Sports
Three-Point Stance: Warren Rebuilds And Refocuses
< < Back to three-point-stance-warren-rebuilds-and-refocusesEditor’s Note: Three-Point Stance is Gridiron Glory’s written preview series leading up to its 15th season on WOUB. Gridiron is visiting training camps for all 32 teams in the coverage area as they prepare for the 2013 football season. The series concludes in the SEOAL, a five-school league lacking not in competitiveness.
Warren finished last season with a 4-6 overall record and a 2-3 mark in SEOAL competition. Head coach Andy Schob is heading into his fourth season as the Warriors head coach with a 14-16 record during his tenure there. Warren has not had a winning season since coach Schob took over and they will be calling upon a lot of new players to build toward success this season.
Here are three things to know about the 2013 Warren Warriors:
1. Filling the Holes
The Royal Blue and White lost a large group of seniors this offseason and are looking to return with a bang. Filling the holes left on both sides of the ball is going to be quite the task for the Warriors this year. David Ryan, a soon to be senior, will take over for 2012 graduate Dylan Leffingwell at quarterback. Jake Scott is attaining the running back duties from leading rusher and now former Warrior Austin Kuhn. Warren also lost three of its top four leading tacklers so expect to see a lot of new faces making plays on the defensive side of the ball. The Warriors are going to need big contributions from new starters early this season to fill an empty space.
2. Shutting Down Offenses
Warren is losing a lot of players this year, but last year’s defense was a predicament at times. The Warriors gave up over 30 points per game last year and are now missing three of their top four tacklers. They finished second-last in the conference in points allowed within conference games. Their defensive statistics declined from the 2011-2012 season and their first step should be looking to get back on track.
3. Winning the Big Games
Warren struggled against their opponents that had records over .500 a season ago and lost every contest against teams that were better than 3-7. For the Warriors to turn things around, they are going to need to win some of the big games on their schedule. They do have some favorable scheduling as they only match up against three teams that had winning records last year. Bearing that in mind, one of their biggest games this season will be against Jackson on Oct. 4. If Warren can transition smoothly with its new players, look out for them to be a strong team that will be on the rise this fall.
Warren opens its season on the road against Parkersburg on Saturday, Aug. 31.
Follow @gridironglory on Twitter and Instagram and Like the Gridiron Glory Facebook page for continued coverage throughout the preseason. Gridiron Glory returns Friday, Aug. 23 at 11:30 p.m. on WOUB.