2025 Football Preview: Russell Red Devils

FLATWOODS, Ky. — It’s what’s up front that counts.

Regardless of how many skill players a team has, the biggest key to a team’s success is how well the offensive and defensive lines play.

That will be the unknown story of the Russell Red Devils as they end the 2025 season.

Russell was 9-4 overall and 8-1 against Class 3A opponents along with a perfect 5-0 record in the district last season.

The Red Devils return five players on offense and 9 of 11 on defense.

But the one area that must be replaced is the offensive line which has veteran head coach T.J. Maynard approaching the season with cautious optimism.

“We feel real confident about competing for the district championship. I think it could come down to us and East Carter, but you still have to win the other games on your schedule,” said Maynard.

“We look like the favorites on paper, but you still have to play the games. We have to get better and we know up front we’re going to continue to get better, it’s just a matter of how soon it gets there.”

The Red Devils lost their quarterback and five starting offensive linemen to graduation, but Maynard said several players rotated in with the starters.

“Right now, quarterback is a position of concern but we have some guys (on the offensive line) there. That’s going to be the tell of our year how well those guys come along,” said Maynard.

QUARTERBACKS

A key position that will be important to fill is quarterback. Last season, Elijah Hankins was 83-of-148 for 1,658 yards and 21 touchdowns last season.

Looking to fill his shoes will be senior Jayden Frasure who saw more time as a running back than as a quarterback last season.

Frasure was just 6-of-13 for 53 yards and 3 touchdowns in limited action at quarterback. However, he ran 41 times for 256 yards and 3 scores as a running back.

“Jayden Frasure got some playing time last year and he was one of our main running backs early in the season until he got hurt. So, at least he has some experience,” said Maynard.

“It might be a little bit different flow to the offense because he’s more of a run threat, but he can throw it.”

Junior Wyatt Hudson has improved his strength and will be the top challenger to Frasure for the quarterback job.

“He’s a mainstay on our defense, but he can come in and give us what we need in our backup,” Maynard said.

OFFENSIVE LINE

To help with the line depth, Maynard is moving a couple of skilled players inside to help including sophomore quarterback Ian Lother (6-2, 240) who is one of the bigger players on the team.

“We’ll be okay later on, but it might be ugly starting off,” said Maynard. “Lother moved down to guard to help us and I think he has a future there.”

The Red Devils need to find a new center and there are three candidates that include Brody Smith, Kaleb Scott and Tyler junior Titus Reeves. The two who don’t win the center job will move too guard.

The starting tackles will be seniors Zach Brown and Reagan Banks.

“We have two guys who are seniors who have been in the rotation,” said Maynard. “Tate Smith will move from tight end to tackle “and he’ll get better as the year goes along.”

Sophomores Dameon Williams and Jacob Scott-Watts are candidates at guard and Maynard said “they have potential but they’re both sophomores. We hope they can get in there and get some work in and be able to help us by the time we get to the district.”

RUNNING BACKS

A key loss in the backfield was Ben Totten whom Maynard called the Red Devils’ Swiss Army Knife as he ran 293 yards and 3 touchdowns and caught 18 passes for 276 yards and 3 more scores.

“He’s the guy who could do anything,” said Maynard. “We could send him out for pass routes, screens, run the ball and block, so we’re going to miss him.”

The main running back is sophomore Kaiden Benge who led Russell with 557 yards on 115 carries and scored a team-high 12 touchdowns.

Benge has been slowed by a hairline fracture but is expected to be ready for the opening game Aug. 22 against visiting Coal Grove.

Junior Jordan Rowe ran 60 times for 392 yards and 4 scores last season and will be in the backfield once again. With Totten gone, Maynard said Rowe “will assume some of (Totten’s) role.”

Senior Anderson Haggard is moving back to running back from wide receiver. Haggard played running back as a freshman.

“He’s more suited for running back than receiver and we have a ton of depth (at wide receiver),” said Maynard.

Sophomores Lane Osborne and Ivan McDaniels will help provide depth in the backfield along with Osborne and McDaniels.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Heading up the wide receiver corps will be senior twin brothers Cayden and Jayden Pennington.

Cayden led the team with 31 catches for 706 yards and 10 touchdowns while Jayden had 16 receptions for 281 yards and 3 scores.

“They’ve been on a camp circuit all summer and they’ve really refined their technique and their skill regarding route running,” said Maynard.

Another returning receiver is Caden Mitchell who had 13 grabs for 316 yards and 5 TDs.

“Mitchell has a lot of ability and had a really good year for us. We hope he takes that next step,” said Maynard.

“That’s three guys who all started for us last year who’ve got really good speed and really good hands. That’s a blessing for us to have those guys back.”

Rowe had 4 catches for 78 yards and figures to get more targets this season as he takes over Totten’s spot in the backfield.

Others in the mix are sophomores Griffin Fisher and Kane Jacobs.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The defense has 9 starters returning although they did lose three players who were in the defensive rotations were lost to graduation.

Up front will be Brown — who led the team with 5.5 sacks last season — along with Banks with Lother expected to fill one of the holes in the defensive line.

Williams and Scott-Watts will also figure heavily in the D-line play.

LINEBACKERS

“We’ve got to find some depth behind them,” said Maynard.

The linebacking corps and the secondary all return.

On the outside at linebacker are Tate Smith and Jacobs with Brody Smith and Hudson on the inside.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

The Pennington twins will be the safeties with senior Grayson Kiser and Haggard the cornerbacks.

Jayden Pennington led the team with 3 interceptions while Rowe had 2.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Totten handled all the kicking last season and was 8-of-9 on field goals and 41-of-48 on extra points.

Freshman Sammy Totten – Ben’s brother — and freshman Gavin Skaggs are expected to battle for the kicking duties.

Russell Red Devils 2025 Football Roster

No. Player Pos.  Gr.

1 Samare Ross WR-DB Fr.

2 Jordan Rowe RB-DB Jr.

3 Hunter Williams WR-DB So.

4 Ivan McDaniels WR/DB So.

5 Grayson Kiser WR/DB Sr.

6 Caden Mitchell WR/DB Sr.

7 Griffin Fisher WR/DB So.

8 Jayden Frasure QB/LB Sr.

9 Keigan Hannah RB/DB Fr.

10 Logan Jones RB/LB So.

11 Shawn Deskins WR/DB So.

12 Maddyx Patrick WR/DB Sr.

13 Wyatt Hudson RB/LB Jr.

14 Kane Jacobs TE/LB So.

15 Anderson Haggard WR/DB Sr.

16 Wes Merrill QB/DB Fr.

17 Jayden Pennington WR/DB Sr.

18 Cayden Pennington WR/DB Sr.

19 Ian Clark WR/DB Fr.

20 Jack Madden RB/LB Fr.

23 Sammy Totten P/K Fr.

25 Nick Marcum RB/DB Fr.

26 Alan Hillard WR/DB So.

27 Gavin Skaggs P/K So.

28 Kaiden Benge RB/LB So.

29 Waylon Hudson WR/DB Fr.

30 Deakyn Dickens RB/LB Fr.

32 Trenton Duvendeck RB/LB Fr.

33 Lane Osborne RB/DB So.

37 Ben Brinkman RB/LB So.

50 Dylan Burton OL/DL So.

51 Ian Lother OL/DL So.

52 Logan Quillen OL/DL So.

53 Zach Brown OL/DL Sr.

55 Tate Smith OL/LB Sr.

56 Jacob Scott-Watts OL/DL So.

57 Titus Reeves OL/DL Jr.

58 Brody Smith OL/LB Sr.

59 Reagan Banks OL/DL Sr.

60 Kaleb Scott OL/DL Jr.

61 Spencer Gross OL/LB So.

62 Ira Russell OL/DL Fr.

64 Peyton McGowan OL/DL Fr.

66 Elyjah Iddings OL/DL So.

67 Dameon Williams OL/DL So.

72 Braxton Strickland OL/DL Jr.

74 Kenny Hensley OL/DL Fr.

77 Christian Hannah OL/DL Jr.

2025 Schedule

Aug. 22 COAL GROVE, OH 7:30PM

Aug. 29 at Greenup County 7:30PM

Sept. 5 at West Carter 7:30PM

Sept. 12 PAINTSVILLE 7:30PM

Sept. 19 ASHLAND 7:30PM

Sept. 26 at Fleming County# 7:30PM

Oct. 3 Bye

Oct. 10 LEWIS COUNTY# 7:30PM

Oct. 17 at Bath County# 7:30PM

Oct. 24 EAST CARTER# 7:30PM

Oct. 31 at Breathitt County 7:30PM

#- Denotes district game