Western caps summer with 7-on-7 event

COLLINS — Football is back. The surest sign of the start to the 2025 high school football season was on the eve of the first official practice at Western Reserve High School. The Roughriders hosted their seventh annual Weisenberger & Pickett 7-on-7 passing scrimmage on July 31 at Bachelder Field in Collins. And while there was a lot to be happy about, it started with the weather. After a brutal month of July as far as humidity and temperatures go, a steady rain came through Huron County Thursday morning — but cleared off in plenty of time for the football. "It wasn't hot, and it felt like a nice, cool Friday night in the fall that we'll hopefully get many of this season," Western Reserve head coach Ty Stevenson said. "We were a little worried about the weather, but the game field was in good shape despite the rain. It went well." Between two practice fields and the game field, a total of eight teams were able to play five times in 25-minute time periods. The ball started at the 40-yard line, and each offense had four downs to reach the 20 for a first down. The quarterback had four seconds to make a throw. Stevenson started the event when he became head coach at Western. It's named for longtime boosters and supporters Tim Weisenberger and John Pickett. The two spearheaded much of the improvements that went into Bachelder Field over the past couple of years. A new home side of the bleachers opened in 2023, while stripes on a new all-weather track — the first in school history at the venue — debuted this past school year. The Roughriders hosted seven teams at this year's event, which again featured food from the "Buddies in Barbeque" food truck. The business is run by former Western Reserve football players Dennis Riggs and Adam Workman. "I think we have a top-notch facility for a school our size," Stevenson said. "It's something we should show off and be proud of. We like to give schools the opportunity to come here with our two practice fields and our game field that is crowned really well. "We can get six games going at a time, so I like to give other coaches that opportunity — and we do it for free," he added. "We don't charge anyone. I know some teams pay to go some places, but we like to try and keep things free and just get some teams here to play some 7-on-7 for a quick preview before the season." The teams included Norwalk, New London, Black River, Brookside, Northmor, Vermilion, and the host Roughriders. "We had seven varsity teams and seven junior varsity teams," Stevenson said. "The food truck was there, and they sold out for a second straight year. But most importantly, I thought all the teams got to see a lot of good looks." Since the passing scrimmages were the night before the first official practices, Stevenson said it was refreshing to see teams running their actual offenses. "Everyone was really running what they will in the season, instead of just throwing the ball around," he said. "You saw Norwalk getting their bootleg stuff in, and you saw New London and Brookside running their true offenses. "It was refreshing to see, instead of teams trying to 'win the day' instead." The Roughriders will be among the favorites in what could shape up to be a very competitive upper half of the Firelands Conference, along with Crestview, Monroeville, and St. Paul. Western was 7-4 last season and lost just a handful of players from that team. The 'Riders have 11 seniors this season, including several who have been starting for two or three-plus years. "We're excited, and I thought we had a good offseason and summer," Stevenson said. "We have 11 seniors who are dedicated and committed to doing the right thing. Through the summer months, we've done a really nice job. But our consistency is not there yet, so that's one big thing we need to do. "Every play we have to do what we need to do and execute on both sides of the ball. If we stay healthy, I think we'll compete well for the most part." To that end, Western will find out where it stands quickly. The 'Riders did not practice on Friday. But instead of getting a week's worth of practices in, Western visits Galion Northmor Tuesday for its first scrimmage. The Golden Knights are also consistent winners and were 14-1 last season, falling in the Division VI state semifinals to state power Kirtland. Western then takes on Keystone in its second scrimmage. The Wildcats were 10-2 last season. The 'Riders open the 2025 season on Aug. 22 at Wellington. "We're going to find out right away," Stevenson said. "We're not waiting like everyone else. We'll see what we need to work on and know where we stand after next Tuesday."