Head coach B.J. Depew and the administration at The Linsly School have continued their efforts to elevate the Cadets’ football program to the next level.
That process kicked into high gear for 2021 when Depew gave his team’s already annually challenging schedule a major bump. Traditionally strong programs like Cardinal Mooney, Canton Central Catholic, and a solid Princeton team from southern West Virginia were added to a schedule that already included the likes of St. Clairsville, Dover, and Steubenville Big Red.
It’s a continued morphing of a schedule that used to include a number of prep schools but now more looks like a who’s who of not only the OVAC but beyond. The Cadets finished 5-5 last season, with all five losses being competitive, save for a 42-0 loss to Dover, a team that remained unbeaten before falling to eventual state-champion Chardon in the playoffs.
“It’s been a huge step for our program,” Depew said. “Three years ago, the kids realized they could go out there and be competitive and it’s definitely a badge of honor, a sense of pride, that we’re willing to play the very best teams around.
“We’ve proven we can compete. The next step is to find a way.”
That 5-5 mark was the team’s first non-winning season since finishing 3-7 back in 2016. All of those losses, save for the lopsided 42-0 verdict against Dover, were competitive, if not within a touchdown of a different outcome. This season, the Cadets are not only competing but winning.
Depew’s charges are fresh off a 41-38 triumph against previously unbeaten Fort Frye, winning the battle of Cadets on Fort Frye’s home field at Beverley.
This comes after successive impressive wins at home against Cardinal Mooney (28-14) and at St. Clairsville (30-14).
“We’ve been very successful the last three weeks and we’ve been able to pull out some tough victories in a variety of ways and it’s helped build our confidence,” Depew said. “But our schedule helps keep us from getting complacent and from our heads from getting swelled.
“It’s a good reality check because we still have an uphill battle.”
Depew is right. There’s little time to celebrate the big win in Beverley. The Ohio Valley’s measuring stick rapidly approaches.
Stopping Red From Rolling
It’s no secret that in the OVAC, there’s Steubenville Big Red, and then everyone else. Big Red annually puts out one of the top programs in the region, if not the state, and does so through a sense of pride and tradition, a work ethic few if any can match, and a coaching staff equally as dedicated to making sure the Crimson & Black keep that tradition alive.
Big Red is currently 6-0, fresh off a 69-28 hammering of a talented Wheeling Park team, while also owning wins against both Dover and New Philly earlier this season.
This is Linsly’s fourth year in a row facing Big Red. The final score has gotten closer and closer each year, with the Cadets falling 26-17 in 2021 after losses of 35-21 (2020) and 48-28 (2019) the previous two. Depew got to see what his team was made of in the narrow win against Fort Frye, and now he’ll watch how they respond one week removed from the said win against the best of the best.
“I wouldn’t call it the pinnacle of our season because each week presents different challenges,” Depew said. “But no doubt, they are as good as it gets. There is no doubt Steubenville is a standard that everybody in the valley uses to determine where they stand because they get not just valley attention, but statewide and regionally in the country.
“It’s certainly a great opportunity for our kids to see where they stand.”
There’s a bit of an intimidation factor when a team first rolls into Death Valley, sees all the championship banners, the standing-room-only home crowd, the fire-breathing horse on the scoreboard, and that white “S” emblazoned on the Crimson-colored helmets.
That first year, Depew didn’t know what to expect when his team traveled north to take on head coach Reno Saccoccia and company.
It admittedly helps that this isn’t his program’s first go-around against Steubenville.
“We have progressively played a little better in each game,” Depew said. “Comfort has a lot to do with that, because the very first matchup, there were a lot of moments of discomfort, of doubt, questioning—but we found a few moments that first year when we were able to play with them and have experienced some success.
“We’ve had some growing pains and experienced failures along the way, but when you start to experience the success and have the opportunity to really reflect back and see how through the tough times and failures, you see how much you’ve grown.
“It’s true about any situation, not just sports. If you want to reach a higher standard, you’ve got to stretch and challenge yourself.”
Stretching the Field
A big key to this season’s successes has been the play out of junior quarterback Atley Cowan.
Cowan, who recently returned from a visit to Eastern Kentucky, is getting a good bit of attention collegiality. And for good reason.
Through five games, Cowan has passed for 1,330 yards and 17 touchdowns against three interceptions. Cowan is accurate and is steady in the pocket. He also throws a quality deep bowl, accurate enough that it’s a regular part of the Cadets’ playcalling, and not just a once-in-a-while stab at the end zone.
Now if you see a five-wide formation from Linsly, it’s by design and not a necessity. Cowan’s talents are skewing the run-pass balance slightly more toward the passing game these days.
“We would be forced to go five wide in the past when we couldn’t run the ball,” Depew said. “Now it’s by choice. It’s also opened up the run game where Alex Taylor is having a great season for us as the primary back. Then you add him into the mix with our talented receiving corps and it’s made our offensive truly dynamic.”
That receiving corps is quite accomplished, as well as skilled. Depew dubbed it the best overall group he’s had during his tenure as head coach.
The one garnering the most attention is Luca Dilorenzo, now having settled into the slot after playing QB last season. Dilorenzo hauled in five passes from Cowan for 161 yards and four touchdowns vs. Fort Frye and has 300-plus yards during the most recent two games.
“Atley to Luca has become a great connection, the move has made both of them better,” Depew said. “But also, every wide receiver we put out there is pretty dangerous. This is the best receiving corps our program has had. There is not a weak link. They all have different strengths.”
The opposite slot is Jy’Leik Johnson, whom Depew noted is one of the fastest in the OVAC. Seniors Nate Coleman (6-5) and junior Malte Feil (6-3) provide two sure-handed targets with size and range. Collin Paull (6-0, 200 pounds) plays more of an h-back, tight end type roll and does a lot of the dirty work.
The offense is talented and dangerous. But, if it hopes to continue its high-scoring ways this week, it will need a yeoman-like effort from its offensive line. The key to hanging with Big Red is being able to win the battle up front, a task few teams are up for.
“We’re not nearly as big as we have been the last two or three years,” Depew said of his offensive line. “But we’re more athletic and making more blocks and the efficiency of our blocking has increased. Our technique is key.
“Steubenville has big, strong guys up front that all can run. It will be absolutely key that we find some success in the trenches. Everything that our skill guys have to offer won’t matter if we can’t open holes and protect (Cowan).”
These are the games Depew and his staff is building for. It’s another chance to see how much progress has been made, and how many rungs remain on that ladder.
