GROVE RIDGERUNNERS
Coach: RON CULWELL
12-1
OFFENSE
Grove will have a much different look offensively in 2023. The Ridgerunners will have to replace two key pieces with the departures of running back Emmanuel Crawford, who rushed for 2,304 yards and combined for 44 touchdowns, and quarterback Carson Trimble, who threw for 2,427 yards and 33 TDs. “We have had a great back in the backfield for four years. Our philosophy might change a little with him gone. We want to be as balanced as we can,” said Grove head coach Ron Culwell, who will return five starters. Jackson Gain (6-3, 175, Jr.) will get the call to lead Grove’s spread offense as the quarterback. Gain had 450 receiving yards, 157 yards on the ground and six total TDs as a sophomore. “Jackson is a gifted athlete, able to make people miss with his running style, and a very good passer,” Culwell said. Others expected to contribute are wide receiver Jacob Gain (6-2, 175, Jr.), offensive linemen Scott Cox (6-3, 275, Sr.) and Dakota Douglas (6-1, 245, Sr.), and H-back Ian Richard (6-0, 220, Sr.). Culwell has high expectations for Cox. “Scott is a great kid with a tremendous skill set. The kid works hard in the weight room, runs a 5.2 40-yard dash, and had 47 pancakes last year. He does all the little things right. He is very coachable.”
DEFENSE
The Ridgerunners return four starters on defense and will operate from both the 4-4 and 4-2-5. “We want to play sound defense. We work hard on our technique in base and blitz mode. We want to make the offense guess where we are coming from,” Culwell said. Grove returns David Cox (6-0, 160, Jr.) and Josh Gesell (6-0, 165, Sr.) at linebacker, and Scott Cox and Laird Thompson (6-1, 215, Jr.) on the defensive line. David Cox registered 49 total tackles, three sacks, four tackles for losses and had a fumble recovery in 2022, while Gesell collected 83 tackles, a pair of sacks, five tackles for losses and two fumble recoveries. Scott Cox posted 52 tackles and six tackles for losses. Laird, who will line up at defensive end, had 28 tackles, one sack and three tackles for losses as a sophomore. “Laird is a competitor. He is a wrestler that hates to lose at anything. He is a physical guy that is not afraid of contact. He will be ready to set the edge,” Culwell said.
SCHEDULE
9-1 – vs. Miami
9-8 – at Jay
9-15 – at Wagoner
9-22 – at Tulsa Edison
9-29 – vs. Claremore
10-5 – at Tulsa Rogers
10-13 – at Tulsa Hale
10-20 – vs. Collinsville
10-27 – vs. Pryor
11-3 – at Bishop Kelley
