By Luke Wiggs
Patriots Primed for 2022 Season
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — The 15th season in program history begins for the Washington Patriots. Coming off a 5-5 record last year, Washington begins the quest for their 3rd postseason appearance.
Offensively, the Patriots will turn to senior Joseph Vrobel and junior Rodrigo Delgado to shoulder much of the load.
“We are looking to shift (Delgado) to our fullback role this year.” Said head coach Glen Simpson about Delgado who spent some time at quarterback last year. “He’s done a tremendous job in the weight room and maturing as one does from sophomore to junior year. Joe Vroble is the leader in the clubhouse at quarterback.”
Both players will look to fill the void left by last year’s senior running back Tyler Meisenzahl who rushed for 481 yards and 5 scores.
On offense, the Patriots continue to run one of the more unique schemes in all of the panhandle.
“To say we run an old school offense is not doing it justice,” Simpson said. “We run a single wing that is of the mold of the old Notre Dames. Glen “Pop” Warner was running this offense. We’ve got to be different.”
In a run-heavy system, coach Simpson feels as though he may have the offensive line to run it. 4 out of 5 starters return from last year’s unit for Washington this season.
“We have a lot of returning players and we have some guys who saw significant time last year,” Simpson said. “We have, I believe, one of the best lines in the panhandle. But we get to prove that.”
On defense, the Patriots continue to run a scheme crafted by coach Simpson and his staff.
“We have a system that these young men have grown into with coach Wes Eddy,” Simpson said. “All of these guys have played in this system and their level of understanding and their ability to process quickly has grown every year.”
Chase Crutchley is the top remaining tackler from last year’s team, he and DJ Smith figure to be the main names at linebacker. Joe Vrobel returns poised to be one of the better defensive backs in the panhandle as well.
The Patriots will begin this season as they have for 14 of the last 15 years, playing rivals Hedgesville on Thursday, August 25th, on the road.
