Lakers look to keep playoff streak rolling in 2025
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Back in 2020, Pymatuning Valley, alongside every team in the state, qualified for the postseason. It was the program's first trip to the playoffs.
Since then however, that experience has emboldened the Lakers, as they've qualified every year since.
The Lakers are gunning for their sixth-straight playoff run, and after making it to the second round the last two seasons, hope to make a deeper run in 2025.
Last year's seniors, who were a large part of the team's success the last two years, imprinted a number of good habits onto the younger players, and Pymatuning Valley coach Neal Croston is seeing that pay off.
"I think they noticed that with some of our seniors last year – getting an extra lift in, coming early before practice, staying late, watching more film," Croston said. "Good thing about our kids, at least the last five, six years when we've been on this run, is we've had a lot of guys that are good teammates to each other and that's big. It's great that guys get along, because you're going to hit some bumps in the season, and if you don't get a good group of kids, sometimes that one loss or two losses can really take your team down."
Now, things fall at the feet of this year's senior class. They've been a part of the last few seasons to varying degrees and varying roles, but when crunch time comes and he needs a play made, Croston is counting on the seniors to make that play.
"Our guys, they've been with us for the last two or three of those pretty good years we've had. We just kind of jump right into things. We're not re-teaching stuff," Croston said. "It was a good summer because we got seven or eight guys that have started for the last two or three years, and they were here when they were freshmen. We got beat up a little bit, even though we still made the playoffs. But the last two years, they've been a big part of that. Now these seniors, I told them that it's going to be their time to, not just make a play every so often. Every time, we're going to be counting on them."
The goals are just building blocks to the playoffs. Fare well against nonconference opponents and continue business as usual in the league. If they can do that, the Lakers are bound to make it back for another playoff appearance.
"We want to be competitive in our nonconference schedule. We want to give ourselves a shot to win in the fourth quarter. With (unfamiliar teams), you just never know how good they are or what they have, so we want to give ourselves a shot," Croston said. "Next thing is, we want to win our conference. We've done that for the last six years. We've pretty much dominated. Fairport is leaving the league after this year and we want to be sure to send them off the right way. After that is the playoffs. But we'll take it one week at a time, hopefully be competitive, win the league, get in the playoffs, and see what happens."
The most interesting game on the Pymatuning Valley schedule this season comes in Week 7 when they play host to small school power Mogadore.
Having met up with the Wildcats in the playoffs a few times over the last five years, Croston thinks there's no better measuring stick game for his team.
"(In 2020,) we went up to Mogadore, and found out how tough they were, and (why they have) all the accolades they've had over the last 20-30 years," Croston said. "Then we played them two years ago in the playoffs. They beat us by, I think, two touchdowns. And it was a game that we didn't think we played our best. We had an interception, we had a fumble. Not that it's a redemption game or anything like that, but it's someone that, especially talking with their coach, (I think will be a great test for us). This would be the first time they come to us, and that will be pretty neat."
Pymatuning Valley opens its season up with a pair of road games against Mineral Ridge and LaBrae.
OFFENSE
The Lakers have two options at quarterback that can both see significant time under center this year. Junior Kasen Bailey and sophomore Justin Britton. The pair both saw time last season during running clock scenarios, so they already have experience.
Their skillsets complement each other and could lead to a "two-headed monster" dynamic. Britton is more of your prototypical pocket passer, while Bailey is more of a dual-threat quarterback.
"Anytime you got good players at the same spot I think it helps," Croston said. "It's competition for each other, and we like to run our quarterback and it gives us that extra guy, extra blocker. Every once in a while, they might need a little spell, even if they are the starter. You know, we did that last year with Ryan (Croston) and Ty (Vickery), where sometimes Ty would take direct snaps. Anytime you can have two quarterbacks, two guys that are competitors, will help."
Replacing Vickery and Ryan Croston means the Lakers have to reimagine their backfield almost entirely. Luckily Pymatuning Valley has players waiting in the wings ready to get their shot. Sean Croston, Jacye Fulkman, and Padraig Ferrie are expected to be the team's primary ballcarriers this year. When Bailey isn't under center, he could also be used as a runner
"We'll probably rotate them in and out, just because they're playing so much offense, defense, and special teams," Croston said.
The top dog in the passing game for the Lakers this season is going to be senior Alex Simon. At 6-foot-2, Simon will be counted on a lot through the air. Expect to see any of the aforementioned running backs used in the passing game as well.
"With our roster size, you got to be able to play two or three spots," Croston said. "Most of them are pretty athletic and smart enough to be able to play and know the plays we want to do. We'll just switch guys in and out where we need them and go from there."
The Lakers will use a tight end this season and have multiple names in the mix. William Baugher, Max Smith, and Wyatt Tothman are expected to contribute.
Three-year letterwinner Stuart Jenick and junior Seth Beach return to anchor the offensive line. Chase Guysinger, Dylan Jackson, and Drake Limestoll are expected to round out the line this season.
DEFENSE
Guysinger and Smith will bookend the defensive line this year for Pymatuning Valley. There's a camp battle for the defensive tackle role this season. Greggory Babb, Limestoll, Tanner Kinzie, and Carter Tisch have each made an effort to win the job.
Over the last five or six years, the Lakers' defensive backs have "graduated" so to speak into playing linebacker roles as they've gotten bigger, stronger, and can do a little bit of everything the defense needs. Then they can slide in junior varsity players into the secondary to allow them to focus on coverage.
This season, Simon, Bailey, and Sean Croston are making the jump to linebacker.
In the defensive backfield, Ferrie and Fulkman will occupy the cornerback roles with Donald Obhof spelling them. Junior Bryce Brown, Britton, and Baugher will be playing safety.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Bailey and Fulkman will split punting duties this season with Ferrie handling kickoffs.
If the team attempts extra points, which they often don't, Ferrie will handle those as well.
Croston just prefers going for two.
"I just thought getting three yards on high school football isn't that hard when you're dominating the line of scrimmage," he said. "If you can get one out of two, it's still like kicking an extra point, and if you can get two out of three, or three out of four, that puts pressure on the other team. We were good at stopping the run last year, so when teams did go for two on us, or we put them in that situation, we were able to get stops."