(Editor’s note: This story marks the fourth of 11 high school football team previews, which will run leading up to and alongside Friday’s “2022 Football Preview” tab.)
EMPORIUM — Cameron County was District 9 football’s biggest surprise in 2021.
After losing 16 consecutive games prior, the Red Raiders turned in a 5-4 regular season and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Now, they’ll look to replicate the feat.
“They’re going to need to compete,” said CC head coach Ryan Neyman. “That was our battle cry last year — you need to compete before you can taste victory. That’s every down; working on competing through every facet of the game.”
The Red Raiders went winless in each of Neyman’s first two seasons at the helm, but the Cameron County alumnus and his staff used an experienced group to turn things around last year. The licks the Red Raiders had previously taken as underclassmen eventually served them well, as did a boost in confidence.
The Red Raiders started 2021 by upsetting Coudersport. After edging Bucktail and moving to 2-0, they then rode early-season momentum to the playoffs.
They lost some firepower to graduation, but return 10 players who started at least intermittently last season, including junior quarterback Maddox Baughman. With many of its skill players back, CC hopes its speed will help extend last season’s momentum.
“Our skill positions are very dangerous,” Neyman said. “We have guys back, and guys that are healthy. It’s all about competition.”
Speed, Neyman said, will be among CC’s biggest assets. Several key pieces from the Red Raiders’ backfield-by-committee return, including Lathan Reed, who rushed for 673 yards and six touchdowns on 104 attempts in 2021.
“It’s a balanced attack,” Neyman said. “One way or another, we’re going to be moving the ball this year. If a team stops the run, we should be able to air it out because we still have a solid group of receivers. I’m pretty confident in our ability, but the key will be the offensive line.”
Jamison Britton saw 42 carries while spelling Reed in the backfield last year, and Koby Shepard enters his sophomore season with 10 receptions and 112 receiving yards already under his belt. Neyman’s staff will look for Baughman to take a step forward in the pocket, as well, after completing just under 40% of his passes last year and throwing nine touchdowns to 15 interceptions.
“(Baughman) understands the offense and the needs of the team more than he ever has,” Neyman said. “He’s worked hard in the offseason to get quicker. He’s more attentive and able to read defenses better than last year.”
Perhaps the biggest question mark for the Red Raiders is their offensive line, which will feature a slew of new starters.
“We’ll get them coached up and motivated to get there, but it’s a matter of whether they can keep up with the skill players,” Neyman said. “Any good team that makes a playoff run has a good offensive line. You win and lose games in the trenches. Last year, we had a great line… we’re trying to bring that back, and if we can get them into a cohesive unit, we’ll be alright.”
Eyah Smith and Landon Farren each return to help bolster CC’s defense. The pair recorded 58 and 54 tackles last year, respectively. Britton made 48 tackles a season ago, and Devin Streich (34 tackles) returns to anchor CC’s speedy secondary.
Newcomers Brevin Lewis and Jake Narby are each expected to make an immediate impact, while Neyman’s staff is high on several freshmen, as well.
The Red Raiders will compete out of D9’s Region 3 league — made up of the district’s smallest schools by enrollment — but will start the year with a non-conference test. They’ll make a Week 1 trip to Rimersburg, where Union/A-C Valley ended their season last November.
“We like to be the underdog,” Neyman said. “That’s what we’ve been, that’s what we were last year and we’d like to keep that going.”
