August 5, 2013

2013 Signing Class: A Deeper Look Into the Offense

DEFIANCE, Ohio -The 2013 Defiance Yellow Jackets football signing class features 73 newcomers. Of that group, 37 of the newest Yellow Jackets will be lining up on the offensive side of the ball.

DEFIANCE, Ohio -The 2013 Defiance Yellow Jackets football signing class features 73 newcomers. Of that group, 37 of the newest Yellow Jackets will be lining up on the offensive side of the ball.

Brian Sheehan came to Defiance with a reputation for building outstanding offensive football teams and the Yellow Jackets showed flashes on offense during the 2012 season. Ultimately, the production was nowhere near what Sheehan wanted and the staff hit the recruiting trail in an attempt to upgrade the team's depth and talent on the offensive side of the football.

The quarterback position was at the top of the needs list for the coaching staff.

"With our top two quarterbacks heading into their senior seasons at Defiance, we set out to find a freshman quarterback with talent, leadership ability and a championship background," Sheehan explained. "We think we have a few players who fit that description."

Sheehan and his staff also wanted to bring in explosiveness to his football team.

"We had to add players who would increase our team speed and potentially add a spark to our offense and special teams. There will be a number of freshmen in the mix here and we believe they can help us be more varied in our attack this season."

Here is a deeper look into the 2013 offensive class.

Lawrence Austin RB 6-0, 215 Cousino High School Warren, Mich. Highlights	Austin was a two-year starter and a jack-of-all-trades for Cousino head coach Mike Powell. Austin was named a captain during his senior season. As a senior, the Cousino captain was thrust into the quarterback position. Austin responded with a strong season, earning First Team All-Macomb White Conference honors and Second Team All-Macomb County honors. Austin also earned Honorable Mention All-East honors after his senior season. He finished his senior season with 535 passing yards, 630 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns. Austin is the son of Chris Austin and Sonya Taylor. He plans to major in Education at Defiance.
Brandon Bahnsen WR 5-10, 185 Danbury High School Lakeside, Ohio Highlights	Bahnsen was a three-year starter and four-year letter winner at Danbury, starting on both sides of the ball. Bahnsen finished his career with 64 receptions, 1053 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 629 rushing yards and five more scores during his career. On the offensive side of the ball Bahnsen had his best season as a sophomore, piling up 504 yards and earning Second Team All-Toledo Area Conference honors. As a senior, Bahnsen stood out on the defensive side of the ball, racking up 79 tackles and three tackles for loss. That was good enough to earn him First Team All-TAAC honors as a defensive back. He was also named to the All-Northwest Ohio Second Team as a senior defensive back. Bahnsen is the son of Jeff and Rachel Bahnsen. He plans to major in Athletic Training at Defiance.
Cyrron Barringer RB 5-10, 170 Waite High School Toledo, Ohio Highlights	Barringer was a two-year starter at Waite High School. He was chosen as a team captain during his senior season. Barringer had an outstanding senior season, rushing for over 1500 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also racked up 56 tackles and eight interceptions this past fall. His dominance helped earn him the City League Player of the Year award. He was also named a First Team All-City League running back and a First Team All-City League defensive back. Barringer was also named a First Team All-Northwest Ohio Division I running back and earned Honorable Mention All-State honors. He was chosen to play in the Northwest Ohio All-Star Game. Barringer played on the varsity baseball team at Waite. He is the son of Richard and Melanie Barringer. He plans to major in Social Work at Defiance.
Mark Boggs QB 6-2, 185 St. John's School Delphos, Ohio Highlights	Boggs was a two-year starter for Delphos St. John's Head Coach Todd Schulte. Delphos St. John's is one of the premier football programs in the state of Ohio. Boggs led the Blue Jays to back-to-back playoff appearances, combining for 18 wins in his two years as a starter. During his junior season Boggs led Delphos St. John's to the state semi-finals. Boggs was chosen to play in the East-West Coaches All-Star Game. He was also chosen to play in the Van Wert County Hospital All-Star Game. Boggs was a three-time regional finalist in track and field at Delphos St. John's. He is the son of Jon and Michelle Boggs. He plans to major in Business at Defiance.
Mason Borders OL 6-3, 300 Johnson High School Gainesville, Ga. Highlights	Borders was a four-year starter at Johnson High School. He was named Johnson's Lineman of the Year, and as such he was a huge part of Johnson's turnaround. After going 2-18 during his sophomore and junior campaign's, Borders paved the way for a Knight rushing attack that led to a 6-4 record during the 2012 season. He is the son of Norah and Valerie Borders. He plans to major in Secondary Education at Defiance.
Kahele Campbell OL 5-11, 265 Leto High School Tampa, Fla. Highlights	Campbell was a two-year starter at Leto. He was named a team captain during his senior season. Campbell's strong play as a senior culminated in him earning Second Team All-Hillsborough Conference honors. He was also named to the Hillsborough County All-Star game. The Leto standout was chosen as his team's Most Valuable Player after his senior season. He is the son of Cam and Kami Campbell. He plans to major in Nursing at Defiance.
Daniel Collins RB 5-9, 180 W. Springfield High School W. Springfield, Va. Highlights	Collins was a two-year starter at running back and a one-year starter at defensive back at West Springfield High School. Collins won three letters and was a captain during his senior season. Collins finished with just 477 yards and 11 touchdowns during an injury-plagued senior season. As a junior, a healthy Collins racked up an impressive 1206 yards (6.9 per rush) and 14 total touchdowns out of the backfield. He rushed for 269 yards in a win over Lee and 351 yards in a win over Woodson in back-to-back weeks. He scored six touchdowns in those two games. Collins was named to the All-Patriot District Second Team as a junior and senior. Collins is the son of James and Kelli Linear. He plans to major in Athletic Training at Defiance.
Guy DiCicco OL 6-0, 255 Port Huron High School Port Huron, Mich. Highlights	DiCicco was a three-year starter at Port Huron, starting on the offensive line and defensive line during his career. A strong senior campaign led to him being named to the All-Blue Water Conference First Team as an offensive lineman. DiCicco was also named to the All-Metro City and All-Macomb Area football teams. During his high school career DiCicco also competed in wrestling, powerlifting, baseball as well as track and field. He was chosen as a team captain in football, wrestling and baseball. As a junior DiCicco finished fourth in the state in powerlifting. DiCicco was also a District champion and state qualifier in wrestling. He followed that up by finishing as the first runner-up as a senior. He is the son of Nancy DiCicco. He plans to major in Physical Education at Defiance.
Josh Drain QB 5-11, 180 Liberty Center High School Napoleon, Ohio	Drain started on both sides of the football for Liberty Center Head Coach Rex Lingruen. He started for three years at Liberty Center. The Tiger standout started at both quarterback and defensive back. Drain passed for 1459 yards and 15 touchdowns over the last two seasons. The Tiger signal caller also added three rushing touchdowns. Drain racked up 65 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and seven interceptions over the past two seasons in the secondary. He also had an impressive 16 passes defensed during that period. He is the son of Jim and Valorie Drain. He wants to major in accounting at Defiance.
Andrew Foore RB 5-7, 155 Swanton High School Swanton, Ohio	Foore was a four-year starter at Swanton High School. He was named a team captain as a senior. Foore racked up 505 rushing yards and four touchdowns as a senior. He also caught 10 passes for 161 yards and had 362 yards in kick returns. Foore took three kicks back for touchdowns, two as a kick returner and one as a punt returner. The Swanton standout finished his senior year with 1350 total yards and nine touchdowns. He also made 2 tackles as a defensive back. Foore was named to the First Team All-Northwest Ohio Athletic League as a returner. He also earned Honorable Mention All-Northwest Ohio District IV honors as a senior. Foore's strong junior season in the secondary resulted in him being named to the All-NWOAL Second Team as a defensive back. After his senior season Foore was chosen to play in the Northwest Ohio All-Star Game. Foore also ran track at Swanton, qualifying for state regionals in both the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 meter relays. Foore was an outstanding student-athlete in high school. He was a NWOAL Scholar Athlete recipient, a President's Educational Awards Program recipient and a United States Army Reserve National Scholar recipient. He is the son of Scott Foore and Kathy and John Tanner. Foore plans to major in Communication Arts at Defiance.
Clayton Fox OL 6-0, 220 Edison High School Berlin Heights, Ohio Highlights	Fox was a two-year starter at Edison High School. He played on both sides of the ball but was primarily an offensive lineman and long snapper at Edison. As a senior Fox earned Honorable Mention All-Sandusky Bay honors. He is the son of Shawn and Dawn Fox. He plans to major in Sports Management at Defiance.
Tyler Frieson RB 6-2, 205 Shawnee High School Lima, Ohio Highlights	Frieson was a three-year starter for Shawnee. As a senior, the standout running back rushed for 918 yards (7.5 average) and 12 touchdowns. Frieson led the Western Buckeye League in kickoff return yards (482), kick return average (28.4) and touchdowns with two. He set a Shawnee record with a 99-yard touchdown against Wapakoneta. Frieson was named a Second Team All-Western Buckeye League running back after the 2012 season. He also earned Second Team All-Northwest Ohio District III honors. Frieson's strong season culminated in him being chosen for the Van Wert County Hospital All-Star Football Game. The Shawnee athlete was also a dominant sprinter during his high school career. As a senior he won the WBL championship in both the 200 meter dash and the 100 meter hurdles. He is the son of Robert Frieson. He plans to major in Criminal Justice at Defiance.
Alex Glenn WR 6-3, 205 Seminole High School Samford, Fla. Highlights	Glenn was a two-year starter at Seminole High School. As a senior, the talented receiver finished with over 25 receptions and 500 receiving yards. He earned Second Team All-Seminole Athletic Conference honors after his senior season. Glenn played varsity basketball and water polo at Seminole. He also ran track in high school. He is the son of Benny and Birgitta Glenn.
LaVauntez Hall WR 5-11, 170 Shaw High School Cleveland, Ohio Highlights	Hall was a two-year starter at Shaw High School. As a senior he racked up 320 receiving yards. Hall also played basketball and ran track at Shaw. He is the son of LaGradia Hall. He plans to major in Criminal Justice at Defiance.
Darius Harper WR 6-3, 160 Robert E. Lee High School Jacksonville, Fla. Highlights	Harper was a two-year starter for Robert E. Lee Head Coach O.J. Small. As a senior he finished with 22 receptions and 396 yards, scoring five touchdowns. He was named to the First Team-All District 6-3A after his strong senior season. He was also named to his conference's first team. Harper also played varsity basketball at Lee. He is the son of Dana and Eric Harper. He plans to major in Business at Defiance.
Zach Kasper OL 6-2, 270 Roosevelt High School Wyandotte, Mich. Highlights	Kasper was a three-year starter for the powerful Wyandotte Roosevelt program. The Bears finished 21-4 over the last two seasons. Kasper averaged six pancakes per game during his senior season, good enough to earn him a spot on the All-Downriver League Honorable Mention team. He also earned the Coaches Award after his senior season. He is the son of Karen Kasper. He plans to major in Criminal Justice and Psychology.
Alex Larson QB 6-0, 180 Milford High School Highland, Mich. Highlights	Larson was a two-year starting quarterback for Milford. He was also honored with the distinction of being named a captain both seasons. During his standout career, Larson accounted for over 4200 yards of offense and 44 touchdowns. The Milford signal-caller dominated with both his arm and legs, rushing for 20 touchdowns the past two seasons. As a junior he rushed for an impressive 988 yards. After a strong senior campaign Larson was named First Team All-Kensington Lakes. Larson was also named to the All-Oakland County Area team. He spent four years on both the varsity basketball and baseball teams at Milford. Larson earned First Team All-KLAA honors in both sports, making him a First Team All-KLAA athlete in three sports during his senior season. As a senior he was also awarded the Donald Hackbardt Trophy, which is given for outstanding academic and athletic achievement, community leadership and citizenship. He is the son of Tim and Sandra Larson. He wants to major in Pre-Med at Defiance.
Gareth MacMillan RB 5-11, 200 Hartford High School Hartford, Mich. Highlights	MacMillan was a four-year starter at Hartford. He spent time as a running back, defensive back and linebacker. The two-way standout was named a captain during both his junior and senior seasons. MacMillan finished his senior season with 825 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He also racked up four sacks and an interception as a defensive back. He rushed for 912 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior. As a senior, MacMillan was named to the First Team MLive Dream Team and All-Southwestern Athletic Conference First Team. MacMillan was also named to the All-SAC Second Team as a senior on the baseball field. He is the son of Joseph and Casey MacMillan. He plans to major in Business and Marketing at Defiance.
Cameron McCalla OL 6-2, 270 Northrop High School Fort Wayne, Ind.	McCalla was a three-year starter at left tackle for Northrop High School. McCalla was a team captain as a junior and senior. He allowed only one combined sack during his junior and senior seasons. His strong play earned him First Team All-Summit Conference after his junior and senior seasons. The Bruin tackle was also named to the All-Northeast Indiana two during those two seasons. He was named Northrop's Lineman of the Year as a sophomore, junior and senior. He is the son of Denise Cravens. McCalla plans to major in Sports Management at Defiance.
Kenneth Miller OL 6-3, 240 Shrine Catholic High School Royal Oak, Mich. Highlights	Miller was a standout on and off the field during his four years at Royal Oak Shrine Catholic. Miller was a four-year starter along the offensive line and a three-year starter at defensive tackle. Miller was named a captain as a senior. He finished the 2012 season with 70 tackles, fourth most in Division 7 for a defensive lineman. Miller's 70 tackles led all linemen in the Catholic League. He racked up another 77 tackles as a junior. Miller was named a First Team All-Catholic Intersectional League lineman as both a senior and a junior. He was named to the All-Detroit West Team and earned Honorable Mention All-Oakland County honors as a senior. He is the son of Matthew and Connie Miller. He plans to major in Business and Criminal Justice at Defiance.
A.J. Millwood RB 5-9, 180 Johnson High School Gainesville, Ga. Highlights	Millwood was a three-year starter and four-year letter winner at Johnson. He started at running back, cornerback, safety and linebacker during his career. As a senior he rushed for 335 yards as a running back. Defensively, he racked up 45 tackles and forced six fumbles. His strong all-around senior season helped him earn Honorable Mention All-North Georgia honors. He competed in wrestling and baseball in high school. He is the son of Penny Millwood. He plans to major in Business at Defiance.
Chris Moore WR 5-11, 170 Chippewa Valley High School Clinton Township, Mich. Highlights	Moore started his senior year on both sides of the ball at Chippewa Valley High School. In the Big Reds' run-oriented offense, Moore finished with 122 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded 16 tackles as a defensive back. Moore was on the honor roll at Chippewa Valley. He is the son of Cyrus and Kimberly Chapman. Moore plans on majoring in Psychology and Social Work at Defiance.
Jonathon O'Brien WR 6-1, 175 Colonial High School Orlando, Fla. Highlights	O'Brien was a two-year starter and a senior captain at Colonial High School. During his senior season, O'Brien hauled in 27 passes for 415 yards (15.4 per catch) and two touchdowns. After the season O'Brien was chosen to play in the Orange County East vs. West All-Star Game. O'Brien also competed in the hurdles and ran relays for Colonial in track and field. He is the son of Frank and Herrie O'Brien. He plans to major in Forensic Science at Defiance.
Jovan Palin RB 5-11, 220 Southview High School Sylvania, Ohio Highlights	Palin was a three-year starter at Southview under Head Coach Jim Mayzes. The Cougars made two playoffs appearances during Palin's three years on the varsity roster. After his senior season Palin was chosen to play in the Northwest Ohio All-Star Game. He is the son of Sylvester and Tamisha Palin. He plans to major in Athletic Training at Defiance.
Bryan Pinkney RB 5-8, 160 Scott High School Toledo, Ohio	Pinkney was a three-year starter at Scott High School. Pinkney was a captain during his senior season and a co-captain during both his sophomore and juniors seasons. The Scott standout thrived on both sides of the football. He was a First Team All-City League member as both a running back and defensive back. Pinkney also earned Honorable Mention All-Northwest Ohio District I honors. At Scott High School, Pinkney was named his team's Most Valuable Player and the school's Male Athlete of the Year. Pinkney also excelled in the classroom, where he earned All-City League Academic honors all four years. He was named the school's U.S. Army National Male Student-Athlete of the Year. The Scott athlete spent time playing baseball, basketball, soccer and track and field during his high school career. Pinkney was a four-year starter and two-time captain for the Bulldog baseball team, earning Second Team All-City League honors as a senior. He was chosen to play in the Northwest Ohio All-Star Game. He is the son of Yvette Moore. He plans to major in Education with a minor in Social Work at Defiance.
Marcus Pompey RB 5-7, 165 Marcellus High School Marcellus, Mich.	Pompey was a three-year starter at Marcellus High School. He was a team captain during his junior and senior seasons. Over the past two seasons Pompey rushed for over 2000 total yards. Pompey was named a First Team All-Southwestern Conference running back as a senior. He was a Second Team All-SAC running back after his junior season. Pompey also competed in wrestling and track and field at Marcellus. He was part of a state qualifying 4x100 meter relay team as a senior. He is the son of Wendell and Sandra Pompey. He plans to major in Athletic Training at Defiance.
Amani Ray WR 5-11, 175 Northrop High School Fort Wayne, Ind. Highlights	Ray was a two-year starter and a four-year letter winner at Northrop. He was selected to be a captain for the Bruins as a senior. As a senior, Ray caught 32 passes for 634 yards and nine touchdowns. He also racked up 45 tackles and picked off seven passes as a safety. Ray was awarded with First Team All-Summit Conference honors after a stellar senior season. He was also chosen as Northrop's Team MVP. He is the son of Sandra Ray-Vaz. He plans to major in Sports Management at Defiance.
Joey Rebottaro OL 6-2, 265 Tecumseh High School Tecumseh, Mich. Highlights	Rebottaro was a two-year starter at Tecumseh. The standout offensive lineman was a First Team All-Southeastern Conference and a First Team All-Lenawee County lineman as a senior. He earned Honorable Mention honors as a junior. The Tecumseh standout finished fifth in the state of Michigan in wrestling as a senior. Rebottaro was a standout in the classroom as well, earning All-State Academic honors as a wrestler. He is the son of Andy and Cari Rebottaro. He plans to major in Accounting at Defiance.
Shadon Seabrook RB 5-9, 160 University High School Orlando, Fla. Highlights	Seabrook was a three-year starter at University, starting as both a running back, defensive back and kick returner. Seabrook was a captain during his senior year. He also dominated on the field during the 2012 campaign. Seabrook finished his senior season with 1557 rushing yards (6.3 per rush) and seven touchdowns, earning Team MVP honors. Seabrook is the son of Mario and Gina Seabrook. He plans to major in Sports Medicine at Defiance.
Dante Smith WR 6-2, 165 Villa Rica High School Villa Rica, Ga. Highlights	Smith was a two-year starter and three-year letter winner at Villa Rica. He was a team captain as a senior. Smith played basketball and ran track at Villa Rica. He is the son of Patti Donovan and Travis Smith. Smith plans to major in Athletic Training at Defiance.
Osiris Smith RB 5-9, 180 Truman High School Taylor, Mich. Highlights	Smith was a three-year starting running back at Truman High School. As a two-year captain, Smith was a big part of Truman's 2012 turnaround. After going 3-6 during his junior season, the Cougars and Smith turned in an impressive 9-2 record during his senior season. Smith led Truman with 943 rushing yards (12.4 per rush) and nine touchdowns. He racked up 895 yards (8.1 per rush) and eight touchdowns as a junior. Smith was named to the Downriver Herald Dream Team as both a junior and senior. Smith was also named to the All-Downriver League team as a junior and senior. As a senior the standout back was also named to the All-Metro West team. Smith was a three-year starter on the Truman track team. He graduated cum laude from Truman and for three years was on the Principal Advisory Committee. Smith is the son of Columbus and Wendy Smith. He plans to major in History and minor in Art at Defiance.
Devin Sutgrey OL 6-3, 250 Chippewa Valley High School Clinton Township, Mich. Highlights	Sutgrey was a three-year starter at Chippewa Valley. As a senior he racked up an impressive 28 pancake blocks and another 30 pancake blocks as a junior. Sutgrey spent time on the defensive side of the ball as a junior, registering 25 tackles. He was named his team's best offensive lineman and was also rewarded with Honorable Mention All-Macomb County All-Conference honors. He is the son of Tameka Sutgrey and Johnathan Hall. He plans to major in Sports Management at Defiance.
Zachary Weaver OL 6-3, 240 Cabrini High School Lincoln Park, Mich.	Weaver was a three-year starter at Cabrini High School. He was elected a team captain as a senior. Weaver was instrumental in Cabrini's 2012 turnaround. The Monarchs finished 2-6 in 2011 but bounced back for a strong 9-4 season this past fall, including a trip to the state playoffs. He is the son of Steven Weaver and Denise Cifaldi. Weaver plans to major in Communication Arts at Defiance.
Sean Westhoven RB 6-0, 215 Liberty Center High School Wauseon, Ohio	Westhoven was a three-year starter at Liberty Center for Tiger Head Coach Rex Lingruen, starting at both running back and linebacker. Westhoven was named a team captain as a senior. The Tigers went 19-4 during his last two seasons. As a senior, the talented running back rushed for 1549 yards (6.0 per rush) and 23 touchdowns. He also made 37 tackles and seven tackles for loss as a linebacker. During Liberty Center's 11-1 season in 2011, Westhoven rushed for 1095 yards (6.6 per rush) and 14 touchdowns. He was named a First Team Al-Northwest Ohio Athletic League and First Team All-Northwest Ohio District V running back. He was named to the Second Team All-NWOAL team as a junior. Westhoven was also a standout baseball player for the Tigers. He is the son of Greg and Deb Westhoven. He plans to major in Business at Defiance.
Trey White WR 5-11, 185 Lawrence Central High School Indianapolis, Ind. Highlights	White was a standout for Lawrence Central's state championship team. The Bears finished the 2012 season with a 15-0 record, winning all but one of their playoff games by double digits. White led the Bears in receiving, racking up 762 yards and five touchdowns on 40 receptions. White also racked up an impressive 33.3 yards per kick return and 19.1 yards per punt return, taking two kicks back for touchdowns. White earned First Team All-Conference Indiana honors as a wide receiver. He is the son of Kristi Stone. White plans to major in Sports Management at Defiance.
Cody Wilson RB 5-11, 185 McComb High School McComb, Ohio Highlights	Wilson was a two-way standout and a four-year starter for McComb Head Coach Kris Alge. Wilson dominated all over the field, spending time at running back, wide receiver and linebacker for the Panthers. Wilson brings a championship pedigree to Defiance. During his four years at McComb the Panthers went 40-9, advancing to the Ohio state playoffs each of his last three seasons. The Panthers finished the 2012 season with a 13-1 record, advancing to the state semi-finals. Wilson was a captain during his junior and senior seasons. As a senior, the talented athlete finished with over 1500 yards of total offense. He also scored an impressive 27 touchdowns. His strong play earned him First Team All-Blanchard Valley Conference honors as both a wide receiver and a linebacker. Wilson also earned First Team All-Northwest Ohio District VI honors and a spot on the All-Ohio Second Team. The McComb star was chosen to play in the East-West Coaches All-Star Game. He also played varsity basketball and ran track and field at McComb. He is the son of Larry and Jenny Wilson. He plans to major in Accounting at Defiance.
Tom Woehnker TE 6-2, 200 East Noble High School Kendallville, Ind. Highlights	Woehnker was a two-year starter and a three-year letter winner at East Noble. The Knights went 14-7 during the last two seasons. Woehnker finished his senior season with 14 receptions and 189 yards, earning Second Team All-Northeast Hoosier Conference honors as a tight end. He is the son of Thomas and Julie Woehnker. He plans to major in Secondary Education at Defiance.