×

BACK TO FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Beallsville High School

Blue Devils Looking For More Offense This Season

BEALLSVILLE — There are good vibes around the Beallsville High program under third-year head coach Rusty Bondy, a former Blue Devil grid and wrestling great who welcomed 23 players back in preparation for Friday’s opener at Millersport.

Bondy, a 1981 Beallsville alum who played in the OVAC Rudy Mumley All-Star game, reports his club has “young kids stepping up in scrimmages and getting experience,” which should benefit a Monroe County squad looking to improve on a 2-8 record a year ago.

“We’ve got the personnel to run the wishbone, but we’ll still run the pro behind a much-improved offensive line,” said the BHS mentor, who has some depth for the first time in his coaching tenure.

“We’ll see how we gel. If the overall attitude remains good our goal is to win our first game and see where it takes us. Reaching the playoffs is a big goal,” as Big Blue remain in OHSAA’s Division VII Region 27.

Beallsville’s offense struggled last season, scoring 8 points or less in six games, but as Bondy pointed out, “we had six kids last year that never played a down of high school football.”

Coach Rusty Bondy on the upcoming season

Directing the ‘O’ will be returning senior quarterback Garrett Perkins (6-2, 190), one of 17 lettermen wearing the Blue-and-White. As a junior, Perkins threw for 562 yards and rushed for 233 and 4 TDs. He added two INTs as a defensive back.

Senior halfback Conner Hagan (5-10, 190) led the Blue Devils ground game a year ago with 393 yards and four TDs, while from his linebacker slot led with 63 solo stops.

“(Conner’s) an all-around athlete who attended a specialty showcase in Columbus,” said Bondy. “He did really well and was invited to Texas by college coaches and his 7-on-7 team won the championship in Dallas.” He’ll also handle the punting and extra point kicking.

Seniors Marky Louden (6-2, 190) and Reed Smith (5-9, 145) are backfield returnees. Reed, one of the fastest players on the team, had a school record two kick returns for TDs in one game a year ago.

Reliable target at end is senior Thorn Stofell (6-1, 170), senior James Palmer (5-10, 150) can fill in at tailback, while tight end is senior Matt Stonebreaker (5-10, 145).

Veteran seniors back in the trenches are shortside guard Brandon Necessary (5-10, 195) and defensive end Colton Shriver (6-2, 195). “(Colton) improved so much as a first-year player last fall,” added Bondy.

A pair of seniors return after sitting out a year are two-way tackle Tucker Otto (6-3, 350) and fullback/linebacker Brady Moats (5-9, 155).

Leading the junior group is tackle letterman Dulton Fulton (6-2, 245), while expected help on the line can come from guards Anthony Dunn (5-10, 165) and Joe Osborne (5-9, 155). At tackle is Kyler Graham (5-10, 170), while Bondy has Aaryn Baker (6-3, 255) penciled in at middle linebacker.

“(Aaryn’s) a special, athletic kid who can really move,” added Bondy. “He hasn’t played in three years, but we finally got him out and he’s impressed so far.”

Four sophomores are led by guard/nose guard Blake Johnson (5-11, 195) and split end Ryan Dornon (5-11, 140). Randy Henthorn (5-11, 140) could see some reps at outside linebacker, while Kaleb Stephens (5-11, 140) is a two-way back.

Big Blue is high on freshman linebacker Ayson McBride (6-1, 175), who “likes to hit,” according to Bondy, and Carter Tatsch (5-3, 140), a backup at center/noseguard. The other frosh is quarterback Hunter Cole (5-7, 135).

Beallsville’s tentative starters on ‘O’ are: Perkins at QB behind center Fulton; Hagan, Louden or Smith as backs; Stofell and Smith, wide receivers; Stonebreaker, tight end, while the line duties depend on formations. Baker, Otto, Dunn, Shriver, Graham, Necessary, Osborne, Johnson and McBride are candidates.

Defensively, the Devils will employ a 5-3 or 5-2 monster. Ends are Louden and Shriver, Palmer at noseguard, Otto/Necessary and Fulton/Dunn at tackles; Baker, Hagan, McBride or Moats at linebackers, while the deep backs are Henthorn, Stofell, Cole, and Stonebreaker.

Bondy’s staff includes offensive coordinator John Yocum, a former record-setting QB at Beallsville; Rusty Lucas, receivers and defensive backs, Mancel McFrederick, offensive/D-lines, along with Rodney Schneider, Paul Kanzigg, and Dave Wiles.