Reno Saccoccia

STEUBENVILLE — There are coaches who would be very happy with a 10-2 record, an 18th consecutive trip to the postseason and the 67th playoff victory in school history.

Reno Saccoccia, Big Red’s Hall of Fame grid boss, isn’t one of them.

“I take a lot of pride in saying we have to bounce back from a 10-2 record,” Saccoccia said at program’s season-ending banquet in December. “I thought we were better than 10-2. Things just didn’t work out.

“My goal is to compete at a high level. Steubenville is a proud city, and Big Red is a proud school. Our football team has to carry the flag with pride. We will work hard. We will work non-stop. We will grind to bounce back.”

After dropping its 2018 season opener to Penn Hills, the eventual Pennsylvania Class 5A champion, Big Red reeled off nine consecutive victories. It then dispatched Akron Butchel in the opening round of the Division IV, Region 13 playoffs. In the regional semifinals, Steubenville dropped a 34-16 decision to Hubbard.

“Unfortunately for the seniors, the year ended on a sour note,” said Saccoccia, who is entering his 37th season as Big Red’s coach. “You wish you could do it again but, in football, you can’t. It’s not like baseball or basketball where it’s best out of seven. In football, it just doesn’t play that way.”

Graduation claimed numerous key performers from last year’s squad. Gone are the likes of Keonte Holmes, Erik Lulla, Kwadre Williams, Dylan Cunningham, Kaleb Brown and Ian Phillips. They all earned All-Ohio D IV honors. Others picking up diplomas were Jeziah Blackwell, Clayton Criss, Ryan Rauch, Jorian Jones, Caleb Mitchell, Taveon Montgomery, Andoni Demitras, Ty Arlesic and Cameron Boley.

There is plenty of talent returning, starting with senior tailback Tayveon Crawford, who was the Eastern District Division IV co-offensive player of the year as a junior and also a first-team All-Ohio choice. During the final four weeks of the 2018 regular season, the hard-running Crawford rushed for 909 yards. He ran for a career-high 307 yards on 24 carries in a key road victory at New Philadelphia.

He finished with 1,756 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging eight yards per carry.

Crawford is one of 14 letterwinners returning to the fold. The others are Emmanuel Ware, JoJo Brown, Noah Howrath, David Tuttle, Stone Biacco, Niko Kausky, Terrance Norris, Draven Martineau, Randy Mitchell, Luke Zorne, Keith Bodnar, Isaiah McCartney and Nasari Jackson. McCartney and Jackson are juniors, while they rest are seniors.

Tuttle was a second-team All-Eastern District selection at inside linebacker. During the regular season, he recorded 75 tackles, 16 resulting in yardage losses, and four sacks.

Saccoccia has 65 players on his 2019 varsity roster (25 seniors, 16 juniors and 24 sophomores).

“Our numbers are good,” he said. “We had a good summer, but you can only grade your kids on what has happened to date. They are willing to work and have been working hard. Once we put pads on, then we can grade them on how willing they are to grind. The harder they are willing to grind, the colder it will be when we are still playing.”

QUARTERBACK

Mitchell was the Week 1 starter at quarterback in Week 1 but suffered an injury and missed considerable time. He was replaced by Criss, who threw for 984 yards. Mitchell did return late in the season and saw some at signal caller.

Junior Cade Kernahan and sophomore Jackson Hammell are the other quarterback candidates.

BACKFIELD

Crawford should pace Big Red’s offense, which averaged 35 points and 390 yards (297 on the ground and 93 through the air) per game in 2018.

Others looking for time as the featured back in Saccoccia’s offense are (note: candidates for all positions are not listed in any particular order) senior Cazieh Richmond, Jackson, juniors Isaiah Wickham and Nate McShan, along with sophomore Rodney James.

Tuttle, Kausky, Zorne, Biacco and McCartney all are looking for playing time at fullback, along with senior Dylan Bozica and junior Aaron Ferguson.

Kausky had 228 rushing yards and a couple of touchdowns a season ago, while Tuttle bulled his way for 141 yards and six scores. McCartney found the end zone four times.

RECEIVER/

TIGHT END

A host of players are in the mix at wide receiver, including: seniors Howrath, Brown, Deombre Anderson, Martineau and James Still; juniors Andrew Gresko, Jared Roberts, Skyler Fauts, Colby Saylor and Hunter Stoddard; and sophomores Nate King, Seth Lewis, Brenten Jones, Niko Suriano, Andrew Snyder, Nate Stark, Parker Haney and Chris Schiappa.

Senior tight end candidates are Ethan Waugh and Johnny Nodianos. Sophomores competing are Brandon Kinney, Kye Fleming and Aizek Demitras.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Bodnar and junior Eli Burgey are vying for playing time at center. Looking for work as guards are Ware, along with fellow seniors Brayden Pearce and Kaisean Wilson, junior Cian Montgomery and sophomores J.D. Ellis, Davian Bulsar and Greg Mamula.

Norris is among the tackle candidates, along with seniors Ryan Burger, Wesley Mohawk and Amari Brown, junior Raleem Brooks and sophomores Cole Antill and Gaige Yelich.

Others looking for action along the offensive line are senior Brad Valentine, junior Caesen Sutton and sophomores Peyton Tuttle, Ben Marx, Jaylin Harris, Chad Gardner, Jaylin Gary, Patrick Reeves and Blaze Wile.

DEFENSIVE LINE

During its 12-game season in 2018, the Big Red defense allowed 19 points and 230 yards (just 77 on the ground) per outing.

Ware and Bodnar were two of the mainstays along the defensive front for Saccoccia a season ago. They’ll get help from the likes of Antill, Bulsar, Mohawk, Gardner, Brooks, Mamula, A. Brown, Yelich, Gary, Fleming, Sutton, Wilson, Ellis, P. Tuttle, Montgomery, Marx, Harris, Valentine, Norris, Wile, Burgey and Burger.

Looking to man the defensive end positions are Waugh, Demitras, Kausky, Pearce, Reeves and Nodianos.

LINEBACKER

Tuttle returns to his linebacker spot, as does Zorne. Bozica, McCartney, J. Brown, Ferguson and Kinney also are competing for time.

Mitchell is back for his third year as a regular in the secondary. Other players listed as defensive backs are Crawford, Kernahan, Anderson, Hammell, Martineau, Gresko, King, Biacco, Howarth, James, Roberts, Wickham, McShan, Jackson, Richmond, Lewis, Jones, Suriano, Fauts, Snyder, Stark, Saylor, Haney, Still, Stoddard and Schiappa.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Senior Tanner Power and Roberts will compete for the kicking duties.

“We’re improving, but we still have a long way to go,” Saccoccia said. “The good thing is we have a couple of weeks to get there.

“I’m pleased with the effort the guys have given and, as always, our kids are working hard. We’re just not doing the little things well right now. We definitely have to improve in the area. As we continue to work, we must master the fundamentals. That’s a key challenge for us.”

As he prepares for his 37th season, Saccoccia, who has a record of 381-70, 29 playoff appearances, 18 regional titles, five state runner-ups and four Ohio championships, shows no signs of slowing down.

“I still feel good, I’m excited, and I’m ready to go,” he said. “Coaches have to grind just as hard at the players. Both groups have to get after it every minute we are on the field. That’s the key word this year — grind.”

After several years of competing in Division IV, Big Red has been moved back to Div. III and will compete in Region 9. Other teams in the region include Dover, Akron Butchel (Big Red’s first-round playoff opponent in 2018), New Philadelphia, Chardon, University School (a Big Red regular season opponent the past two seasons) and Chagrin Falls Kenston, the defending state champion.

“It doesn’t matter who you play or what you play,” Saccoccia said about the return to Div. III. “We’re just excited to get the season going.

“We’ll have the same goals we always do. We want to be the best team we can possibly be and play good enough during the regular season to earn a home playoff game. If that happens, we’ll reassess what we have done and set additional goals from there.”

As always, Saccoccia will be counting heavily on his senior class to lead his 2019 squad.

“There are a couple of things that go into making and building a program,” he said. “No. 1 is leadership, especially senior leadership. Many teams are only as good as their senior leadership. And, senior leadership is only as good as the amount of time players put in preparing off the field. Great leaders are those who are willing to do the extra work.

“The other sign is their willingness to grind. If our senior leaders are willing to grind, this team will be as good as any we have had. The difference between our great teams and the good teams we’ve had has been the willingness to grind.”

Big Red opens its season Thursday when first-time foe Pittsburgh Taylor Allderdice invades Harding Stadium. The Dragons, who have won back-to-back Pittsburgh City League crowns, are one of four new opponents Saccoccia and company will face.

The others are Washington, D.C. Woodson, National Christian Academy, based in Fort Washington, Md., and Buffalo St. Francis.

There are three Ohio opponents are the schedule in New Philadelphia, Dover and Columbus DeSales. The Quakers and Tornadoes were approved for OVAC membership several months ago. Thus, with those games and a Week 10 contest against Linsly, Steubenville will face three conference foes. The last time that happened was 2011.

After opening with Allderdice, Big Red will entertain Woodson, St. Francis, New Philadelphia and Pittsburgh USO, before traveling to Dover. N.C.A. visits on Oct. 11. Canada Football North follows before a trip to DeSales. The regular season ends with the home game against Linsly.

“I believe we were able to put together a really competitive schedule,” Saccoccia said.