Published Tuesday, Aug. 26, 1997
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1997 season preview
Reynolds Raiders have a new coach, new hope
As first impressions go, one point regarding Reynolds High School's new head football coach Roger Shoaff is obvious: He has no ego.
Whereas some coaches might feel threatened by their predecessors' success, Shoaff eagerly welcomes input from legendary Frank Amato, and also praised John Sibeto, who resigned the post following four years at the helm.
``We want to continue Frank's tradition and we want to integrate a lot of the positive things John brought to the program as well, and build our own football program on their foundation,'' Shoaff succinctly summarized.
``Reload, not rebuild'' is a popular cliche regarding Reynolds' wrestling program, and the gridders are attempting to adopt that philosophy.
``We've got 50 kids out (including approximately 10 freshmen); last year, we finished the season in the low 20s,'' Shoaff, who served as a Sibeto assistant for four seasons, recalled. ``We've got a lot of new faces, so we're going a little slow, trying to get the basics down. But the attitude has been great and they're picking up a lot of skills.
``We're all encouraged by it,'' Shoaff said of the increase in numbers, and he hopes it reflects a program-wide improvement in attitude and commitment.
``I feel real good about the team's attitude and approach to the game,'' the New Castle native and Shenango High alumnus (who served as an assistant coach ``on and off'' for about 10 years at his alma mater), said.
Players' work ethic during the offseason also provided cause for optimism.
``That goes with the attitude,'' Shoaff asserted. ``I don't see anybody backing off. They worked hard in conditioning, and I think they're in pretty good shape. We had a good offseason, a high turnout consistently, and I think that's another sign of their commitment.''
Shoaff said the Raiders will operate out of mulitiple offensive formations, but the one constant will be quarterback Chad Holzshu, ``because of his knowledge of our schemes and his ability to hold it together and execute.''
Defensively, Shoaff said Reynolds will play primarily an ``even'' front, using a 4-4 alignment as its base.
Early on, Shoaff assessed, ``We're still working, but I can tell you the one strength that is surfacing seems to be our line play,'' particularly defensively. Although he felt, initially, the offensive interior was not aggressive enough, he said it was a product of learning assignments and developing better technique, ``just a matter of getting more sure,'' he said.
Leading the line will be 2-way tackle Brian Dickison, and Shoaff also has been pleased with linemen Dan Svirbly and Dan Redfoot, tight end Ross Nugent and running back Bill Miller.
During the previous four seasons, Reynolds experienced three 2-win campaigns, including a year ago, and Shoaff said,
``It was a tough season last year, but we played mostly juniors and we've got a lot of them back. So we're looking to fill in around them with new faces who are good athletes and in the process of learning the game.''
An early scrimmage against 2-time defending PIAA Class A champion Farrell exposed Reynolds' vulnerability at the outside linebackers and corners. But Shoaff, remaining in character, did not point the finger.
``I believe that was coaching and we're gonna work on that,'' he promised. ``That's where lot of new faces are, and they just need a better understanding of the game.''
Because the youthful Raiders remain in the learning stage, Shoaff said, ``We're probably behind most teams in the area.''
And he remains optimistic, especially regarding the intangibles.
``With a young team like this, the way they've approached things in terms of their attitude and commitment to get it done, has been the most positive thing. It's been a pleasure; we've had fun.''
Until Sharon's Jim Wildman displaced him late last season, Amato carved Mercer County's winningest grid ledger (156-67-9, from 1969-80 and '82-92) at the Raiders' helm. Then Sibeto guided Reynolds to a 6-3 slate two years ago.
``I'm glad they're there,'' Shoaff said regarding the reminders of Reynolds' past success. ``Frank's done a lot for the school and program and football in the area. I've talked with him quite a bit and he's helped me out. I'm glad his history, tradition and legacy are here and I'm happy to be a part of that.
``And even though we did struggle at times, John did bring a lot of good things to the program, too. There were a lot of positives I got from John and I'm hoping to integrate them into my plans.
``Now I'm hoping to add a third element into the mix: Some of me. ... They'll take on my personality, though not to exclude the other two,'' Shoaff summarized.
Assisting Shoaff will be Jay Holzshu, Joe Allison, Brian Yeager, Nick Peters, Mike Kilgore, Lonnie Emerick and John Tortorea.
