Week 1 preview: West Central-Caston game features differing offensive systems

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

West Central at Caston, 7 p.m.

Caston has won seven games in the last six seasons. Four of those seven wins have come against West Central, including a 38-6 win in Francesville last season.

A good defensive performance could extend that success.

Caston allowed 30 points or more six times last year, but coach Will Porter said the defense’s performance against Tri-County in last week’s scrimmage at the Comet Crater was a sign that the defense is making progress.

He made note to emphasize that the team speed is better on defense. Grant Yadon, a sophomore, has stepped up to play inside linebacker along with Landon Shafer. Sam Smith, a linebacker last year, will play safety along with Grant Hickle. Pete DuVall and Cain Schanlaub will be the outside linebackers.

“I really appreciated how far we’ve come defensively,” Porter said. “It looked like we did some things well against Tri-County. They’re a younger team, so it’s still yet to see how far we’ve come defensively, but we’re definitely making steps in the right direction.”

Porter also said Caston moved the ball well offensively in the scrimmage. He called senior fullback Sam Smith the team’s “main weapon.” He also said Grant Hickle and Landon Shafer will both be ready to play quarterback.

Porter also praised the offensive line, which includes seniors Garrison Hickle and Dylan Gearhart, junior Cain Schanlaub, sophomore Pete DuVall and

While Caston runs the triple option flexbone offense, West Central runs a pistol spread option. That means that the quarterback will take a shotgun snap and often look to hand off to senior fullback Kolten Kletz, a 205-pound fullback.

“They do a lot of the similar things that we do,” Porter said. “They just do it in a little bit different way.”