Upper St. Clair takes on Steubenville
Upper St. Clair quarterback Jack Hansberry fades back to pass during a scrimmage against Peters Township. The senior will be at the controls when the Panthers travel to Steubenville at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 in Week Zero of the WPIAL 2017 football season.
Peters Township junior tailback Seth Luksik drives for yardage during scrimmage action against Upper St. Clair.
When Upper St. Clair had the chance to play a game in Week Zero of the WPIAL’s football season, the Panthers jumped on the opportunity even though they will be competing against one of the dominant teams in Ohio. Rather than scrimmage, USC will travel to Steubenville for a 7 p.m. kickoff Aug. 25 against the Big Red.
“I just wasn’t happy with another scrimmage for a lot of reasons,” said USC head coach Jim Render, “then the opportunity to play Steubenville came up. I thought our team would benefit from the overall experience. It will be a big game at a big venue.”
Steubenville has a storied program that rivals that of USC’s. Big Red finished as Ohio State runners-up in 2016. The team returns 20 lettermen, all of them seniors, from that successful club.
“Steubenville has a reputation from its strong football tradition,” said Render, who is friends with opposing head coach Reno Saccocia. “They are usually a state semifinalist or finalist every year. It’s a good program and they have a great stadium.”
Dubbed Death Valley, the Steubenville stadium is a football-only facility. There is no track around the field.
“It’s a pure (football) stadium,” Render emphasized. “It will be a nice opportunity for our kids to experience the atmosphere and what football means to a community.”
Under Render’s directiorn, football has meant championships, too. He has guided the Panthers to five WPIAL titles and two state championships. With 390 career wins, he is one of the winningest coaches in Pennsylvania.
Render has his Panthers prepared for Big Red. They are coming off a “decent” scrimmage against Peters Township. “I think we competed well,” Render said.
The defense surely did. The Panthers picked off two passes, one by Tom Kyle, the other by Jack Burton. Offensively and defensively, the lines also performed well.
“We did some good things and we had a few individuals who stood out with good efforts,” Render said. “I think we competed well. I was pleased with our effort and our composure but we have far to go to be a very good football team.”
Render cites lack of actual preparation game time as a reason for that, It’s a problem that confronts all high school teams, he says.
“The Steelers play four pre-season games. The Cowboys five. High school maybe one,” said Render. “Those guys are professionals and have experience but high school is where you need more games the most and the kids would benefit.”
In the long run, playing a team like Steubenville will benefit the Panthers. After a 6-4 playoff season in 2016, the Panthers are prepared to compete at a higher level this season. They anticipate challenging for Allegheny Nine Conference title.
“At this point in the season, we are concerned,” Render said. “Are we ready for a team like (Steubenville)? A lot of other coaches have that concern, too. But we know in the future a game like this will help us. We want to be playing games like this at the end of the season, too.”
PT hosts CV
Peters Township hosts Chartiers Valley at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 in Week Zero action. The Colts are under the direction of Dan Knause. The CV graduate inherited seven returning starters on offense, including quarterback Reed Bruggeman and running back Steve Alauzen, plus six veterans on defense.