CONNORVILLE — There’s a renewed sense of optimism in Panther country this summer.

First-year head Buckeye Local High School football coach Chris Kiedaisch brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and success from his time serving as a coordinator for the successful Linsly program.

Not only that, but Kiedaisch took part in a successful run as the Cadets’ quarterback himself, allowing him to impart that firsthand knowledge.

That’s not to say Kiedaisch and his staff are going to turn around a one-win team from 2023 into a powerhouse overnight.

Those expectations would be unfair for any coach and his staff. But it hasn’t stopped the players from having a little extra pep in their collective steps this summer.

A sizable senior class that is 15 players strong doesn’t hurt the confidence level, either.

“The kids have been awesome,” Kiedaisch admitted. “We have 15 seniors, and most of them are guys who have contributed in the past and have a ton of playing experience.

“They’ve bought into what we’re selling and are excited to run our schemes on offense and defense, and it’s great to have their support as they’ve made it easier to teach the rest of the guys.”

Coach Chris Kiedaisch discusses the upcoming season

Renewed interest in Buckeye Local football also has brought out a few players who opted not to play in 2023.

The Panthers are returning to the Buckeye 8 after spending a few years in a smaller conference and have bumped up their schedule to accommodate the move. Many difficult games await, including matchups against Barnesville, Toronto and Harrison Central, along with an opener against Bellaire in the Big Reds’ first night game at Nelson Field.

“The bad news is our only win from last year is gone and this is a schedule that for Buckeye historically has been difficult,” Kiedaisch admitted. “But we have 15 seniors and any time you have 18-year-olds going against younger players, it’s a huge advantage. We’re going to rely on some of our age and the experience those guys bring to us.”

Experienced players are proving beneficial as the Panthers transition to a new style of football, with similar concepts and spacing to what Kiedaisch helped run across the Ohio River in Wheeling.

He admits he’s been pleasantly surprised by what he’s seen of his new roster once he finally was able to work with them in person.

“After watching film (from 2023), I was unsure of the amount of skill position players we’d have, which was something of a worry, but I’ve been thrilled with the number of guys we have who can catch and run. We have three or four seniors who are legit targets, and if they get the ball in their hands in space, they could be trouble for some opponents.”

Kiedaisch noted the team’s philosophy will stay the same that he’s used to in that while they will take what the defense provides, the plan is to be able to run the ball effectively while being able to hit three or four different receivers consistently. Running will be paramount, mixed in with the passes, quick screens and spacing concepts which have helped make Linsly successful.

More important, Kiedaisch wants to make sure his 11 best players are on the field at any given point. So, if that requires a position change to maximize the roster, he’s not above asking his players to make a shift for the betterment of the team — and they are responding with enthusiasm.

“Our job is to take what we have and put them in the best position to be successful, and that could include some position changes,” he noted. “We’ve started to move a couple of guys, especially defensively, as our goal is to get 11 guys who will fight and be physical. We’ll find room for our best 11, so if one or two have to move from, say, linebacker to putting their hand on the ground on the (defensive line), we’ll do it.”

The first task, at least offensively, is revamping and generating more production from an offense that scored only 106 points in 2023. Buckeye Local was shut out three times, and only twice did it reach double figures.

Departed from that team to graduation were four seniors: Skyler Ebright, Noah Kourim, Adam Beranek and Carson Basich, who is playing football at Hiram College.

Fortunately, the team returns two potential options at quarterback, one who started the majority of the games in 2023 and helped get the offense moving, and another who played sparingly as a freshman in 2022 before taking last season off.

Senior Alex McDiffitt (5-8, 150 pounds) helped rejuvenate the Panthers’ offense in 2023 after making the move to quarterback. He’ll be challenged for time behind center by junior Grant Dombroski (5-11, 205) who is back out.

Kiedaisch noted that when Dombroski is not at quarterback, he’ll be making a contribution somewhere, as he’s a capable runner and receiver in addition to his passing abilities.

The team owns a table of capable backs who will line up beside either quarterback in a split gun look, including senior bruisers Koltn Roush (5-7, 225) and Wyatt Luyster (5-8, 210) along with promising sophomore Xavier Eastham (5-8, 160) who did the majority of the ground game damage as a freshman.

Chase Worwa (5-9) also will log some carries.

The coach likes his complement of receivers out on the perimeter, as the senior-laden group contains some capable pass catchers.

Senior Andrew Jones and his 6-4, 170 frame will come in handy and Kiedaisch noted he’ll try to get Jones some one-on-one opportunities to take advantage of his size. Brennen Takach (5-7, 150) and Hayden Boyce (5-11, 145) also return, with Daniel Divjack (5-8, 135), Dugan Shadwick (5-11, 165) and Kaden Littlejohn (5-11, 120) also looking for receptions.

The offensive line returns some experience and size in Chris Ebright (6-1, 325), Marek Hickman (5-11, 210) and junior Jeven Velez (5-8, 210) at center. Sophomore Ryder Tibbs (5-11, 235) and junior Cameron Rusnack (6-0, 205) will join the unit, with Liam Bruder (5-8, 205) and Grady Kindberg-Colabelli (5-11, 260) vying for reps.

Buckeye boasts a decent number of linemen on both sides of the ball, so the staff is looking to have players going only one way to maximize the roster and keep the big guys up front fresh and physical.

“We’re trying to be as one-way as possible on both sets of lines, which should help us wear some guys down in the fourth quarter and keep our guys healthy,” Kiedaisch said. “We’ve worked as a staff to maximize the roster.

“We want to get as many kids involved as possible.”

Defensively, the team’s base look will be a 4-2-5 alignment, with Aiden Luyster (5-10, 195) and Hickman lining up at defensive end. Kindberg-Colabelli, as well as most of the other offensive line candidates, are battling for the nose position and Kiedaisch is toying with moving Roush from linebacker to defensive line to take advantage of his physicality.

At linebacker, Worwa and Brody Keyoski will form a talented, if young, sophomore tandem, while seniors Landon Durbin, Shane Griffith and, possibly, Gavin Edgell will handle outside backer duties.

The secondary will see McDiffitt, Boyce, Littlejohn or Divjack compete for time at corner, with Takach handling free safety duties. Other safety candidates include Eastham, Jones, and Dombroski.

“We’ve spent time making sure the kids understand it’s a privilege to play high school football,” Kiedaisch said. “We’ve got new uniforms and new gear — things they hadn’t necessarily had in the past, and in order to do that, we’ve had them doing some extras. They are writing thank-you notes to the sponsors, but on the field, we’re working to not just teach them the plays, but why we’re running the plays.

“They are working to buy in and understand we are putting them in a position to be successful, but it’s going to be on them to make the plays.”