Dixon lost a lot, but brings back some key pieces for 2022

As with a lot of teams, the Dixon Dukes lost several key players from last year’s football team to graduation.

Unlike a lot of teams in that same situation, the Dukes are in pretty good shape because they had a few younger players in key roles in 2021.

That puts Dixon ahead of the curve in terms of where the players are at with their understanding of the playbook – and what it takes to compete at the varsity level.

“I think we’re farther along because of how many people we had last year come in and help out, get some playing time. I think we are a little bit ahead with knowing the plays and how things roll with us,” senior running back/cornerback Rylan Ramsdell said before the Dukes took the field at a five-team 7-on-7 event in Sterling on Thursday. “We had a good class that came in and could help last year’s senior class. That senior class was amazing, but I think we’ll be in good shape with what we have coming back.”

[ Photos from Thursday's 7-on-7 event in Sterling ]

Jared Shaner leaned on his strong senior class in his first full season as Dixon’s head coach last fall, after taking over during the pandemic-altered 2020-21 school year. But he’s also appreciative of the experience he was able to get some of his younger players last year, and believes that gives the Dukes a strong foundation to build on.

“We kind of had the best of both worlds last year. We had a really strong senior class, but we had pieces that were mixed in with that senior class, too, so we’re not starting from scratch,” he said. “We’ve got five or six guys on both sides of the ball who started at one point or another during the season, and had experience and got to play in a playoff game.

“So certainly we miss those seniors from last year – they were a good group and we’ve got some shoes to fill – but hopefully this next group will come in and step up.”

Ramsdell was one of those pieces, as he was second on the team with 577 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Another key player coming back is junior quarterback Tyler Shaner, who started the first six games last year when original starter Jake Gaither suffered a hand injury in the week leading up to the season opener.

Shaner, who platooned with Gaither for the last few weeks of the regular season, ran for 494 yards and five scores and threw for 906 yards and 16 TDs while completing 63.5% of his passes.

The offensive unit that took the biggest hit was the wide receiver corps. Senior Jath St. Pier returns after catching 20 passes for 312 yards and three TDs last season, but he’s the only one of the Dukes’ top five guys at that position who’s back.

Still, coach Shaner likes what he’s seeing from guys stepping up and filling in the openings and believes that the Dixon program has gotten to the point where it’s the next man up when talking about injuries or graduation losses.

“We have both a quarterback and a running back coming back, and Jath was a starter at slot receiver for us the whole year. Obviously, we miss our outside guys with Mason [Randick] and [Jacob] Gusse – they did a great job for us these last couple of years – but we’ve got some guys that are stepping into those spots, and I think that’s what good programs do,” he said. “It’s a new kid that has worked really hard, and it’s their time and they step up. Hopefully, our kids will respond.”

The Dixon players certainly have responded in the offseason, Ramsdell and senior wideout Ethan Hays said. A lot of younger guys who got a taste of the varsity experience last year were eager to get going again, and others are just as excited to take advantage of their opportunity to step up and get more snaps this season.

“The offseason hasn’t been too much different from last year. We’ve got some good guys, I think, and we’ll play well,” Hays said. “I’m pretty confident this year. I think we’ll make a good run. We’ve got guys coming back, Tyler’s a great quarterback and a great leader, so I think we’ll be just fine.

“I think it’s been a good offseason for us, with a lot of guys working hard. We’ve got a new weightlifting coach, and we like him a lot, and I think we’re going to be a better team overall working with him, more explosive and more athletic in general.”

The other thing the Dukes have going for them is a full, regular offseason with their head coach. After Shaner took over the program in late spring 2020, that fall season was pushed back to spring 2021 and shortened because of the pandemic. He then had a short turnaround between the spring and fall seasons last year, which limited the offseason time he normally would’ve had with the team.

But now, in his third season, the players know the offense and defense and are comfortable with Shaner and his coaching staff. And with a full summer for his players to prepare, he likes where the Dukes are at five weeks out from the season opener Aug. 26 in Oregon.

“For sure, we’re farther along than we have been since I started, no question about it,” Shaner said. “Especially with me taking over a program that I wasn’t familiar with, and really truthfully a couple of years ago learning some intricacies of a new offense. I feel like we’re in a pretty good spot for being in late July. If we didn’t add anything else, I feel like we could go into a game right now and have a solid game plan.”

The players feel confident as well, and they’re eager to get going when preseason camp starts next month.

“I think we need to put some pads on to really see what we can do,” Ramsdell said. “We haven’t played in so long, I feel like pads will help get us moving right along.”

“We’re just ready to go out there and compete, especially us seniors,” Hays added. “It’s our last year, so we want to make the most of it.”