Aug 23, 2026 4 min read

Bruce Fronk looks nothing like the young Arnold Schwarzenegger from “The Terminator” but the Upper St. Clair resident borrowed his legendary catchphrase upon returning to Mt. Lebanon in the capacity of varsity football coach.

Yes, after a three-year hiatus, Fronk is back.

In 2017, he came to the school district as a teacher and in 2018, he became defensive backs and wide receivers coach. He served as an assistant coach until 2022, helping the Blue Devils win a WPIAL and PIAA championship. He left to become the defensive coordinator for Joe Rossi at South Fayette High School.

“Physically, I left Mt. Lebanon but my heart never left here,” he said. “I needed to gain more experience to come back to Mt. Lebanon in this capacity.

“Now that I’m back, I’m excited to carry on the deep and rich tradition and pride of Mt. Lebanon that all of those who have come before have established.

“It’s an immense honor and I want to be a good steward but it’s going to be a challenge. We want to be future focused rather than looking back on the past as we re-establish Mt. Lebanon football. In a sense, it’s a new start and beginning for this program.”

For the Blue Devils, indeed, it is a fresh start as Fronk represents the third coach for whom many on the team have played. After Bob Palko retired, only to resurface at his alma mater, West Allegheny, Mike Collodi coached the Blue Devils in 2023. Greg Perry coached Lebo for the past two seasons, posting records of 3-8 in 2024 and 2-8 in 2025.

Additionally, much of this year’s personnel is new to Fronk as many of the players were sixth-grade students when he was last involved with the Lebo athletic program.

“Every year, kids change,” Fronk said. “I see how they have changed and as well I’m getting to know the others I did not teach. I’m learning what makes them tick, what makes them go. The hope is to help them in areas to make them better people but also better football players.”

The eleven best on each side of the ball will start for the Blue Devils as they attempt to “exploit” and “attack” the opposition.

At quarterback, Brody Whitehead, Grant Everhart, Jamison Smith and Jackson Marcheck, all brought “unique aspects” to the position and tried to separate themselves during the preseason, said Fronk.

Junior Jacob Zaber and senior Liam DeLuca headline a talented and deep running back group that also includes Isaac Walker.

“We have nice depth and pieces. A nice complement of players,” Fronk said. “I like this group.”

Fronk is high on the receiving corps as it’s the “deepest room” and the skill set of the group is a strength. Kevin King, Jaxson Driscoll, James Golen, Dom Valorie, Tino Fiumara and Sebastian Coriolan comprise the grouping.

King and Coriolan are returning starters in the secondary while Driscoll and Zaber are veterans as well. Valorie, Fuimara and Vince Pietragallo also will see double duty in the secondary.

Heading up the linebackers on the inside are Ford Schmitt, Easton Darcy and Spencer Paul while DeLuca, Sean Hough, Parker Boyd, Alex Dick and Golen solidify the outside.

“Our linebackers are a strength on defense. They present opportunities for us to do exciting things. We will be versatile in how we attack opponents,” Fronk said.

The Lebo linemen are young but Fronk said that he is excited about their development. Seniors Heath Clafshenkel, Diego Duran, Cameron Bowman and Aiden Bronkar lead the group.

Max Siegal and Schmitt headline a solid tight end group that also includes Hough.

The Blue Devils open the season on the road Friday against arch-rival Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m. They face Thomas Jefferson, Peters Township and Pine-Richland, all of which are Class 5A opponents with recent WPIAL championships, before opening Class 6A conference action at Norwin on Sept. 25. Powerhouse Central Catholic follows at home on Oct. 2.

“The schedule presents challenges against great teams with great coaches,” Fronk said. “We’re facing the best of the best. We’re excited to see where we stack up and excited to compete. Every week is a challenge. No gimmes. From a coaching and player perspective, that makes it exciting and challenging.

“We know Central has a lot of talent, tradition and power but we don’t look at anyone as more or less. We have to worry about us and what we can control. Football games are not won but lost. So we have to take care of those things and not have too many self-inflicted issues.”