NTL FOOTBALL: WITH VETERAN BACKFIELD WYALUSING HAS HIGH HOPES FOR 2025 (2025-08-17)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Wyalusing will be looking for a bounce back season in 2025 as they return a few key skill players, while mixing in a few new ones.

“Football season is the best time of the year,” said Wyalusing coach Rich Rogers. 

Last year’s team started the season 3-0 but then went 1-6 the rest of the way to just miss the playoffs.

“This is the most excited I’ve ever been in my life,” said Reuben Kinney. “In my first year last year nothing felt better than winning, and nothing felt worse than losing, so hopefully we get back out and play good.”

They say good-bye to workhorse Ayden Hunsinger, but Jonny Earle, Kinney, and Ethan Vanderpool all return in the backfield.

“We have three of the four that were there last year so I’m happy to see them back, and see who wins the spots,” Rogers said.

Earle was under center last year, but the Rams aren’t afraid to get a little tricky when it comes to passing as Kinney’s touchdown pass to Vanderpool against Canton last year was their longest pass play of the season.

“I’m excited,” said Vanderpool. “We’ve just got to have everybody step up and we all have to work hard.”

Hunsinger had over 1,000 yards rushing last season, but Vanderpool is ready to take some of those carries this year after blocking for him a year ago.

“We’re just going to ask everybody else to put in a little bit more, and give more, and step up,” Vanderpool said.

Earle is planning to put the experience he gained from last year to good use this season.

“The big thing I learned is just kind of be free and not worried,” he said. “I feel like that experience helped me the past few years. And we need a better relationship between quarterback-wide receiver, quarterback-running back, running back-offensive line; just try and be more connected.”

Earle was 9-for-39 throwing the ball for 63-yards and a touchdown, while running in three touchdowns.

Kinney was the team’s all-purpose offensive player a year ago - he could run, throw, and catch, leading the team with three receptions for 40-yards and a score.

“Definitely the work loads can increase for me, Jonny, and Ethan,” Kinney said. “Us three are going to have to step up and be the leaders this year.”

Up front the Rams return three of five starters for an offense that is heavy on ground attacks.

“We’ve got guys competing for all the spots this year,” said Rogers. “I’m glad to see Jasai Latini back, he was a starter up front. Zak Otten was a starter before he got hurt, and Colton Robinson will be our senior up front this year. Jesse Lamb were expecting to go back to the O-line, so all those guys are competing for spots.”

Defensively Hunsinger was their leading tackler last year so that’s another area they have to find some production, but they have several key returnees, particularly in Earle in the defensive backfield, and Lamb on the line.

“We expect Ethan Vanderpool to win the middle spot,” said Rogers. “I’m looking forward to see who else steps up for that. The linebacker corp is an important position defensively, so we’re trying some different people out there to see who wins the spots, but Ethan will be anchoring the middle.”

Vanderpool has been anticipating that all summer, and has worked to get ready.

“I’ve been lifting five days a week, and doing conditioning once or a twice a week,” he said. “I’m just trying to get as big and as fast as I can.”

Like much of last year, defense was up-and-down for the Rams at times.

“We just need to stick to our assignments, play sound defense, and not give up big plays,” said Earle. “I feel like big plays really killed us last year.”

Everybody on the team feels 2025 is a clean slate after last year’s second half struggles.

“I think we’ve come to terms with last year, it’s taken months to come to terms with it, but we feel like it was just a perfect storm of negative things happening that brought it all together. We had some leadership issues, we had some injury issues, and everything all came together in a perfect storm. There’s still high hopes for this year - we have a veteran backfield coming in, I think the line is going to pick it up pretty quick. We’re hoping to be able to have a successful this year with what we have.”

The players, too, know what they can do, remembering that they were down just 14-6 at the half to the eventual state champions in Troy.

“That made it all the more disappointing when we lost to the teams that we felt like we should have beat,” Kinney said about the Troy game. “I feel like if we stay consistent, we can be better than last year for sure.”

ROSTER (Grade)
John Kerin (12)
Jonathan Earle (12)
Andrew Taylor (10)
Addisyn Bly (12)
Reuben Kinney (12)
Wiley Trobaugh (9)
Michael Donnelly (10)
Jackson Fischer (11)
Brian Dietz (12)
Ryne McAllister (11)
Trentyn Gardner (9)
Patrick O’Connor (9)
Matthew Ferguson (9)
Johnathan Herman (9)
Conner Earle (10)
Jacob Gromley (11)
Ethan Vanderpool (12)
Grayson Vaow (9)
Ethan Johnson (9)
Brock Slater (12)
Dom Hadlock (12)
Jesse Lamb (11)
Zak Otten (11)
Colton Robinson (12)
Jasai Latini (11)
Kam Smith (12)
Dillon Gonsauls (9)
Chris Smith (10)

SCHEDULE
Aug. 22 at NPM, 7 p.m.
Aug. 29 vs CV, 7 p.m.
Sep. 6 vs Wellsboro, 7 p.m.
Sep. 12 vs Montgomery, 7 p.m.
Sep. 19 at South Williamsport, 7 p.m.
Sep. 26 at Troy, 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 vs Canton, 7 p.m.
Oct. 11 at Athens, 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 17 at Hughesville, 7 p.m.



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