Area teams ready for Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights are never dull.
“For our kids there are very few experiences that can match playing on Friday nights,” said Upper St. Clair football coach Mike Junko. “The feeling never gets old.”
Even after 25 years, South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi is equally thrilled that the high school season starts this week.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “There’s nothing like it.
“Everybody’s pumped. It’s not just the players. It’s the band and the cheerleaders. Everybody has worked so hard to get ready for this.”
At Peters Township, the Indians are ready for fall after the long hot summer.
“Hopefully, there is a nice, cool autumn breeze,” said PT coach T.J. Plack.
There definitely will be enthusiastic players. Many have plenty to prove.
“We are looking forward to seeing who and how our players answer the many questions we have going into this season,” Plack said of his youthful squad. The Indians open the 2022 campaign with only a handful of seniors.
“Friday night gives us an opportunity to formally evaluate their ability, team work, and leadership capabilities,” Plack said.
Rossi added, “It’s exciting to see the new faces run out onto the field and make a name for themselves,”
At South Fayette, the names may be different but the tradition remains.
The Lions have won four district titles and two state championships under Rossi but they suffered a rare losing season last year. They finished 4-6 overall and missed the WPIAL playoffs after going 0-5 in the Allegheny Six Conference.
Aug. 26, however, offers an opportunity for a fresh start. The Lions host Chartiers Valley at 7 p.m. to kick off the 2022 campaign.
The Colts are a familiar foe.
Typically, the two teams have scrimmaged the first week of training camp. Recently they have appeared on the regular schedule. Last year, the Lions beat the Colts, 28-14.
“We were glad the WPIAL kept the rivalry,” Rossi said. “In my opinion, CV and South Fayette should play each other in every sport. We’re right over the hill.”
As an alumnus, Rossi maintains close ties with CV. In fact, he grew up with Dan Knause, who has moved on to Trinity. In addition to being the new assistant high school principal, Knause is also the Hillers’ new coach.
Aaron Fitzpatrick, who served on Knause’s staff since 2013, is now the CV head coach.
“Dan and I are best friends,” said Rossi. “Even though he has moved on, the program he has built has stayed in tack. So we can expect similar things.”
As a wily veteran, Rossi anticipates the showdown to mirror many Week Zero clashes.
“There will be first-game jitters, errors and breakdowns. With only one scrimmage under your belt, the game usually is not the cleanest,” he said. “The team that is the cleanest will win the game.”
Plack agrees with that analysis of opening night. He takes his Indians to Fox Chapel for their first fray at 7 p.m. Aug. 26.
The Foxes are a familiar foe as the Indians have opened with them the last few years. They are coming off a 5-7 season that featured an upset win, 13-10, against Upper St. Clair in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
“They are well coached and more experienced than us at this time,” Plack said. “We are looking to limit those first-game mistakes, such as turnovers, penalties, and missed assignments.
“We are also looking to see who our true playmakers will be and which players we can begin to trust and lean on when we get late into games.”
The Indians can rely upon Richie Woods. A senior, he led the Indians in rushing last season with 618 yards and five touchdowns.
PT will also depend upon Chris Cibrone. He saw limited action early last season as he filled in for the injured Sam Miller, who went on to pass for 1,000 yards.
Cibrone, who was 6 of 7 for 63 yards and one score, trusts Carter Shanafelt and Brendan McCullough as his primary targets. The duo hauled in a combined 40 passes for nearly 500 yards.
USC at Norwin
Upper St. Clair is poised for its visit to Irwin on Aug. 26 to take on Norwin, which will host the WPIAL championships for Class 5A and 6A in November. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
“I’m excited for our seniors to get the opportunity to play together for another year,” Junko said. “They are a great group of kids that really enjoy playing for each other.”
The Panthers boast 18 returning starters, 10 on defense and eight on offense.
Jamaal Brown, Aiden Besselman and two-way lineman Mark Banbury anchor a defense that allowed 64 conference points and allowed an average of 16.6 points per game.
Brown (141 yards, 3TDs) and Besselman (30 receptions for 412 yards and 6 scores) are expected to be among the top skill players in the WPIAL. The Panthers also return an experienced quarterback in Brady Erdos (67 of 104 for 817 yards).
Norwin is one of two teams-the other is Hempfield-dropping down from Class 6A to 5A. In six seasons playing at that level, the Knights were 20-39.
They compete in the Big East Conference with Franklin Regional, Gateway, Penn-Trafford, Plum and the Spartans.
While the Knights have not had a winning season since 2008, they boast a talented junior in Jackson Pons. A Division I prospect, he led Norwin with 33 receptions last season.
“Week one for us is really about winning the line of scrimmage,” said Junko. “If we are going to find success this season it is going to start with our line.”
BP hosts Norwin
In other action involving an Allegheny Six Conference team, Bethel Park entertains North Hills at 7 p.m. Aug. 26.
The Indians finished 7-4 last year and claimed a three-way split of the Class 5A Northeast Conference title, falling to Peters Township in a thrilling first-round playoff game last season.
The Indians boast a veteran quarterback in John Green. The senior passed for 1,293 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.
Bethel Park, meanwhile, is a seasoned club with 18 returning starters, nine on each side of the ball.
Though the Hawks finished 5-6 overall after falling to Woodland Hills, 27-23, in the WPIAL playoffs, they could benefit from a spark provided by the baseball team, which won its second straight state title in June. Starters Ryan Petras, Coby Goelz and Jason Nuttridge played for the diamond Hawks.
“A lot of what they bring to the team transcends sports,” said BP skipper Brian DeLallo. “They know how to win championships and be good teammates. They have a tremendous work ethic and they have been put in pressure-packed situations.
“It’s been a good marriage,” DeLallo said of the working relationship the baseball club and their manager Patrick Zehnder has with the football team. “If you look at the past some of the best (baseball) players have been football players. We hope to mimic their success.”
Lebo at Gateway
Mt. Lebanon will attempt to duplicate last year’s triumphs, which included a district as well as state title, but the Blue Devils won’t have an easy go of it when they travel to Gateway for their season opener. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
While the Blue Devils return few starters from last year’s 15-0 squad, many of the current players benefited from being on that squad and from the extra practices the extended season afforded.
The Gators, meanwhile, boast some of the most talented players in Class 5A beginning with Brad Birch. A 6-1, 180-pound junior quarterback led the WPIAL in passing last season with 2,623 yards. He completed 141 of 229 aerials for 32 touchdowns.
Gateway also returns its five starting linemen and Jacquon Reynolds, who rushed for 604 yards.