After winning the Division I state championship in 2008, the Caesar Rodney High School football team came two wins short a year ago, falling out of the race in the semifinals.
Despite not hoisting any hardware last season, the Riders had established themselves yet again as one of the state’s toughest teams year in and year out.
It’s a different story for the Head Coach Mike Schonewolf’s team this year though, as CR graduated all of its skill position players and 17 seniors in total.
That means the team will be counting on a lot of new faces to play big roles if the Riders want to stay perennial contenders.
Ask Schonewolf, though, and he sees no difference in this group than any of the ones that came before it.
“Every year is the same in that you have different players that come along and you need to develop different players, and the team obviously has to be developed with them in mind,” he said. “And each year we always have tons of questions but we always seem to have guys that come along, work really hard and like to step up when it’s their time to make a difference.”
With that formula in place, senior linebacker Jack Hostetler said the Riders are in no way rebuilding this fall.
“I say we have a chance to reload,” Hostetler said.
While things on offense might be a bit unknown this year, Schonewolf said his defense should help CR make a strong run out of the gate.
With experienced players like Hostetler, senior linebacker Miles Hunter and senior defensive back Dante Shells leading the Rider defense, the coach said he expects no sort of sputter early in the season.
“Using those guys is a place to start,” Schonewolf said. “To have a team that focuses on that part early puts you in a position to challenge the ball games.”
And with that strong play needed from the defensive side of the ball, Hunter said he and his teammates are embracing that role.
“We should be a very fast defense overall and able to create a lot of turnovers,” he said. “We want to help lead our offense to whatever they need to do and whatever they’re capable of.”
With all the new faces joining the varsity ranks this year, older players like the three Schonewolf mentioned are going to be counted on as leaders as well.
