High School Football Countdown: No. 14 Tuslaw hopes to build toward bright future

Tuslaw got things going in the right direction with a three-win campaign in 2022 after back-to-back one-win seasons, but the Mustangs enter the 2023 needing to replace many of the key contributors from last season.

Strong underclassman numbers signal positive things going forward, but if the Mustangs can accelerate the process, that's even better.

A preview of the 2023 Tuslaw Mustangs:

Offense

The Mustangs enter the season with more question marks on the offensive side of the ball for sure. And after the school's all-time passing leader Troy Harbeitner, and a host of other skill position leaders from a year ago, graduated, there will be a lot of fresh faces for fifth-year coach Matt Gulling.

Harbeitner, who threw for 1,493 yards and 12 TDs last fall, will be a tough one to replace, but Ethan Haer will do his best. The 5-foot-10, 145-pound sophomore earned the job in the offseason and will lead a team that returns a handful of linemen and one skill-position player with significant experience.

Sophomore Joey Medure picked up some valuable playing time a year ago for the Mustangs and showed that he has what it takes to be a key option this season. Medure, a crafty 5-5 140-pound running back, was third on the team in rushing yards (274) as a freshman on 35 touches. Tuslaw will have four receivers — senior Spiros Smith and juniors Manny Strong, Lucas Bucher and Jayden Ressler — for Haer to choose from in the team's spread offense.

A pair of returning lineman in Chaz Grudowsky and JV Wolfe are expected to hold things down up front. Grudowsky will move from tackle to guard this season, with Wolfe shifting to a tackle spot. Teammates Ashton Combs and Kyle Allen will fill the other guard and tackle spots, respectively, with Jack Peterson slated to start at center.

Sophomore Luke Ruehling is other returnee on the offensive side at kicker.

Best of 2022-23: All-Daily Record Football

Defense

Like its offense, Tuslaw's defense also brings back just four starters from last season and will have a host of young players getting their first varsity starts when the team opens at Smithville on Aug. 18.

The Mustangs will use a multiple-front defensive look with a three-man front of Combs and Allen on the ends and Grudosky at tackle. Combs had 34 tackles a year ago, with Grudosky's 6-4, 300-pound frame making it tough on opposing offense to get anything up the middle.

Two upperclassman, senior Aaron Snyder and junior Bucher, are expected to start at outside linebacker, with Nathan Eberhardt and Jacob Lyons — an All-Ohio wrestler — filling the inside spots. Bucher has the most tackles (45) of any returning player for the Mustangs.

Ressler, who had 36 tackles in 2022, will be joined by Smith on the corners, with Medure and Kennen Kinsey expected to start at safety, with Aaron Snyder filling the punter position.

GAMEBREAKER: Joey Medure, RB/S, So.

There's something to be said about experience and, despite still being an underclassman, Medure got some on-the-job training last season. After picking up nearly 300 yards on the ground in his rookie campaign, Medure is expected to be a key option for the Mustangs. And don't let his small frame fool you, the 10th-grader should be able to take advantage of Gulling's spread attack, along with being an impact player in the defensive secondary.

Outlook

It's never easy having to replace a host of experience, but that's the task ahead of Gulling and his coaching staff. But sometimes that fresh start of sorts could be exactly what Tuslaw can build on to work its way back into the upper half of the rugged Principals Athletic Conference after a 3-7, 1-6 season.

While there are a host of unknowns on the Mustangs roster this fall, Gulling's program has 57 players, 40 being freshmen and sophomore, making for a bright future with the potential surprise some teams this season.

"We will be an extremely young and inexperienced team this season," Gulling said. "Our league will once again be extremely competitive, and we hope to compete week-in and week-out and be in the league title hunt in October."

Schedule

Aug. 18 at Smithville

Aug. 25 CHIPPEWA

Sept. 1 RIVER VIEW

Sept. 8 at CVCA

Sept. 15 TRIWAY

Sept. 22 at Northwest

Sept. 29 at Manchester

Oct. 6 ORRVILLE

Oct. 13 CANTON SOUTH

Oct. 20 at Fairless

Quick Hits

Last year: 3-7 (1-6 PAC-7), missed playoffs

Head coach: Matt Gulling (fifth season, 9-29)

Playoff region: Division VI, Region 21

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Football: a season preview of the 2023 Tuslaw Mustangs