On Tuesday, Piqua head football coach Bill Nees said that senior Cole Selsor will be the quarterback to replace last year’s stand-out signal caller Justin Hemm in the season opener against St. Marys on Friday night at Skip Baughman Stadium.

“It’s gone pretty well with Cole Selsor,” Nees said. “If it wasn’t, he wouldn’t be our quarterback. Cole went 9-for-12 in our scrimmage against Lima Senior last week. He’s been able to learn the system. I don’t think he gives as many intangibles as Justin Hemm, but I’m not sure he has to do that this year. He has  good surrounding cast.”

Doug Frye and the Roughriders are prepared for another quarterback, just in case the Indians want to throw a wrench into preparation.

Justin Hemm’s younger brother Trenton Hemm is a sophomore quarterback who Frye said his team was preparing for, just in case. While Nees said that Selsor runs the offense well, the young Hemm adds the potential for a gamebreaking quarterback.

St. Marys linebacker Josh Zimmerman, who was second in tackles for the Riders last season,  also said the Riders were ready for Trenton Hemm.

“In a way it’s nice (not having to face Justin Hemm), but we know his little brother is playing at quarterback and he can do the same things if we aren’t ready,” Zimmerman said.

It’s just another one of the caveats of opening week. This will be Frye’s 11th such opener at St. Marys and his 27th as a coach.

“There’s a lot more unknown in the first game.,” Frye said. “Even moreso with Piqua, because we’ve only played them one time in the regular season. We really don’t cross over opponents. You scout once and you trade film once and there isn’t the familiarity that you have with league teams.”

No matter who takes the snaps, the big weapons this year at Piqua are the running backs.

Ty Knox is an experienced two-way starter at safety and running back who has take over a leadership role for the Indians this fall.

Returning along with Knox is the leading returning rusher in Kendall Taylor, who had 287 yards on the ground and five touchdowns for the Indians.

“They have a number of people who are going to touch the ball — and very talented people at that along with a very good offensive line,” Frye said. “I’m not sure they’re the same type of team as last year, but they may be a better offensive team.”

The guys doing the blocking for those runners will be Cody Sterling, Jake Underwood, Ronnie Walls, John Palmer, Kyle Langston and Justin Covault.

The key returners on defense are Colin Nickolai at linebacker and defensive lineman Josh Osborne, along with Knox at the saftey spot.

Trevor Collier, Terry Perkins, Osborne and Jake Mohr start along the defensive front for the Indians.
Gomez White, Cody Guiterrez and Cody Lee join Nickolai at the linbacker positions to round out the Piqua 4-4 defense that will be tested by the grinding wing-t attack that the Roughriders will throw at them.

“We’ve got some new kids who have watched the other kids,” Nees said. “It’s their turn now.“