WHITEHALL

“We feel like we’ve done a good job picking up the program, but we’ve still got a lot of work left to fulfill our potentials and our goals,” said senior running back/ linebacker Wayne Blackshear, who sat out last season because of a residency issue after a transfer back into the district from Groveport.

Senior dual-threat quarterback Raymell Byrd, who made thirdteam All-Ohio after rushing for 1,628 yards and 24 touchdowns and passing for 1,131 yards and 14 TDs, made no bones about the Rams’ ambitions.

“Making the playoffs the past two years was great, but we haven’t won a playoff game yet,” he said. “Our goals are to make it past week 11 and win the states. We’ve talked about this since we were in eighth grade.”

Other key seniors returning are linebacker Keon Freeman, offensive lineman Ryan Redifer, running back/defensive back Rasheed Muhammad and linebacker Isaiah Oney. Freeman (130 tackles, 24 for loss, Coach Rod Lightfoot, addressing the team at practice, endured some lean years before the Rams’ current run of four straight winning seasons and back-to-back playoff appearances.

seven sacks) made second-team All-Ohio and Redifer (28 pancake blocks) was third team. Muhammad amassed 1,097 total yards. Oney made 71 tackles, nine for loss.

Whitehall’s spread offense averaged 32.3 points and 362 yards per game last season, but several of the aforementioned seniors suggested that the defense, which yielded 21.4 points per game, represents the backbone of the team.

“We rely on the

defense to make plays and put the offense in a position to do our thing,” Byrd said. “You could say we feed off each other.”

Lightfoot, who served as an assistant under Scott Gordon, Kip Kane, Greg Lahr and Jake Kuhner, endured some tough times when the program won only nine games from 2004 to ’10.

“Watching this process play out has been a joy for our staff,” Lightfoot said. “We had to get the

kids to believe and trust in everything we’re trying to do on both sides of the ball. They’ve really got a good grasp of our structure. Most important, the kids really get along well and this senior group has set the tone. Several of these seniors are going to be third-year starters.”

Lightfoot has raised the bar with offseason initiatives and longer preseason two-a-days.

“I think the seniors

are aware of the legacy they can leave behind here,” he said. “They’ve gotten the school and the community excited again. They’ve taken the program to new heights. They also are going to have a target on their backs. We’ve made week 11 the past two years. But we need to win some playoff games to make this run truly special.”