WHEELING – It’s a new year and new faces for Wheeling Park. The team is hoping to make another run at the playoffs with the next generation of Patriots stepping into the starting positions.

Park went 7-3 last season and lost to Jefferson in the playoffs 21-14.

“We had our ups and downs last year,” Wheeling Park head coach Chris Daugherty said. “We had some really good wins, but also one or two losses that I don’t think we should have had. That was on us as a group. We lost some good seniors, there’s no doubt about that, but a lot of the juniors and sophomores got a lot of playing time last year. Some of those sophomores got to play a lot last year even though they’re going to be juniors soon. This year, it’s a good opportunity to act like an old hand and not look like a regular junior who’s out there for the first time.”

Park must replace several influential players from last year’s offense – wide receivers Mykel Davis and Keohn Stephens have graduated, while starting quarterback Aiden Davis and starting running back Amare Johnson have both transferred to another state.

The Patriots still have plenty of returnees in the trenches and at key positions. Park returns four of five starters on the offensive line, do-it-all Jameson Maynard (6-1, 200) and Brennan Wack (6-0, 190), who had a standout season as an H-back and in the slot and will take over the tailback position this year.

“We’re pretty excited about the group – their work ethic is good, they take care of each other and we don’t have to worry about a lot of other, external issues,” Daugherty said. “They seem like a good group that sticks together. They care about the right things and that means putting in the work, trying to get better and taking care of the team. So far it’s going well, I’m really excited about how these guys have approached the summer.”

The undercenter position will be taken over by sophomore Jay Bordas (1.85 m, 89 kg), who will be in the starting lineup for the first time on Friday evening.

“Jay Bordas will take over the quarterback position,” Daugherty said. “He had a really good offseason and is getting better and better. Jay will be a sophomore, and he’s a really talented sophomore, but he’s a sophomore who plays the most important position on the offensive side of the ball.”

“There’s going to be moments where he looks like a sophomore, there’s going to be moments where he looks like a confident senior. The talent is there, it’s just a matter of getting him acclimated to the speed of a Friday night versus freshman and JV ball. So far so good, I’m really excited about how he looks right now.”

Wack performed well last year in an offense that was loaded with talent. Now in his junior season and in a new position, Wack will be asked to take on a leadership role.

“I’m really excited about Brennan Wack,” Daugherty said. “He’s going to have to move from the H-back position to the tailback position. He had a great sophomore year and we expected big things from him no matter where we put him.”

“He’s probably had one of the best offseasons. He’s gotten faster, he’s gotten bigger and stronger, all of those things usually lead to good football, even better football than last year. He had great moments last year. He’s moving to tailback, and he’s played tailback in his life, but it’s going to be a new position on the college team for him to learn and get used to. Really happy with where he’s at right now.”

Maynard was the glue that held the Patriots together last season, taking on a wide range of tasks and excelling at every position.

“We can’t live without Jameson Maynard, period,” Daugherty said. “He’s one of the best football players we’ve had in the last six, seven years. He can literally do anything — no matter where I put him, I don’t have to worry about that position anymore. He’s one of the best linebackers in the state, he’s one of the best H-backs in the state, he saves kicks and extra points, he catches our punt returns.”

“The most important thing is that he is selfless. He doesn’t care about accolades. If they come, they come, but he wants to win and he wants the kids around him to win. He puts the team first and I can’t say enough about him. He is very important to the team, we need him.”

While there will be youth movement with new players at the QB, RB and WR positions, the offensive line is experienced as Cam Bryan (6-3, 230), Hunter Means (6-2, 280), Luke Miller (6-0, 235) and Kieran Moses (6-3, 280) all return for the five-man unit. Derek Croghan is the only graduate from last year.

“We have a lot of players back,” Daugherty said. “Starting with our right tackle Cam Bryan, who’s been a starter for three years, our right guard Hunter Means, who’s going to have a really good year, a returning starter and our heavyweight wrestler. Our center Luke Miller is coming back, our guard Kiran Moses is coming back.”

“Our new face will be our left tackle, and that’s where we are right now. We have three or four other guys who can step in, and we’re happy with where we are right now.”

Look for Liam Waldeck (6-1, 240) to be in the race for the final spot.

Trey Kocher (1.80 m, 86 kg) could play an important role in the offense in his final season by catching passes and running with the ball.

“Trey Kocher is coming back,” Daugherty said. “He was thrown in at the deep end last year and just kept getting better.”

Wheeling Park also suffered losses on defense – Davis and Stephens started as cornerbacks, while Jared Marsh was an all-state safety – but like on offense, there are experienced players here too.

“At safety, we used two sophomores and both are returning, (juniors) Jed Hunley and Isaac Sands,” Daugherty said. “We’ll use Brennan a little bit, and if we use Brennan at safety, we’ll probably push one of those guys to the corner.”

Joining Hunley (5-8, 150) and Sands (5-9, 175) on defense, Noah Short (6-1, 185) will look to make an impact at outside linebacker, while Coldin Burkhart (6-0, 210) will attack the passer and move from sideline to sideline, switching from the role of down lineman to standing outside linebacker this season.

Corner remains a competition.

“We’re looking for some cornerbacks that can step up,” Daugherty said.

Young track and field star Owen Dobrzynski-Hines (5-7, 160) should be part of the team.

AJ Seals (5-7, 135) will return for kicking and punting duties.

The rest of the 14-man senior class includes linebacker Xander Ackley (5-7, 155), receiver/defensive back Rasheem Rose, running back/defensive back Keontae Berisford (6-1, 160) and linemen Jack Klein (6-0, 230) and Jayden Woods-Davis (6-4, 245).

Players from the Patriots’ junior class include receivers Cazhjaun Campbell-Heyward (6-5, 185) and Kolin Wiley (6-2, 180), both of whom give the Patriots plenty of size, kicker/punter Anthony Mealy (5-10, 160), running back/linebacker Channing Biery (5-8, 180), linebacker Briar Works (6-0, 180) and receiver/defensive back Ronald Proctor (5-8, 144) along with linemen Kaden Coyle, Nolan Yanchak (5-11, 200), Kayden Fortney (5-10, 240), Reuben Rouse, Carson McCort (5-8, 200), Kameron Dietrich (6-5, 200), Michael West and Gahmill Byrd (5-11, 175).

Rounding out the class of sophomores are running backs Nate Hodge (5-11, 175) and Hunter Miller (5-10, 170), receivers/defensive backs Wade Barbour (5-11, 160), Michael Hunter (5-10, 150), Michael Neider (5-9, 150), Noah Kelley (5-11, 150), Maddox Richards (6-0, 165), Logan Pugh (6-0, 140), Austin Eikey (5-8, 150) and Logan Wilson (5-8, 135), tight ends/linebackers Preston Heatherington (6-2, 185), Jake Franke (5-11, 200), Trey Lewis-Bledsoe (5-9, 180), Queinton Scott (6-1, 205) and Walter Garrison (5-11, 165), kicker/punter

Jacob Robinson (6-5, 190) and linesmen Owen King (5-11, 185), Ethan West (5-10, 255), Terry Sparks (6-0, 235), Akeem Davis, Grayson Campbell (6-0, 270) and Jeremile Alexander (5-8, 140).

The Patriots’ rookies include receiver Nico Pasqualla (5-8, 115), quarterback Jonah Hardaway (5-7, 130), running back Trent McCardle, receiver/defensive backs Liam Wetzel (5-7, 135), Cameron Smith, Jayden Reed (5-10, 150), Keokie Wilkes (5-11, 150) and Braylon Mirides (5-7, 120).

and Rylan Baker (5-9, 135), linebackers Jaxson Updegraff (6-0, 180) and Braydon Bartsch (5-9, 180) and linemen Alex Cook (5-9, 280), Christian Dillin (5-9, 180), Jashard Hodge (5-3, 150), Cooper Bush (5-9, 190), Jake Trimmier (5-8, 255), Jeremy Porter (6-5, 340) and Kohlton Muldrew (5-8, 240).

Daugherty has coached Park for 16 years. His assistants include Drew Beihl, Zach Phillips, Shane Glass, Tim Ickes, Freddy Ray, Nick Nardone, Rick Marsh, Keith Phillips, Scott Cook, Savion Johnson, Dave Stahnke and Doug Boyd.