UTICA – Elijah Bland has some wisdom to impart on his younger Utica football teammates, and the senior is going to take his own advice.
“I have to keep my head up and move forward,” Bland said. “Last year, I would get down on myself, and I wouldn’t take it 100%. I would take plays off.”
Bland and a small but strong senior class will be looking to lead by example when Utica opens the 2026 season at home against Centerburg.
Bland is expected to be the primary running back and again a fixture at linebacker, where he was the defense’s leading tackler last season. Utica also returns standout quarterback Aaron Hays, two linemen and two receivers among other pieces from its senior class, but it will also reach deep down into a talented sophomore class this season.
“We are still kind of young. We don’t have that many seniors or juniors, so we are just making the best of it,” Bland said. “We are mixing in young guys to get good reps. They just can’t be scared to hit somebody. They are going to be people bigger than you, faster than you, but just play with heart and do your best.”
Coach Charlie Rowley said he is not concerned at how such a mix of ages and experienced levels will coexist. Utica always has prioritized building cohesion during the summer and to that extent, the program again participated in a two-day team camp at Ashland University, took a field trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton and also did its typical toughness challenge and sleepover following its Midnight Madness kickoff.
“It all starts with the connection of our team. We really put an emphasis on being great teammates,” Rowley said. “Bonding and camaraderie throughout the summer is a big deal to us. We do quite a few things that help with that. As guys get older, we are encouraging them to take on leadership roles and treat young guys like they were treated when they were that age.”
Hays, who accounted for nearly 1,700 yards of offense and 16 TDs last season, and Bland give Utica two powerful backs to run behind a line headed by returning starters senior Mason Rine and junior Landon Smith. When opposing defenses load up the box, Hays will have a tall target on each side with 6-foot-3 seniors Weston Simon and Gavin Dugan, and juniors Jaxson Hampshire and Dalton Rodeniser worked from the slot during passing scrimmages.
“(The summer) has been going well. We have been grinding,” said Simon, who caught 17 passes, including three for scores, last season. “Me and Aaron have been working all summer long to get that connection down, so we can be ready for the season. We are trying to open up the run game basically. We want to space it out, so Elijah can pound them.”
The Utica defensive front will be smaller than a season ago but no less aggressive with Rine and A.J. Buckenberger to lead the way. Seniors Jack Fletcher at cornerback and Chris Boling each could step in, and Rowley and his staff rotated several juniors and sophomores, including Conner Wygle and Grayson Taylor, who have already made a name for themselves for the wrestling team, into action during passing scrimmages.
“(The underclassmen) just have to step up,” Simon said. “They are learning fast, and we are trying to help them with the plays. They are doing well.”
Utica jumped to 7-4 in 2023, earning its first winning season since 2010 and qualifying to the playoffs for the first time in two decades. Since, Utica has twice more finished with a winning record in Licking County League-Cardinal Division.
A year ago, Utica beat Danville, its Week 2 opponent, before the Blue Devils eventually made a run to the Division VII regional finals. On this season’s schedule, Utica replaces Ridgewood with Newcomerstown in Week 4, and Zanesville replaces Granville as its LCL crossover opponent the following week.
“We can’t look ahead at all. We have to get off to a good start,” said Rowley, who also has senior Daniel Bero returning at kicker. “The last two years we have started 1-4. A key for us is a great start, try to pile up some victories early and get some confidence and momentum going into league play.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Utica believes it has right mix of seniors, underclassmen. See why.
Reporting by Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate | USA TODAY Network
