Staff photo / Dan Hiner
Youngstown East head football coach Devlin Culliver, right, addresses the team after Wednesday’s practice at East High School in Youngstown.
YOUNGSTOWN — The East football team is entering a pivotal stretch of the season.
The Golden Bears are off to a 4-2 start to the season — one of their best in recent years. But they are still lacking an eye-catching win.
East will get a few shots to end the year, however.
They play Howland today before starting a run against Struthers, Cardinal Mooney and Chaney to close the regular season.
“I’ve been coaching long enough to know that you need a signature win,” East head coach Devlin Culliver said. “You have to win some games people don’t expect you to win, and that’s when your program will really turn the corner all the way because now the kids will have confidence to say we can beat anybody.”
The Golden Bears struggled to sustain success in the last five years. Their four wins this fall matches a 4-6 record from 2019. And they potentially could add to it, marking the best season since 2018.
In 2018, the Golden Bears finished 7-4 and fell to eventual state runner-up Girard in the first round of the playoffs. But it was also significant for another reason.
That year was the last time players from all over the city of Youngstown suited up for East. The next season, Chaney rebuilt it’s athletic department, and the City’s football talents were separated.
Culliver had a plan to attack the 2024 season. He wanted his players to improve on and off the field, but also in the locker room.
He wanted to see the culture improve at East while turning things around in between the lines. And so far, the second-year Golden Bear coach has liked what he’s seen.
“The first five weeks, I’m proud of them because they responded to the things we asked them to do,” Culliver said. “They’re here everyday, they work hard and they’re trying to learn the game of football and apply it on Friday night.”
While the Golden Bears were getting better off the field, Culliver said the big men in the trenches have taken a step forward on the field.
Culliver credits the development of his offensive and defensive linemen for winning up front. And better offensive line play has led to more production out of the receivers.
“The big boys, it’s an attitude,” Culliver said. “They play as a family. They’re playing hard and getting better every week.”
The Golden Bears have taken steps towards turning things around, and they’ve had to do it with a unique schedule. The opponents’ records only combined for a 13-21 mark, but the mileage had been put on the Youngstown City Schools buses.
Steel Valley Conference rival Ursuline is the only Mahoning Valley team they’ve played prior to tonight. Their other games included home games with Chagrin Falls and Cleveland John F. Kennedy, and they’ve traveled to (Columbus) Whetstone, (Cleveland) Shaw and (Cincinnati) Dohn Community.
Including the game against Ursuline at Stambaugh Stadium, the Golden Bears have traveled over 1,000 miles round trip — 1,040 to be exact — so far this season.
And despite the travel, the Golden Bears are positioned to potentially make the playoffs in Division III Region 9. They are sitting at 13th in the region rankings, according to joeeitel.com.
The travel won’t be a factor in the final month of the year. Now it’s time for the Golden Bears to take the next step.
“They understand that the success we’ve had to this point is coming from them following directions, coming everyday, working hard, listening to their coaches and just doing the small, little things that in the past they didn’t think was a big deal,” Culliver said. “They wouldn’t pay attention to little details that would almost cost us in a game. Now, they’re paying attention to the small things.
They’re humble and not letting four wins got to their head like we won the Super Bowl. They understand that it’s a process that we’re trying to take. And we’re taking it week by week and step by step.”