. We made it a point to not let our highs get too high and not let our lows get too low. We stayed level headed and that’s one of the many things that make us a great team.”

That demeanor is a reflection of Yeagley himself. Never too high or too low. Even in arguing with officials, he never lost his cool, opting for a ‘That’s a bummer’ instead of the other choice words he could have used.

Over the last 28 years he’s built up a program that’s a reflection of himself.

When asked about it, the seniors mentioned that helping their coach get his first state championship just makes the win even sweeter.

“I’m just getting emotional sitting here thinking about it,” senior quarterback Billy Skripac said. “To finally get the most valuable trophy in high school sports. He deserves every single thing that we’ve gotten this season. When you do something for 30 years and you’re as successful as he is, you know you’re doing something right, you’re a good person and it’s just great to do it for him.”

Like every team throughout the history of sports however, this Raiders group has come to an end. Twenty seniors will be turning in their maroon and yellow jerseys for the final time. Some may be finished with football and on to other things in life.

While tears will surely be shed, the memory of this success won’t be going away anytime soon.

The South Range Class of 2023 sure knew how to go out with a bang.

byauger@tribtoday.com