Ringgold looking to surprise in Big Eight Conference

By: Jeremy Sellew
Thursday, August 26, 2021 | 5:01 PM

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For third-year Ringgold head coach Darwin Manges, the formula for his program is starting to become clear and he’s hoping this is the season it all comes together.

The Rams return nine starters on offense and eight defensively, and Manges thinks his team is ready to make some noise in a loaded Big Eight Conference.

“It’s simple. We’re going to go as our seniors go. When I took over the program, they were part of that breakfast club: the guys that showed up at 6 a.m. to work out,” Manges said. “The key for us will be staying healthy and our depth.”

The Rams went 1-7 last year, but that’s in the past. Now it’s time for Manges and the team to see the fruits of their labor.

“Our line is really strong. That’s where everything starts for us,” Manges said. “Those five guys love each other and love playing together. That’s what you want from that group.”

The Rams finished second at the Pitt big-man camp, behind only powerful Massillon, Ohio.

“We were pretty impressive and those kids took pride in the way they performed down there,” he said. “I think we’re going to surprise some teams in our conference this season.”

Leading the way for the line will be seniors Dante Compagni (6-4, 265) at right tackle, Jacob Frahlich (5-11, 275) on the left side and Jacob Meyer (6-0, 235) at right guard. Filling out the remainder of the line will be Jerry Mease (6-foot, 225) at center and Logan Simko (5-9, 225) at left guard.

“All of those guys are members of our 1,200-pound club in the weight room and they’re the most vocal unit we have on the field,” Manges said. “They’re leading the way for this team.”

The entire Rams backfield returns, led by senior quarterback Brayden Fine.

“Fine is one of our top athletes and he’s there because we want the ball in his hands on every play,” Manges said. “He’s a 4.4 guy. He’s making all the throws and making the right reads.”

Senior Landon Oslowski will be at halfback with sophomore Maddox Sukel and senior fullback John Polefko expected to get a lot of carries, too.

“Oslowski came in last season and did a great job for us. He’s bigger now, faster and he has such great vision,” Manges said. “He’s a sub-4.6 guy and can really anticipate where the holes are going to open up.

“Sukel came in as a freshman last season and is probably our best runner when it comes to running between the tackles, and I don’t know what else I can say about Polefko. He’s just a man back there. He’s big and strong and he’s going to punish anyone that tries to tackle him.”

Manges issued a warning for teams that try to stack the box on his offense.

“You’re going to have to be careful when you bring seven or eight in, because all these guys have the speed to allow us to stretch things out,” he said.

Defensively, Compagni will find himself at nose tackle with Jacob Pehowic and Frahlich on the ends. The mike linebacker will be the heavy-hitting Polefko with Kevin Willis on the right side and Simko on the left.

Donte Kinds and Evan Parsons will be the corners with Sukel at safety. The “Ram” hybrid backers will be Fine, Deondre Dotson and Oslowski.

“We have a lot more speed back there and with the teams we’re facing, they’re going to have to stop those big plays,” Manges said.

Oslowski will have the task of replacing Clayton Rosensteel, now at Clarion, in the kicking game.

“Let’s be real about it. You don’t replace a kid like Clay. He’s a special kicker. That’s something we don’t talk about. Landon just needs to go out and be himself,” Manges said. “We have full faith in him in the kicking game. He’s good on field goals from about 30 to 35 yards and he’s putting the ball inside the 10 on kickoffs. He’ll be able to handle the job; the kid’s got a strong leg.”

The goal for the Rams is to get into the playoffs and to do that, Manges is confident his team can sneak up on one of the three monsters in the conference — Belle Vernon, McKeesport and Thomas Jefferson.

“I think we can get at least one of those three. Again, it’s contingent on us remaining healthy,” Manges said. “Laurel Highlands is a wild card. They’re one of the teams that are actually growing. They have the athletes and basketball players coming out, so they’re all 6-2, 6-3 in the defensive backfield. They have a lot of speed, so I’m interested to see what they bring to the field.”

The Rams open up with a Week Zero game Friday at home against Class 3A runner-up Elizabeth Forward, followed by games against Yough and South Allegheny.

“Those three teams are quality teams and we’re going to learn a lot about ourselves,” Manges said. “Getting these early games in will really help us when it comes to seeing our progress.

“There’s nothing more I want for our seniors and the breakfast club than to know what it’s like to have a winning season and program.”

Ringgold

Coach: Darwin Manges

2020 record: 1-7, 0-6 in Class 4A Big Eight Conference

All-time record: 246-267-12

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.27 Elizabeth-Forward, 7

9.3 Yough, 7

9.10 at South Allegheny, 7

9.17 Laurel Highlands*, 7

9.24 at Uniontown*, 7

10.1 at McKeesport*, 7

10.8 Belle Vernon*, 7

10.15 at Thomas Jefferson*, 7

10.22 at West Mifflin*, 7

10.29 Trinity*, 7

*Conference game

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