Eagles hope to rise in second season under Cotterman

Press Contributing Writer
sports@presspublications.com

Coach: Sam Cotterman, second year, 9-3
Last year: 9-3 (6-1 NBC)
Key returning players: Kadyn Donnell, QB/LB, Sr.; Andre Lewis, WR, Sr.; Dayquan Oliver, WR/DB, Sr.
Outlook: Sam Cotterman’s first year at Eastwood went rather well.

The Eagles went 9-3 and won a playoff game and lost just eight seniors from last year’s team.
Kadyn Donnell is the quintessential dual-threat quarterback, and he’s back to lead the offense.
He’ll be joined in the backfield by Kevin Lewis. The wide receivers are Andre Lewis, Dayquan Oliver and Brock Messinger. When the team goes with four receivers, Colton Woodward will see playing time.
Jason Young is doing a great job at center, which could allow Connor Norton to get some rest and just play linebacker. Jack Sensenig and Ethan Recker are the guards and Paul Lautzenheiser and Colton Oberhouse are the tackles.
“I would say our philosophy is to spread you out and run the ball. Caiden Maize ran for over 1,400 yards last year,” said Cotterman. “We expect Kevin to have a good year like that. Kadyn almost ran for 1,000 yards last year. We have a great receiving core. I’m an offensive line guy –– I like to run the ball about 60% of the time. We’ll have different formations with the same concepts.
“We’re so far ahead than we were a year ago (on offense). We expanded our playbook, put in some more motions, and we’re really excited to see it put in play. We did a lot more 7-on-7s this summer. We only did one last year. We were happy with the results.”
The defense has made the switch from the 4-3 to the 3-4.
Recker and Lautzenheiser, who was an all-Ohio selection last year, are the defensive ends. Cotterman is hopeful Gael Mauricio will be the nose guard. And as usual with a defensive line, other players will see playing time.
The middle linebackers are Norton and Donnell, and they’re flanked by Kevin Lewis and Cam Shoemaker.
Oliver and Woodward are the cornerbacks, and Andre Lewis will back them up. The safeties are Drew Luidhardt, who is also the punter and Wyatt Ashby.
“We mix it up. We went to a 3-4 because we have speed; we feel like a 3-4 shows that. We don’t have as many big guys,” said Cotterman. “We went to a 3-4 to attack and mix in different coverages, man-to-man and sometimes zone.”
Austin Miller is the kicker.
The expectations are still high for the Eagles.
“We have 16 seniors, and it’s not a new system anymore. The kids have done a good job. We’re strides ahead of where we were last year,” said Cotterman. “We have high expectations. We were at the top of the league last year, but we fell short of the goal, which is to be at the top of the NBC. That’s what we’re working towards.”
Eastwood opens with Kenton on the road, hosts Elmwood, one of its rivals, which happens to be Cotterman’s alma mater, and faces Wauseon before beginning play in the Northern Buckeye Conference.