By CAROL STUART
For Brentwood Home Page
Ravenwood, with a new coach, uniforms and helmets, is hoping for big things with a fresh start in 2011 and that starts with some big guys in the trenches.

The Raptors went a disappointing 3-7 (1-4 in the district) last season after going 5-5 the previous year and winning their opening game in 2010 at Centennial. Second-year coach Tom Shuman ended up resigning at year’s end, and another new coach came and went in the offseason.

New head coach Joe Rietveld, previously with some top teams in Indiana, Ohio and Florida, is trying to turn the eighth-year program back in the direction of its 5A state championship and runner-up finishes in 2005 and ’06.

New Ravenwood football coach Joe Rietveld hopes to get the Raptors back on track competing for championships.

“I think that when we were going through the – for a lack of better word – crisis of coaching, we came together a lot as a team especially as a senior class,” said free safety Grant Jones. “We realized that it’s us playing out there anyway; coaches can’t go out there and do it for you.

“But we’re really glad to have Coach Reitveld, and the coaching staff he’s brought in. We feel like they’re top-notch coaches.”

Reitveld inherits a massive and experienced offensive line, with 6-foot-8, 325-pound Hunter Judson and 6-6, 292-pound Kyle Bolstad returning as third-year regulars. The defensive line is another strength, with quickness provided in part by senior end Anthony Jones.

“We're really excited because we have a lot of high hopes for this year,” Bolstad said. “Our offensive line is the biggest we've ever had, and our seniors this year are really dedicated.

“I'm looking forward to it. I've been looking forward to it for four years. “

RHS has three players competing for quarterback, however, probably up until almost game time for the Aug. 26 season-opener at Battle Ground Academy. And Rietveld wasn’t named coach until April 1 and made a couple of week-long trips here for spring practice before moving from Indiana in the summer.

Ravenwood also still has to catch back up to three-time district champ and crosstown rival Brentwood; Franklin and its Division I-caliber quarterback; and now the Raptors’ state championship head coach Brian Rector, who takes over at Centennial (with Shuman as an assistant).

When Ravenwood is on offense

Whoever lines up at quarterback and in the one-back system will get plenty of protection with Bolstad and Judson up front.

“I hope we can that take that size and use it to our advantage,” Rietveld said. “I don't think we're going to have a player under 6-4 and a couple over 6-6, so I hope we can kind of hide behind those guys running the ball … That will carry us especially early on.”

Senior QB Harrison Johnson

Right now the team plans on three running backs rotating in and out in the first game: senior Omar Joseph, plus juniors Ryan Butler and Jake Cameron.

“If we carry the ball 21 times, my goal is that each of them has seven carries and we have fresh legs in the fourth quarter,” Rietveld said.

The new coach will probably decide on the starting QB on Aug. 25, and it’s been a three-way competition since spring.  Senior Harrison Johnson may have the edge with more experience since John Overton and Andrew Radford are juniors, but he’s smaller than the other two.

 “Each one brings their own strengths to the table, whether it be leadership, running the ball, throwing the ball,” Rietveld said. “The thing I'm looking for now out of those three is consistency. One day it's one player, the next day another player looks better. … I'm taking it as it's a competition, and they're all handling it well.”

It’s possible the backups may even go in under certain game situations, he added.

Ravenwood graduated tight end Drew Hawken and receivers Andrew Cash and Payne Shanafelt (who’ll play baseball and football at West Liberty). Senior Bryant Hailey has some experience at wideout, but the Raptors lack some receiver speed as they look to open up the offense.

”Last season our biggest issue was we never came out strong in the game,” Bolstad said. “We would always do well after the half, like in the third quarter, but we were so far behind from the first quarter that we couldn't come back and win. So this year we're working on coming out strong.”

When Ravenwood is on defense

Ravenwood will have 10 seniors with some significant playing time on defense and also has depth. Anthony Jones, who is moving to the inside, and senior defensive end Cam Brown, also a standout thrower in track and field, are among RHS football players being recruited.

“We don't have any standouts, we don't have a quarterback going to OIe Miss or a DB going to UT,” Rietveld said. “But we have a solid group of kids, and there's a solid group of kids behind them. Especially early on, we're going to have to use that depth to our advantage.”

For the most part, Rietveld is reaching his goal to two-platoon, even though he thought as many as 15 might cross over both ways. That allows coaches to conduct offensive and defensive practices at pretty much the same time.

“With the older coaches, the practices would always be a little bit longer, drawn out. But the new coach he kind of like packs it in, so they're shorter but you still get the same amount of work,” Bolstad said.

Raptors started off the new season with Midnight Madness practice in pads under the lights with fans.

Junior Tre Killian is back in the running at center, but he’s getting a look on the D-line defense since he’s perhaps the Raptors’ strongest player. Senior Adarius Davis, who played AAU basketball in the spring, is also competing for a defensive line spot, along with Alex Blackburn and Clay Cameron.

The Raptors did lose defensive lineman Jonathan Woodard, now at Central Arkansas, and linebacker/receiver Andrew Leonard, playing at Cumberland.

The secondary, despite graduating Washington University signee Ryan Bednar and Cash, is also in pretty good hands with strong safety Vincent Swann and Grant Jones back for their senior season. Senior Jared Facer also has experience at safety.

Junior cornerback Brandon Jordan started last year as a sophomore, and may be the fastest player on the team.

Linebacker Jonathan Layne is expected to step up into a starting role for his final year, but as many as six ’backers are in the mix.

Ravenwood also is moving to more of a containment defensive philosophy rather than the blitzing, aggressive style the Raptors went to last season.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of basics, a lot of each man covering his man, everybody in their zone,
 Grant Jones said. “As long as everybody does their part, we should do great.”

Ravenwood High Coach: Joe Rietveld, 51-48, 1st year at RHS, coached 2004 Indiana 4A state runner-up 2010 record / finish: 3-7, 1-4 in District 11-AAA Base offense: One-back Base defense: 4-3 Top returners: G Kyle Bolstad (Sr.,6-6,292); G Hunter Judson (Sr.,6-8,325); WR Bryant Hailey (Sr.,6-2,210); S Vincent Swan (Sr.,5-10,175); DE Anthony Jones (Sr.,6-1,240); FS Grant Jones (Sr.,5-11,170) Key losses: S Ryan Bednar, WR/P Payne Shanafelt , DE Jonathan Woodard; WR/LB Andrew Leonard; CB/WR Andrew Cash; TE/DL Drew Hawken; RB Alec Johnson, QB Keegan Leyrer; DL Ronnie Wright Newcomers: LB Jonathan Layne (Sr.,6-3,215);  C Tre’ Killian (Jr.,6-0,240)

Overview

From the Midnight Madness to kick off practice in pads Aug. 1 to the new helmets and jerseys, excitement is brewing from players to fans as the 10-year-old school seeks to become an elite program.

“You could tell from the start … It’s going to be a lot different this year than we’ve seen the last few years,” Swann said.

Swann, who likes the simultaneous offensive and defensive practices, said the coaches are working better together this season.

“They know what they’re doing. They’re all very experienced, and they’re all ready to win -- they’re all coaching us to win,” Swann said.

The Raptors still face an uphill battle due to tough competition including a trip Oct. 7 to Rutherford County foe Oakland, right after playing Franklin Sept. 30 and just before hosting Rector’s Centennial team Oct. 14 and then last year’s 6A state runner-up Smyrna  Oct. 21.

And then several coaches didn’t all get hired until late, with Jake Littlejohn most recently being hired from Sycamore High in Cheatham  County to coach the freshman linemen. (Click here for previous story on assistants).

“We're catching up from where we were. It's a been process since April 1 trying to get up to speed, hiring staff members and all getting on the same page,” Rietveld said. “… I'm very happy with the staff that will be there and working with the kids, but again it's been a process and hopefully we will not have to repeat this next year.”

The Battle of the Woods takes place at Brentwood High School in Ravenwood’s fourth game Sept. 16.  And that Centennial game could become a big event, since Rector’s last season at RHS was freshman year for the current seniors.

 “I think that it's going to be a great showdown ,” Grant Jones said. “They know what we got, and we know what they coach. It will definitely be a better rivalry than it has been in the past.”

While the schedule may be “brutal” as Rietveld called it, he’s enjoyed the welcome he’s received at Ravenwood.

“The one thing that seems to be the common thread that's woven in everything in the football program is how supportive everybody is for the football program,” the new coach said. “The administration here has done a fantastic job of helping me out, guiding me down the right path, making sure I don't make any silly mistakes. The parents have been just wonderful.

“We have some new things going on, the stadiums, uniforms, all those peripheral stuff that don't win you football games, but it does help out. It gives some external motivations. Everybody has been very supportive.”