The year 2020 wreaked havoc on nearly everything including the Cedarville Jr Pirates football team. Last season the Pirates saw extremely low numbers on their roster along with the normal challenges that the game of football brings. Although some would cancel their games for lesser reasons, Cedarville sailed on and gave every opponent all they could handle. This year isn’t 2020 though and Cedarville isn’t about to merely give their opponents all they can handle. THEY are ready to rack up the W’s.
The Jr Pirates will see four returning starters from the 2020 season on the field with Alex Heaton, Chasyn Oden, Reed Payton, and Jayden Carter. Four may sound like a low number, but these young men are four quality leaders for the Pirates to lean on. Although they’re the only returning starters, they will not be alone in the experience department by any means. Cedarville will have a lot of freshmen who had field time last season and are experienced at their positions. Older players who have experience on the field are a bonus for any program so leadership shouldn’t be a problem in 2021. If that’s not enough, the Pirates have the added benefit of size on their side. The Pirates will suit up more players who will possibly dwarf their opponents in the size department.
The Pirate’s chest of treasures only grows heavier as the summer goes on too. Cedarville coaches have found a few hidden gems lurking in the depth of practice. Brody Ewald, Staton Haley, Aiden Jones, Zander Young, and Hunter Davis have shown that they are capable of making waves on the field once the regular season games begin. With all of the pros in Cedarville’s favor, it’s hard to find any cons in the program………except one. The game of numbers will be a factor this season again for the Pirates. Although a few more bodies to strap on helmets would make a world of difference, Cedarville knows all too well how to win with what they have.
Head Coach Max Washausen isn’t going to give up on trying to gain more players though. “We faced low numbers in 2020 and the team was still able to be competitive in almost every game. I was very proud of them for pulling that off against teams who had a lot of depth on the sidelines. Coach Chandler and I have been working really hard to build an environment where everyone loves football. We’re showing them the importance of football in the community and the many important life lessons they can gain by playing. Football is a tough sport and every kid that suits up will be better apt to face a tough world by playing.”
With a heavyweight schedule ahead of them in 2021 along with rivals Mansfield and Mountainburg, the Jr Pirates will not have an easy go in 2021. That being said, they also know that the future success of the Cedarville Pirates football program lies in their hands. With that in mind, look for the Jr Pirates to fill both hands with swords and muskets as they aim to take no prisoners on the gridiron this fall.
