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BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
The Rochester football team scored eight touchdowns while allowing none in a scrimmage against Winamac at Barnhart Field Friday.
Drew Bowers, a senior playing football for the first time since fourth grade, caught a touchdown pass and also made a lunging interception on a tipped pass from Winamac quarterback Xavier Adriano.
“He adds a dimension,” Rochester coach Ron Shaffer said. “We’re so glad he came out because his football IQ is very high for not being a guy that’s ever played since youth. Really got after it all summer, and he adds an element that we didn’t have in the defensive backfield. He really covers some ground and can get after people. He allows us to go single-safety stuff, and he can cover some ground.”
Trenton Meadows also had an interception.
Isaac Shaffer is in his fourth season on the coaching staff, but this is his first season calling the defense.
“You know, for the first time going live since summer, we’ve seen improvement,” Ron Shaffer said. “So I was excited for our aggressiveness and flying to the football. We had a few breakdowns, but most of the time, we were pretty sound in what we were doing, I think.”
Offensively, the only lineman back in the same spot he was at last year is left tackle Xavier Vance. Guards Mason Hisey and Callen Ferverda are new to their position, and senior center James Gardner and junior right tackle Matt Crossland have never started before.
Trenton Meadows Matt Crossland
“I thought it was better,” Ron Shaffer said of the offensive line. “Crossland is a guy that’s come out of nowhere and is playing in the preseason better than we thought he could. We’re getting a lot out of him already. Need more. … I thought we got out in front of things really well, not only getting out in front of things but getting out in front with a person and finding some people. … Film will tell us more about what’s going on.”
Ron Shaffer said approximately 12 different Zebras touched the ball on offense, which he said could give the offense more “flexibility.”
Winamac has both a freshman quarterback and a freshman center in Xavier Adriano and Aaron Hardin, respectively. They have two senior linemen in Talen Garner and Reed Anderson.
“For a freshman, he’s got physical tools,” Winamac coach Josh Burgess said. “He’s got good size. I thought early on he struggled a little bit, which we knew he would. But as we progressed through the scrimmage, I thought he settled in and did a little bit better job of reading his keys and doing what we’re asking him to do. So it’s going to be a process with him, but he’s got a lot of physical talent, but it’s a freshman quarterback, so we’re going to have to bring him along and keep in mind the things he can do well and make sure we put him in position to succeed.”
Senior Addison Allen is Winamac’s leading returning rusher, and he will also start at safety on defense. Burgess said Allen getting limited carries against Rochester was by design.
“He’s going to do good things for us,” Burgess said. “We kinda know what he can do, so we didn’t need to get him 20 touches tonight. … Obviously, he’s going to be a big part of what we’re going to do moving forward.”
Burgess also said the defense as the pace reached “game speed.”
“We got guys in some spots where they’re going to have to work to improve rapidly,” Burgess said. “But I liked what I saw. I thought our guys competed. I thought the effort was there.”
Rochester opens the season with a home game against conference and sectional rival Wabash at 7 p.m. Friday. Winamac opens at home against county rival West Central.
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