OVFL: Keys behind Grenadiers’ early success

The Kingston Grenadiers have been red-hot since the start of the season, and while it may have come as a surprise to the majority of the OVFL, the team has been waiting to turn heads since last summer’s late playoff exit.

With a fairly young team, the Grenadiers were poised for a rebuilding campaign, but with what the season has proven so far, it is anything but.

Players come and go, Head Coach Mark Magee said, but it’s part of the OVFL game – and the players have to understand that.

“The responsibility of winning and effort is passed down from one team to the next, and there is no excuse to not give it your all.”

With the departure of former starting quarterback Dylan Fisher, there seemed to be a hole in the team’s offense. But through the first two games, it looks like it’s been filled and will continue to be.

Tanner DeJong, the newly appointed starting quarterback, has been firing on all cylinders. He’s thrown for 455 yards, an impressive eight touchdowns (seven in the air; one on the ground), and posted a 203 QB Rating in two games. What is also important to consider, though, is his lack of turnovers: the fifth-year player has only thrown two interceptions and bobbled zero fumbles.

A quarterback holds the keys to the ship, and much of a team’s success is contingent on his play, however Magee said that, as effective as DeJong has been, the Grenadiers rely on a team-first approach and “the little things”.

Namely, he praised the offensive line and credited them for giving DeJong enough time to move around the pocket without duress from opposing defenses.

“Our offensive line has been playing well, affording us time to throw and opportunities to make plays in the running game. Offensive Line Coach Sean Gifford has the boys playing hard. It hasn’t been perfect, but the attitude and effort have been there.”

Before the season began, Magee put an emphasis on good attitude, and so far it has remained consistent.

“I don’t feel we have any superstars,” he said. “I think the kids are buying into the scheme. They’re making plays with each other and for each other, and they’re realizing that team is the name of the game.”

And what he said certainly holds true. The Grenadiers are second in points for and against in the Wettges Conference, behind only the Myers Riders.

The defense is as important a variable to the team’s success as the offense, said Magee.

“The defense has been outstanding. We have played well against both the run and the pass. Defensive Coordinator Tom Bell has them flying around out there, and so far it has been fun to watch.”

The team has done exactly what Magee preached since the beginning of the season: take one play at a time. And so far, it’s worked wonders.

“We will just keep trying to get better each and every week, and take one game at a time,” he said.

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