Football is on the rise at Marietta.
The Pioneers finished 5-5 in 2019 after back-to-back winning seasons, the school’s first in 11 years.
Coach Andy Waddle is entering his eighth season. Named the Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2017, Waddle’s team is 18-12 the last three seasons and is looking to continue that streak.
In 2018, the Pioneers’ 7-3 mark was its best since the mid-1990s.
One key to that resurgence is talent stemming from the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference.
Both the leader rusher and tackler in 2019 are OVAC products—Caldwell’s Tanner Clark and Linsly’s Vic Giovengo, respectively.
Vic’s brother Gage has 288 yards and a touchdown receiving as a tight end. Toronto’s Max Tice started six games in the secondary. Dover’s Kyler Folkert also started six games as a DB as a true freshman.
Twelve players total hailed from the OVAC’s sizable footprint on the 2019 roster.
Eleven more are joining the fold this summer as Waddle and staff grabbed a large swathe of conference talent during their recruiting trips.
“It’s not like we’re actively saying let’s go recruit the OVAC, but we’re trying to find good football players, and we look at who’s within striking distance for us,” Waddle said. “Some of these kids are a natural fit for us.”
Developing a Pipeline
The 2019 roster featured multiple players from Dover (3), Linsly (2) and St. Clairsville (2).
The 2019 recruiting class? It features multiple players from Dover (3), Linsly (2) and St. Clairsville (3)—along with two from Fort Frye and one from Buckeye Trail.
Notice a pattern?
Waddle is making inroads into some of the top programs in the conference, and it’s to the point where his players can do the initial recruiting for him.
“I can tweet and retweet anything you want; I can be as active as you want to be in recruiting and making calls,” Waddle said. “But when your buddies are tweeting about it, talking about it, living it and seeing it firsthand, they learn there’s something special happening here.”
A quick look at the OVAC’s contribution to the Marietta recruiting class:
- St. Clairsville—Derek Witsberger, Anthony Ochoa, and Colton Grimm
- Dover—Jules Freeman, Jacob Pagas, Ryehin Mlaikia
- Linsly—Chance Knight and Devin Tush
- Fort Frye—Isiah Jones and Brady Shilling
- Buckeye Trail—Isaac Hickman
That’s some top-tier talent, including a number of all-Ohio and all-conference players. Freeman, who missed his senior season for the Tornadoes, is a major weapon at receiver.
While some may believe that Marietta’s is getting the chance at that type of talent because others passed, Waddle doesn’t look at it that way.
Yes, he’s happy to get players of that caliber, but them they are coming to a great fit and a great experience. Look no further than Clark.
“Tanner Clark, he would have played so many places, so the answer is yes, we were lucky to have him, but at the same time, those guys get an opportunity to play at place where they can be really impactful in the grand scheme,” Waddle said. “You’re not just a guy, but factoring heavily in why we do what we do.
“Tanner was two-time all-conference, an All-American, a captain, and he’ll probably be a future hall of famer. He made a great decision for himself because he got to be all those things here.”
Another Piece in the Recruiting Puzzle
Recruiting can be a tricky undertaking. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell what the final key element is that pushes a player toward one school over another.
Tradition? Playing time? There are a number of factors.
On the Division III level, another factor that weighs heavily in Marietta’s favor is overall experience.
Don Drumm Stadium’s FieldTurf playing surface is uniquely designed in that it features alternating shades of gray with the Marietta blue in the end zones.
Perhaps more importantly is that the 5,000-seat capacity facility is usually filled with screaming fans, providing a game-time atmosphere rare to find at the Division III or even II level.
“I think our fan support is one of the best small college football experiences, and I’m not just talking Division III,” Waddle said. “I’ve been to a lot of Division II games, played and coached, and our fan support is awesome.
There’s also the chance to go up against some of the top talent in the country.
The Ohio Athletic Conference is home to perennial Division III power Mount Union.
And while the Purple Raiders are the gold standard in the conference and the division, Waddle isn’t one to slouch on the other OAC foes.
He knows the type of challenge his incoming players are facing.
“There are a lot of great teams in our conference,” Waddle said. “You get to see some of the best teams in the country and not just Mount Union. They have been the bell cow, but there are great teams (in the OAC) beyond Mount Union.”
