2019 Ironton Tigers Outlook

[Burgstheword]

I seen where the gates open at 5 , are they really expecting that big of a crowd ? What time are my burg people planning on being at the stadium

[Burgstheword]

Speaking of gates are the tigers planning on locking the gates this year lol, I seen where their slogan this year is mission 15 lol they have about much chance of playing 15 games as a doughnut in room full of fat guys has a chance to not be eaten , I personally think they should change it to #missionimpossible

[Tjhtygeverve]

Speaking of gates are the tigers planning on locking the gates this year lol, I seen where their slogan this year is mission 15 lol they have about much chance of playing 15 games as a doughnut in room full of fat guys has a chance to not be eaten , I personally think they should change it to #missionimpossible

Would you want the New Coach of your favorite team to be less Optimistic?

I think has done/is doing a great job!

#missionbelieve

Yes, the whole town is fired up. My aunt has season tix under the tank 6 rows up/ 50 yard line.

Even with a guaranteed Comfy seat, she’s headed straight from work in downtown Ironton to the festivities @5pm!

[522Pirate]

Gates always open at 5 don't they? I plan on being there around 3:30-4 at the latest to get a seat...lol

[PirateFan[69]]

I seen where the gates open at 5 , are they really expecting that big of a crowd ? What time are my burg people planning on being at the stadium

I'm for sure that the Burg side will be filled within 10-20 minutes after gates open, so I would be there early.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

the last time I was at ponderosa in Jackson. we got tossed. we were having an old broken down tiger lunch there for a bunch of us seopers. and the artist formerly known as boo here said something he should not have to a waitress, and she blew a head gasket on him. and the whole lot of us got escorted out. fortunately we had already eaten. the place was packed and a rotary meeting going on in the banquet room. it was a humbling adventure.

your stories are truly classic and get better everytime

friend, if I'm lyin I'm dyin too many people on here were there and saw it. I ain't never been kicked outta anywhere. and I have been in some ornery places. but to get escorted out of a ponderosa steak house. well that beat all I ever seen.

[TRENCHFOOT]

the last time I was at ponderosa in Jackson. we got tossed. we were having an old broken down tiger lunch there for a bunch of us seopers. and the artist formerly known as boo here said something he should not have to a waitress, and she blew a head gasket on him. and the whole lot of us got escorted out. fortunately we had already eaten. the place was packed and a rotary meeting going on in the banquet room. it was a humbling adventure.

your stories are truly classic and get better everytime

friend, if I'm lyin I'm dyin too many people on here were there and saw it. I ain't never been kicked outta anywhere. and I have been in some ornery places. but to get escorted out of a ponderosa steak house. well that beat all I ever seen.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

From what I’ve always read is your 1-2 touchdowns down before you walk onto Tiger turf .

you hear a lot of people say that after they lose to the tigers. you'll get that sometimes.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

we used to hear the same thing when we'd hammer people into the ground like a golf tee 50/60-0. believe me, people still respect the tigers of old. it's all I hear. everywhere I go. because I bout always got a tiger shirt on. I've got a whole closet full of them from bob linn's. the respect we get at this point has to be earned. but the folks from all over the state that have wanted a piece of ironton for the last 6/7 years. then hopefully you'll get your shots one at a time.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

By PAUL BOGGS

photos by Kent Sanborn

IRONTON – Trevon Pendleton probably predicts a smoother second season as head coach of the Ironton Fighting Tigers.

With high numbers, immense depth, overall experience and just good pure wholesome talent, that prediction – on the surface anyway – is more of a no-brainer.

It’s easy to have another optimistic outlook for the Fighting Tigers, which sport a roster of nearly 70 – and are anticipated strong challengers for the Ohio Valley Conference championship, and another Division V state playoff appearance.

“Honestly, the strength of our team is our depth. We’re going deep at every position right now. We’re rotating about eight or nine deep on the offensive line. Defensively, we’re rotating guys at a lot of different positions. We’ve got a lot of competition among ourselves and it’s making all our kids better,” said Pendleton. “We started a lot of guys last year, probably in the low 20s who started at least one game for us and are back this year. A lot of young guys grew up and developed and gained a lot of valuable experience. That is going to be beneficial for us this season.”

Pendleton, the former Portsmouth West and Michigan State standout which begins his second season in Ironton, said it’s been an easier transition from his first year to now.

“Things have gone much smoother this year. The first year, the kids are trying to figure you out and you are trying to figure out the kids. This year, it’s different, but now we know what to expect as a staff and the kids know what to expect from us,” he said. “Our approaches are different, whether it’s the weight-room, film study, our practices, our preparation, our mental approach. Everything is just better and just easier now that we have a year under our belts.”

It needs to be easier, too, given the annual expectations surrounding the tradition-rich Fighting Tiger program.

“The expectations are always high here. When you’ve got a program like this and the guys who come before you had success the way they had, it keeps the standards very high,” said Pendleton.“Our expectations as a team are always the same. We’re going to go out and try to win every football game. We’re going to compete until the final whistle. We always have the expectations that no one is going to outwork us. We are going to give great effort every game, win or lose. We are going to show up and work hard and feel confident going into every Friday night.”

The Fighting Tigers finished 6-5 last season, but struggled down the stretch in losing their final three games to finish second in the OVC – combined with a narrow 15-7 Region 19 quarterfinal playoff loss at Division V state runner-up Johnstown-Monroe.

Pendleton explained the growing pains of his first season in coaching, and why those same pains appear alleviated this fall.

“Last year was a learning experience for all of us. The players and coaching staff both. We won some games and lost some games, we learned lessons on what we can do better, but we did make the playoffs. That said, we believe we are better this year, just knowing each other better and what everybody expects from everybody else,” he said. “That’s going to really help us going into this year.”

It helps, too, to have Ironton’s experience and depth up front.

Four of five starters return along the offensive line – minus first-team all-Southeast District Division V first-teamer Brady Rowe.

Rocky White will return at center (5-11, 235, jr.), with Riley Boggs (6-2, 260, sr.) back at one guard.

Pendleton said his lines go about eight or even nine men deep, with returning starter Caden McFann (5-11, 250, sr.) able to play either guard or tackle.

The other tackle is six-foot five-inch 310-pound senior Noah Davidson, a two-year starter at Raceland (Ky.) who transferred across the Ohio River.

Others expected to see snaps along the line are seniors Hunter Eaches (5-10, 245) and Nolan Schreck (6-0, 230), juniors Matthew Davis (6-0, 210) and Chase Stevens (5-11, 210) and sophomores Nate Cochran (6-2, 250) and Ryan Cecil (6-1, 270).

Those linemen will be blocking for a talented trio of experienced backs – senior quarterback Gage Salyers (6-1, 205), senior fullback Seth Fosson (6-1, 235) and junior tailback Reid Carrico (6-3, 225).



#7NameGage SalyersPosition2020Height6-01Weight205Current TeamIrontonLeaguesOVC, SEOSeasons2019
All three are returning first-team all-district selections from a year ago – Salyers at quarterback combined with Carrico at running back and Fosson for a defensive end.

Salyers has verbally committed to Youngstown State, but it’s Carrico collecting offers from most of the major college football factories in the country.

The 16-year-old’s list of pursuers includes Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kentucky and Marshall.



#28NameReid CarricoPosition2021Height6-03Weight225Current TeamIrontonLeaguesOVC, SEOSeasons2019
As a linebacker, he is listed as the 11th-best by Rivals and 34th nationally, including first in Ohio.

Carrico is the third-highest rated overall prospect in the Buckeye State by 247Sports.

He rushed for 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, averaging 6.6 yards per carry, while catching nine passes for 120 yards.

Pendleton said Carrico has handled himself well, given his impressive offseason courtship by colleges.

But, of course, Ironton is far from all about Carrico.

Consider Salyers still is receiving interest from colleges, as is Fosson, including some Division I schools.

Last year, Salyers completed 61-of-123 passes for 917 yards and a dozen touchdowns, throwing only three interceptions in the process.

He also rushed 101 times for 531 yards and eight scores.

The fullback Fosson is a two-time all-district honoree, including as a running back as a sophomore, as he also earned third-team all-Ohio in that campaign.

Pendleton praised his highly-touted backfield as a perfect mesh of size, strength and speed.

“Those are three good experienced varsity players to have in the same backfield. Highly-talented guys and three possible Division-I athletes. All three know what to do with the ball when they have it, they block well for each other, they run well, and all three are humble kids. They just want to win football games,” said the coach.

Junior Jones, a six-foot, 240-pound senior, transferred in from arch-rival Ashland (Ky.) and will back up Fosson – along with fellow senior Beau Brownstead (6-0, 220).

Carrico’s primary backup is sophomore Kameron Browning.

The tight ends include Brownstead, fellow senior Bryce Munion (5-9, 150) and sophomore Ashton Duncan (6-2, 205), while wide receivers include seniors Jordan Grizzle and Colin Freeman and juniors Trent Hacker and Kyle Howell.

Grizzle and Hacker are returning starters, while Howell transfers in from Portsmouth West.

Ironton’s offense under Pendleton is evolving into more multiple looks, moving away from the days of its traditional full-house.

So too is its defense, which was a solid 5-2 front for many years, but now operates out of a 3-4 base.

Fosson anchors the front at the strong side end, while Jones – primarily a defensive stalwart at Ashland – will play the other end or more likely nose guard.

Gunnar Crawford (5-10, 225, jr.) is the likely end opposite Fosson, while Cochran and Cecil can play nose.

With the graduation of Division V Southeast District co-Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-Ohioan Ethan Duncan, Carrico moves to inside linebacker – along with Brownstead, Crawford or six-foot, 200-pound junior Dylan Carpenter.

Fellow junior Cameron Deere (5-11, 185) returns at outside linebacker, with the others including Munion, Duncan or junior Dalton Crabtree (6-0, 200).

The secondary returns three starters – Salyers and Grizzle at the safeties and Freeman at one corner.

The other corner will be Browning or Howell.

Similar to the offense, the Fighting Tigers’ defense sports a plethora of experience, talent and depth.

But most importantly perhaps, Pendleton maintains the defensive motto that “nobody is going to outwork us.”

“We want to be aggressive on defense and make plays, but we want to do so under control and limit our mistakes,” he said. “These are high school kids and they are going to make mistakes, but we want to give our best effort on every snap. Penalties are part of the game and we want to limit those, but do so giving our best effort on every play. There are going to be missed assignments and missed tackles, just like turnovers or missed blocks on offense, but we try to limit our mistakes. When you give all-out effort on every play, you cut down on unforced errors.”

While Duncan did the punting last season, Ironton’s depth also extends to three potential placekickers, including Avery Book.

Book, who can also punt, is battling Ironton St. Joseph attendees Izsac Unger and Michael Mahlmeister.

Indeed, Ironton needs all of its weapons at its disposal, given the depth of the OVC – which proceeds its brutal three-game non-league schedule starting with Wheelersburg.

Wheelersburg enters Tanks Memorial Stadium on Friday (Aug. 30) for the annual season opener – and off six consecutive seasons of no worse than earning a regional runner-up.

Those six straight seasons coincide with a victory over Ironton.

The Fighting Tigers then take on Russell and Ashland from Kentucky – in addition to the OVC slate.

Gallia Academy is the defending league champion, although Ironton is observed as its most immediate challenger.

While rugged defines the schedule, the expectations are that things – perhaps predictability – will go much smoother in Pendleton’s second season.

The real no-brainer, of course, is that hopes are high and another solid year is in store.


Head Coach Trevon Pendleton


Current TeamIrontonPast TeamsPortsmouth West







“We’re going to go out and try to win every football game. We’re going to compete until the final whistle. We always have the expectations that no one is going to outwork us”

“Expectations are always high, but we have some good athletes here that are going to go battle for 48 minutes and give it everything they have in every game,” said Pendleton. “When you give great effort, everything else takes care of itself, including winning. We do have a very difficult schedule, but that will only make us better with every week.”

[ohbuckeye2]

Does anyone have a good Roster for the Fighting Tigers?

https://seohiopreps.com/football/team/ironton/

Thanks, appreciate it.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

I just wanted to provide something in writing that contradicts what burg posters are saying ironton fans are saying about a state title and such nonsense. you may see posters saying that. it is completely ir-relevant what we think. or post.

what's important is this article here. straight from the horses mouth. the main guy at ironton high. I see no indication of cockiness, arrogance or playoff talks, and state titles. and I've talked with trevon many times now. he impresses the heck out of me. he's a grinder that's hungry. something that ironton has lacked , and it's back. he has worked this team's but off, and he is a wholesome hard worker that walked on at Michigan state, and became a scholarship athlete. heck her scored a td in the rose bowl. and he is as cool as the other side of the pillow. and make no mistake, he is surrounded by some legends of football who'll be prowling the sidelines with him. so read all the conjecture you can on here, slide it in a dark drawer and re-read this article. this big cat is hungry and a scrapper and he has been there, done that. and he was the perfect fit at ironton. and he now become the ad there. so he ain't rentin, he's buyin. and he's all in man.

[FANOSPORTS]

Does anyone have a good Roster for the Fighting Tigers?

https://seohiopreps.com/football/team/ironton/

Thanks, appreciate it.

Np

[LOMBARDI9.9]

If only some of you were actually athletes you would know more

[Tjhtygeverve]

They’ve FOUGHT 4 the W
Survived the Hype
Sunk the pIRATE ship
Onto Next Friday Night!

What’s the Outlook NOW???

[XandO72]

They’ve FOUGHT 4 the W
Survived the Hype
Sunk the pIRATE ship
Onto Next Friday Night!

What’s the Outlook NOW???

Oooh allow me:

"Burg will be 0 - 3 going into week 4."

#TheOutlook

[captainmorgan_]

I knew this team would be special!

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

I think you're onto something cap'n.

[MrFirstTake]

Speaking of gates are the tigers planning on locking the gates this year lol, I seen where their slogan this year is mission 15 lol they have about much chance of playing 15 games as a doughnut in room full of fat guys has a chance to not be eaten , I personally think they should change it to #missionimpossible

Statement of the year