Aug 15, 2015 3 min read

Fort Cherry: 3-6 (2-5 Class A Black Hills)

The departures of quarterback Matt Heslin and running back Koltan Kobrys after 10 wins in 2013 left two big voids in Fort Cherry’s offense. Luckily for the Rangers, they found a young tailback to spearhead the offense.

Nick Cook rushed for 1,041 yards and nine touchdowns behind an offensive line that almost returns intact from last fall. Left tackle Jake Schulz, left guard Brian Carnegie and right guard Trevor McIntyre are back, which will be key in a conference that will have two playoff spots likely up for grabs.

Anthony Panizza took most of the snaps at quarterback in 2014 and improved as the season progressed, but once again, Fort Cherry will search for a replacement. Devon Brown, who attempted four passes as a sophomore, could take over.

Whoever leads the offense will have junior wide receiver Scott Miller as the top target and senior tight end Anthony Kampian is back, losing Alex Babirad will change the look of the offense. He kept defenses honest, which opened up the running game. Luckily, the Ranger had a young roster in 2014 with 10 sophomores. That means more players will be ready to take a step forward this fall.

The Rangers’ two wins in the conference came against OLSH and Bishop Canevin – two teams that finished with a combined 2-16 record. They lost close games to Brentwood, Northgate and Chartiers-Houston; which is a good sign. A few less mistakes on defense could have meant a playoff berth.

Fort Cherry’s conference schedule starts with OLSH, Brentwood and Bishop Canevin before back-to-back games against Avonworth and North Catholic. The Rangers will have to start fast and a Week 9 game against Chartiers-Houston could decide a playoff spot. The defense will have to improve after allowing more than 30 points per game last fall.

Players to watch: Nick Cook, Scott Miller, Anthony Kampian, Brian Carnegie.

Biggest game: It’s always the season-finale against Chartiers-Houston. The Bucs also return athleticism at the skill positions, but they lack experience up front. This year’s game will be played at Fort Cherry, which creates a sizable advantage for the Rangers.

Stat to think about: Though Fort Cherry lost to Avonworth and North Catholic by a combined 65 points, its losses to Brentwood, Northgate and Chartiers-Houston were by an average of 2.7 points.