The Steubenville defense will be tested Saturday by Cincinnati Wyoming running back C.J. Hester who is a Western Michigan recruit.

STEUBENVILLE — When it comes to high school football tradition, few programs in nation are as rich with it as Steubenville’s Big Red.

However, Hall of Fame head coach Reno Saccoccia pointed out that to continue that rich tradition requires putting in the work each and every year to add to it.

“You can only live off of tradition for so long if you’re not adding to it,” Saccoccia said. “That’s our goal right now — add to the tradition.”

Big Red, which enters the season with the 14th most wins in the nation and third most in the state in the illustrious history of the program, is coming off of a 12-3 campaign that ended with a trip to the Division IV final four before a close loss to Cincinnati Wyoming in the state semifinals. It was the 22nd straight year Steubenville made the playoffs.

“Last year was a successful year, but success is what you make of it,” Saccoccia said. “It didn’t end exactly the way we wanted but it was a successful season.”

Coach Reno Saccoccia discusses the upcoming season

During that campaign, history was made right away as Saccoccia got win No. 402 to become the state’s all-time leader, breaking a tie with Jim France, in the category on opening night with a win over Louisville inside a packed Harding Stadium before adding 10 more victories to the total.

Saccoccia, who’s been at the helm for four decades, ranks No. 15 in the nation in career coaching wins.

From last year’s squad, 19 seniors graduated in the spring. They were Ivan Buggs; Phaeton Hill; Kyjhuan Hopkins; Micah Mitchell; Hakim Edwards; Zach Smith; Ty Pierce; Tylik Sims; Jordan West; Gavin Bozica; Spenser Ostovich; Aliquan Hayes; Cooper Blackburn; Eric Williams; Dorian Thorn; Cade Montgomery; Kellen Marshall; Cam Daley; Bryce Huff.

Among that group are a plethora of All-Ohio, All-East District, All-OVAC and All-Area accolades.

Several of those graduates also signed to play on the gridiron at the collegiate level, with multiple others headed to college to play other sports as well.

“We had a good group of seniors last year, but like I tell the players every year, seniors graduate, but tradition never graduates,” Saccoccia said.

This year, the senior class is nearly as big, with 17 set to suit up when the season opens with a Thursday night trip to Youngstown State University to take on Ursuline on Aug. 17.

They are Aydan Manning, Isaac Hill, Lee Anthony Sewell, Sabron Felton, Keith Lewis, Lawson Lewis, Jace Kernahan, Carlo Schiappa, Kellen Lester, Savier Faulks, Elijah Mullins, Santonio Brown, Peyton Gorby, Demetrius Leas, Lucas Tarr, Javin Harper and Antonio Dawson

“We like to have a big senior class every year, we like to have 20 in every class,” Saccoccia said. “Each year you lose a couple here and a couple there but I think that 17 is a good number for the senior class this year.”

Big Red’s initial roster featured 65 players with 22 in each the junior and sophomore classes.

“Our summer has gone well as far as talking about the weight room and conditioning,” Saccoccia said. “What it boils down to now is how physical we are and how well we block and tackle, how well we protect the quarterback and do football things.

“If you’re not a physical football team, athleticism doesn’t get you very far on its own. You have to have athletes that are athletic and physical, that like to have contact and like to compete.

“The game of football is about the will to compete.”

The trip to Mahoning County is one of four games away from Harding Stadium this season for Big Red, as they also will head to Dover on Sept. 15, will play Linsly at Wheeling University on Sept. 29 and close the regular season at Louisville on Oct. 20.

The home portion of the schedule opens when New Philadelphia comes to town on Aug. 25. Cardinal Mooney (Sept. 1), Pittsburgh USO (Sept. 8), Wheeling Park (Sept. 22), Taylor Allderdice (Oct. 6) and Hunting Valley University School (Oct. 13) are the rest of the opponents Big Red nation will see at home this season.

“You make your schedule to challenge your players and to help them reach goals,” Saccoccia said. “You don’t make the schedule to win barroom arguments. I think our schedule, starting with Game 1, and before that with our two scrimmages (Akron Buchtel and Canton South), will prepare us to be the type of team that we need to be.”

Stepping into the quarterback role this season is senior Aydan Manning. He replaces Hill who compiled more than 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns in the regular season last fall. Lucas McAllister, a junior, and sophomore Trevon Wiggins will back him up.

The tailbacks will be senior Savier Faulks, junior Jalen Minniefield, sophomore Ca’Juan Bryant, junior Zotique Douglas and junior Jamier Faulks.

Seeing time at fullback will be junior Kail Simmons, junior Kyleigh Hopkins, senior Elijah Mullins and sophomore Nolan Blackburn.

Isaac Hill, a senior who had 780 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season last fall, returns to lead the receiving corps along with fellow seniors Lee Anthony Sewell, Sabron Felton, Keith Lewis, Lawson Lewis, Carlo Schiappa and junior Brody Saccoccia.

On the offensive line will be senior Demetrius Leas and junior Myles Cooper at center, senior Javin Harper, senior Antonio Dawson and junior Daniel Irizzary at left guard, senior Santonio Brown and sophomore Ephy Kelly at left tackle, junior Ben Burgey and senior Peyton Gorby at right guard and Chandler Hoffman, a junior, junior Noah West and sophomore Ryan Bise at right tackle.

On the defensive side of the ball, Hill, senior Jace Kernahan and Brown will be the ends, while the tackles are Gorby, Hoffman and West and the defensive front is completed by Harper, Burgey and Leas who will see time at nose guard.

The linebacking corps is made up of Mullins, Hopkins, Simmons and Blackburn at inside linebacker and outside linebackers Felton, Minniefield, Sewell, Bryant, Savier Faulks and Douglas.

Keith and Lawson Lewis, Cameron Pugh, Jayden Christian, McAllister, and Minniefield will see time at corner, while the strong safeties are Brody Saccoccia, Manning and Schiappa and the free safeties are McAllister, Jamier Faulks and Wiggins.

On special teams, Matthew Fabbro will handle the long-snapping duties, while Hayden Hicks and Jamier Faulks will do the punting and Cole Bowers and Hicks will handle the placekicking duties.

Returning kickoffs will be Bryant, Felton, Minniefield and Mullins, while Saccoccia and Manning will be the punt returners.

Assistant coaches are once again Gus DiMarzio, Dan Filtz, Jason Kernahan, Todd Filtz, Ian Whittington, JoJo Saccoccia, John Arlesic, Anthony Saccoccia, Brenton Colabella and Alijah Demitras.