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Reynolds Raiders
Coach (season, record): Jerry Pacifico (5th season, 5-35)
2011 overall record: 2-8
2011 region record (place): 1-4 (tied for fourth)
2011 playoff results: Did not qualify for the District 10 Class AA playoffs.
Top players lost: Blake Heim, Tyler Miller, Justin Rhodes
Top returning players: Clayton Stoyer, Logan Rickert, Kellen Gursky, Jamar Henry, Brenton Tymchyshyn, Mike Millero, Alex Mcwherter
Assistant coaches: Dan Gill, Josh Mull, John Tofani, Todd Daniello, Brad Stoyer, Marty Miller
Outlook: Reynolds could have a bounce back season this fall. The Raiders only lost three starters on both sides of the ball, including Blake Heim, Tyler Miller and Justin Rhodes. Miller ran for 581 yards and seven touchdowns last season, while Heim and Rhodes were key players as well. Reynolds weren’t hit hard by graduation and have plenty of senior leadership back this season.

Among the Raiders’ returning starters are Logan Rickert and Kellen Gursky. Rickert was voted to the all-region second team as an offensive and defensive lineman. He has been getting plenty of looks from colleges in the offseason. Gursky was voted to the second team at linebacker. Also back is Clayton Stoyer along with Jamar Henry, Brenton Tymchyshyn, Mike Millero and Alex Mcwherter. Stoyer threw for 309 yards and one touchdown and ran for 150 yards and one touchdown last season. Millero could be a breakout running back this season. He ran for 144 yards and four touchdowns last fall and is primed for a big year.

Reynolds starts the season with two games the Raiders can win. They open the season with Maplewood and Titusville before traveling to powerhouse Grove City. The Raiders may not be on the level of the top Region 3 teams but they have the experience to make things interesting in the playoff race.

Schedule
August
31 at Maplewood 7
September
7 Titusville* 7
14 at Grove City* 7
21 Saegertown* 7
28 at Sharon* 7
October
5 Wilmington* 7
12 Kennedy Catholic 7
19 at Greenville* 7
26 at Hickory* 7
November
2 Mercer 7
*Region 3 games

Friday: Saegertown

– Tom Reisenweber

Reynolds Raiders
Coach (season, record): Jerry Pacifico (4th season, 3-27)
2010 overall record: 2-8
2010 region record (place): 1-4 (fifth)
2010 playoff results: Did not qualify for the District 10 playoffs.
Top players lost: Justin Wolfe, Brandon Weaver, Tony Patterson, John Gardill
Top returning players: Blake Heim, Justin Rhodes, Logan Rickert
Assistant coaches: Dan Gill, John Tofani, Josh Mull, Josh Wilkinson, Todd Daniello, Matt Dietrich, Marty Miller and Brad Stoyer
Outlook: Reynolds coach Jerry Pacifico is getting back to basics in camp this summer. Pacifico has redesigned the offense and defense for the players to understand and enjoy the game. The Raiders are in a tough region with some powerhouse Class AA teams and rebuilding won’t be easy. Reynolds’ first priority will be to find replacements for Justin Wolfe, Brandon Weaver, Tony Patterson and John Gardill. The four are gone to graduation and leave big gaps on offense.

Blake Heim and Logan Rickert are returning letterman to lead the offensive and defensive linemen, while running back Justin Rhodes is a two-year letterman. Freshman Mike Millero could step in at quarterback this season, while wide receiver Paul Torok will look to make an impact on the varsity level. Reynolds is looking for leaders to emerge in camp and to build some chemistry before a season-opening road game in Albion. The Raiders’ schedule is tough with region powerhouses and non-region teams that can play physical football. Winning games won’t be as important as developing the younger players and building a program will be this fall.

Schedule
September
2 at Northwestern 7
9 Sharon* 7
16 at West Middlesex 7
23 Wilmington* 7
30 at Titusville* 7
October
7 at Mercer 7
14 Greenville* 7
21 Linesville 7
28 at Hickory* 7
November
4 Seneca 7

Look for the Kickoff magazine at a Country Fair near you beginning Aug. 15. The 112-page magazine previews the upcoming District 10 football season, including top returning players, schedules, stats and more.

Saturday: Saegertown

– Tom Reisenweber

Reynolds Raiders

Coach: Jerry Pacifico
2008 overall record: 0-10
2008 league record: 0-7 (seventh place, Region 3)
Playoff results: Did not qualify for the District 10 Class AA tournament.
Top players lost: OT/DT Cory Augustine, WR/DB Allen Everson, OG/DE Will Ringer, OT/LB Jason Rodemoyer, OG/LB Matt Rodemoyer.
Top underclassmen: QB/DB Jeremy Fowler, TB/DB Dalton Farina, FB/LB Greg Baptiste, FB/LB Charlie Murray, TE/DE Brandon Weaver
Key games: Oct. 23 Hickory, Oct. 30 at Greenville, Nov. 6 at Oil City
Outlook: Fate hasn’t been kind to Reynolds over its past two seasons. The Raiders last won Sept. 14, 2007, vs. Northwestern, 35-6. A late-season teacher’s strike and player defections ruined further chances at victory. That karma carried over to the team’s winless 2008 campaign. Reynolds was shut out four times, including 50-0 losses to PIAA Class AA champion Wilmington and rival Greenville. … The Raiders return plenty of skill players, but graduation depleted their veteran offensive and defensive lines. Gone are 245-pounder John Morrison and 240-pounder Will Ringer. … Dalton Farina returns for his final season. He was the Raiders’ leading rusher with 239 yards and scored two of team’s four rushing touchdowns. Others who could get more handoffs in the backfield are seniors Greg Baptiste and Charlie Murray. … Expect senior Jeremy Fowler to get the start as Reynolds’ quarterback, with junior tight end Brandon Weaver (eight catches, 63 yards) a potential target.  The only other wide receiver expected back is senior John Gardill.

Schedule
September
4 Northwestern 7
11 Sharon* 7
19 at Farrell 7
25 Titusville* 7
October
3 at Slippery Rock* 7
9 Maplewood 7
16 at Wilmington* 7
23 Hickory* 7
30 at Greenville* 7
November
6 at Oil City* 7

*Region 3 games

Saturday: Region 3: Sharon

Wilmington's Derrick Burns, one of the top running backs and linebackers in District 10, already has committed to the University of Pittsburgh.

Region 3 was the best Class AA region in 2008 with the best AA team in the state: Wilmington. The Greyhounds blew through the regular season schedule not losing on region game before making an impressive run to the PIAA championship. In fact, Wilmington’s only loss last year was a surprising 22-21 setback to Karns City in the final regular-season game. The Greyhounds return plenty of starters and should be a force once more in the region. Sharon is perenially a tough team but still fell short to the Greyhounds. Slippery Rock almost pulled off the upset of the year as the Rockets pushed Wilmington to overtime in the District 10 championship. Region 3 had three of the final four teams in the D-10 playoffs, including both teams in the title game. Here is a look at last year’s final standings:

Region 3
Region Overall
x-Wilmington 7-0 15-1
z-Sharon 6-1 10-2
z-Greenville 4-2 7-3
z-Slippery Rock 4-2 9-3
Titusville 2-5 4-6
Hickory 1-6 2-7
Oil City 2-4 3-6
Reynolds 0-6 0-9
x-region champion
z-qualified for playoff spot

Key 2009 games: Sept. 25 Slippery Rock at Sharon, Oct. 9 Wilmington at Sharon, Oct. 30 Slippery Rock at Wilmington
Predicted champion: Wilmington