2021 PFN Team Preview: The Middletown Blue Raiders @BlueRaiderPride @appleby_bamm @scott_acri

Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 3, News

Billy Splain | August 15, 2021

Middletown Blue Raiders PFN Page

Head Coach Scott Acri

PIAA District 3 – Class AAA
League: Mid-Penn Conference – Capital

@BlueRaiderPride

Assistant Coaches 
Spencer Gay, Aaron Blanding,
Scott Acri Sr, Robert Brodish,
Mike Osayi, Joe Crocenzi,
Juquill Adams, Adam Shaffer,
Augie Taliani, Roy O’Neill

2020 Season Record 4-2

2021 Schedule

DATE	OPPONENT	LOCATION	TIME/SCORE
08-21	@ Northern York (SCR)		10:00 am
08-27	vs. Lower Dauphin (0-0)		7:00 pm
09-03	@ Bishop McDevitt (0-0)		7:00 pm
09-10	vs. Line Mountain (0-0)		7:00 pm
09-17	vs. Newport (0-0)		7:00 pm
09-24	@ Juniata (0-0)		7:00 pm
10-02	@ Steelton-Highspire (0-0) *	War Memorial Veterans Field	1:00 pm
10-09	vs. Camp Hill (0-0) *		7:00 pm
10-15	@ Boiling Springs (0-0) *		7:00 pm
10-22	vs. Trinity (0-0) *		7:00 pm
10-29	vs. Big Spring (0-0)		7:00 pm

* – denotes league game
(SCR) – denotes scrimmage

What are your expectations for your team this year? 
I look forward to the challenges week in and week out. After a covid year, it’s exciting to see our kids compete and experience some normalcy. Our expectations will be to compete at a high level each Friday night and continue to develop our players on and off the field.

When your team is on offense, what are the keys to success? 
The focus in our program to experience offensive success will be making sure we control balance and tempo. We have a handful of talented skill players behind an experienced offensive line. Bamm Appleby will be the key to our offensive and managing our scheme and plan with poise and confidence. A balanced attack with Appleby, Broadie, Bryant, Davis, Leach, Batts, Kochvar, and Spears behind the leadership of upperclassmen Stoner, Vandegrift, and Beasley will be the vocal point of our 2021 production.

When your team is on defense, what are the keys to success? 
When we are on defense, our key to success is getting eleven hats to the ball with a purpose. As mentioned previously, we have a ton of athletes who love to fly. Putting them in great positions to make plays and play fast is a point of emphasis. Broadie will anchor the DE spot opposite Kochvar. Look for Soph. Kam Chisholm to be in rotation early. Marquis Beasley will line up inside along with Neidig, Dash, and Brunson. Stoner returns to the Inside Linebacker Position where he will be lined up with a host of others including Davis, Spears, Betha, Paul, and Brown. Bryant returns as the lone starter in the secondary. Coming off a season ending injury in 2020, Leach returns at Safety. Batts, Rodriguez, and McKinney will battle for the remaining spots.

Key Starters Lost 
Tymir Jackson, Tony Powell (Transfer),
Julio Rodriguez, Tim Wagner,
Brock Welsh, Dylan Zettlemoyer,
Nik Newton, Jeremy Wells,
Jaydon Wotring, Ayden Miller,
Terrell Daniels, Derek Wall

Offensive Starters Returning
Marquis Beasley, Jr. OT
Jayson Stoner, Sr. C
Chase Vandegrift, Sr. OT
Tajae Broadie, Sr. TE/FB
Audric Bryant, Sr RB/WR
Brandyn Davis, Sr. RB
Asa Kochvar, Jr. TE

Defensive Starters Returning 
Tajae Broadie, Sr. DE
Marquis Beasley, Jr. DT
Jayson Stoner, Sr. LB
Audric Bryant, Sr. DB
Tate Leach, Sr. DB

Special Team Starters Returning
Nolan Sessa, Jr. K/P
Tyson Leach, So. K/P
Audric Bryant, Sr. KOR

Key Newcomers
Bamm Appleby, Jr. QB
Brandyn Davis, Sr. LB
Tito Spears, JR. RB/LB
Kam Chisholm, So. DE
Donnie Neidig, So. OL/DL
Arkel Batts, Jr. WR/DB
Jamar McKinney, So WR/DB
Manny Rodriguez, Jr. WR/DB
Amari Betha, Jr. WR/DB
Sebastian Dash, Jr. OL/DL
Chase Eberly, So. OL/DL
Caden Paul, Sr. LB
Canden Brown, Jr. LB/FB

Players we should keep an eye on? 
Tajae Broadie, Brandyn Davis, Bamm Appleby, Tate Leach, Audric Bryant, Arkel Batts

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