Season preview: Wilson Bulldogs

Classification: Class 6A

League: Lancaster-Lebanon Section 1

Last season: 5-0 league, 6-1 overall

Schedule: Click here

Last District 3 playoff appearance: 2019

Head coach: Doug Dahms, 16th season, 161-31 (.838)

Key losses: All-league QB and P Kaleb Brown, Offensive Lineman of the Year Ethan Ashcroft, Defensive Back of the Year and all-league WR Troy Corson, all-league TE and OLB Corey Powers, all-league T Matt Schrufer, all-league C Greg Maus, all-league RB & KR Mason Lenart, all-league DE Ethan Capitano, all-league DT Jeff Colacin, all-league PK Jack Wagner.

Top offensive players: QB Brad Hoffman, all-league RB Jadyn Jones, RB Gavin Lenart, WR/PR Cam Jones, WR Sean Dendall, WR TJ Flite, C Jack Durning, G/T Kyle Hassler, G/T Alex Worley, G Jon Ramsey, T Jack Dendall, OL Brandon Taylor.

Top defensive players: E Jon Ramsey, second-team all-league T Eli Rodriguez, T Dominic Memmo, OLB Jadyn Jones, OLB TJ Flite, ILB Gavin Lenart, ILB Landon Farrell, ILB Ryan McMillan, S Josh Drake, S Gannon Brubaker, second-team all-league CB Cam Jones, CB Erick Jackson, CB Evan Williams.

Did you know? Wilson’s streak of 45 consecutive winning seasons (1976-2020) is now the longest in state after Ridley went 3-3 last season, snapping its streak at 54 seasons. The Bulldogs have recorded 57 consecutive non-losing seasons (1964-2020).

Fast fact: Chad Henne set the program record with 2,088 passing yards as a junior in 2002; that mark has been topped twice, first by Zach Zweizig (2,326 yards in 2009), then by Seth Klein (2,128 in 2011).

Quotable: “We’ve got some running backs, which is nice. We’ve got receivers: (Cam) Jones, (Sean) Dendall, (TJ) Flite. All three of them run nice routes, and are catching the ball really well. (Brad) Hoffman has a strong arm, he’s a physical kid, and a nice leader. The offense is going to come down to the line. I think we have some nice kids there, some nice potential, but we’ve just gotta get better.” — Bulldogs coach Doug Dahms.

Outlook: The Bulldogs won their final six games last season and collected their record 27th Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 title. They were left out of the truncated District 3 Tournament for the first time since 2015, and for the first time in Doug Dahm’s tenure as head coach; that didn’t sit well in West Lawn.

They figure to be good enough to win another league title and earn some home playoff games despite some heavy graduation hits that included the league’s best lineman and best defensive back, and Penn State-bound Kaleb Brown. All told the Bulldogs must replace 14 all-league players.

The picture is hardly dim. Berks Catholic transfer Brad Hoffman has fit in quickly and earned the starting quarterback job, and he’s got plenty of weapons. The rebuilt offensive line — Kyle Hassler is the only returning part — will be the focus.

Hoffman wasn’t called on to throw very often in the Wing-T offense but seems much happier in Wilson’s more open, Spread-style offense, where he’ll be able to show off his arm. He looked sharp in last week’s scrimmage against District 1 powerhouse Coatesville, got rid of the ball quickly and kept the chains moving.

If the O-line can create just a few holes, as it did effectively in the scrimmage, Jadyn Jones and Gavin Lenart will punish defenses. Jones earned all-league honors last season after averaging 6.9 yards per carry and scoring seven TDs in seven games. His monster effort in a season-defining win at Township showed what he’s capable of. Lenart proved a capable backup last season and had a huge TD run against Township; he should give Wilson as good a one-two backfield punch as there is in the league.

The receiving corps is deep and highlighted by junior Cam Jones, who’s positioned for a breakout season. He earned all-league defensive honors as a sophomore and could be a true weapon on offense, whether he’s lined up at receiver, comes out of the backfield or runs plays as a QB out of a Wildcat set. He’ll be a dangerous punt returner, too.

The defense has a lot of new pieces but figure on it coming together quickly; it always seems to under D-coordinator Ernie Wolber. Jones and Lenart are part of a strong linebacking corp. Jon Ramsey, a converted linebacker, is expected to make a big push at his new spot at D-end. Tackle Dominic Memmo is getting high marks from his coaches, too.

The pieces are in place to bring yet more hardware back to West Lawn.

At the wire: Battling Manheim Township for the section title and one of the top spots in the District 3 Class 6A Tournament.

Other Wilson features:

Photo gallery from Wilson’s scrimmage vs. Coatesville: Click here.

Video clips from Wilson’s scrimmage vs. Coatesville: Click here.

Brad Hoffman making a big impact: Click here.

Jadyn Jones poised for big season: Click here.

Doug Dahms not the retiring type: Click here.

Bulldogs Photo Day: Click here.