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Lake Blue Streaks 2023 high school football preview

josh weir, canton repository
·5 min read
Lake's Dane Jarvis (top) and Joey Garro pursue Green quarterback Robby Klockner during a high school football game at Lake on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022.
Lake's Dane Jarvis (top) and Joey Garro pursue Green quarterback Robby Klockner during a high school football game at Lake on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022.

HEAD COACH: Dan DeGeorge, 11th season, 59-47

LAST YEAR: 12-2, 5-1

POSTSEASON: Division II, Region 7

RETURNING LETTERMEN (27)  

Lake football coach Dan DeGeorge speaks with Josh Sedmock (27) during the Blue Streaks' 41-14 win against Alliance at Kehres Stadium on Friday, August 19, 2022.
Lake football coach Dan DeGeorge speaks with Josh Sedmock (27) during the Blue Streaks' 41-14 win against Alliance at Kehres Stadium on Friday, August 19, 2022.

  • Ryan Anderson, WR-DB, 5-6, 135, Sr.

  • Nate Baker, WR-DB, 5-11, 175, Sr.

  • David Baluch, RB-SS, 5-9, 165, Sr.

  • Ethan Baluch, TE-DE, 6-0, 170, Sr.

  • Drew Bonvenuto, RB-LB, 5-11, 195, Jr.

  • Evan Brady, FB-LB, 5-11, 225, Sr.

  • Charlie Christopher, RB-LB, 6-1, 220, Jr.

  • AJ Doane, RB-LB, 5-10, 205, Sr.

  • Celton Dutton, WR-DB, 6-0, 185, Sr.

  • Joe Esposito, RB-LB, 5-10, 185, Jr.

  • Will Feser, OL-DL, 6-3, 230, Sr.

  • Joey Garro, RB-LB, 6-1, 210, Sr.

  • Max Gullace, RB-LB, 5-10, 180, Jr.

  • Ethan Hunt, WR-DB, 5-9, 145, Jr.

  • Cale Jarvis, QB-DB, 5-11, 185, Sr.

  • Dane Jarvis, TE-DE, 6-0, 220, Sr.

  • Christian Kaylor, OL-DL, 6-0, 223, Sr.

  • Ryan Lippe, OL-DL, 6-4, 220, Jr.

  • Thomas Lombardi, WR-DB, 5-10, 200, Jr.

  • Anthony Miller, OL-DL, 6-5, 285, Sr.

  • Braidon Miller, OL-DL, 6-3, 225, Jr.

  • Josh Sedmock, WR-DB, 5-11, 175, Sr.

  • Dylan Sponseller, WR-DB, 6-2, 185, Jr.

  • Hayden Tripp, OL-DL, 6-2, 190, Sr.

  • Caden Yoder, TB-SS, 5-10, 170, Sr.

  • Gavin Zacharyj, OL-DL, 5-11, 240, Sr.

  • Luca Zito, FB-LB, 5-10, 190, Jr.

Lake’s Nathan Baker is pushed out of bounds by Westerville South’s Preston Penn after gaining 60 yards on a pass reception Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.
Lake’s Nathan Baker is pushed out of bounds by Westerville South’s Preston Penn after gaining 60 yards on a pass reception Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.

IMPACT PLAYERS: Head coach Dan DeGeorge calls senior WR-CB Nate Baker one of the best athletes he's ever coached. Baker, also a standout lacrosse player, finished with 1,203 all-purpose yards last year, including 570 yards and six TDs on his 44 receptions. He led the Blue Streaks in interceptions with four, returning one for a TD, and recovered three fumbles. ... Like Baker, senior ILB Evan Brady is one of seven three-year starters for Lake. He registered a team-high six sacks last year among his 100 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown. He's also an effective fullback when the Blue Streaks find time for him on offense. ... Charlie Christopher plays alongside Brady at inside linebacker and totaled a team-high 137 tackles last year as a sophomore. The son of Lake football great and former Ohio State linebacker Matt Christopher, Charlie Christopher has D1 offers from Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green. He'll also factor heavily on offense at tailback. ... DeGeorge has some concerns about his offensive and defensive lines, but senior Anthony Miller is not one of them. The Air Force recruit is a third-year starter at tackle. ... After sharing the QB duties with Federal League Player of the Year Will Butler last season, senior Cale Jarvis once again holds the job by his lonesome. He threw for 1,275 yards and 14 TDs last year and 1,278 yards and nine TDs as a sophomore.

See Lake's football schedule: Stark County-area team-by-team 2023 high school football schedules

Lake’s Joseph Garro (4) congratulates Celton Dutton (17) after he made a field goal in the fourth quarter to give Lake a 10-7 lead over Westerville South on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.
Lake’s Joseph Garro (4) congratulates Celton Dutton (17) after he made a field goal in the fourth quarter to give Lake a 10-7 lead over Westerville South on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.

WHAT'S NEW: Running back by committee is a pretty foreign concept at Lake. But expect Christopher, senior Joey Garro and senior AJ Doane to all get carries this year after the graduation of Matthew Sollberger. Doane missed all of last year with an injury. ... The impact of DE Ryan Lippe, another player with rich Lake football bloodlines, likely will grow this season. Lippe is the son of former Blue Streaks All-Ohio linebacker Steve Lippe, who went on to play at West Virginia. ... Junior Ethan Hunt likely will play a big role at wide receiver or in the defensive secondary. ... Senior Celton Dutton is the rare kicker/punter who also will factor in other phases. Dutton, who finished third in the county at 37.3 yards a punt last season, has a chance to start at strong safety and could play some tight end on offense.

OUTLOOK: When you return a bunch of players who won your program's first league title in 24 years (a Federal League co-championship with McKinley) and advanced to your program's first regional final in 12 years, expectations externally and internally are pretty high. "Our kids think they're pretty good, which I love confidence," DeGeorge said. "But they're nowhere near as good as they think they are, so that's my job and my staff's job to coach them up so they get to where they need to be." Lake's 12 wins last were the second most in program history to the 1991 state runner-up team, which went 13-1. ... Christopher, Garro (113 tackles at OLB) and Brady were Lake's top three tacklers last season and make up a linebacking corps DeGeorge said is "probably the best we've had collectively playing together" during his time at Lake. Garro led last year's team with 12 tackles for loss. ... Lake actually returns its top four tacklers from last season. Senior DE Dane Jarvis was fourth with 71 tackles, including 11 TFLs and 3.5 sacks. ... Defensive coordinator Ron Viscounte enters his 23rd season at Lake. His defensive unit totaled 32 sacks and 26 takeaways while limiting opponents to 12.9 points on average last season. ... The Blue Streaks' varsity roster was at 86 players to begin two-a-days, the most in the program's history.

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Evan Brady, left, of Lake intercepts a pass intended for Anthony Manderine of Green and returns it for a touchdown, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. Also providing coverage on the play for Lake is WIlliam Butler II, center.
Evan Brady, left, of Lake intercepts a pass intended for Anthony Manderine of Green and returns it for a touchdown, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. Also providing coverage on the play for Lake is WIlliam Butler II, center.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio high school football: Lake Blue Streaks 2023 preview