Ravenna made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in Region 9 of Division III last year (lost to Hubbard on the road in the first round) and it moves up to D-II this season.
The Ravens have now made the playoffs two consecutive seasons and three times in school history.
* Players to Watch –
QB/FS Zach Thomas (5-9, 165, Sr.), RB/LB Parnell Taylor (5-10, 10, Sr.), FB/LB
Xavier Jones (5-9, 235, Jr.), RB/CB Deiondre Mack (5-10, 140, Jr.), OL/DL Dan
McCoy (6-1, 270, Sr.), TE/LB Nick Winn (6-1, 185, Jr.), RB D.J. Jones (5-10,
170, So.), QB/DE Josh Chechak (6-2, 202, Jr.), RB/LB Stephan Wilmington (6-0,
180, Jr.), RB D.J. Jones (5-10, 170, So.)
Outlook – Ravenna
made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in Region 9 of Division III last year (lost
to Hubbard on the road in the first round) and it moves up to D-II this season.
The Ravens have now made the playoffs two consecutive seasons and three times
in school history.
“We have a really good junior class of kids that really
helped us out playing as sophomores last year,” head coach Jim Lunardi said. “Last
year, we really weren’t sure if we were going to make it back to the playoffs –
we were hoping to obviously – but that sophomore class really helped bridge
that gap.”
“Jones scored 42 touchdowns in freshman ball and played some
varsity and Ohio State has called about him. He is a just
a hard runner and has motor that goes. I might have made the mistake of not
moving him up (to varsity) early enough but he definitely is a good football
player.”
If it sounds like Lunardi is optimistic about the upcoming
season, you don’t need to get your hearing checked.
“I feel good in the sense that we had a really good
offseason,” Lunardi said. “Time will tell what happens and we’ll take one day
at a time, but according to our offseason, it was the best that we’ve ever had.
If that is any indication, then hopefully we can at least compete for the
league and make it back into the playoffs and make a run for it.
“The kids being there (in the offseason strength and
conditioning program) and understanding they are there not because the coaches
want them there but they’re there because they don’t want to lose. They want to
win a league championship again and make the playoffs. That is important to
them and they know they need to be in the weight room in order for those things
to happen.”
Lunardi sees a challenging schedule, but is confident they
will be in the playoff hunt once again despite moving up in class.
“Our non-league schedule is like playing in the playoffs (Louisville, Streetsboro,
Canton South),” he said. “But we feel pretty good about our chances. But the
chances of making (the playoffs) are tougher because most of the teams are in
Division III so we lose a half of a point on each game that we play there.
“It is one of those things that the kids are catching on and
that is what you want to have happen. We’re looking forward to it and getting
things rolling.”
Ravenna
won the Portage Trail Conference championship in 2007 and placed second last
year. The Ravens turned the ball over seven times in a 19-12 loss at Kent
Roosevelt in what amounted to the league title game.
