Quarterback: Senior Andy Pearson will take his turn at living up to the Pearson name that Piqua fans have become used to hearing at Quarterback. Pearson provides leadership as well as a strong right arm to guide the Indians offense this fall. The Indians return zero players on the offensive side of the ball. The Tribe will, however, have plenty of talent to replace the talented players that graduated. It all starts with Pearson and the Tribe offense may go as far as the right arm of Andy Pearson.
Running Back: The Indians will be young at the running back position but the talent is all in place. Sophomore Brandon Saine will spearhead the rushing attack. Saine provides plenty of explosive and breakaway speed. Also in the backfield will be Junior Kyle Blair will provide even more speed along with some power. Junior Nate Curtis will also receive plenty of touches from the backfield this season. Nate ran the ball well in the final game of the season last year at Greenville. Curtis marched down the field and scored a touchdown in the 55-6 win.
Wide Receiver: Piqua has plenty of depth this year at the wide receiver position. Seniors, Zach Pack and Mike Coppock will provide the leadership at the position. However, there is plenty of young talent waiting for their chance to shine. Junior Dustin Wenrick will get his share of touches along with sophomores Phil Collier and Pete Rolf. Collier, who doubles as a defensive back, will provide plenty of speed to the wide receiver position. Rolf will provide some size but getting those guys some experience will be a key factor. The talent is in place for a few years to come.
Tight End: Seniors Kyle Lyman and Joe Hudson will provide size as well as athletic ability at the tight end position. They both have experience and provide speed as well as great blocking ability. The two talented seniors also have the ability to split out as a wide receiver to stretch the defense.
Offensive Line: The Indians will have to reload on the offensive line. Experience will be lacking but the ability is there. Senior Mike Wilson will anchor the line from his center position. Senior Josh McBride and sophomore Lee Middleton will fill in at the guard spots. The tackle position will be solid with play from senior Doug Warner on one side and sophomore Ben Davis controlling the other side. There are plenty of young players waiting in the wings for their chance to battle in the trenches should they be called upon for duty.
Defensive Line: The defensive line is young but very talented and they are a solid group. Senior Brent Wills will be one of the defensive ends with sophomore Dusty Snyder playing on the opposite side. The defensive tackle position will be solid with junior Ryan Ault providing plenty of experience and size. Along side him will be talented sophomore Jafe Pitcock. During the scrimmage portion of the schedule, the Indians defensive line has already proven that they will be a force when opposing teams test the running game. Seniors Josh McBride and Doug Warner will provide some depth when needed.
Linebackers: The Tribe returns four starters on defense from last season...three of those four play at the linebacker position so you can expect it to be solid. Senior Joe Hudson will lead the way from his middle linebacker spot. Along side Hudson will be senior Kyle Lyman. Lyman provides plenty of experience as well. Junior Murray Nickolai will also bring experience to the linebacker position and with his talent he will be a major force. Also receiving time will be juniors Nate Curtis and Kyle Blair.
Defensive Backs: The defensive back position took a hit from graduation but there are some talented players looking to step up and make their presence felt from the secondary. The cornerbacks will be inexperienced as they are only sophomores but Phil Collier and Taylor Abram have plenty of speed and aren’t afraid to come up and apply a punishing hit on a running back that thinks about breaking past the secondary. The safety position will be filled by senior Mike Coppock who will be challenged by sophomore Bryant Fox for playing time.
Special Teams: The kicking duties will be handled by senior Joe Hudson. Hudson provides one of the best punting legs in the area and has range to kick some field goals if needed. Hudson has plenty of experience as a senior kicker and he will bring some maturity to the special teams.
