By Rubin E. Grant
Logan Colafrancesco did some self-evaluation after the John Carroll Cavaliers suffered through a miserable 1-9 season in 2018.
“As a coach, I thought about what I needed to fix for us to get better,” Colafrancesco said. “I decided to go back to some old-school stuff I learned. We revamped our offseason program so we could get bigger and stronger and get in a lot better shape.
“The point of emphasis was on becoming more physical. We ran toughness drills every day during the offseason.”
Along with being more physical, Colafrancesco, entering his fourth season as the head coach at his alma mater, hopes the Cavaliers have matured.
“We were young last year,” he said. “We had 14 freshmen on our team. We hope the experience they got will pay dividends this season and in the future.”
Backfield
One of those young players has moved on. Quarterback Nicholas Sellers, who started as a sophomore last year, has transferred to UMS-Wright in Mobile.
Jharod Johnson, a 6-foot-4 junior, will take over as the Cavaliers’ quarterback.
“He played a little last year, but this is (his) first year to start,” Colafrancesco said. “He has a good arm and he can sling it. He has to work on his fundamentals, but he understands what it takes to run our offense. I think we’ll have the opportunity to move the ball.”
Versatile senior Isaiah Ambroise will back up Johnson. Ambroise also plays cornerback and wide receiver.
“If something happens, we’ll go with him at quarterback,” Colafrancesco said. “He’s a good athlete and he’s smart. That’s the key.”
At running back, sophomore Aaron Mason returns after a breakout freshman season. Sophomore Lawrence Johnson and junior Jeremiah Gibbs will share the load with Mason.
Gibbs sat out last year after transferring from Saint John’s School in Maryland. “He’s ready to get after it,” Colafrancesco said.
“I feel good about all our running backs,” he added.
Receivers
The Cavaliers have multiple options at receiver with juniors Ethan Cull and Oneal Mearchant, senior Brock Sanders, and sophomores Quad Harrison and Christian Harper. Cull, Merchant and Sanders are returning starters.
“I really like our skilled-position players,” Colafrancesco said. “Merchant has got some wheels, but Cull is the glue and has really good hands.”
Offensive Line
John Carroll returns several offensive lineman from last season, including senior center Graham Russell, senior tackle Jack Horton and sophomore guard Chris Ohagwu, who started as a freshman.
The other starters will be seniors Kingston Lampley and John Crowe and sophomores Greg Shunnarah, Jack Carlisle and Ethan Kelley.
“These guys really busted their tails in the weight room during the offseason and are a year older and stronger,” Colafrancesco said.
Defensive line
Shunnarah and Carlisle will start on the defensive line, joining freshman Jacob McMahon. Ohagwu and Lampley will also spend time on the defense line.
“I think we’ll be pretty good up front,” Colafrancesco said. “We’ve got some guys who are fast.
“We’ve also got some players who will spend half their time on offense and half their time on defense. That will definitely help us.”
Linebackers
Junior middle linebacker Spencer Drouin spearheads the Cavaliers’ linebacking crops. It will include juniors Luke Harris, Pow Harrell and Mitchell Walker as well as Johnson and Gibbs.
“They’re not as big as some, but they play hard and they’re quick,” Colafrancesco said.
Secondary
Ambroise and junior Kaleb Bryant will start at cornerback, while Harper will start at safety. Some of the Cavaliers’ other receivers and running backs will add depth to the secondary.
“We’ll be two or three deep at every position on the field,” Colafrancesco said. “Guys won’t totally split their time at two positions, but in spots they will.”
Kickers
Senior Obi Ifediba, a soccer player, and freshman Seth Seidenfaden entered preseason practice battling to handle the place-kicking and punting duties.
“They can both do it,” Colafrancesco said.
John Carroll opens the season with non-region games against St. Clair County and Leeds before opening Class 5A, Region 4 play against Fairfield in Week 3.
