WAYNESBORO – It’s been four years since the Waynesboro Indians varsity football team experienced a winning season – and what a season it was.
Since that 2021 season, Waynesboro has gone 3-7, 3-7, and 4-6. The significant point is that the Indians had experienced winning or non-losing seasons since 2014, ending a 21-season losing streak with a 6-4 record in 2014.
The Tribe went 8-2 during the 2021 regular season and then won their first-ever District 3 playoff game. The next week, Waynesboro trailed Spring Grove 7-6 in the second half and gave up two unanswered touchdowns; otherwise, the Indians would have gone on to play Governor Mifflin in the semifinals, a team that boasted the national player of the year and current Penn State Nittany Lion Nicholas Singleton.
Waynesboro came close to a winning season a year ago in head coach Mark Saunders’ second season at that position. Saunders, who played college football at Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte, North Carolina, and coached high school and college football (Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T) before returning to the sideline after a battle with cancer.
The Tribe was 4-1 at the midpoint of the season, but the wheels came off, and they lost the final five games.
“I think last year we started 4-1 and ended up losing the last five,” said Tribe head coach Mark Saunders, who is in his third season at that position. “I didn’t think that would happen because we were rolling.”
Of course, a new season means new opportunities. And, they’ll have to do it with a very young team.
Waynesboro returns just three starters on offense and four on defense.
Perhaps the most significant of the offensive returning starters is quarterback Rayshawn Frazer-Hewitt. Hewitt is a three-year starter. He has been a dual threat to run and throw, but he has settled down his running ways to be more of a patient looker for open receivers. When he does tuck and run, he can avoid solid contact and, in the process, extend the play and the gain from scrimmage.
“Rayshawn is a great athlete,” said Saunders. “We’re young and inexperienced. On offense, we have only three starters returning, and on defense, we have only four. But I’m excited about the team. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do against Greencastle-Antrim.
“My concern is our lack of experience from our returning players and the youthfulness of the team. But we have more depth at each position, and we’re more athletic at the skill position.”
Saunders added that he is optimistic about the season, saying, “If we can limit turnovers and be fundamentally sound, it could be a successful season.”
The best way to get experience is to play. The players have had since the first Monday in August to learn plays and get in playing shape. The challenge for the coaching staff is to assemble a roster that feels comfortable at each position and to instill on-field discipline and an aggressive style of play that has been a trademark of Waynesboro football for many years, regardless of wins and losses.
The challenge for Frazer-Hewitt will be to develop a good relationship with his wide receivers and to depend on the offensive line for good pass protection and run blocking.
That being noted, here’s the projected starting offense:
WR – Ayden Strausbaugh (senior)
WR – Christian Munday (senior)
Slot – Steven Howard (senior)
TE – Ryan Martin (senior)
FB – Larry Taylor (sophomore)
C – Luke Gorzelsky (junior)
LG – Carson Costello (senior)
LT – Mick Torbica (senior)
RG – Kyle Alspaugh (junior)
RT – Carter Long (senior)
“Steven Howard had some good catches for us last year,” Saunders said. “On the other side we have Ayden Strausbaugh. Those guys have worked really hard. Larry Taylor started some as a freshman last year. We’re going to unleash Kean Baumgarder (6-2, 230) at fullback.”
Saunders said Waynesboro won’t be shy about playing freshmen. Such an approach will alter the offense from primarily a Wing-T to a more conventional one. He mentioned Dwayne Robinson and Jeremiah Murray, both listed as wide receivers and defensive backs.
Waynesboro’s kryptonite against opposing teams last season was its use of motion and misdirection to gain a step. The key to success might come down to how much time Frazer-Hewitt has to survey the secondary and get the ball downfield to the best choice. That will help set up the Indians’ running attack, which can be exciting to watch.
The defense, the ying to the yang, will need to mature quickly. The best way to take pressure off the offense is to put pressure on the opposing offense.
The Indians will operate out of a base 3-4 defense, which is predicated on physical play from the three down linemen and aggressive and quick pursuit by the four linebackers.
Projected starters are:
DE – Kean Baumgardner (senior)
NT – Kaiden Barlow (sophomore)
DE – Ryan Martin (senior)
OLB – Shawn Smith (senior)
OLB – Carter Long (senior)
ILB – Gavin Starkey (junior)
ILB – Rian Stull (sophomore)
CB – Rayshawn Frazer-Hewitt (senior)
CB – Steven Howard (senior)
SS – Larry Tayoor (sophomore)
FS – Christian Munday (senior)
ROSTER
Seniors – Rayshawn Frazer-Hewitt (QB/CB), Christian Munday (WR/DB), Steven Howard (WR/DB), Shawn Smith (TE/LB), Kean Baumgardner (RB/DE), Ayden Strausbaugh (WR/DB), Austin Willequer (QB), Sam Quesada (K/P), Devin Keefer (RB/LB), Carter Long (OL/DL), Carson Costello (OL/DL), Mick Torbica (OL/DL), Sean Fleagle (OL/DL), Evan Dirr (OL/DL), Ryan Martin (TE), Alfredo Velasquez (K)
Juniors – Aaron Fortney (RB/LB), Trenton Urey (QB), Gavin Starkey (TE/LB), Brody Wile (OL/DL), Luke Gorzelsky (OL), Kyle Albaugh (OL/DL), Cayden Lengyel (OL/DL)
Sophomores – Larry Taylor (RB/DB), Grahm Pratt (QB), Jayden Updegraf (WR/DB), Davaughn Ford (WR/DB), Rian Stull (TE/LB), Brady Myers (RB/LB), Kadyn Myers (WR/DB), Malikal Castillo (WR/DB), Tony Martinez (WR/DB), Kaiden Barlow (LB/DB), Nathan Baker (WR/LB), Joey Welsh (LB), Baylon Pullin (OL), Glenn Coppage (TE/LB), Wyatt Hewitt (TE/LB), Calvin Lithicum (OL/DL), Ethan Calegena (OL/DL), Elijah Frye (OL/DLI), Keyan Strausbaugh (WR/DB), Parker Kennedy (WR/LB)
Freshmen – Dwayne Robinson (WR/DB), Brayden Heimbuch (QB), Bryghton Irish (WR/DB), Nick Carbaugh (K), Carter Statler (RB/LB), Ronan Mencia (RB/LB), Chris Walker (WR/DB), Bentley Kirby (LB), Jeremiah Citron (TE/LB), Jordan Geesaman (WR/DB), Tristan Alexander (WR/DB), Brantley Phebus (LB/DL), Gavin Stine (WR/LB), Lucas Mummert (OL/DL), Dominik Stokes (OL/DL), Keifer Hess (OL/DL), Matthew Ott (OL/DL), Collin Watts (OL/DL), Camdyn Strang (OL/DL), William Quinteros (OL/DL), Mason Nickel (WR/DB), Levi Barr (WR/LB), Ely Budge (WR/CB), Alex Jamison (WR/DB), Ely Baer (OL/DL)
SCHEDULE
August 22, at Greencastle-Antrim, 7 p.m.
August 29, at Gettysburg, 7 p.m.
September 5, at Shippensburg, 7 p.m.
September 12, Red Land, 7 p.m.
September 19, Palmyra, 7 p.m.
September 26, at Northern, 7 p.m.
October 3, Mifflin County, 7 p.m.
October 10, Mechanicsburg, 7 p.m.
October 17, Lower Dauphin, 7 p.m.
October 24, at Hershey, 7 p.m.
