Warren G. Harding 2024

FYI Big Red fan that has been following this threat. Thanks for the time and effort on the content. Very well thought out. Love it.

Raaaaaaaiders!!!!
 
war_admiral said:
FYI Big Red fan that has been following this threat. Thanks for the time and effort on the content. Very well thought out. Love it.

Raaaaaaaiders!!!!
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I’m glad that you’re enjoying it! In fact, your fans help inspire me to dig deep into Harding’s tradition. I wanted to showcase our’s the way y’all have always did Big Red’s. The same goes for Massillon, St. Ignatius, Cincinnati Elder, etc.

Thanks to fans like your’s for the motivation!
 
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We are officially 11 days away from Warren G. Harding’s 2024 football season opener against Canton McKinley!

Today’s “legend of the day” is Dom Foster, who wore #11 during his junior & senior seasons as a Raider.

Four years ago, COVID made the world stand still and gave most people an entirely different meaning of "free time" was all about. For my guy Brandon Giovannone and I, we saw it as an opportunity to collaborate on a big project as I shared my thoughts on Harding's "Top 30 football over the past 30 Years." I wrote my own material (countdown, dialogue, etc.) while Gio handled all of the video editing and contacted/interviewed numerous coaches, news outlets, and the majority of the former players. It was a major success that provided a brief breath of fresh air for not just fans of Harding, but people from the entire area as most of our lives were paused during the days of the global pandemic.

Since the countdown, there have been four OHSAA football seasons that have taken place. While that's not exactly the largest sample size, it was more than enough to time prove that if we were to redo that project today, it would look a little different. One of the main reasons why that'd be the case is because of the high school football career of Foster, who proved to be one of the most dynamic athletes to ever put on a Harding jersey.

At 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Foster ran like a horse, had hands of glue, and served as a literal magnet to the end zone. On September 10, 2021, he became just the second player in Harding history to catch three touchdown passes in a single game when he did it against Massillon (Mario Manningham did it once vs. Boardman in 2003 and once vs. Cleveland Glenville in 2004). A month later on October 9, 2021, he accounted for 177 receiving yards, the 5th most in school history, while scoring two touchdowns in the Raiders' 27-0 domination at Cardinal Mooney.

Foster finished his senior season of 2021 with 30 catches for 782 yards, the 2nd highest single-season receiving yardage total in school history, and 11 touchdown catches, which tied Manningham for the most ever in a single season (2003). He also added two touchdowns on kickoff returns (89 yards vs. Youngstown Chaney and 81 yards vs. Youngstown Ursuline) and a 48-yard interception return for a score against Youngstown East.

Overall, Foster finished his career at Harding ranked 4th in career receptions (67), 3rd in receiving yards (1,453), and 2nd in touchdown catches (18).

Following his days as a Raider, Foster originally accepted a football scholarship to Syracuse University. Later on, he also spent some time at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas.

S/O to the late great Gary Housteau, who captured this magnificent moment of Foster’s against Mooney on September 4, 2020. May your work continue to carry on your rich legacy. Rest well my guy.
 
Crimson and Black said:
That Mooney backfield was special. If I’m remembering right, the speed was outrageous. Didn’t that starting backfield win the state 4 x 100 relay.
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It wasn't the entire starting backfield, Mr. Johnson was not on the relay team for one, but they did win the 4 x 100 the following spring. Nate Burney, Desmond Marrow, Ken Coleman and Mike Mazerik made up the team.
 
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We are officially 10 days away from Warren G. Harding’s 2024 football season opener against Canton McKinley!

Today’s “legend of the day” is Dalys Jett, who wore #10 during his playing days as a Raider.

In life, everybody isn't going to see your worth. As messed up at that sounds, that's just a reality. At the same time, everybody's opinion, no matter who it came from or how popular it may sound, is subjective. As people, we all have the right to voice whatever we please.

In liue of giving my opinion of Jett, I'll call the statistics to the stand and let it speak for itself. We’re going to break down his career at Harding four ways... By single games, single seasons, his career, and another notable thing that only he has done in a Harding uniform.

Let's start with the numbers from his signature games. I'll include where each performance ranks statistically in Harding history...
-22 completions vs. Massillon on 09/10/2021... school record
-6 passing TDs vs. Massillon on 09/10/2021... school record
-7 total touchdowns vs. Massillon in 09/10/2021... school record (tied with Lynn Bowden- Chardon in 2016)
-357 passing yards vs. Massillon on 09/10/2021... 2nd all-time
-426 total yards vs. Massillon on 09/10/2021... 2nd all-time
-6 total touchdowns vs. Ursuline on 09/17/2021... 3rd all-time (tied with 5 other performances)
-396 total yards vs. Youngstown Ursuline in 09/17/2021... 4th all-time
-264 passing yards vs. Ursuline on 09/17/2021... 6th all-time

Now, let's take a peek at Jett's single-season marks and where those numbers rank in Harding history...
-22 passing touchdowns in 2021... school record
-1,672 passing yards in 2021... 2nd all-time
-33 total touchdowns in 2021... 3rd all-time
-2,217 total yards in 2021... 4th all-time
-1,616 total yards in 2022... 9th all-time

Now, let's examine Jett's career totals and see how they rank in Harding history...
-163 completions... 3rd all-time
-2,472 passing yards... 3rd all-time
-48 total touchdowns... 3rd all-time
-24 touchdown passes... 4th all-time
-3,833 total yards... 5th all-time
-24 rushing touchdowns... 8th all-time
-1,411 rushing yards... 15th all-time

Now, let's acknowledge a career feat that only Jett has done at Harding...
-Only player in history that's thrown & rushed for a touchdown of over 80+ yards.

Notes...
- The aforementioned touchdown pass was an 83-yard bomb to Dom Foster against Austintown Fitch in the 2021 playoffs. It's the longest scoring pass ever thrown in the 35-game Harding-Fitch rivalry for either team.
- The aforementioned touchdown run was an 85-yarder vs. Massillon in 2022. That's tied for the longest touchdown run in the 88-game Harding-Massillon series with the late (Tiger) George Hess, who scored on the ground from the same distance vs. Harding in 1928.

Again, everybody has the right to their own opinion. However, if the name "Dalys Jett" doesn't come up when you talk about the more accomplished football players in Harding history, then there is a huge hole in your discussion.

Today, Jett is heading into his sophomore season as a quarterback for Walsh University.
 
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Worm, I thought you were including all RAIDERS in this so I assumed Jermaine Richardson at #11. That would have been a nice touch to include them for the old school west siders. Then you would have had to include #18 for WWR. ;)
 
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We are officially nine days away from Warren G. Harding’s 2024 football season opener against Canton McKinley!

Today’s “legend of the day” is Chris Rucker, who wore #9 during his junior & senior seasons as a Raider.

For seven decades, the world was entertained by the late comedian Jacob Cohen, who was better known by his stage name, "Rodney Dangerfield." Known for his quick and witty one-liners, his catchphrase, "I don't get no respect!" was a point of emphasis in many of his works. In the 1992 sports-comedy film "Ladybugs," his character Chester Lee ends the 90-minute flick with the line, "I finally got some respect!"

In life, everybody doesn't get the "respect" that they deserve. That's especially true if you're a person who rarely, if ever, verbally puts the spotlight on yourself. Despite eventually making it to the highest level of football, Rucker never really got the "respect" that he deserved. Unlike Dangerfield though, Rucker never (publicly) talked/complained it. Rather, he just worked hard, went out on the football field/on the track, and helped his teams produce positive results.

At Harding, Rucker was a big play waiting to happen in every facet of the game. Offensively, he hauled in 57 career receptions (tied with the late Marcus Elkins for 5th in school history) for 880 receiving yards (6th in school history) and 12 touchdowns (tied with Tyirq Ivory for 4th in school history). Defensively, he's Harding's all-time leader with 11 career interceptions and in the 2006 third round playoff game against Mentor, he returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown.

Throughout his high school athletic career, Rucker also showcased his skillset in track & field. As a sophomore in the spring of 2005, he was the third leg of a boys 4x100 relay team (alongside B.J. Provitt, Steve Witherspoon, and Jay Provitt) that clocked a 42.15. To this day, not only is that the fastest time 4x100 time in Harding history, but it also still stands as Trumbull County Meet & Lakeview Stadium records as well. The following year at the 2006 OHSAA Division I State Track & Field Championships, he combined forces with teammates Daniel Boom Herron, Darren Lee, and Jay Provitt to place 4th in the 4x100 with a time of 43.04.

Following his days at Harding, Rucker continued his academic and athletic careers at Michigan State. He went on to become a four-year letterman at cornerback as he posted career totals of 191 total tackles (122 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, and two sacks. He was a 2nd Team All-Big Ten selection in 2010.

On May 26, 2018, writer Cody Tucker of the Lansing State Journal dropped an article "Who wore it best at Michigan State: No. 29." He gave Rucker the nod over Bill Simpson, a 1973 All-American selection at defensive back who was also the 2nd-ranked punter in the Big Ten that season as he averaged 39.0 yards per punt. In Tucker's words, he picked Rucker because of "what he helped start at Michigan State" as for his career, he finished 3-1 against both of their two biggest rivals in Michigan and Notre Dame.

In 2011, Rucker was selected in the 6th round (188th pick) of the NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. In the ensuing season on December 18, he registered a career-high 11 tackles (6 solo) and a fumble recovery in a 27-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans. He finished his NFL career with 36 tackles (25 solo), two pass deflections, one tackle for a loss, and one fumble recovery.

Personally, I'm real big on "giving people their flowers while they can still smell them." Every athlete that competes for Harding, in any sport, needs to recognize the name "Chris Rucker." After all that he's done throughout the course of his athletic career, he's more than earned that "respect."
 
WGH had some really good teams and for the last 15 years it’s been pretty quiet. This is coming from a Cincinnati guy. They had dudes all over the place. Coaching? Talent? Or a bit of a mix bag? Good luck this season. Always loved those uniforms too
 
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We are officially eight days away from Warren G. Harding’s 2024 football season opener against Canton McKinley!

Today’s “legend of the day” is Anthony Abron, who wore #8 during his playing days as a Raider.

When you think of football players from Youngstown who have competed for Harding, the names Maurice Clarett and Lynn Bowden are the first ones that come to mind. While everybody is entitled to their own subjective opinion, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get much pushback by saying that these two individuals are among the greatest Raiders of all-time.

Prior to their glory days at Harding, Abron made his way over to 860 Elm Rd. in Warren for his senior year after the original East High School closed in Youngstown following the 1997-98 school year. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound defensive lineman was a great addition to Harding's class of 1999, which already included eventual Division I football signees in Carl Diggs (Michigan), Deryck Toles (Penn State), James "Homer" Simpson (Temple), Terrance Dawson (Indiana), and Carl Williams (Temple). Despite being among those big names, Abron didn't take a back seat to anybody as his combination of size, strength, speed, and his keen nose for the football made him a major force on the defensive front.

During the 1998 season, Harding outscored their opposition 377 to 114. Collectively, they limited their opponents to 389 rushing yards on 255 carries (1.5 yard per carry) while only surrendering 77 first downs in ten games. While that was a result of the Raiders' entire ensemble cast doing their jobs well, Abron more than held up his end of the deal. So much so, he even got in on the scoring. In a huge matchup against Cardinal Mooney on September 25, 1998, he put the cherry on top when he scooped up a fourth quarter fumble and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown in the Raiders' 41-3 demolition of the previously undefeated Cardinals.

Despite being ranked as high as #3 in the USA Today's Super 25, key injuries ultimately contributed to an 8-2 finish for Harding. As a result, they finished 5th in their region in the final year of the OHSAA's 4-team playoff format (it went to eight teams per region in 1999). Nevertheless, it didn't take away from Abron's outstanding senior season as he took home 1st team honors in the Steel Valley Conference, Northeast Inland District, and from the Associated Press as an OHSAA All-Division I selection.

Rated the #6 linebacker in the state by "Prep Football Prospects of Ohio," Abron went on to join his fraternity of Division I teammates as he signed his National Letter of Intent to the University of Toledo on Tuesday, February 2, 1999. In 18 games played as a defensive end for the Rockets, he'd go on to register 16 tackles and a fumble recovery en route to becoming a two-time letterwinner (2002, 2003).

On June 2, 2006, Abron signed a contract with the Ohio Valley Greyhounds of the United Indoor Football Association.
 
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We are officially seven days away from Warren G. Harding’s 2024 football season opener against Canton McKinley!

Today’s “legend of the day” is Troy Jakubec, who wore #7 during his junior & senior seasons as a Raider.

Throughout this countdown, we've reflected on the football careers of athletes who were great in their day, but no longer grace the field. That said, every last one of them played a role in motivating the kids that came after them. It's a never ending cycle of young men setting the standard for years that turn into generations of legacy building.

Today, rather than just discussing a legend from yesteryear, we won't just look back on a high school football career. We'll also celebrate a young man who is currently a playable selection on EA Sports' new video game, "NCAA Football 2025," as Jakubec prepares for his redshirt senior season as a cornerback for the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB).

As a sophomore on a loaded 2016 Harding squad, Jakubec saw light action throughout the season and even made an appearance in the Raiders’ 56-48 first round playoff victory over Brecksvile-Broadview Heights. He finished the season with three catches for 21 yards, but the majority of his contributions came on defense as he registered 16 tackles (14 solo), which included one for a loss.

Jakubec's experience playing alongside a veteran group early on would prove to be beneficial as he continued to progress. Statistically, the best games of his career came against Harding's toughest opponents as he totaled three catches for 34 yards to go along with a career-high eight tackles (five solo) against Massillon on September 8, 2017 while he’d registered seven solo tackles in the final game of his high school career vs. Garfield Heights in the 2018 playoffs.

For his career, Jakubec hauled in 15 catches for 178 yards and one touchdown in the Raiders' run-oriented offenses. However, he also developed into a sure-fire tackler in the secondary as 58 of his career 68 stops were solo. In 2018, he was a 1st team All-American Conference Gold Tier selection at defensive back.

In 2019, Jakubec became a Penguin for Youngstown State University. While he was granted a redshirt in his first year, he still recorded nine tackles (five solo) and one tackle for a loss in three games played as a freshman. As a senior in 2023, he was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference 2nd Team as he finished the season with 34 tackles (24 solo), seven pass deflections, and four interceptions. For his career as a Penguin, he appeared in 43 games en route to making 109 tackles (71 solo), 31 pass deflections, seven interceptions, 4.5 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one blocked punt.

On April 9, 2024, Jakubec announced on his social media that he was entering the transfer portal as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. Over the next few weeks, he received offers from Iowa State, UAB, Kansas State, UTEP, New Mexico State, and Western Michigan.

Just under a month later on May 2, 2024, Jakubec announced his verbal commitment to UAB.
 
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We are officially six days away from Warren G. Harding’s 2024 football season opener against Canton McKinley!

Today’s “legend of the day” is Jalen Hooks, who wore #6 during his playing days as a Raider.

As the NFL becomes more of a "passer's league" every year, that philosophy trickles down heavily into the lower levels. As a result, even Harding has taken a more airborne approach with their offense in recent years. So much so, three of their top four quarterbacks in school history, in terms of passing yardage, have all played within the last decade.

One of the biggest beneficiaries of that change of culture was Hooks, who showed the ability to strike quickly from anywhere on the field. For his career, he hauled in 37 catches for 637 yards and 11 touchdowns, which is tied with Ed Killingsworth for the sixth most in school history. Five of those scores covered 40 yards or more with the shortest one of the bunch being one of the more memorable plays of his career.

With Harding facing a 4th down and long late in the fourth quarter of their 3rd round playoff game against Hudson in 2016, Hooks caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from then-senior quarterback Lynn Bowden that temporarily gave the Raiders a 21-17 lead with 4:39 left in regulation. It was one of Hooks' three career games with mutiple touchdown catches.

In 2016, Hooks was a Northeast Inland District Honorable Mention selection at wide receiver.

At 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Hooks' size and skillset made him an ideal prospect at the cornerback position for the class of 2018. On August 31, 2017, he verbally committed to the University of Akron over schools the likes of Kent State, Cincinnati, Miami (OH), and Toledo. In his career as a Zip, he registered 88 tackles (59 solo), five pass deflections, one interception, and one forced fumble.
 
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We are officially five days away from Warren G. Harding’s 2024 football season opener against Canton McKinley!

Today’s “legend of the day” is Elijah Taylor, who wore #5 during his senior season as a Raider.

There's a popular saying, "Men lie, women lie, but numbers don't." In the 128-year history of Harding's football program, the "numbers" that Taylor posted from the quarterback position include feats that nobody else in school history has ever done.

As we did last week with another former Raider quarterback in Dalys Jett, let's take a thorough look at Taylor's signature accomplishments at Harding. We'll break these down by single games, single seasons, and his career totals while including where each statistic ranks in school history. Lastly, we'll list things that only Taylor has done in a Harding uniform.

SPOILER ALERT- All of the following "numbers" are (statistically) top ten performances in Harding history...

Single Games...
-366 passing yards vs. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary on 10/04/2019... school record
-21 completions vs. Clveland Benedictine on 08/29/2020... 2nd all-time
-4 passing touchdowns vs. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary on 10/04/2019... 2nd all-time (tied with four other performances)
-4 passing touchdowns vs. Columbus Bishop Sycamore on 10/2/2020... 2nd all-time (tied with four other performances)
-20 completions vs. Youngstown Ursuline on 09/25/2020... 3rd all-time (tied with Michael Surin: vs. Canton McKinley in 1981)
-341 passing yards vs. Canton McKinley on 08/30/2019... 3rd all-time
-18 completions vs. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary on 10/04/2019... 6th all-time
-17 completions vs. Canton McKinley on 08/24/2018... 7th all-time (tied with E.R. King: vs. Mentor on 09/26/1997)

Single Seasons...
-1,763 passing yards in 2019... school record
-130 completions in 2019... 2nd all-time
-118 completions in 2018... 3rd all-time
-1,801 total yards in 2019... 6th all-time
-96 completions in 2020... 7th all-time
-14 passing touchdowns in 2019 & 2020... 7th all-time (tied with Roger Matlock: 2004)
-1,361 passing yards in 2019... 9th all-time
-13 passing touchdowns in 2018... 10th all-time

Career (2018-2020)
-345 completions... school record
-4,400 passing yards... school record
-41 passing touchdowns... school record
-4,255 total yards... 4th all-time
-46 total touchdowns... 4th all-time

Things that only Taylor has done at Harding
-2 games with at least 20 completed passes
-2 games with at least 300 passing yards
-5 games with at least 200 passing yards
-11 games with at least 10 completed passes
-3 seasons with at least 90 completed passes
-3 seasons with at least 1,200 passing yards
-3 seasons with at least 13 passing touchdowns
-2 touchdown passes of 80 yards or more
-4 touchdown passes of 70 yards or more
-13 touchdown passes of 40 yards or more
-20 touchdown passes of 30 yards or more

Taylor will never get enough credit for the conditioning that it took to complete at least 116 more passes for 1,463 more passing yards and 13 more touchdowns than every single player in Harding history. Nobody gave him the blueprint to do that. However, from here on out, every athlete that sports "Warren" across their chest in any sport will know that even with all of the greats that came before them, the goal is to strive to set your own standard.

Today, Taylor is a redshirt junior quarterback at Sienna Heights University.
 
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We are officially four days away from Warren G. Harding’s 2024 football season opener against Canton McKinley!

Today’s “legend of the day” is Sidney Glover Jr., who wore #4 during his junior & senior seasons as a Raider.

While many young boys grow up wanting to play football, receiving a hit on the field from Glover isn't exactly at the top of anybody's bucket list. Well, at least it shouldn't be. Of course, while we always want all athletes to stay healthy throughout the course of a game, it's also not very wise to "poke the bear" either.

That's exactly what happened on November 4, 2006 when a large group of fans from Brecksville-Broadview Heights shouted racial slurs at Harding's players as they were warming up for their first round playoff matchup. Instead of potentially overreacting to the disrespect from the home crowd, the Raiders maintained their composure and continued to do their pregame routine.

However, when the Bees received the opening kickoff, Glover took matters into his own hands by running down the returner and delivering a clean, but vicious hit at the Brecksville 25-yard line to a collective "AWE!" throughout the stadium. The returner, who shall remain nameless, left the game with an injury and never returned as the Raiders ultimately stung the Bees 35-21.

As hard of a hitter as Glover was for Harding, he also knew what to with the ball in his hands. The best example of that came a few weeks prior on October 20, 2006 against The Rayen School (Youngstown). That night, he rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries as the Raiders held off the Tigers 28-6. Three weeks later on November 11, 2006, which was the week after the aforementioned Brecksville game, he scored on an 8-yard touchdown run against Lakewood St. Edward. That proved to be all that Harding needed as they knocked off the USA Today's 8th ranked team 7-3.

Offensively, Glover finished his career with 174 carries for 974 yards (6.6 YPC) and nine touchdowns. While he also went 31-of-51 for 401 passing yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions, Glover is most remembered for his work from the strong safety position. His resume includes a 48-yard interception return for another score against Massillon on October 14, 2006. Previously in the season opener against Cleveland JFK, he also returned the second half kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown.

After capping his senior season off with 1st Team All-Trumbull County and 2nd Team All-Division I selections, Glover would go on to further his academic an athletic career at West Virginia University. He'd go on to become a four-year letterman as he registered 202 tackles (130 solo), 19.5 tackles for a loss, 18 pass deflections, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and three interceptions in his career as a Mountaineer.

Glover spent the 2011 NFL preseason with the Buffalo Bills.
 
With the opening kickoff just a few days away, here is my official game preview for this Thursday's Warren G. Harding-Canton McKinley game.

On a personal note, it's my first game preview for the site since October 24, 2021.
#BackInAction

www.wghfootball.com

Week 1- Warren G. Harding (0-0) @ Canton McKinley (0-0)

With 24 years of coaching experience under his belt, new Warren G. Harding head coach Matt Richardson returns to the school that helped launch his career. During his first stint at 860 Elm Rd. NE as the running backs coach under then-head coach Thom McDaniels from 2000 thru 2006, Richardson...
www.wghfootball.com www.wghfootball.com
 
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