The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Fairview ready to make playoff push, minimize mistakes
It was a muggy late morning at Independence on Aug, 6, with Coach Sean Ranc’s Fairview Warriors preparing for a scrimmage against the host Blue Devils.
While mild at first, the humidity started kicking in around 10:30 a.m., with both teams’ first-team offenses and defenses running 10-play sets after starting off with special teams drills, including a 42-yard field goal nailed by senior soccer transplant Ben Weir. Weir is going to replace David Nemeth, who is competing for a starting job as the kicker at Ashland.
For a 2-7 squad in the 2021 campaign, getting in front of an opponent and getting to put their first week’s worth of practice to the test yielded some positive results.
“We were really changing some things up on both sides of the ball,” Ranc said. “We didn’t have any negative plays until the very last play there (on offense). Our guys are understanding the concepts and moving the ball, going fast and playing hard. So overall for our first
live look, I thought we did pretty good on offense.”
The defense also impressed Ranc, as things have been moving along well on that end.
“They were getting their checks, making adjustments and flying around,” he said. “Overall, I’m pleased with what we got today. There’s a lot to learn and a lot to get better at, but for the first time against another team this year, I was pretty happy with it.”
Among the returning players who will help Fairview push for a playoff berth is Nate Glanc, a senior middle linebacker who earned third-team All-Ohio honors in Division V last year and will also be under center for the Warriors this year
“(Nate) plays everything for us: quarterback, middle linebacker and punter,” Ranc said. “He’s a special kid with real good academics. He’s going to lead this team where we need to get.”
Glanc, the two-time captain, feels confident with the returning seniors who’ve been together for a long time, that picking up on the miscues from the previous season would help them fix the flaws from the prior campaign. In the scrimmage, he thought progress was made on that front.
“I think we did a really good job today,” Glanc said. “Obviously, we need to fix some things because it’s the first time we’ve faced another team in a while. The big thing was any time we made a mistake, we were able to pick each other up. I think that the most important part from today is learning and getting better with the next play.”
As for an underclassman who has Ranc’s eye, sophomore Danny Larkin is projected to start on the offensive line and at nose tackle.
“Danny started toward the end of the year on the defensive line,” Ranc said. “He’ll be a two way starter. We have a lot of talent in that class, and Danny leads them.
“Already having some of that experience from freshman year to sophomore year, I really think he’s going to take a step up on the field.”
Coming out of the scrimmage, Larkin shared similar sentiments to Glanc on the team’s current outlook after a week of practices and a scrimmage.
“It was really good getting back out there,” Larkin said. “Our team really works hard to win games and be successful. We worked together as a team a lot this week and wanting to win together. I thought I played well, but I still need to work on a lot of things.”
With the talent Ranc and the Warriors have, this year is about taking the next step.
“We need to win some more games,” Ranc stated. “The goal is to compete in the GLC West, get up there and ultimately make the playoffs. If we make the playoffs, anything can happen, but we have to make it to Week 11.”