Goal-oriented 'Hawks focus on successful '08, by CRAIG JAMES

Published: Friday, August 15, 2008 3:51 PM EDT
It's all about goals in the Westerville Central football camp.

And with goals comes hard work if those goals are to be realized. Coach Bob Fresch drives that point home by just pointing to the calendar.

"My motto is 'work to win,' " Fresch said. "When they come out here and practice and when we lift, it's all done so that the end product of getting ready for those first games.

"We know in order to work to win, to have a successful year, we have to win our first away game. That first away game (Friday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m.), we go to Big Walnut," a Golden Eagles team coming off a Division III state championship.
"Again, we're focused in. They're excited; the coaches are excited about doing that. Then you have to think about winning your first home contest. Well, what's that one? We're going to host Dublin Coffman (Sept. 5), so that's another game....

"Then the next goal is Battle of Westerville. You're going to play Westerville North (Sept. 19), Westerville South (Sept. 12). So our goal is to win those ballgames, to beat the Westerville schools.

"Then we get into that next goal of winning a league title, and that's one game at a time, like we did a couple of years ago."

And if Central is successful in all of the above goals, "With that comes the gravy, and that's getting ready for the playoffs," the coach added.

The Warhawks were 3-7 a year ago, but were in control of their own destiny as far as the Ohio Capital Conference Central Division. But a seven-point loss at Marysville in the regular-season finale gave WCHS a third-place finish at 3-2.

The returners

To attack 2008, Central has several returning letter winners, including, on offense, junior starter Kyle Stephenson, who will be a wide receiver or quarterback, as well as a defensive safety. He has good hands and speed.

Senior Michael Giresi is a slot back that can play running back, and a safety. Very fast and athletic, he's being looked at by colleges right now.

Senior Matt Lowe, who has bettered his speed and is looked to have an improved season, will be a linebacker and a guard. Tanner Ayle, a junior safety and receiver, is a hard hitter and a returning starter.

Austin Harper, a fast senior athlete who was on last spring's 400-meter relay team, was a starting cornerback and wide receiver in '07. Senior Jordan Helmer, who holds a high grade point average, looks to play starting center and probably defensive tackle, and could play offensive tackle.

There are two other seniors back in Stephen Gale and Corey Williams. Gale is a center who can play guard, and Williams is a two-way starter (nose tackle and offensive tackle), who has knocked down his weight from 270 to 238 pounds.

Besides Lowe, Harper, Harper, Giresi, Stephenson, Ayle and Williams, there are four other letterers who played defense for the 'Hawks. Chris Mustard, a senior who was a defensive end last fall, is a linebacker and offensive guard expected to play a lot both ways and on special teams.

Junior Bobby Tucker is to be a defensive end, as well as a tight end when the tight end set is employed.

Zach Swick, another junior, might have been a fullback, but will be an offensive guard or tackle, as well as be a defensive player inside, like at end.

Senior Jay Hicks could help the program's depth at defensive tackle or linebacker. He was also a running back last year.

Several newcomers also bolster the roster, including senior Demetrius McLaughlin from Brookhaven (DB-slotback) and junior quarterback prospect Brian Hunter from Northland.

On special teams, there are several candidates to replace All-American kicker-punter Ben Buchanan, now at Ohio State -- including senior soccer goalkeeper Jim Crum.

New challenges

There are a lot of questions about Central, which will go off-spread on offense like last year and out of the shotgun, and use a 3-3 stack defensively

"Now, we lost a lot of players last year," said Fresch, who is entering his 30th year in coaching. "People say are you returning your quarterback? No. Returning your running back? No. How about your linemen? Most of them are gone, except for one. Defensively, we lost a lot.

"So we have a lot of really good athletes that have a lot of potential that are improving day by day. If things work out right and they control their own destiny and we alleviate injuries and we keep improving, this could be a fun season."

A season that includes a realigned OCC Cardinal Division, of which the 'Hawks are now a part. Besides North and South, the Cardinal includes Dublin Scioto, Dublin Jerome, Olentangy, Olentangy Liberty and Marysville.

The other three league divisions aren't too shabby, either.

"It's great for Central Ohio," Fresch said. "With all of the divisions, it's going to be very competitive. Obviously you have some front-runners with your Pickerington Central, your Hilliards and your Dublins. They've always been pretty daggone good in the past, and you can't count out some of the other teams as well, like the Westerville schools. It's going to be real interesting to see what happens, how that shakes up.

"But when you play in the OCC...you better focus in on that game at hand each week and don't look ahead. You can't afford that.

"All the teams are good, they're all competitive."

NOTES:

Westerville Central looks to continue climb in Ohio Capital Conference

By Steve Helwagen, Editor in Chief
stevehelwagen@bucknuts.com
Posted Aug 3, 2008

This school and program are still relatively new, but could be getting closer. Central had a taste of success in 2006, when the Warhawks finished 6-4 and won an Ohio Capital Conference divisional title. “We have a young team that is very athletic,” said coach Bob Fresch, starting his sixth year at the school. “It will be hard to predict the outcome."

PLAYERS TO WATCH
OL-LB Matt Lowe (Sr.), DB-WR Luke Meissner (Jr.), DE Chris Mustard (Sr.), QB-WR-DB-K Kyle Stephenson (Jr.), LB Zack Swick (Jr.), FB-DE Bobby Tucker (Jr.), OL-DL Corey Williams (Sr.), RB-DB Michael Giresi (Sr.), DB-RB Brandon Walls (Sr.), WR-SS Tanner Ayle (Jr.), WR-DB Grant Fresch (Sr.), CB-WR Austin Harper (Sr.), OL Jordan Helmer (Sr.).