Staff photo / Greg Macafee Springfield head coach Sean Guerriero, center, looks on as senior quarterback Kolten Ruark throws a pass during a recent 7-on-7 passing scrimmage at Salem High School. Ruark enters his second season as the starting quarterback for Springfield.

NEW MIDDLETOWN — Depth is the name of the game for the Springfield Tigers in 2023.

In an effort to replace a large senior class, the Tigers worked several players in and out of the lineup last season and a number of younger players were able to gain experience and improve their abilities in order to make an impact on Friday nights.

This year is no different for the Tigers, as those sophomores and juniors that made an impact in their 7-5 record a year ago, including winning seven of their final eight games, will play an even bigger role this season.

“As long as we stay together and keep pushing, I think this will be a team where we might have some more depth than we’ve had in the past so I’m happy with that,” Springfield head coach Sean Guerriero said. “We just have to continue to make sure our kids are pushing each other so we can develop that depth. That will be important for those first couple of games. If we can play more kids, then obviously we’re not going to be worn down as much.”

Developing players early on last year was key to Springfield’s success as the season went on, and they tested themselves often early in the year as they went through a gauntlet of great teams. In their first four games of the season, the Tigers took on South Range, Brookfield, Geneva and Lowellville, who finished with a combined record of 45-6. South Range also went on to finish undefeated and capture a Division V state championship.

Testing themselves won’t change this season, as it never does in New Middletown. Springfield starts off the year with matchups against South Range, Brookfield, Geneva and Waterloo. But, for the Tigers, it’s not necessarily about how they start but how they finish.

“With South Range coming I know everyone wants to start talking about the turf coming and everything,” Guerriero said about their Week 1 matchup. “But we can’t put too much pressure on the first game. We aren’t going to win a state championship, we aren’t going to win a playoff game in Week 1. We just have to make sure we continue to get better over these next three weeks before that game.”

In order to do that, Guerriero believes the Tigers can’t rest on their laurels. They have to continue to work, get better and come together as a team.

“We’re going to try to play a lot of kids; if I could play 40 kids, I would,” Guerriero said. “I think we are going to be a better team that way. It’s a process and it’s a grind where kids have to buy in and understand that we just have to continue to get snaps and improve.”

OFFENSE

For the Tigers, their offensive attack will start with balance.

Guerriero wants to establish the run and put pressure on teams with the pass, and they have the weapons to get it done.

Kolten Ruark returns under center for the Tigers after a junior season in which he threw for 1,406 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 61% of his passes. It was his first year as a starter, and he threw for over 150 yards in five of the 11 games he played in while also throwing a touchdown in nine of those.

Guerriero said he’s also taken a step forward this offseason with another year of experience under his belt.

“He’s throwing very well, you can definitely see that he’s starting to understand the schemes,” Guerriero said. “Now we can talk where ‘If this read goes away, where is your next read?’ Now, instead of just reading his first read we’re getting into the second read and the third step of our progressions. His feet also look unbelievable right now. He worked really hard during the offseason, and he looks really good.”

With Ruark understanding Springfield’s schemes and improving his ability to read defenses, Guerriero said the Tigers will be able to take another step and focus on the little things. That’s where he thinks the good teams become great.

Returning in the backfield are juniors Kaesen Kosek and Dante Gentile. Kosek missed most of last season with an injury but was in line to handle a lot of carries. Behind senior Ryan Carcelli, Gentile carried the ball 37 times for 300 yards and five touchdowns.

“(Kosek) is a bull, he’s a big strong kid back there and does a lot,” Guerriero said. “I definitely think that Dante got a lot better through last season as well. Sometimes with young guys, you don’t want to put too much on them but those two have been in the weight room and they’ve busted their butts in the offseason.”

The Tigers still deploy fullbacks, and Guerriero said that both Wyatt Kuboff and Gavin McKinney will see time there.

Seniors Sean Guerriero and Dylan Sheely, who both played sizable roles last season, return on the outside.

Sheely was the top option behind Seandelle Gardner last season and was the deep threat for the Tigers, amassing 490 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on just 26 catches. He averaged 18.8 yards per catch.

The younger Guerriero was the third option last season catching 23 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Coach Guerriero added that Hayden Pavloc, Drew Miller, Isaac LaMorticella, Carson Cunningham, Aiden Appel and Cash Richardson will all see time outside as well.

“We have a good group of probably eight kids that are going to continue to build their confidence,” coach Guerriero said.

“I feel like we have some guys that can push teams down the field and we have some guys that can sit in windows.”

Most importantly, coach Guerriero wants to make sure that everyone is communicating heading into the season.

“They’ve been through a lot of different looks and they understand that,” coach Guerriero said. “So we have to make sure they are starting to read each other and everybody is kind of on the same page where they know where to be at one time.”

After garnering snaps at tight end a year ago, Jake O’Donnell returns to the position and coach Guerriero said he really caught on towards the end of the season.

Lucas Datillo, Connor Sugar, Thomas Sheely and Tyler Young will all return along the offensive line and coach Guerriero is hoping that Zack Weikart will work into the mix as well.

Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes
Springfield Tigers wide receiver Dylan Sheely hauls in a pass from quarterback Kolten Ruark during a 7-on-7 passing scrimmage against Valley Christian at Salem High School.

DEFENSE

Datillo, O’Donnell, Young and Sheely will all feature on the defensive line, and Travis Weikart will also record snaps. Sheely made 12 tackles for a loss last season and Datillo was third on the team in tackles with 69.

This is where Springfield’s depth comes into play again. Toward the end of last season, coach Guerriero said they were able to work a lot of players onto the field, and he’ll do the same thing at the position again this year.

“Hopefully our depth continues to grow and that’s where we can end up benefiting from it,” he said.

The Tigers are looking at a committee at the linebacker position. Josh Velasquez, McKinney, Gentile, Kuboff and Kosek are all vying for snaps. Kuboff recorded a team-high 101 tackles, with 10.5 going for a loss, and a team-high 3.5 sacks. Gentile also recorded 64 tackles.

Springfield will deploy somewhat of a change defensively this year, and coach Guerriero believes the linebackers will benefit greatly.

“We are going to make those guys run to the football and get there,” coach Guerriero said. “I think that will be a good thing for us, just letting those guys use their speed and strength.”

The secondary returns three of the four starters from last season. The Tigers are looking to find a replacement for Gardner at corner, but they return Pavloc and the younger Guerriero at the safety spots and Sheely at the opposite corner.

Guerriero was second on the team in tackles last season with 70. He also led the team with two interceptions and caused two fumbles. Sheely deflected three passes last season and picked off a pass as well.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kosek was the kicker a few years ago as a freshman, hitting 72 of his 82 PAT attempts and was 2-for-2 on field goals. But, when Kosek went down last season, Pavloc took over the kicking duties and was 23-for-30 on PATs and didn’t attempt any field goals.

Coach Guerriero said that the two will battle for the position through camp and they’ll “pick one when it comes time.”

gmacafee@tribtoday.com

2023 Schedule

Aug. 18 vs. South Range 7 p.m.

Aug. 25 at Brookfield 7 p.m.

Sept. 1 at Geneva 7 p.m.

Sept. 8 vs. Waterloo* 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 at Mathews 7 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs. Jackson-Milton* 7 p.m.

Sept. 29 vs. Western Reserve* 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 vs. Mineral Ridge* 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 at McDonald* 7 p.m.

Oct. 20 at Lowellville* 7 p.m.

*Conference game

2022 Results (7-5)

at South Range L 7-37

vs. Brookfield L 14-27

vs. Geneva L 6-27

vs. Lowellville L 24-42

at Mineral Ridge W 20-12

vs. McDonald W 37-21

at Waterloo W 41-14

at Western Reserve W 21-0

at Jackson-Milton W 33-7

vs. Sebring W 55-0

#vs. Mathews W 42-0

#at Warren JFK L 6-13

#-OHSAA playoffs

Coaching staff

Head coach: Sean Guerriero, 17th season, 115-63

Staff: Adam Slopek, Bill Miller, Mike Popio, Casey Jones, Paul Hulea, Joe Antonucci

Team facts

Division VII, Region 25

MVAC-Scarlet Tier

Players on the roster: 64

Returning letterwinners (18): Hayden Pavlock, Carson Cunningham, Drew Miller, Kolten Ruark, Kaesen Kosek, Isaac LaMorticella, Sean Guerriero, Dante Gentile, Davin McKinney, Josh Felasco, Wyatt Kuboff, Jake O’Donnell, Thomas Sheely, Lucas Dattilo, Tyler Young, Zackary Weikert, Conner Sugar, Jacob Lample

2022 season: The Tigers played a gauntlet in the first four weeks, falling to South Range, Brookfield, Geneva and Lowellville. But after their younger players gained experience, the Tigers took off, winning seven of their next eight games. They shut out Mathews 42-0 in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Warren JFK 13-6 in the second round.