Johnstown football returns focus to line of scrimmage
JOHNSTOWN — It might not matter who is taking the snaps or carrying the football for Johnstown this season.
A maturing offensive line holds the key to getting the Johnnies back on track after a pair of losing seasons. It is why veteran coach Mike Carter recently was not concerned about naming starters at quarterback or running back.
“It’s the heart and soul of our team,” Carter said. “We talk about it every single day. The harder they work the better we are going to be.”
Johnstown only has one senior starter — tackle Brody Thompson — on its offensive line, but pealing back the layers show an experienced group as a talented junior class formed a core last season as sophomores.
Thompson is joined by the junior trio of Landon Smith, Ben Rader and Grady Balog as returning starters. The Johnnies graduated just center Cooper Criner, and junior Dalton Lear is expected to replace him.
“I have Ben Rader on my left, and he’s a big guy and really good,” Thompson said. “There is Landon Smith. He is one of the strongest guys I have seen. … We know what everybody’s doing. We just have that connection.”
Of course, who ultimately throws and runs the ball will matter, and Carter still is figuring that out. The Johnnies graduated all of their meaningful offensive production, including 1,000-yard rushers Caleb Schneider and Nathan Sheets, from last season as several players from the defensive side of the ball last season will be adding offensive duties to their plate.
Senior Kaynen Lindsey and juniors Sam Marasek and Jacob Hochanadel all took snaps during passing scrimmages in July, and Carter also said he is taking a look at senior Jacob Myers in the Johnnies’ power-option attack. Junior Nana Owusu and sophomore Tyler Sheets will figure in the mix at tailback.
Carter noted the offense has been a “puzzle” as all likely will be on the field somewhere. Lindsey made a leaping catch in the corner of the end zone as a receiver in a passing scrimmage against Linden-McKinley, and Myers from tight end had a 65-yard touchdown on a catch and run.
“We’ve had some younger guys step up a lot, but mainly, we have a lot of people who return from last season and I have seen them get a lot better. I have high hopes for this year,” Thompson said. “I definitely think we start at the base plays and just seeing everyone learning and knowing what to do, we can step forward and learn the harder plays that will help us.”
Johnstown’s great success running the ball the past two decades under Carter often has overshadowed an aggressive defense. The Johnnies want to return to being a unit that strikes fear in opponents.
Thompson and senior McKaden Thomas are bookends following in the footsteps of Johnstown’s standout defensive ends of the past, and Osborne and Rader play inside. Myers is a standout inside linebacker and will be joined by classmate Ronnie Casto, and juniors Hochanadel and Evan Smith recently earned high praise from Osborne.
“Definitely Jacob Hochanadel and Evan Smith, those two are going to be some big playmakers in my opinion,” Osborne said.
Owusu and Marasek are the top returning players in the secondary. The Johnnies have stacked back-to-back talented classes together, so Sheets and his classmates certainly could emerge.
“What’s different this time around is the amount of faces I have seen step up from last year because we had a lot of seniors on the defense,” Osborne said.
The Johnstown schedule again provides no chance to ease into the season. After hosting Licking Heights to start the season, the Johnnies also face Granville, Licking Valley and Watkins Memorial in three consecutive games during the first half.
The youth means the Johnnies won’t be a finished product in August, but they will be working their way in that direction.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean we skip steps, but the steps go a lot faster because they do have experience to rely on,” Carter said. “We can polish up and move forward to the next level.”
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At a Glance
Coach: Mike Carter
State Classification: Division IV, Region 15
In 2022: 3-7, 3-2
Key players: Jacob Myers, Sr., QB/LB. McKaden Thomas, Sr., TE/DL. Levi Osborne, Sr., FB/DL. Kaynen Lindsey, Sr., QB/DB. Brody Thompson, Sr., OL/DL. Sam Marasek, Jr., QB/DB. Evan Smith, Jr., TE/LB. Ben Rader, Jr., OL/DL. Grady Balog, Jr., OL/DL. Landon Smith, Jr., OL/DL. Jacob Hochanadel Jr., WR/LB.
What to expect: Johnstown again will be young with another small senior class, but a talented junior class received significant playing time last season. Lindsey and Marasek figure to be among those to fill the quarterback and running back spots in the Johnnies' power-running game.
Game to Watch: Week 2 at Coshocton — Difficult non-league schedules have left the Johnnies behind the 8-ball the last two seasons. A trip to Coshocton is a new addition and an opportunity for the Johnnies to build confidence sandwiched inside their grind of four games against Licking County League-Buckeye Division opponents.
Postseason outlook: Playing an early-season schedule that features a pair of Division II schools and a Division III school, the Johnnies will have opportunities to shoot up the Division IV, Region 15 standings before Licking County League-Cardinal Division play begins. A win against Licking Heights in the season opener would do the trick.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Johnstown Johnnies football returns focus to line of scrimmage
