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Peters Township targets future success in football

By Eleanor Bailey almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.Net 4 min read
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Peters Township players Grant Nelson, center, and Tyler Messman, left, become emotional after their 22-14 loss to Penn Hills in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinal game Nov. 16.

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By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac 

Logan Pfeuffer is one of the key starters returning next season for Peters Township. The sophomore quarterback threw for more than 1,000 yards and quided the Indians to a conference championship and the semifinals in the WPIAL Class 5A football tournament. Peters Township finished 10-3 overall this fall.

Peters Township could be the team to beat in Class 5A football next season.

But even after having a record-breaking season, winning a conference championship, reaching the Final Four in the WPIAL playoffs, and losing only 11 seniors from a 10-3 squad, coach TJ Plack is hesitant to saddle his Indians with that moniker.

“A target on our backs?” he responded when asked about that potential burden since the Indians return all but their front men to their starting lineup.

He reminded enthusiasts that the Indians will open the 2019 campaign against Upper St. Clair, West Allegheny and Woodland Hills. All perennial playoff programs with 20 WPIAL titles between them.

“They still have a target on their backs,” Plack insisted.

Because they lose five starting offensive linemen, the Indians will have to “scratch and claw” to win at the beginning of next season, says Plack. However, as the year progresses and the players up front “begin to gel,” Plack predicts Peters Township will improve.

Within three seasons of taking the head position, Plack’s Indians have improved to the point where they will be expected to contend for championships next fall.

For beginners, Peters Township returns a nucleus of skill players, five of whom ranked as stat leaders on the team as well as in the district.

Logan Pfeuffer returns under center. The sophomore was a Top 12 passer in the WPIAL, completing 129 of 210 attempts for 2,045 yards. He tossed 24 scoring strikes and anchored an offensive unit that produced 32.2 points per game.

Josh Casilli was Pfeuffer’s top target. The junior all-conference receiver pulled in 47 receptions for 877 yards. A junior, Aidan McCall and Corban Hondru, a sophomore followed in the team’s third and fourth slot with 17 and 16 grabs respectively. Both helped anchor a defense that limited the opposition to 16.1 points per game. Both gained all-conference, first-team laurels on defense as did Zach Magnotti, who is a junior linemen.

Ryan Magiske led the ground attack. The junior, who doubled as a defensive back in the secondary, rushed for 1,085 yards on 164 attempts. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry. Adrian Williams, another junior, followed with 404 yards on 100 carries.

Magiske also led the team in points with 130 for 21 TDs and four PAT. Casilli ranked second with 14 touchdowns for 84 points. Hondru and Williams each had two scores.

“We will return a solid football team,” Plack conceded. “But, we do lose many quality players.”

The 11 seniors that will be lost to graduation include: Gabe Maloni, Seth Luksik, Jackson McCloskey, Brian Bruzdewicz, Jake Petrarca, Grant Nelson, Logan Clark, Shane O’Connell, Robert Corrado, Ian Chaudhari and Sam Quinn. Clark, O’Connell and Chaudhari were all first-team all-conference linemen while Corrado earned second-team fame along with Bruzdewicz, who kicked the game-winning field goal in the Indians’ quarterfinal playoff win against Penn-Trafford, 38-35. Bruzdewicz converted 43 extra points.

“Our seniors, though low in numbers, were solid leaders for our program,” said Plack. “They are all positive role models for our underclassmen, yet played the game of football with a relentless edge.”

Relentless were the Indians throughout their record-setting season. After losing their conference opener to USC, 16-14, Peters Township rebounded to win the rest of their league games and captured their first conference crown since 1975. They won playoff games against Armstrong, 35-7, and Penn-Trafford, 38-35, to reach the semifinals.

“As a staff, we are extremely proud of the young men in our program and what they have accomplished,” Plack said. “They exemplified every characteristic of a positive, resilient football team.”

With the foundation on solid ground, the Indians are ready to tackle their last mountain. They have yet to compete in a WPIAL championship game. Though they reached the Final Four, the Indians lost to eventual District 7 winner, Penn Hills, 22-14, in a bitter, well-played semifinal played Nov. 16 at Norwin.

Struggling to offer solace, Plack told his players in a post-game huddle that he had “no words” for them right now but he could not have been more proud of the season they had.

“Only one team in the playoffs goes home a winner and losing never feels good. It hurts,” he said. “You have had a great season, though.”

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