By HUNTER O. LYLE
DUKE CENTER, PA — This fall, the Otto-Eldred and Smethport football teams find themselves on different ends of the same problem: how to integrate a new head coach without a complete reset. While one is looking to continue its success despite also losing a swath of talent, the other is aiming to continue a rebuild instead of dismantling its foundation.
Across all three sports seasons, the Terrors have been able to lean on a generational class many within the school have called ‘once in a lifetime.’ On the gridiron, that group had produced a 22-17 record through four years, including a 7-2 season last year that topped Region 3. However, despite losing nine seniors in key spots and a combined 2,936 all purpose yards – 1,114 rushing and 1,822 receiving yards – new head coach Eric Rees isn’t wavering in his confidence.
“The idea that they lost all their talent is a misnomer. We’re not loaded but we have some playmakers that maybe a lot of people don’t know the names of because they were sitting behind those really special kids,” said Rees. “The cupboard isn’t bare. If we stay healthy we feel like we can repeat as Regional champs and make a push into the playoffs as well.”
While Rees is new to the Blue and Gold, he isn’t new to the area or football. Born and raised in Port Allegany, he played as a Gator for four years before eventually moving into coaching in South Carolina. Working the X’s and O’s for over 15 years in the Palmetto State, Rees absorbed the die-hard culture of the South, where football takes up calendar space in all four seasons.
After returning to McKean County two years ago, Rees took up a brief stint at the helm of Smethport a season ago, however, he now moves his focus to the Terrors, where he looks to continue their success with a new crop of talent. The focal point of his vision rests with Sean Magee.
Although he earned varsity quarterback minutes during his freshman year, throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns during the Terrors’ 6-4 season, Magee took over during his sophomore year and hasn’t looked back. That year, when O-E also went 6-4 through the regular season, he tallied 1,681 passing yards on a 61.4 completion percentage for 22 touchdowns while also rushing for 141 yards, making it to the endzone three more times. As a junior last season, he doubled down with 2,049 passing yards on a 69 completion rate, 29 touchdowns through the air along with 302 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
“He’s going to be our guy. We’re going to run the offense through him and let him be a playmaker for us,” said Rees. “Last year, when I was prepapring against him, what really surprised me was his athletic ability. He’s a really good quarterback, he had some really good weapons but he also has the ability to run. So we’ve designed an offense that we believe will utilize his skills to the best of their ability.”
Giving the keys to Magee and his cast of next-men-up, Rees is ready for the challenge of restaking his claim on both the region and District 9, an uphill battle given his tougher schedule. Nonetheless, the Terrors are ready to hit the ground running.
“We open up our schedule significantly differently than it was last year. We play six of our ten games playing up into Region 2 and Region 3 teams which include the likes of Redbank Valley and Port Allegany. So, we have a tougher schedule ahead of us but we’re going to approach every opportunity as a chance to prove people wrong,” said Rees. “Every game is an opportunity to prove what we are and who we are.”
Looking at Rees’s old team, the Hubbers are looking to find their footing for the third year in a row.
Three years removed from their last successful campaign – an 8-3 season in 2021 – Smethport has been struggling as of late, producing 1-8 records in 2022 and 2024 and a 2-7 season in 2023. However, looking to buck the trend, they have put the reins in familiar hands.
Growing up in the Black and Orange, new head coach Ryan Yingling takes the helm with winning experience. As a lineman for the Hubbers, Yingling played his way into Allegany Mountain League and Big 30 All-Star status before continuing his career at Waynesburg University. Since then, he has spent over two decades on the Smethport sidelines, coaching in some capacity at every level from junior high to varsity. That experience will be some he leans on when looking to mold a team full of youth.
“We are a very young team. Seventy percent of our roster are sophomores and Freshman, so our focus since we started summer workouts has been on attitude, effort, discipline and dedication to the program,” said Yingling. “We have had a great turnout at both the varsity and junior high levels this summer in the weight room and open fields and we have competed in five 7-on-7 tournaments. From a coaching perspective, we were very happy with the teams’ progress.”
One of the bright spots returning for the Hubbers is their man in the middle, Aiden Tanner. Starting at quarterback during his sophomore year a season ago, Tanner led the pass-heavy offense with 747 yards and nine touchdowns on a 42 percent completion rate. However, Yingling will be looking to utilize the junior on other parts of the field as he tests Tanner’s legs.
“You will see a couple different guys at quarterback. You will see Aiden at QB and also running back, and you will see Mason Swanson at QB as well,” said Yingling. “Swanson did not play last year, but came back out this year and both he and Tanner have been very supportive of each other and have been working hard all summer.”
With a long season ahead and steady progress in mind, the Hubbers have kept their expectations tame and single-minded.
“We’re just going to focus on the team in front of us each week,” said Yingling. “Just one game at a time.”
Otto-Eldred Schedule
Friday, Aug. 22: vs Union/A-C Valley, 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 29: at Bradford, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5: vs Coudersport, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 12: at Redbank Valley, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 19: at Kane, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27: vs Bucktail, 1 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 3: vs Cameron County, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 11: at Port Allegany, 1:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 17: at Smethport, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24: vs Ridgway/Johnsonburg, 7 p.m.
Smethport Schedule
Friday, Aug. 22: at Kane, 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 29: vs Ridgway/Johnsonburg, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5: at Cameron County, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 12: at Port Allegany, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 19: vs Bucktail, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27: vs Kane, 1 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 3: vs Coudersport, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 10: at Union/A-C Valley
Friday, Oct. 17: vs Otto-Eldred, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24: vs Cameron County, 7 p.m.
