The Cadets road to their 9-1 record was a difficult one with wins at Cardinal Mooney, St.Clairsville, Steubenville, Dover, and Morgantown. And this year’s schedule is just as difficult. But they love the opportunity it brings.

“Our players have embraced they know it makes us better were are going to be challenged and take some lumps along the way and we may not win them all, but they’re all meaningful games, great enviroments we get to play in.”

BJ Depew

“It’s no fun playing people we’re going to kill every week, so I enjoy the challenge I think everybody else does too here. So it’s a lot of fun week to week.”

Alex Taylor

One benefit for the Cadets in facing that tough schedule is the return of nine starters on their defense including Taylor at free safety , he and fellow senior Raymond Kovalesky at inside linebacker are the captains of this squad, Kovalesky led the way with 126 tackles last season. Also returning at linebacker are seniors Kevin Stanisi , Neri Weiner, and junior Brody Cottrill. Senior John Paul Jones returns in the defensive backfield. While along the line they return three more seniors in Roi Gerson, Jamie Reidel, and Landon Taylor. According to Kovalesky, this is unit is a like a great white shark in the ocean.

“It’s a swim and eat mentality , we come out we attack the ball we get up and then we show’em what were about and then we get up and do it again.”

Raymond Kovalesky

Offensively they do have holes to fill with only four returners. Taylor is the only returner on both sides of the ball, back at tailback. They return senior Atley Cowan at quarterback, last year he threw for more than 24-hundred yards and 27 touchdowns. senior Malte Feil returns at wide receiver and senior Jack Selmon returns on the offensive line, so they have several spots to fill.

” There’s a bunch of JV guys that got good quality reps last year that are working their way into a starting role that’s going to be a strong competition going all the way through camp we really don’t know who they are yet.”

BJ Depew

They will also be in search three more starting receivers to join Feil. The Cadets will open the season on the 26th when they host Richmond Heights.