Pandora-Gilboa seeking return to postseason

PANDORA – After a 0-2 start, Pandora-Gilboa finished the season strong going 4-1 in its final five games and outscoring its opponents 235-30. The lone loss in that run was a 21-18 defeat against Liberty-Benton.

Despite the late surge, the Rockets finished 6-4 and just out of the playoffs.

Rocket head coach Matt Hershey said with the experience the Rockets got last year, he is looking at a possible Blanchard Valley Conference crown and a return to the postseason.

“Getting behind the eight ball early after going 0-2 really kind of hurt us,” Hershey said. “We were trying to break in some new younger players but we really finished strong even though the McComb game doesn’t look like it.

“We had to eliminate those silly mistakes,” Hershey said. “We played Liberty to the wire and they ended up going a couple of rounds in the playoffs so it was successful. We got better as the season went on.”

Hershey said the emphasis coming into this season is finding out what the team is good at and that is what they are going to hang their hat on.

With 14 returners, the Rockets have experience coming back on both sides of the ball. But there are still some big holes to fill and perhaps the biggest one is at the quarterback position. The Rockets lose two-year starter Dylan Crone, a second-team, all-BVC selection last season, who led the league in passing.

“We do return quite a bit and we are junior and senior heavy and that is always good,” Hershey said. “We have some guys who can do and are skilled but who is going to get them the ball?”

Emerging last year on offense was sophomore receiver Aidan Morris, who put up big numbers as a receiver and received All-Ohio recognition as a freshman. Also having a breakout year was Colin Harris, who received postseason recognition and Ethan Luginbill, who led the BVC in rushing.

Sophomore Andrew Miller, who started a handful of games last year, will share the backfield with Luginbill.

“That is the good news for whoever our new quarterback is because they don’t have to do everything,” Hershey said. “They have plenty of guys that can do things with the ball.”

Projected starter Carson Meyer, a junior, is taking all the reps in the preseason. Meyer started at linebacker last year.

“He is a smart kid and this summer he showed he had the ability to throw the ball,” Hershey said. “We are going to put all our eggs in that basket right now. As coaches, we have to find ways to slow the game down for him so we can get the ball to our playmakers.”

Hershey admits that at the onset of playing quarterback he wasn’t making all the right throws but making all the right reads and he said that is important because he is seeing the defense and he has gotten a lot better throughout the summer.

“He has really learned how to manipulate the defense,” Hershey said. “He is a tough kid. He is going to give us a great shot and again, it is not all him. He doesn’t have to be the focal point and he can learn and let the other guys show their talents.”

Also assisting in Meyer’s transition is the return of linemen Braden Hegemier, Jake Fischer and Mitchell Blank.

“Our offense ranked No. 1 in the BVC last year, so we have three guys returning from that, which is promising. Then we are filling in with a sophomore Eli Luginbill and probably Seth Correll at center. He has waited his turn. He has played junior varsity for two years and now it is his time to take over.

“We feel confident with our starting five and we have three others that are backing but starters on defense that are looking for some spots to play and I think we can trust them to do the job as well.”

Even though the Rockets had one of the best aerial attacks in the area, Hershey said he is looking to establish the run.

“We can’t ask our quarterback to sit in the pocket and dissect the defense the whole time,” Hershey said. “We need to establish the run so teams have to commit to slow down Ethan Luginbill and Andrew Miller. We have two good running backs there that got to get going so teams load the box and give our receivers one-on-one coverage and get them the ball in space and then let them work.”

Like the offense, the defense returns a host of talent and Hershey said the primary focus this year is to get some pressure on the quarterback and that starts with the front line.

“We just have not had the number of sacks that we have had,” Hershey said. “When we have had good teams we have had pressure on the quarterback.”

Senior Dylan Fenbert and Blank return on the line Hershey said senior Noah Burkholder will be joining them and has shown promise with his speed and athleticism.

“Our goal is not to miss the playoffs,” Hershey said. “Last year and the year before Covid we didn’t make it. WE finished the last spot out or the first spot out which ever way you want to see it the last two years we had an actual playoff system and that is not good enough around here,

“I like that about our players. They don’t want to be 6-4 and be done in October or Halloween. They want to be playing into November and in November anything can happen.”

To this Hershey said getting off to a better start is imperative. The Rockets open with Columbus Grove in the traditional opener Aug. 18 and then follow it with games against Bluffton and Leipsic.

“We have three tough games right out of the gate,” Hershey said. “It is for some bragging rights and we need to get off to a hot start and not fall too far behind where we are trying to dig our way into the playoffs. We want to solidify a playoff spot and then play for a BVC championship.”

Coach: Matt Hershey

Years at School, record: 5th (37-17)

Last year’s record: 6-4

Division: VII

Returning Letterwinners: Colin Harris (Jr.), Isaac Stall (Jr.), Noah Burkholder (Sr.), Carson Meyer (Jr.), Aidan Morris (Jr.), Tanner Liechty (Jr.), Elam Suter (Sr.), Ethan Luginbill (Sr.), Andrew Miller (Soph.), Braden Hegemier (Sr.), Mitchell Blank (Sr.), Dylan Fenbert (Sr.), Wyatt Russell (Sr.), Jake Fischer (Jr.)

Promising Newcomers: Brock Stall (Jr.), Tony Steinmeyer (Jr.), Derek Maag (Sr.), Eli Luginbill (Soph.), Seth Correll (Jr.), Gael Salinas (Sr.), Anthony Gerschutz (Soph.), Dalton Durst (Jr.)

Season Outlook: The excitement for Rocket football is back at Pandora-Gilboa. As with any small D7 school we need to stay healthy and catch a few breaks along the way butr we look to be highly competitive. We have a great group of seniors and juniors leading the 2022 team. If we play to our potential, we will be playing in BVC championship type games late in the season.

SCHEDULE

August 18 – at Columbus Grove

August 26 – Bluffton

September 2 – Leipsic

September 9 – Arcadia

September 16 – McComb

September 23 – at Vanlue

September 30 – at Van Buren

October 7 – at Liberty-Benton

October 14 – Riverdale

October 21 – at Cory-Rawson

All games start at 7 p.m.