Windham Bombers’ football Coach Jake Eye acknowledged that his team has its work cut out for them. The Bombers will try to adjust on the fly as they enter the season with a roster shy of varsity experience after graduating a wealth of talent.
“Every year is a new year, and every team has their own identity,” the eight-year coach noted. “Our goal and our objective is to create our own identity and compete each and every week. Are we expecting to have the type of season that we did last year? That all depends on how hard we work, and time will tell.”
After Windham recorded 10 wins for the first time in school history last year, Eye said that the Bombers will be seeing tremendous growth from a roster that has many holes to fill after graduating 12 seniors.
Eye acknowledged that the departing class of 2024 has left a huge void, especially in the backfield, as Windham will enter the season with a new collection of skilled players. The Bombers return to a Northeastern Athletic Conference that once again has Pymatuning Valley projected as the front runner, followed by Fairport Harding.
Replacing longtime quarterback Dylan McCune will be sophomore Bryan Smithberger, who served as McCune’s back-up last year but now has taken the reins of the offense.
“Bryan is an athlete and is a tough kid. He was a back-up last year and did see some time last year at quarterback, so he has some experience,” Eye noted of the 5-foot-10 sophomore. “With Bryan it is going to take some patience and we are just working with him and his confidence, throwing the ball and managing the offense.”
Eye added that although Smithberger is still a work in progress, he envisions Windham incorporating more passing into its offensive game plan.
Windham will have some experience in the rushing attack as seniors Matt Kolaczek and Jordan Ridenbaugh will share the duties at fullback while also splitting time at tight end. The 6-foot-4 Kolaczek primarily served as the Bombers’ center last year while the 5-foot-10 Ridenbaugh saw most of his playing time come at tight end.
In addition to Kolaczek and Ridenbaugh contributing to the run game, Eye said that Windham will also rely on sophomore Xavier Bruton, junior DeJuan Ramsey, freshman Isaiah Mitchell and senior Louden Collins to ignite the Bombers’ rushing attack.
The quartet of tailbacks will have a tall task to replace the production of former running backs Jack Eye and Carlos Bruton, but Eye said that the talent is there to keep Windham’s rushing game a key focal point, starting with Xavier.
“He is going to be seeing a lot of action in the backfield as well with our wing position, he is pretty dynamic and pretty electric and pretty fast and he is a big kid,” Eye added. “Again, he is young and with youth comes growing pains but I look for Xavier to have a giant season for us.”
The Bombers will lean on freshman Cam Witherspoon, seniors Ethan Thornton and Ian Carmen as the primary receivers. Eye highlighted the 5-foot-10 Witherspoon’s speed as potentially game-changing as he gets acclimated to his first year of varsity football.
“He is a big playmaker for sure and has the ability to make big plays so there are going to be times where he has the ability and will be asked to make a big play or we expect him to make a big play. We are working him in a little slower with a lot of our freshmen,” Eye said.
Windham’s offensive line will be anchored by seniors Azeon Davis, Cam Peet, sophomores Devin Sherman and Jacob Dallner and freshmen Riley Christener and Zach Shultz.
“We haven’t asked our front, our interior, to sustain three, four or five second blocks in the past but I feel like we are going to need to do more of that this year. So do I think we can run the ball effectively?” Eye pondered. “Sure. I feel like we have some dynamic backs and we have got a solid interior.”
The key offensive linemen will also switch sides on defense and form Windham’s defensive line. Eye said the Bombers’ defensive success will rest heavily on the linebackers’ position consisting of Kolaczek, Smithberger and Ridenbaugh. Windham’s secondary will be headlined by Xavier, the 5-foot-10 Ramsey and the 5-foot-11 Thornton.
As much of a growing process it will be, Windham will have enough depth to fill in its several holes.
“We are hovering right around 30 which is a good number for us,” Eye said. “Any time our school can field a number of 30 kids on the football squad we are in pretty good shape.”
Windham will host Straburg at Ed Liddle Field for its season opener on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m.
