For the first time in seven years, the Ravenna Ravens’ football team is off to one their best starts to the season. The Ravens remained undefeated with a resounding 55-0 victory against the Normandy Invaders last Friday evening at Portage Community Bank Stadium in Ravenna.
“I think we did everything we were supposed to,” said Coach Brian Coman. “Everything that we had seen on film and that they were going to give us. The things we saw that they were giving up, we were able to take advantage of, offensively and defensively.”
It is the first time since 2019 that the Ravens (2-0, 1-0) have won their first two games of the season and their first shutout victory, having recorded just two shutout victories last season. It marked the most points that the Ravens have scored since Coman took the helm, matching that benchmark from four years ago when they recorded 55 points in a rout against Metro Athletic Conference rival Akron Springfield.
For the third-year coach, the only thing better about enjoying an undefeated start to the season is the defensive prowess that the Ravens are demonstrating, having only surrendered seven points in eight quarters of football.
“What I am pumped to see is defensively our guys are running to the football and guys are being disciplined,” he added. “They have an assigned gap; they are in that assigned gap and rallying to the football a lot of times We create turnovers and that is what is happening now.”
On Friday, Ravenna got off to quick start by forcing a turnover on defense, recovering a fumble in its own territory and following it up with a touchdown.
In the first quarter, the Ravens scored on each of their first four drives, taking a commanding 28-0 lead.
According to Coman, Ravenna’s rushing attack was formidable, ultimately collecting 335 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 33 carries.
“Our offensive line has been doing a good job,” Coman said. “Those guys have really been coming together as a unit and they are working hard together and are opening up big holes, so the runners don’t have anything to do but to run.”
Senior tailback/linebacker Mark Miller paced the Ravens by tallying 143 rushing yads and two touchdowns on only six carries while catching two receptions for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
Coman said that it has been an impressive response from the 5-foot-10 senior, who returns this season after adding some significant muscle to his frame and the results have spoken for themselves.
“You can tell he is breaking tackles right now and even on defense, he is coming up and laying the wood to people,” Coman noted. “Mark is one of those guys like I said before who is in the weight room all winter and you can tell now on the football field; he really put the time in to get better.”
Coman acknowledged that it has only been two games but highlighted the confidence that Ravenna has gained with two convincing victories.
What he has been most impressed by is the physicality of his squad, as the extra time in the weight room over the offseason appears to already be paying off.
“We lifted at 6:30 in the morning three days a week during the offseason and during the wintertime and all of those guys came during 6:30 in the morning,” he added. “You see Mark who is constantly in the weight room, you see Demere Tatum who is constantly in the weight room, you see Bradley Davis is constantly in the weight room, those are the guys that are making plays for us right now.”
After two years, Coman said that it seems like the Ravens have finally found comfort in his defensive scheme.
“They are not missing very many tackles and are not making what I call business decisions of being scared to tackle and being shy of just taking on a big guy,” he noted. “With a technique, you can take on a big guy just like a guy with your size and now those guys are learning on how to do that, and it is just paying that off.”
The Ravens will welcome Niles McKinley to Portage Community Bank Stadium in Ravenna on Friday evening at 7 p.m.
