High school football preview 2021: Jacob Addis carrying big load as Lorain returns after missing last year due to COVID

Jacob Addis knows the challenge facing him and his Lorain teammates this season. Due to COVID-19, there was no football, no practices and no socializing at school a year ago for Lorain but Addis stayed on course waiting for this season to roll around. He's one of only two starters left from the 2019 season. He was a sophomore center playing with a veteran senior line and he fit right in. The other returning starter, defensive end Tracy Williams, is rehabbing an injured knee after surgery and isn't expected back until Week 5 or so. "When I got hired, there were two kids that I needed to get attached to," first-year coach Damion Creel said. "Jacob Addis and Tracy Williams. Both of them are seniors that played before and they were the only two lettermen coming back. First thing I did was to text them to tell them I had the job. They were the first two kids I sat down with and broke bread with." Creel was Beachwood's head coach the past six years, leading his alma mater to a pair of playoff appearances. He comes in with a wealth of experience having been an assistant coach at Glenville, St. Edward, Richmond Heights, Cleveland Heights, Bedford and Marion Franklin. Dave McFarland retired after the 2019 season, having won 42 games and making three playoff appearances in his six-year stint. James Boyeas was hired to replace McFarland last year but never coached a game. Addis and Williams are the blocks Creel needs to rebuild the program with after going over a year without football. The 2019 Titans finished the year winning five of their last six games to finish 6-4. "Both of them are great kids, willing to do anything we ask them to do," Creel said. "We played around with Jacob playing guard and that still may be the case, but he'll probably be our center. Just a great overall kid. I've met his parents, good-hearted kid, very hard worker, plays three sports. That's impressive these days with kids trying to focus and streamline on one sport." Addis will play basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring for the Titans, all the while trying to keep up his grades and be a true leader on the field. "Keeps me out of trouble," Addis said with a smile. The Titans are in the process of rebuilding the offensive line so whether Addis play center or guard he'll have responsibilities making sure people are lined up correctly. "I call the signals for the inside," he said. "The tackles will make the calls for the outside." "He does it all," Creel said. "When I was in school, I played three sports and Jacob has the opportunity to play at the next level. During the spring, he got hurt — his knee — but I think he's overcome that. Just think about him getting hurt and thinking he might miss his senior season after already missing his junior season. "I couldn't ask for a better leader for our offensive line and he does it the right way. He's not a screamer. He's very humble and a very likable kid." Addis knows the task won't be easy but he's bought in to the system Creel wants to run. It's up to Addis to help sell it to the younger players. "We have to have a lot of communication," he said. "We're still being a little bit selfish. We have to become a one-part (unit)." In the offseason weight room, Addis was one of the most dependable players and he's lived up to the senior leadership role. "I pushed people as much as I can," he said. "Brought people under my wing, lift with me to get bigger and stronger. Make sure they were doing the right thing." Addis hasn't made up his mind about his post-graduation plans. College is certainly an option but he just might go to work with his dad in masonry. He'd also like to eventually be a police officer. "Right now, I'm not sure about (college) offers," Addis said. "I have one for St. Thomas in Florida. Academics are more important than sports. Sports is a privilege. You have to have your academics first." Addis' individual goals are simple but smart. He figures if he does his job and everyone does theirs, success will follow. "I just want to win each play because if you win each play, you win each quarter," Addis said. "If you win each quarter, you win each game. If you win each game you can be state champ." Contact Tim Gebhardt at 329-7135 or timothygeb@msn.com.