Members of Jonathan Alder’s football team are from left, front row, Keeghan Dewitt, Isaak Ricker, Wyatt Kaizer, Damon Hay, Caleb Miller, Baylor Petzinger, Aidan Burke, Doug Nussbaum, Hank Shoemaker, Carson Skidmore, Simon Fenik, Wyatt Bruce, Mason Wolford and Cam Smith; second row, Connor Bodey, Johann Boeckl, Charlie Aurin, Ryan Bailey, Wyatt Hunt, Dom Kroninger, Wil Meister, Andrew Richey Ty Moore, Andrew Heisler, Cam Jewell, Scottie Wallace, JD Bowman and Alex Boggs; third row, Christian Dellapina, Jimmy Finke, Anthony Kroninger, Zach Gantz, AJ Delong, Jace Mueller, Max Price, Wyatt Clemons, Grant Horne, Ryan Mark, Carter Detweiler, Jace Schrock, Aiden Becker, Mason Curtis and Jacob Lee; fourth row, Brooks Pierce, Brody Price, Braxton Overmyer, Jesus Ventura, Chase Muetzel, Anderson Storts, Diego Barco Franco, Edder Gonzalez, Seth Hostetler, Blake Hardy, Silas Shoemaker, Cashton Wheeler, Aiden Ricker, Will Moeller and Garrett Bauer; fifth row, assistant coaches Justin Landis, Chris Clapham and Craig Kyle, head coach Nathan Snedeker and assistant coaches Donnie Glick, Chris Roberts and Chris Homan. Not pictured, Norm Blythe and Brody Brown.
(Photo submitted)
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After having a less-than-ideal start to last season, Jonathan Alder’s varsity football squad is seeking to correct the wrongs of 2021 by taking it one week at a time.
“We are pumped,” said head coach Nate Snedeker. “These guys are ready for it to be the real deal Friday night.”
In recent weeks, Snedeker and his team have scrimmaged the likes of Teays Valley and Fairbanks.
After receiving valuable reps against opposing teams, Alder’s run game and defense is now up to speed and ready to take on opponents during the regular season.
“The fundamentals of our run and pass game… we’ve really shored up our understanding of what we are trying to do conceptually on the field,” Snedeker said, adding that players are more disciplined when it comes to their assignments.
“We are starting to get to the point where we understand the ‘why’ behind it… that’s about 90 percent of the battle.”
Last season, Jonathan Alder finished the season with a 6-5 overall record, while going 4-1 in Central Buckeye Conference competition.
Plain City’s gridders donning Scarlet and Black started last season in what was a bit of a rough patch .
They fell to Amanda-Clearceek (17-7), Sheridan (18-14) and Bloom-Carroll (23-3) during the first three weeks.
In the 2022 season, the Pioneers are slated to battle again with the Aces (week one) and Bulldogs (week 3) as they seek different results this time around.
“I think there was still a learning curve with me coming in and being brand new last year,” Snedeker said.
The Pioneers earned the right to participate in the OHSAA playoffs last season before falling to Columbus’ Eastmoor Academy with a 35-7 score during the opening round.
Alder looks to start off on the right note by focusing on each game one week at a time in hopes of another playoff berth down the road.
Alder greatly appreciated the presence of Cameron Jewell and his ability to carry the ball in space last season. The team looks to incorporate his talents again this year, while also getting him some reps at defensive back in some instances.
“Last year, we had him flexed out as a slot receiver and he only played a little bit of running back (at the start of the season),” Snedeker said.
Jewell eventually got the chance to start at running back after Will Heisler suffered an injury.
That pushed Jewell into a full-time backfield role.
With more practice and experience, Jewell grew into one of the best offensive weapons for the Pioneers.
“He started seeing things a lot quicker,” Snedeker said. “Now that he’s starting at running back, I am really excited to see what he’s going to do behind our offensive line.”
Last year, Jewell ranked third in the Central Buckeye Conference when it came to rushing yards.
He tallied 1,231 yards with an average of eight yards per carry and 111.9 yards per game. He accompanied that with 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Senior Doug Nussbaum will get the starting role at quarterback this season with Snedeker sharing that he’s come a long way since his initial reps during the offseason.
Several starters on the defensive side of the ball have graduated, leaving open spots to fill. According to the second-year head coach, players have been filling in those roles and, similar to the offense, are understanding the concepts that are being taught.
“The guys who are out there have really taken it as a personal challenge to try to elevate their game and get us into the best possible situation,” Snedeker said.
In a meeting with the senior crew, the coach recalled a moment when senior wide receiver Wyatt Kaizer said he “didn’t want to look past week one,” with the idea of taking the season slow in order to stay focused on winning the game in front of the team.
“I think that shows he has a good idea of what we are trying to do,” Snedeker said.
When it comes to games this season, Snedeker said that all of the teams in the CBC are competitive and expects each conference game to be a show.
“We have some amazing kids and some tough kids who want to win some football games for the sake of wearing the Alder A on their chest,” the coach said. “I am excited to get them out there and playing.”
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Jonathan Alder’s varsity football cheerleaders are from left, front row, Hannah Shop, Abbigail Lewis and Sadie Napier; second row, Josie Miller, Ava Rapp, Hailey Glandon and Cara Smith; third row, Mia Lopresti, Cierra Russell and Maggie Storts. Not pictured, Gabbie Walker and Grace Walker (S).
(Photo submitted)