Third-year head football coach Gary Roach doesn’t have a large number of players at Richwood High School this season, but he is very excited about the group that will suit up for the 2021 season.
“All the time I refer back to the Fayetteville team that only had 17 or 18 players and went 12-1,” Roach said. “Of course, I would love to have the numbers, but we are more about quality than quantity.”
The Lumberjacks are coming off a 3-7 campaign in 2020, but Roach still feels fortunate his team was able to play the amount of games it did considering the COVID madness.
“Obviously not the record that we wanted, but we were one of the rare teams that were blessed to play a full 10 games,” Roach said. “It was not the wins we wanted, but for the seniors, I was glad they got to play 10 games.”
Graduation is tough at any school, but it can be even tougher at a small Class A school like Richwood. The ‘Jacks saw graduation take two of the best to ever wear the black and orange.
“Caleb Jantuah and Doye Ward were both four-year starters for us,” Roach said. “Jantuah set almost every record we have here at Richwood. Losing him and Doye is obviously some big holes to fill.”
The strength for the Lumberjacks this season will come at a key spot, down in the trenches.
“All of our starters are back, so we will have a veteran line this year. We have three four-year starters up front and a pair of two-year starters. A veteran line is where I would want my veterans to be. We will be young on the skill end, but experienced on the line,” Roach said.
The lineman garnering the most attention around the state for Richwood is senior Josh Hypes.
“Josh is an all-state player that is on all the watch lists. He is coming off a torn ACL, but it will be great to have him back after playing only half of the season last year,” Roach said.
Joining Hypes will be a pair of seniors that have also made a name for themselves in other sports.
“Tyler Workman is a four-year starter and he will also line-up some at fullback. He is really tough and goes to the state tournament for wrestling,” Roach said. “Josh Landreth is the other four-year kid. He has been to states for shot put and discus.”
Landreth finished third as a junior at last year’s state track meet.
The main benefactor of that stout offensive line will be junior Cooper Donahue who will be stepping into the shoes of Jantuah at quarterback.
“I think we have a good quarterback in Cooper,” Roach said. “He is an all-state basketball player and just an all-around athlete. Cooper is smart and he trusts his line.”
The Richwood coach is also excited with the receiving core that Donahue will have at his disposal.
“We have a few guys that played at the receiver position as freshmen with Jantuah. Now they are sophomores with a year of experience and they look much better,” Roach said. “Cooper has as many as four weapons and over the summer he spread it out to all of them. I really liked his decision making process. Last year this sophomore group played like freshmen. Now they have grown up and most of them are starting.”
The receiving core will be composed of junior Keaton Crowder and three sophomores in Tyler Barnhouse, Dakota Sizemore and Caden Cowell are all expected to get touches this season.
“I am always optimistic every year. I don’t feel like we have that one dynamic player that can break it at any time like Jantuah, but I think it will be harder for defenses to prepare for us. In years past it was stop Jantuah. This year we will have five or six guys that will touch the ball. We have good depth at the skill positions” Roach said.
Tristan Miller checks in at 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds and he will be the Lumberjacks main rushing threat.
“He has worked hard this summer with Jantuah. He is fast and he is a brute,” Roach said. “He was 240 and now he is 220. He is running over people and juking people as well. ”
Donahue, Workman and Crowder are also expected to run the ball this season for the Lumberjacks.
Crowder will also spearhead the defense for Richwood with Landreth and Workman flexing to play either defensive end or linebacker.
“Keaton was our leading tackler last year. In the eight games that he played he had 120 tackles and was first team all-conference,” Roach said.
Barnhouse and Caden Cowell will play corner, while Landon Hamon will play safety.
Roach is excited for the season, but with limited numbers, his team will have to avoid the injury bug if they are to be successful.
“We have had some injuries already with senior Mason Campbell. We hope to have him back by the second or third week of the season,” Roach said. “If we stay healthy, we can have a winning season. With our schedule, if we go 6-4, I think we can still make the playoffs. We also have multiple guys that can play everywhere. I have been looking forward to this sophomore class since they were in sixth grade playing little league.”
Schedule
1 08/27/21 7:00PM A – WEBSTER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL –
2 09/03/21 7:00PM H – MEADOW BRIDGE HIGH –
3 09/10/21 7:00PM H – VAN SENIOR/MIDDLE SCHOOL –
4 09/17/21 7:00PM H – MIDLAND TRAIL HIGH SCHOOL –
5 09/24/21 7:00PM A – POCAHONTAS COUNTY –
6 10/01/21 7:00PM A – TYGARTS VALLEY MIDDLE/SENIOR HIGH –
7 10/08/21 7:00PM A – GRAFTON –
8 10/15/21 7:00PM H – GREENBRIER WEST –
9 10/29/21 7:30PM A – SUMMERS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL –
10 11/05/21 7:00PM H – RIVER VIEW –