Perryville Football Preview

(Perryville) The Perryville Pirates have a combined five wins over the last two seasons. They graduated eighteen seniors last year, most of which were varsity starters. Coming into 2023, the Pirates are a young team with good defensive ability. Offense, however, will be a focal point this season.

One of the key positions on offense has already been filled. Junior quarterback Rilaynd Graham is set to take the reigns under center. Graham has 13 career starts under his belt, and last season tossed for 418 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Graham has found the time to improve his game outside of the daily grind of team-organized workouts.

The offense surrounding Graham this season has a lot of talent. Sophomore running back Barrett Wheeler is expected to have an increased role. Over the offseason, he put on some lean muscle mass, and recently squatted 315 pounds for eight reps.  Wheeler credits his family for the gains he has made this offseason.

One of Perryville’s athletes is junior tight end Dominic Seiler. He’s shown flashes of great receiving ability so far in camp, and could be a candidate for a breakout season.

This year, Coach Roth wants to instill a belief in his players and their abilities. “Confidence” is the theme of the season, and with a younger team, positive reinforcement is a functional coaching strategy.

The Pirates’ 2023 season is full of unknowns. They are a young, yet hungry team that shouldn’t be overlooked. Coach Roth says that this year is not a rebuild, but a chance to get better.

Perryville will have an inter-squad scrimmage on Friday night at midnight. They will open the regular season on August 25th at Oakville.