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2025 SHARON TIGERS PREVIEW

SHARON – Following an 11-win season that included the Region 4 title and a berth in the District 10 Class 3A title game, the Sharon Tigers return a bevy of starters and other key contributors for the 2025 campaign.

While plenty remains the same in Tigertown, there are a few notable changes this year. Up front, Sharon will feature remodeled offensive and defensive lines after graduation thinned the Tigers' line corps. Defensively, Sharon is returning to a 4-3 alignment under new (old?) defensive coordinator Mike Donato, who previously served as Sharon's defensive coordinator in the 1980s and 1990s.

The Tigers may line up a bit differently on defense but the linebacking group and defensive backfield both boast several veterans.

At linebacker, junior A'anavyon Brown returns at weakside linebacker while senior Brock Ondo is the incumbent on the strong side. Both men earned Second Team All-Region 4 last season.

Junior Logan Perks, a two-year letterwinner, takes over at middle linebacker. Junior Cassius Hosey will also compete for time at linebacker and safety after starting in a hybrid "rover" position last year.

Junior Gha'fir Lampkins led Sharon with four interceptions last year. He returns at free safety and, according to seventh-year head coach Jason McElhaney, is the team's defensive quarterback. "I will sing his praises all day. I think that we have the best defensive quarterback that anybody has in Gha'fir Lampkins," McElhaney said. "He runs the show back there. He gets us lined up (and) he makes our checks and our calls. I expect a big year from Gha'fir back there this year."

Hosey and senior Bishop Root are candidates to join Lampkins at safety. Root has played cornerback during his Sharon career but is awaiting clearance to return after a season-ending knee injury in 2024.

The Tigers return two First Team All-Region defensive backs at cornerback: senior Ra'Keem Hughes and senior Kare'mez Norris. Hughes recorded three interceptions in 2024. Both men are also expected to be contributors as return men in the kicking game.

Junior letterman Cyliem Smith will also challenge for a starting spot in the Sharon secondary.

"We have the bodies in the back end, so going to a four-DB alignment fits us," McElhaney said. "It allows us to do some different things with them. That's where the experience is."

Senior Stone Root has the inside track to start at defensive tackle after starting at end in a three-man line last year. He is a returning All-Region selection. Junior Jazya Hueston looks to nail down a starting spot at end. Root and Hueston are also expected to be two-way starters. "There aren't a whole lot of breaks for those guys. That's the nature of where we are," McElhaney said.

Rangy senior Ulandis Powell (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) will compete for the other starting end post. Junior Antonio McGlory, whom McElhaney describes as one of the surprises of preseason camp, has the inside track to start next to Root inside.

Offensively, Hueston and All-Region honoree Root are projected to start at tackle. McGlory is pushing to start at left guard. Sophomore Ryan Wells moved into Sharon during 2024 and is projected to start at center. Freshman Lucas Perks aims to slide into the right guard position.

"We like our bodies, but they have to play football. They need to play," McElhaney said. "And it's not about individual guys. If we're four-out-of-five correct, 80 percent correct, 80 percent fails up front.

"The quicker that we mesh and come together up front is going to be the big indicator for us offensively."

The offensive line will be charged with protecting senior quarterback Ethan Engelmore, who threw for 1,619 yards last year, his first season as a starter. He started all 13 games last season and threw 19 touchdown passes. He ranked second in Mercer County in passing yards, touchdown passes and completions (107). Engelmore threw only four interceptions while rushing for seven touchdowns on his way to Second Team All-Region distinction.

"We're able to push him a little bit more," McElhaney said. "It's a very good luxury to not have to scale back offensively because he's comfortable with what we're doing."

Hughes, Norris and Ondo all return at wide receiver after earning All-Region recognition in 2024. Hughes led Sharon with 26 catches, 436 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He emerged after Norris suffered a late-season injury.

"I thought from (the) Meadville (game) on, Ra'Keem was really, really good," McElhaney said. "He had a great summer. He's one of the better '50-50 ball' guys that I've been able to coach."

Norris had 15 catches for 269 yards in nine games while Ondo snagged a dozen catches for 228 yards. Ondo led Sharon by averaging 19.0 yards per catch.

Bishop Root had 26 catches as a sophomore in 2023 and is expected to compete for time when fully healthy.

"We're excited about that pass catching group," McElhaney said. "We hope very soon that we will have them all at our disposal and be able to deploy them in some different ways."

Logan Perks earned Second Team All-Region at tight end in 2024. He returns for his third season as a key cog in the Sharon offense.

Speedy senior Terrian White averaged 9.3 yards per carry last year as the Tigers' No. 2 tailback. He will take over as the starter after running for 502 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. White reached the finals of the 100-meter dash at the District 10 Class AA championships last spring, recording a time of 11.31 seconds.

"Terrian gives us a different element," McElhaney said. "He's more of a big play type of guy."

Brown, Hosey and sophomore Marius Best are also vying for carries. Best ran for 165 yards last year while Brown gained 146 yards.

All-Region honoree Yousef Kanan returns at kicker. Engelmore will likely punt.

Sharon opens Region 4 play September 5 at Slippery Rock. The Tigers host Hickory the following Friday in a rematch of the 2024 District 10 title game. Eight days later, Sharon visits Farrell in the annual Steel Bowl game. Sharon recaptured the Steel Bowl trophy with a 14-7 home win last year over the Steelers.