Shady Spring –
Team: Shady Spring
2024 Recap
Shady Spring rolled to a 7-3 regular season record in 2024, weathering the storm of injuries and inexperience en route to the playoffs. The season came to an end in the first round of the postseason where the Tigers fell to Nitro.
The loss brought to an end the careers of several standouts including Nathan Easley and Jalon Bailey who combined for 15 interceptions last season.
2025 Outlook
Despite missing time early in the regular season with a head injury, Shady Spring quarterback Cal Culicerto finished his junior year with over 1,000 passing yards. Now he’ll need to take what he learned and apply it to an offense that figures to look different. Easley and Bailey were Culicerto’s top two targets, combined for nearly 800 yards receiving.
In order to replace that offense, the Tigers are likely to take to the ground. Last year Shady used a committee approach at running back with three different players registering at least 60 carries. This year head coach Vince Culicerto expects a duo of backs to emerge and handle the bulk of the carries.
“Kaiden Helmer had most of the carries and Evan Romage,” Shady Spring head coach Vince Culicerto said. “A couple years ago I had Gavin Davis and he was my cash cow. We ran him a ton. If I don’t have that superstar popping out – we’re going to use them all and they’re all good. They’re all fresh. We’re going to use them all on defense too. Kaiden Helmer – linebacker – running back I’ve had that combination a couple times and somewhere it’s going to give.
“We know they’ll need breathers and we’ll have to use different backs. We’ve got Evan and Kaiden and Blake Snodgrass is another kid we’re real high on.”
Romage led the Tigers with 672 yards and seven rushing touchdowns while Helmer piled up 418 yards.
The Tigers will be replacing most of their offensive line as well but Culicerto feels confident that this group isn’t as green as those he’s had in the past.
“We had a great line last year but I had a couple juniors that would’ve played on a lot of ball teams if they weren’t on ours,” Culicerto said. “They just had some guys in front of them that took the time. They’re seniors and they played a lot of jv football and they’re big kids. Thye we just a hair off from playing more last year.”
On defense the graduations of Bailey and Easley leave gaps in the secondary where Culicerto acknowledges they’ll be young. But he has an idea of how to offset that.
“We’ll need more sacks and pressure up the middle,” he said.
Shady, which kicks off its season at Saint Albans on Friday, August. 29, has revamped its schedule, dropping Summers County, Roane County, Wyoming East and Wheeling Central in favor of St. Albans, Oak Hill, Winfield and Berkeley Springs.
| 08/29/25 | 7:30PM | A – | ST. ALBANS HIGH SCHOOL | – | ||||
| 2 | 09/05/25 | 7:00PM | H – | JAMES MONROE | – | |||
| 3 | 09/12/25 | 7:00PM | H – | NICHOLAS COUNTY | – | |||
| 4 | 09/19/25 | 7:00PM | H – | OAK HILL | – | |||
| 5 | 09/26/25 | 7:00PM | A – | PIKEVIEW | – | |||
| 6 | 10/03/25 | 7:30PM | A – | GREENBRIER EAST | – | |||
| 7 | 10/10/25 | 7:00PM | A – | LIBERTY (RALEIGH) | – | |||
| 8 | 10/17/25 | 7:00PM | H – | WINFIELD | – | |||
| 9 | 10/24/25 | 7:00PM | H – | BERKELEY SPRINGS | – | |||
| 10 | 10/31/25 | 7:30PM | A – | WESTSIDE |
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