Why will the Titusville football team's junior class be pivotal to the Rockets' success?
The start of the 2023 District 10 football season is right around the corner. Visit GoErie.com throughout August for updated videos and photos from team camps. Here is one in a series of previews for all 39 D-10 teams:
Titusville Rockets
Coach: Mike Reynolds (2nd season, 3-7)
2022 record: 3-7 (2-3 Region 4)
2022 playoff results: Did not qualify for the District 10 playoffs.
Assistant coaches: John Wiley, Mike Allision, John McDonald, Kurt Ledebur, Josh Griffin, Matt Crocker, Mark Nicolson, Marcus Allen
Preseason prep: Everything you need to know for the 2023 District 10 football season
Led by the juniors
Titusville has plenty of returning starters with most of them in the junior class. Ian McDonald split time at quarterback last fall and likely takes over full-time after throwing for 686 yards and eight touchdowns. Jaxon Covell is another junior and led the Rockets with 489 yards and six touchdowns on the ground and was second on the team with 23 catches for 334 yards and three touchdowns. Kameron Mong led Titusville with 24 catches for 394 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore last year, and he ran for 181 yards and one touchdown. JJ Miller was second on the team in tackles with 54 and is a returning junior linebacker, while Mong had 36 tackles and Covell had 20. Miller is a returning starter at tight end as well, and another returning junior standout is offensive and defensive lineman Burke Hancock, and junior lineman Riley Winters could step up as well. Mason Titus is a senior to keep an eye on along with sophomores Drew McQuown and Blake Ross.
Surviving the schedule
The experienced juniors will need to be ready to play right away this season. Titusville plays five road games in the first seven weeks of the season. It starts with an improved Franklin team before going to powerhouse Sharpsville. After home games against D-10 contenders Fort LeBoeuf and Meadville, the Rockets hit the road again to visit Seneca, Conneaut and Maplewood. The upside for Titusville is the Rockets will get early home games when the returning players are seniors in 2024, but there could be some growing pains this fall with lots of road trips early in the year.
Schedule
Aug. 25 at Franklin* 7 p.m.
Sept. 1 at Sharpsville 7 p.m.
Sept. 8 vs. Fort LeBoeuf 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 vs. Meadville* 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 at Seneca 7 p.m.
Sept. 29 at Conneaut* 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 at Maplewood 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 vs. Warren* 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 vs. Oil City* 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 vs. Corry 7 p.m.
*Region 4 game
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Titusville football team is loaded with talented juniors in 2023
