Trojans 'worlds ahead' of last season

GREENWICH — Derek Fisher was named football coach at South Central not long before the 2023 season began. That unfamiliarity for both Fisher and the Trojans is gone. Fisher is ready to get South Central back to the playoffs and finish with a winning record for the first time since going 7-3 in 2018 under Corey Fickiesen. "I feel like we are trying to build something special here," Fisher said. "I feel like last year at this time, obviously we're worlds ahead of where we were then. I feel like the kids have bought in. We're no longer strangers in the community. "We know our way around and we know what kids belong to what parents. I think that has gone a long way. We couldn't be more excited. We're ready to get after it." Despite three straight playoff appearances from 2020-2022, South Central didn't finish above .500. The Trojans slipped to 2-8 last season, topping just Fremont St. Joseph and Plymouth. "There's been a lot of buy-in," Fisher said. "As far as a group of kids, you couldn't ask for a better group. There's love on both sides. We genuinely love being around them. They like coming to practice every day. "We have right around 30 kids, give or take. Summer was good. I'd say we had about 90 percent attendance throughout the summer. We asked them to do a lot of different things along with vacations and other sports." There were plenty of struggles last season for the Trojans. They were outscored 95-6 in the first two games of the year before walloping SJCC, 73-6. South Central then lost its next six games before thrashing Plymouth, 41-13, to wrap up the season. "As most coaches do, we did a lot of off-season looking at stuff," Fisher said. "I think of the 10 games we played last year, seven of (the opponents) made the playoffs. Our conference is tough and our non-conference schedule wasn't anything to laugh at, either. It's a tough slate. :The Firelands Conference seems to be the same group of teams at the top coming back this year. We're trying to get better at the things we do. We want to establish an identity and a South Central culture." Offense The offense will again run through 6-foot-1 senior quarterback Aaron Hauler. He completed 77 of 152 passes last year for 810 yards and five touchdowns while running 120 times for 475 yards and eight scores. Fisher said senior linemen Landon Gamble (6-2, 225 pounds) and junior Alex Hamons (5-7, 210) return as starters while out wide Hauler will have options including junior Cole Frankart (5-11, 180) and senior Trey Knoll (6-0, 180). Frankart led the team with 21 catches for 223 yards. Gunner Ray was second on the team with 14 catches for 166 yards, but graduated. "We want to be more competitive," Fisher said. "It sounds elementary, but on both sides of the ball winning the point differential. We took a glimpse at our season last year and in a lot of conference games we didn't score more than seven points and we gave up in the 30s. We're trying to control that differential on both sides of the ball. "With a school like this, when kids graduate, you're putting a square peg into a round hole," he said. "It's not necessarily next man up, it is who can I put in that position that can fill the role we need." Fisher said players like juniors Brantley Ellis (5-10, 170), Dixon Blanton (5-10, 180), and Aiden Schrader (6-1, 190), sophomores Greyson Fisher (6-0, 170) and Wyatt Martin (5-4, 125) and freshmen Justin Gillum (5-11, 165) and Jaxson Strickland (5-7, 150) will all have an opportunity to earn playing time and make an impact this season. "We've shuffled some kids around here and there, along with the influx of freshmen coming in," Fisher said. "We've tried to make our system fit them along with creating some depth on both sides of the ball." Defense Defensively, the Trojans struggled last season. South Central limited SJCC and Plymouth to a total of 19 points, but gave up at least 35 points in each of the other eight games. The Trojans tallied just eight interceptions as a team. "It is pretty much the same cast of characters on defense," Fisher said. "That's the beauty or the curse of small schools. Some of the more formidable players don't come off the field, whether it be offense, defense or special teams. "It's a lot of the same kids. We have to move some around in different positions. Diton Farnsworth is returning as all-conference safety for us. He's coming back for his senior year, so that helps us out a lot." Junior Gavin Olney (5-11, 190) will see some time on both sides of the line after not playing for the past few seasons while sophomore Lucas Smith (6-2, 270) will get a chance on both sides as well. Knoll, Hauler, Farnsworth, Gamble and Havik Nye (5-9, 160) are the lone seniors for South Central. "We have five seniors and they're all super important to our team in different forms or fashions," Fisher said. "This was a group we were looking forward to having as seniors, but now that we're here it hits us that we have 10 games left with them. We want to do the best we can for them. "Seeing them grow over the last six months — growing into vocal leaders and leading by example. By nature, the class is generally a quiet class and we've seen them come into their own and be comfortable in their own skin." 2024 scheduleAug. 23: at WillardAug. 30: NorthmorSept. 6: at RittmanSept. 13: New LondonSept. 20: at MonroevilleSept. 27: at CrestviewOct. 4: MapletonOct. 11: at Western ReserveOct. 18: St. PaulOct. 25: Plymouth 2023 results (2-8)Willard 35, South Central 6Northmor 60, South Central 0South Central 73, Fremont St. Joseph 6Vermilion 55, South Central 0Monroeville 41, South Central 6Ashland Crestview 41, South Central 7Ashland Mapleton 37, South Central 6Western Reserve 44, South Central 22St. Paul 54, South Central 6South Central 41, Plymouth 13 2024 RosterNo. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr.1 Trey Knoll WR/DB 6-0 180 122 Aaron Hauler QB/DB 6-1 200 123 Greyson Fisher QB/DB 6-0 170 104 Justin Gillum WR/LB 5-11 165 95 Cole Frankart WR/DB 5-11 180 116 Dixon Blanton RB/LB 5-10 180 117 Cam Beverly QB/LB 5-9 185 98 Troy Ayers WR/DB 6-0 145 119 Mason Woods WR/LB 6-1 175 1010 Jaxon Strickland WR/DB 5-7 150 911 Wyatt Martin WR/DB 5-4 125 1012 Brick Barnett WR/DB 5-8 140 1113 Diton Farnsworth WR/DB 5-7 140 1215 Lucas Kilgore RB/LB 5-11 165 1118 Aiden Schrader RB/LB 6-1 190 1121 Trevor Hudson RB/LB 5-9 160 1128 Brantley Ellis RB/LB 5-10 170 1152 Travis Steele OL/LB 5-10 200 954 Gavin Olney OL/DL 5-11 190 1158 Alex Hamons OL/DL 5-7 210 1164 Lucas Smith OL/DL 6-2 270 1066 Kaden Blair OL/DL 5-11 220 1170 Havik Nye OL/DL 5-9 160 1271 Landon Gamble OL/DL 6-2 225 1274 Briar Sparks OL/DL 5-10 280 975 Bryson Shepherd OL/DL 5-9 280 9