NWPASports.com

2024 LAKEVIEW SAILORS PREVIEW
By Joe Saqer, NWPA Sports Senior Contributor

STONEBORO -- A head coaching change can be an adjustment for everyone on a team. For Lakeview, though, the transition has been easy.

Former Sailors standout Blake Reddick took over the program this offseason after Bill Hickman stepped down after compiling a 24-36 record in six seasons, in addition to claiming last year’s Region 1 title.

However, it’s not like the program starts over. Reddick moves up from the assistant coaching staff the past five campaigns.

“There’s definitely been a learning curve with all the paperwork and little things. But, I feel like I am in a good spot,” Reddick said. “I wished we had every kid ready to go heading into official practice, but, realistically, some kids don’t come in until they have to.

“Still, though, we were ready for it.”

Reddick doesn’t plan to change too much, especially early on in the season.

“It’s nice to be familiar with the kids. Almost all the coaches are coming back, plus we added some new ones,” he said. “It’s been easy to see over the past five years the things that worked and some things didn’t. So, there will be some different things. We’re going to start out with the same stuff we did last year. If ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? We definitely will develop into some different things after we get our familiar stuff down. I am offensive guy. I like to do some different stuff, so we’ll see what we can do.”

Of course, Reddick produced plenty of fireworks during his Lakeview career. A four-year starter, he was an all-state running back who finished his career with 6,548 yards rushing and 64 TDs on 778 carries.

The Sailors may lack an established game-breaker like that after Mitchell Tingley graduated. However, Blake Skiles moves from receiver to the backfield and is joined by Brayden Booher. Gavin Schell will be in the mix as well.

“We’ll probably tag team it in the backfield. Blake Skiles is not scared to run up the middle, but he won’t run over anyone at 155 pounds. He is a speed demon,” Reddick said. “Brayden Booher is not really any slower. Those guys will spend time sharing the load back there. I am really hoping Gavin Schell has a big year. He will probably be our guy with the third-most carries on the team. He could have a huge year. He is bigger than both of the other guys, but just as athletic.”

Quarterback Leyton Zacherl is back under center for Lakeview. He passed for 1,094 yards and 13 touchdowns last year.

“He’s back after a good year. As long as we can keep him focused, we should be good,” Reddick said. “He’s a smaller guy, but doesn’t play like it. He is not afraid of anything. We will definitely use him running and throwing the ball. He is not afraid to stick his neck out there for us.”

Julian Zacherl, Owen Reynolds and Drew Gilarno will catch passes. “We have some guys who can get it done, once they get the ball in their hands,” Reddick said.

Up front, Garet Guthrie, Brycen Heckman and Tanner Vincent return to lead the way. Cole Klonowski, Luke Sheidy and Wyatt Maxwell will see time on the line as well.

Defensively, Guhtrie, Heckman, Kolowski, Sheidy and Maxwell are on the line, while Ethan Johnson, Caden Long-Lyons, Vincent, Schell, Booher and Reynolds are at linebacker.

Skiles and the Zacherls will be at cornerback, while Derek Arena will see time in the secondary as well.

“We’re not as deep there as we were,” Reddick said.

The team hopes to utilize its team quickness all over the field. “We’ll be a speed team, whether we get it on punt and kick return or getting the ball out to our guys,” Reddick said. “Even our guys up front, we had a lot of beef up front before. But, we have some quicker guys there now and we’ll be running all over the place.”

Lakeview reached the District 10 Class A title game last year. Aspirations remain high. “We definitely recognize we lost a lot of quality guys from last year’s team. But, from where our guys have gone since last season as juniors as sophomores, we should be able to reload pretty well,” he said. “We won’t have the depth we had last year. Positionally, we should be just as good, if not better. As long as stay healthy, they have a chance at being pretty good – but good health is going to be important.”

Reddick is looking forward to younger players seizing more valuable snaps this fall. “All these guys we’re talking about, they had good years last year. They didn’t have phenomenal years because they had a lot of older guys in front of them. Any other team we’ve had over the last couple years, they would have been starting as sophomores and juniors. But, after playing behind those seniors the last three years, they are chomping at the bit to get going.”

The Sailors know the road to the Region 1 title won’t be easy. “It’s always tough. If it wasn’t tough, it wouldn’t be football,” Reddick said. “If we stay healthy, I think we match up well with anyone. Cambridge is becoming our rival. We’ve had some good games and good sportsmanship with them. We’re looking to continuing to build that little rivalry with them.”