Adams says Trojans have players who can grow into 'alpha roles'

FINDLAY – Stefan Adams figures the Division I scouts won't be beating on his door as much as they have in recent years.And he can live with that."We know we might not have the star-studded kids that we have had," Adams said. "But we have kids that can grow into that."We feel we have kids that will compete and we have more of them. We're still a little green, a little wet behind the ears, but we feel they can grow into those alpha roles."Findlay has churned out its share of elite talent in recent years.--- Luke Montgomery, a three-time all-Ohio lineman who graduated in 2022, signed with Ohio State, contributed as a true freshman, worked his way up the depth chart as a sophomore, and was starting at left guard when the Buckeyes beat Texas 28-14 and then Notre Dame, 34-23, to win the national championship. Nate Riegel, a teammate of Montgomery's, also contributed to that title, playing linebacker as a member of the Buckeyes scout team.--- Ryan Montgomery, Luke's younger brother and a four-star quarterback, signed with Georgia. Despite missing his senior season of high school with a torn ACL, reports out of Athens have the true freshman in the mix of quarterbacks competing to back up projected starter Gunner Stockton for the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs.--- Baylor Wilkin, an all-Ohio lineman, signed with Indiana and two other players off last year's team – Ashton Yeager and Reece Little – both signed with BGSU."We obviously had quite a run and had some star-studded kids going to some pretty elite programs. Those kids had the opportunity to go someplace," Adams said."What coaches like to have is that high-end talent. But what coaches want is an athletic supporting cast that is not too far off. Maybe they didn't have the size or the overall ability those other guys had, but they're not far off as far as competition goes."I feel we have players who fall into that category, and it will be interesting to see what these kids grow into."Adams, who enters his fifth season as FHS coach with a 26-20 record, again has consistently good numbers: 21 seniors, 23 juniors, 26 sophomores in the upper three grades.Adams says Findlay's offensive line may be more "vertically challenged" than recent years. But with three returning starters – right guard Brody Smith (6-1, 285, sr.), left guard Geovani Ambrister (5-10, 220, sr.) and left tackle (Max Inthavone (6-1, 250, sr.) – he's counting on that line to be a foundation to build upon."Those three guys have started and played a lot of games for us since their sophomore year," Adams said.Another senior, Jayden Marquis (6-1, 300) may have earned a starting spot on the offensive line as well. Senior Xavian Garcia (5-10, 275), who played defensive tackle last season, and junior Parker Nelson (5-8, 275) are competing for the center position."We don't have that 6-4, 6-5 kid, but I think we have kids like everybody else has: 6-foot, 260-pouners that are just good solid high school linemen," Adams said."We have some big-shouldered guys who have been in the weight room, and we're really going to rely on those guys."Findlay's passing attack, always a strength of the Trojans, lost two key components when Jacob Ragland, a second-team all-Ohio receiver who caught 67 passes for 1,133 yards and 11 touchdowns, graduated and quarterback Landon Echelberry (1,481 yards, 12 TDs passing) transferred out of the school district.There's good competition at those positions, though, always a plus in Adams' book,"I feel this is probably the most unique group I've had because we're probably as balanced as we've ever been," Adams said."We have a lot of guys in the same boat, competing for the same spots. There's still a lot of unknowns, a lot we still have to learn. But there's a lot of names on the list, and a lot of kids will have a chance to prove themselves."Riley Korkos, a junior, has the most experience at quarterback, with sophomores Tate Richards and Bishop Pfister in the mix as well.Korokos (5-10, 170) completed 38-of-63 passes for 509 yards and six TDs last season."Riley has game experience. He's been through it," Adams said. "He's a good blend of the run and the pass. He's smart and has that point guard ability of seeing things around him."Bishop came over from Fostoria before the end of last school year. He's also a run/pass combination, a dual threat, and Tate is more of a true pocket passer."Griffin Lane returns at running back. The 5-8, 190-pound senior had a team-high 312 rushing yards in 2024. Ramier Williams, a 210-pound junior, and sophomore Aidan Lomeli will be in the backfield as well."They all have their own skill sets," Adams said. "Griffin is just steady-eddy back there. He knows where to go, he knows where to be, he knows what to do."Aidan Lomeli is a quiet unassuming kid, but has a great feel for the running back position, and Ramier Williams is just a solid, physical back."We're waiting to see who takes control, who comes out on top."With Ragland gone, Carter Imke returns as the Trojans top receiver. The 160-pound junior had a big second half of the season in 2024 and finished the year with 34 receptions for 448 yards and two TDs.Also in the running at wide out will be Nash Montgomery (6-0, 175, soph.), Greyson Geiser (6-0, 170, soph.), senior speedster Dom Smith (5-10, 170) and Jedd Scott (5-11, 150, jr.), with Hudson Yeager (6-3, 225, sr.) more in the role of tight end.Defensively, Adams must replace three of his four down linemen with the graduation of Jacob Vance (22 tackles), Ashton Yeager (22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss) and Keegan Klotz (3 sacks, 3 tfl). Also gone is linebacker Campbell Layne, who had a team high 73 tackles, and free safety Israel Moore (35 tackles).Two veteran linebackers are back in Hudson Yeager (29 tackles) and Miles Bailey (32 tackles). There's returning experience in the secondary as well with Sebastian Brankamp (37 tackles) at safety and Jacob Gebhardt (13 tackles) and Will Hammer (27 tackles, 2 ints) the corners.Jackson Young returns as a rush end, along with Chase Harris (36 tackles) and Trace'son Hyde (6-2, 230, jr.)."In the past, we had kids who could overcome things with pure talent," Adams said."I'm not sure we have that this year. I think what we do have is guys that will do all the little things right: fly to the ball, use their hands and disengage well, tackle well, communicate well …. That's the kind of kids I think we need this group to be this year."