Offense

The Indians are an option football team that has four players vying to fill the void at quarterback left by Curtis Spracklen.

Ty Ashbaugh is a transfer from Xenia who will start at tailback.

Defense

Cedarville has a lot of depth in its 50 defense.

Robby Tate, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound defensive tackle, returns, as does Nick Williamson, who played defensive end last season but will move to linebacker.

Sophomore Cody Liming will see time at free safety.

One to watch

Senior Zach Morgan is a 5-11, 215-pound fullback and nose guard who loves contact. He's a team captain who'll get plenty of carries and will create havoc on the interior defensive line.

Coach's quote

"We want to get better from day to day and week to week. This group is starting to come together as a team."

— Butch Snider

A: Adapting

A new coach, a new set of teammates, a new playbook — everything is different for Cedarville junior Ty Ashbaugh.

He transferred from Xenia with about two months of school left in the spring, and has adjusted well to his new school.

?I wanted to go into a better community,? Ashbaugh said.

On the football field, things are a little bit different. At Xenia the football team had 90 players, whereas the Indians have a team with 23.

At Cedarville, Ashbaugh may never leave the field. He plays tailback on the offense, free safety on defense and is on every special team.

?We have to be more in shape to play both sides of the ball,? Ashbaugh said. ?You?re on the field constantly.?

He?s fine with that.

?Football is a good sport for me,? Ashbaugh said. ?I love contact.?

Adapting to a new set of teammates hasn?t been a problem, either.

?At first, it was awkward for a few days,? Ashbaugh said. ?After a while they all accepted me and it?s like we?ve been playing together for years.?

Ashbaugh, whose parents are Cedarville grads, is excited about the upcoming season.

?(Head coach Butch Snider) has worked us hard over the summer,? Ashbaugh said. ?We have a lot of talent. Hopefully we can do something with it.?

— Michael Cooper

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