GREENEVIEW RAMS
COACH: Neal Kasner, fifth season (23-19)
OHSAA DESIGNATION: Division V, Region 18
PLAYOFF HISTORY: 1-1 in one appearance (2014)
2015 RECORD: 10-2 overall, 6-1 Ohio Heritage Conference (first, tied)
SCHEDULE: Aug. 28 — Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, 7 p.m.; Sept. 4 – at Madison Plains, 7 p.m.; Sept. 11 – East Clinton, 7 p.m.; Sept. 18 – at Triad, 7 p.m.; Sept. 25 – West Liberty-Salem, 7 p.m.; Oct. 2 – at Catholic Central; Oct. 9 – Northeastern, 7 p.m.; Oct. 16 – at Southeastern, 7 p.m.; Oct. 23 – Mechanicsburg, 7 p.m.; Oct. 30 – at Cedarville, 7 p.m.
You can count Greeneview’s returning starters on less than one hand and all the seniors on the other hand. But don’t tell Caleb Green that means football at his school is going back to the dark ages.
“I feel like we can do the same thing,” Green said after the first day of full-contact practice got him fired up.
The Rams had their greatest season in 2014 with 10 victories, a share of the Ohio Heritage Conference title for the first time, a first playoff appearance and a first playoff win. They did it with 19 returning starters and a senior class loaded with talent and experience.
“It was a very remarkable year,” Green said. “It was probably the most fun year of football that I’ve ever played.”
Green is a 6-foot-2, 222-pound senior who returns to anchor the offensive line at left tackle and the defensive line at one of the end positions. He will be blocking for a new cast of backs and receivers and he will be playing defense with a lot of players younger than him.
“I don’t think we’re as talented – we’re still a talented football team – but we’ve got a lot of competitors out here,” Green said. “We’ll take it to them, and I think we’ll do the same thing, if not better.”
Head coach Neal Kasner likes his team’s talent, work ethic and ability to learn.
“We’re going to have to get some experience in the scrimmages and we’re going to have to get some experience early in the year,” Kasner said. “We’ve got talent, we’re good enough. Coaches have to figure out we’re best at and we have to play to what we’re best at. And the kids have to keep believing.”
Senior Harrison Gallagher remembers when he was a lot younger and playing with friends beside the stands and not paying much attention to the varsity games. He figures kids that age now still play but are probably paying a little more attention to the game.
“Once they get older I feel like they’re going to be looking forward to it more than I did,” he said. “I think it will mean more.”
Being a Ram means a lot to Gallagher now, especially because he gets to contribute more as a starter at slot receiver and cornerback.
“I take a lot of pride in it,” Gallagher said. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”
The offense is in the hands of 6-foot junior quarterback Collin Matt. He’s won in middle school and the past two years on the JV team. Kasner said Matt can run and throw, which is a good fit for the Rams’ offense.
“He’s a really competitive kid, really does his homework and is a student of the game,” Kasner said. “Coming up through he’s shown a lot of those intangibles.”
Ethan Bradds, a 6-6 junior tight end, returns and will be Matt’s top target. After Gallagher, it’s a cast of young players trying to fit in. The running backs will be a mix of senior Logan Test, junior Austin Roberts and sophomores Jacob Green and Griffin Mangan. The task now is to try everything in the playbook and figure out what will work best.
Joining Green on the line will be Logan Lehman, Tommy Smith, Garrett Wilson, Isaiah Harding, Tyler Tackett, Jaron Stoneburner and others.
Green is the only starter back on defense, but Bradds started at outside linebacker as a freshman before splitting time last year. Roberts at inside linebacker and Test in the secondary have had a lot of playing time. Will Harding is a senior transfer at cornerback, but otherwise the defense will be young and inexperienced.
“These kids here want to be successful and they want to win,” Kasner said. “They don’t see any reason why they can’t have the success the group that just graduated did.”
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