Class 2A District 1
Tri-Valley League
School Colors: Red, Black and White
Head Coach: Eddie Kearns (5-13, 3rd season)
Assistant coaches: Jamie Carlisle, Dan Wilson
“We feel that the strength of this team is the hard work the young men are putting in this summer. We also have a lot of experience coming back. We know we have a tough schedule, so we are hoping that will help us get better as the year goes on.”
The Red Devils struggled in 2020. After winning their season opener against Cherryvale, Erie went on a 7-game skid before wrapping up the season with a win. “Because of injuries and COVID, we had a lot of underclassmen get varsity experience,” Kearns says. He is hoping that experience proves to be an asset for the upcoming season.
QB/DB Garrett Ruark (Sr) 6’2”, 170 lb
WR/DB Quinten Heafy (Sr) 5’6”, 145 lb – All District Honorable Mention
RB/LB Cayce Welch (Jr) 5’9”, 185 lb
RB/LB Caden Eads (Sr) 6’0”, 195 lb
RB/LB Grant Taylor (Sr) 5’9”, 185 lb
TE/DE Eric Dillinger (Sr) 6’6”, 209 lb
OL/DL Braydon Yarnell (Sr) 6’0”, 235 lb
OL/DL Dakota Becker (Jr) 6’0”, 245 lb
WR/DB Nate Thompson (Sr) 5’10”, 170 lb
OLB/RB Ty Taylor (Jr) 5’10”, 185 lb
OLB/RB Ruben Mata (Jr) 5’9”, 170 lb
L/WR Rylie Hays (Sr) 6’3”, 185 lb
9/3 vs. Cherryvale
9/10 @ Eureka
9/17 vs. Caney
9/24 @ Southeast
10/1 @ Riverton
10/8 vs. Fredonia
10/15 @ Colgan
10/22 vs. Neodesha
Perhaps the biggest area of focus for this Red Devils team will be the offensive line. “We lost to graduation about 80% of our offense,” Kearns says. “We are going to need several key players to step up and be successful on the offensive side of the ball.” Kearns points to senior Eric Dillinger as the leader of the line. He will be moving from tackle to the tight end position. Seniors Garrett Ruark and Quinten Heafy are also expected to be leaders. Heafy received all district honorable mention recognition for his performance in 2020. The early season will be a big test for Erie. They see Cherryvale, Eureka, and Caney prior to their district opener in week four. Kearns projects those three opponents to be the most threatening in the league in 2021. “We have a very tough pre-district schedule,” Kearns says. “We would love to go into district healthy and win the district. We want to make it to the playoffs.”
