The New Richmond Lions are in search of playoff success in 2023 after defeating Tecumseh in the OHSAA Division III, Region 12 playoffs in 2022.
The New Richmond High School student section is ready to cheer on the Lions during the 2023 football season.
Cohen Manning is among the wide receivers on the return for the New Richmond Lions this fall.
Silas Jacob is among the key returners for the New Richmond Lions this season.
While there are many aspects of football that can be taught, team chemistry is something that must be built. It’s a building of positive relationships among teammates and coaches, a love for each other brought forth by a shared passion to accomplish team goals. Good coaching can help to foster team chemistry, but at the end of the day, it comes down to the players.
Strong team chemistry combined with consistent execution on both sides of the ball can make for a special season for a high school football team, and the New Richmond Lions are hoping to make this fall one of those special seasons.
“Our team chemistry is becoming very strong this year. We have a great group of kids who love one another on and off the field. There have been excellent, and some elite days, of competition within our team. But at the end of the day, we come back together as one unit,” said New Richmond head football coach, Brian Pitzer.
This year’s Lions have a great deal of talent returning to the gridiron. Ty Senters, Silas Jacob, Lex Hounshell, Matt Wooten are all defensive returners from 2022.
On offense, Jacob Smit, Isaac Trees are returners on the O-line, while Trey Sininger and Cohen Manning return to the Lions’ wide receiver group.
While the team chemistry will be among the Lions’ strong points this fall, Pitzer is still looking for leadership and maturity to improve.
“We are on the brink of being a ‘player-led’ team. If your best players are your hardest workers, your team has a shot to be special. We’re continuing to work towards that every day,” he said.
The Lions lost three 2022 Southern Buckeye Athletic/Academic Conference American Division First Team football all-stars to graduation, and they struggled in league play last fall to finish with a 2-3 league record. The majority of the Lions’ success last season came in non-league games, particularly their 28-27 playoff victory over Tecumseh in the postseason. The Lions finished out their 2022 season at 8-4.
The Lions have their sights set on an SBAAC American Division football title. If they accomplish that goal, it will mark the football program’s first league title since 2016.
Of course, making the OHSAA state playoffs is once again at the top of their list of goals, but Pitzer likes to set other goals for his team – goals to be accomplished off the field which most likely play a role in the development of team chemistry. The Lions must complete four community service projects as a team and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.1.
“We talk about being elite academically, athletically and socially every day; and we feel these goals represent our culture,” said Pitzer.
The Western Brown Broncos are the defending SBAAC American Division champions, but they are dealing with some significant losses to graduation, including the 2022 American Division Player of the Year, quarterback Drew Novak.
Clinton-Massie finished runner-up in league play at 4-1 last season, another team that will be a tough competitor in the SBAAC big school division.
“The SBAAC is very competitive year in and year out. Every team we play will be competitive. We want to stay focused on our ‘worry about us’ mentality,” said Pitzer.