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Greece Athena loses star players to moves, other sports: Top players, what to know

james johnson, rochester democrat and chronicle
·3 min read

At the start of this calendar year, there were Greece Athena Trojans who were unaware their football team was changing.

Now months later, some of those same Trojans are going to play more than they anticipated, and in some cases, at positions new to them.

Senior running back Andrew Hill, a third-year varsity member, is the only one of the 11 Athena starters on the 2022 offense back. Jayden Rapp, the team's quarterback, moved to California before his upcoming senior year season. Tight end Connor Osier has committed to play NCAA Division I baseball at University of Houston. Receiver Khorie Reaves plans to play college basketball. Four of the offensive linemen graduated and Zayden Walters, a fifth, moved to Georgia.

"We are going to be young," Athena coach Michael Husdan said. "My whole thing is, I want them to be consistent. I want them to be hard-working. If we work our butts off, we will get better.

"We’re going to have small numbers, a lot of guys playing both ways. It’ll be great experience for our young guys, who definitely weren't expecting to play as much as they are. Those guys will get that experience this year."

Athena running back Andrew Hill looks for room to run against Arcadia.
Athena running back Andrew Hill looks for room to run against Arcadia.

There are more starters back on the defense. Hill is also a linebacker. Cornerback Darius Howard is a junior who will also play running back. Junior defensive end/tight end Byron Williams is a player who will be relied on for leadership and production. Same goes for third-varsity linebacker Kanzon Leng, who has moved from H-back to guard in the team's offense.

Progress is probably Athena's most valuable payoff, and Husdan is convinced there will be improvement after the new Trojans went to the offseason West Side Football Camp. There were good signs.

"These guys are gone," Husdan said. "These are the guys we have, it's time to move on.

"It gives other kids opportunities they wouldn’t have had."

Greece Athena football at a glance

  • Head coach: Mike Husdan

  • Classification: A

  • Last season’s record: 5-4, lost to Eastridge, Section V Class A quarterfinals

  • Last Section V championship: 2016

Greece Athena football schedule for 2023 season

Marquee matchups for Greece Athena

The Trojans are going to be a "totally" different team at the end of the regular season, compared to the preseason, according to Husdan. So, the season-opener against Irondequoit at Athena will establish the team's starting mark.

Week 6 at Greece Arcadia is a rivalry game against a team with a healthy amount of returning starters. While Athena is one of 15 teams in Section V Class A, the Trojans do have a matchup against a Class AA opponent, Week 8 at Fairport.

Greece Athena top returning players

RB/LB Andrew Hill, DB Darius Howard, LB Kanzon Leng, DL Byron Williams

A look back: Greece Athena football

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Greece Athena football 2023 schedule, top players, preview