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Quarterback Mason provided Pitt’s offense with an unexpected spark in the second half of the 2025 season and almost sparked the Panthers to a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s title game. After a fantastic freshman season, expectations are high for Heintschel to elevate his game and the Panthers to another level. Offensive coordinator Kade Bell has the pieces around Heintschel to do that, including three starters returning on the line and talented sophomore running back Ja’Kyrian Turner. The only thing that could hold Pitt’s offense back is a receiving group that is thin on proven options. Head coach Pat Narduzzi must find a way to build another solid defense. This unit limited ACC teams to only 5.2 yards a play last season and was second in the conference against the run. There are holes to fill, however. Standout linebackers Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis will be missed, and Narduzzi has to plug voids in the secondary. The schedule isn’t daunting, but Pitt has to play at Miami, Louisville, Virginia Tech and California in ACC play. “This season, we’re not playing Miami and Notre Dame at the end of the year,” Narduzzi said at the ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C. “We had a pretty good run. I think Miami played in the national championship game, and I think Notre Dame was pretty good. Probably both of them should have been in the (College Football) Playoff. “I would say last year … I think we did pretty good. We didn’t play our best games (against Miami and Notre Dame) but those are two pretty good football teams. We’ll have our chance again someday.” That somebody could happen this year with Heintschel returning at quarterback. This time last year, Heintschel was a little-known true freshman who spent fall camp running Pitt’s scout team while the Panthers looked for Eli Holstein to take the next steps after a solid debut campaign in 2024. But after ineffectiveness by Holstein, Heintschel got his big chance and became Pitt’s starter in Week 5, and the Panthers never had to look back. Heintschel completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 2,354 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall. He went 6-3 as a starter and had four 300-yard passing games. “Getting back to the ACC championship; that’s our goal,” Heintschel said. “We get back
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there, go win that game and then obviously, the sky’s the limit, College Football Playoff and all that kind of stuff. We’ve got to take this one game at a time. We get Miami (Ohio) Week 1. We’ve got to have a really great fall camp before that.” Turner is only 5-9 and 180 pounds, but he’s tough, lightning quick, and he’ll be used even more after leading the Panthers with 745 yards and seven touchdowns, and catching 25 passes last year. The Panthers have several returning starters up front, such as Ryan Carretta, now playing center, B.J. Williams (right guard) and Ryan Baer (right tackle). Kendall Stanley (left guard) is back and was named Pitt’s Ed Conway Award winner as the team’s most improved offensive player during spring drills. The final piece of the offensive line appears to be Penn transfer Netinho Olivieri, who spent spring starting at left tackle. On defense, the Panthers must replace Louis, who was an All-America linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Biles, an all-ACC standout, transferred to Texas. Leechburg graduate Braylan Lovelace, a senior, is expected to anchor the linebacker unit, The defensive front will be strong. The production comes from all sides, with ends Isaiah Neal and Jimmy Scott combining for eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and the defensive tackles can move, too. Narduzzi, who brought in 16 transfers over the winter, spotlighted outside linebackers DeMarco Ward (Memphis) and Alex Sanford (Purdue) as being “impact players for us right now.” Pitt likes to play aggressive man-to-man coverage at cornerback and it will be trial by fire for the new starters. Josh Guerrier played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, totaling eight tackles and blocking a punt at Florida State. “He’s got plenty of potential, and I want to see it every day,” Narduzzi said. “We’re looking for intensity. I’m looking for guys competing in execution, that’s what it all comes down to. Execution, and to see some separation somewhere. To see someone say, ‘Hey, I’m the guy,’ and take it over. But if two guys do that, then there is no separation. “We’re excited to play in one of the best leagues in the country,” Narduzzi added. “We’re fired up in Pittsburgh and can’t wait for
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Table of Contents ALBERT GALLATIN..................... 2 UNIONTOWN.............................. 6 LAUREL HIGHLANDS................13 BELLE VERNON.........................15 BENTWORTH............................. 17 BETH-CENTER...........................18 BROWNSVILLE..........................19 CALIFORNIA...............................21 CARMICHAELS......................... 23 CHARLEROI.............................. 25 CONNELLSVILLE...................... 26 FRAZIER.................................... 28 JEFFERSON-MORGAN............. 30 MAPLETOWN.............................31 MONESSEN............................... 32 MOUNT PLEASANT.................. 33 RINGGOLD................................ 34 SOUTHMORELAND.................. 35 WAYNESBURG CENTRAL........ 38 WEST GREENE.......................... 39 PENNWEST CALIFORNIA........40 PENN STATE............................. 42 PITT............................................ 44 WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY... 47 WEST VIRGINIA........................48 STEELERS................................. 50 COVER PHOTO BY LORI C. PADILLA
Photo by Lori C. Padilla Albert Gallatin quarterback Bronx Jamison (right) and fullback Roman Smith are two key returning starters for the Colonials.
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Albert Gallatin AG jumps back into WPIAL off undefeated season
Photo by Lori C. Padilla Albert Gallatin head coach Drew Dindl guided the Colonials to a 10-0 record in 2025.
By Rob Burchianti rburchianti@heraldstandard.com Albert Gallatin put together a magical football season in 2025 during its final year as an independent. The Colonials went undefeated at 10-0 under coach Drew Dindl. It was AG’s first perfect regular season in 45 years, since 1980 under coach Doc Franks. That success galvanized the school and the community and prompted AG to jump back into the WPIAL after seven seasons as an independent. “The community was great. The atmosphere here was tremendous.” Dindl said in looking back on 2025. “I remember after the season ended I went to get something to eat somewhere and got a special discount at the place just because of how well our team did,” Dindl said with a laugh. “Things like that I’ve never experienced here before through football. It’s always great to give the community something to root for and see a lot of people come together because of us. Very special.” Dindl enters his ninth year at AG with a career record of 39-30. His team went 0-10 his first season which was the Colonials’ last in the WPIAL. The next year Albert Gallatin left the WPIAL to become an independent and try to rebuild the program and has compiled a 39-20 mark in the past seven years. They re-enter the WPIAL riding a wave of success. “It sparked the offseason and gave us some momentum going forward,” Dindl said of the unbeaten campaign. “I didn’t see 10-0 coming. “Each year you don’t know until you get out there. The first game we were down 14 and we ended up coming back and winning. That right away told me this group was special. There were teams in the past when they got down they kind of stayed down, but those kids fought that and handled adversity well. When things got ugly they never put their heads down. They kept fighting. That ended up being the difference in some of those ball games last year. “But we know getting back into the WPIAL is a whole new ball game. We’ve got to start all over again. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Two key returning senior players for the Colonials are quarterback Bronx Jamison who leads the offense and fullback/linebacker Roman Smith who leads the defense. Smith feels a positive vibe around the team after the 2025 season. “I think last year has rolled over into this year to where we’re all pretty confident and very prepared and excited for what’s to come,” Smith said. “I see this as a lot of opportunities to play against great ballplayers to prove myself even more.” The Colonials will join fellow Fayette County teams Uniontown and Laurel Highlands in the Class 4A Big Six Conference, along with South Fayette, Chartiers Valley and Ringgold. “We were happy with the schedule the WPIAL gave us,” Dindl said. “We’ve got some close out-of-conference games and then we got to keep the rivalry with Uniontown and Laurel being in our conference so that’s always a plus.” Uniontown and AG were one of four area teams that moved back into the WPIAL for the 2026 season along with Brownsville and Connellsville. The Colonials’ non-conference schedule includes home games against Burrell, Connellsville and Waynesburg Central and away games at Yough and Indiana before its first Big Six game at Uniontown on Oct. 2. Among a host of players AG lost to graduation were Adam Pegg and Tee Guesman. “They were both great on defense as well as offense and Adam was a great returner,” Dindl said. “Adam and Tee are going to be very hard to replace, but we’re going to try our best.” That starts with Jamison, Smith and junior Clayton Bolinger. “We’ve got Bronx back at quarterback and Roman at fullback, and Clayton who started for us at A-back as a sophomore last year and got a lot of valuable experience,” Dindl said. “We’ve got a couple dynamic young guys who will try to fill Adam’s spot at the other A-back. Bobby Panos and Bentley Swaney and Brennon Lennex are battling there. All three are sophomores. Like we did last year, we’ll platoon players, they’ll all get touches. As long as they’re getting the job done, we’ll play them all.”
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ALBERT GALLATIN SCHEDULE
AUG 28................................................. BURRELL SEPT. 4...................................CONNELLSVILLE SEPT. 11...................WAYNESBURG CENTRAL SEPT. 18..............................................AT YOUGH SEPT. 25............................................ AT INDIANA OCT. 2.......................................AT UNIONTOWN OCT. 9......................................SOUTH FAYETTE OCT. 16......................................... AT RINGGOLD OCT. 23........................... LAUREL HIGHLANDS OCT. 30.......................AT CHARTIERS VALLEY ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
Photo by Lori C. Padilla Roman Smith is a key two-way player for Albert Gallatin as a fullback on offense and middle linebacker on defense.
Jamison and Pegg formed a dangerous passing duo last year. “Replacing Adam in our passing attack, well that’s to be determined,” Dindl said. “We’ll see what we’ve got. We don’t pass a lot but when the opportunity arises we’ll let Bronx put it up. Last year we threw the ball a bit more than usual and it was one of our better seasons, statistically, throwing the ball. It was all set up because of the great effectiveness of our run game.” Jamison again got a lift from time spent with coaches from Harding University, which runs a similar offense as Albert Gallatin. Harding won the 2023 Division-II national championship and was runner-up last year. “Bronx has had four years of that now,” Dindl said. “They keep throwing more and more at him and keep challenging him and I think it’s really developed him as an overall quarterback running the flexbone. “From year one to now year four, he just keeps getting better and better. We’re operating at a high level. He’s so coachable. He’s a student of the game. We have a good connection. Anything either of us sees, he’ll come to me or I’ll go to him.” Jamison agrees that he and Dindl communicate well. “Sometimes if you’re running one play, you might see something else that you can exploit on another play,” Jamison explained. “If so, I’ll go over and tell Coach Dindl and he’ll bank that. It might be the next play or one three quarters later but he’ll go to it.” Jamison is valuable enough on offense to where Dindl is reluctant to use him on defense. “We try to keep him on the sideline during defense because we can’t afford to get him hurt,” Dindl said. Jamison understands more is expected of him as a leader now that he’s a senior. “As a senior, an upperclassman, I feel everybody looks up to you,” he said. “I think like the freshmen, because they saw we went undefeated last year, you have that kind of status so you have to show them that you’re a true leader.” Jamison isn’t standing on his laurels. “I’m going into my fourth year starting but I’m still learning every time I get on the field,” he said. Jamison doesn’t have any qualms with AG’s run-heavy offense. “It doesn’t matter to me what the play is, whatever Coach
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Dindl calls, I want to execute the play as best as possible,” he said. “If it’s an option play, I have to read what I see and react. “There were a few times last year where I saw something, changed the play to a pass and a lot of times it ended up in a touchdown. Coach Dindl gave me that freedom.” Smith will play an important role on both sides of the football. “He’s just a brute, a tough runner,” Dindl said of Smith. “He had a lot of shining moments for us last year and made some big plays. We’ve got a lot of expectations for him on the defensive side, too. We’re putting a lot of pressure on him. He’s our middle linebacker and the leader of the defense. He’s got a lot on his plate right now.” Smith is looking forward to his senior season. “I’m taking a leadership role very seriously, trying to make everybody better around me,” he said. “I love both sides but I think I’m actually more of a linebacker than a fullback. I like to hit people. I make all the calls, tell everybody where to go. I’m kind of the quarterback of the defense.” Line play will be a key factor in how AG fares in Class 4A and
Photo by Lori C. Padilla Albert Gallatin seniors Roman Smith (8) and Bronx Jamison (5) display the plaque presented to them by the Fayette County Coaches Association last year in honor of their undefeated season.
Dindl has two returning in the trenches. “Chris Rizer (junior) and Mikey Moore (senior) are back as starters from last year,” Dindl said. “Those other three spots we’ve got to find some guys to step in there. Right now we’ve got Pierson Turner (junior), Levi Lincoln (junior) and Chris Gower (senior) and a couple younger guys like Jacob Cunningham and Keith Morgan, two sophomores that could be plugged in there as well. Once pads go on, we’ll figure out who wants to be there. “We like to establish the line of scrimmage. We just need some people movers there. Hopefully we’ve got some physical guys who want to do that.” Moore will anchor the defensive line. “Mikey was a starter on the D-line and we’ll rotate Rizer, and Keith Morgan is going to be a really big D-lineman for us this year,” Dindl said. “Keith started as a freshman last year, a big physical kid who’s got a little motor to him. We’ll platoon a lot of guys there, too.” Smith leads the linebacking crew.
“In the secondary, Bolinger, Swaney and Panos will get a lot of reps there,” Dindl said. “We did have Gio Guerriere transfer in from Laurel (Highlands). He’s a senior who should be plugged into the secondary somewhere.” Dindl is still sorting out special teams. “We’re recruiting soccer guys right now for kicking,” he said. “Hopefully someone comes shining through for us there. Bobby Panos returned a couple kicks for touchdowns last year. He’s definitely a weapon when he gets the ball in his hands. We’ll have him back there.” Dindl pointed to his coaching staff as a reason for his team’s prolonged success. “We’ve been together for years, like a big family with Coach (Jeff) Rush, Coach (Danny) Morgan and Coach Dylan (Rush), Coach (Zack) Dillow and then we’ve got Coach Stan (Wolfe) in there to do some filming and he’s also team chaplain. “It’s a tight-knit group. We’ve been around each other, we know what each other is thinking, we’re all usually on the same page.”
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Uniontown Red Raiders feature plenty of offensive weapons
Photo by Jonathan Guth Uniontown’s Jackson Mickens makes a move following a reception during a drill at Bill Power Stadium.
By Jonathan Guth jguth@heraldstandard.com Tim Bukowski was confident with the team he had coming back as the summer months approached before receiving a pleasant surprise. The second-year head coach at Uniontown discovered on June 15 following the WPIAL board of directors’ monthly meeting that District 7 had approved the eligibility of Jackson Mickens after the junior moved into the Uniontown Area School District. Mickens had attended Geibel Catholic, but played football at Southmoreland because the Gators don’t field a football team. An eligibility hearing was scheduled for Mickens, but the WPIAL ruled in favor of the Division I prospect playing for the Red Raiders. Mickens, who has offers from Akron, Miami (Ohio), Sacramento State, Middle Tennessee State and Incarnate Word, was the Class 3A Interstate Conference All-Purpose Player of the Year last season as a running back and outside linebacker. Mickens gained 442 yards rushing and scored seven touchdowns last year. He caught six passes for 80 yards and led Southmoreland with 11 touchdowns. Mickens recorded 47 tackles, including 17 ½ for a loss, and led the team in sacks with nine. He had an interception, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Bukowski is familiar with Mickens, as he coached him two years ago during his stint with the Scotties, and believes he brings more to the table than just being a solid football player. “Jackson brings a lot of leadership to us,” Bukowski said. “He is a winner and does every drill with 100% effort, and he expects his teammates to do the same. We are glad to have him, and we expect him to dominate on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and linebacker, but we will put him in other situations to ensure he gets the ball as much as possible.” A 6-0 and 215 pounds, Bukowski understands that other teams will look to game plan for Mickens, which makes the other players on the squad just as important, but the 35-yard coaching veteran is confident other kids will step up, as the Red Raiders feature a multitude of skill players. “Teams are going to key on Mickens, and that’s why we need the other kids to step up, but I like our receivers,” Bukowski said. “We have Taylor Galloway, Marcus Evans, Nate Hice and Cam Dugan coming back. “Taylor will be our Z receiver, and he is a tough, hard-nosed kid, and we expect him to make a lot of plays. Marcus Evans is 6-3, and he will line up opposite of Mickens. He had some breakout games for us last year. Nate and Cam are our slot
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UNIONTOWN SCHEDULE
AUG 28 ............................... AT BROWNSVILLE, REDSTONE FIELD, REPUBLIC SEPT. 4.............................................. AMBRIDGE SEPT. 11........................AT SOUTHMORELAND SEPT. 18........................... AT CONNELLSVILLE SEPT. 25................................................... YOUGH OCT. 2.................................. ALBERT GALLATIN OCT. 9........................................... AT RINGGOLD OCT. 16............................. CHARTIERS VALLEY OCT. 23.............................. AT SOUTH FAYETTE OCT. 30.....................AT LAUREL HIGHLANDS ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
on the football field last season. “Brayden is back at quarterback and much more comfortable this year,” Bukowski said. “He didn’t play as a sophomore, but he had athletic experience, is a mature guy and competitive. He was kind of thrown to the wolves last year in learning the system, but I thought he handled it well. We are counting on him to really step it up this year because we feel like we have the best receivers around, but he has to get the ball to them.” Hinzy’s ability to find the Red Raiders’ bevy of wide receiv-
Photo by Jonathan Guth Uniontown’s Jackson Mickens is about to pull in a pass while Red Raiders head coach Tim Bukowski watches the drill during a practice at Bill Power Stadium. guys who have good hands and experience from last year. We also used Cam in other capacities last year, and he made a lot of plays for us.” Running backs Mike Thomas and Tayshawn Jackson provide a mix of power and speed, as Thomas (6-0, 215 pound) isn’t shy about plowing over defenders, while Jackson will just run past them. Bukowski said Mickens is going to see some action at running back, while David Settles and Steele Stash can also carry the rock. “We are really deep at wide receiver and running back, which is something we are going to need,” Bukowski said. “Steele moved here from Connellsville and is a member of the track & field team, so he is obviously fast. We also have a senior who is really put together named Ny’Shawn Morris. He has been a blessing for us. He will play middle linebacker and will be another running back we can use.”
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With all the offensive weapons Uniontown has, quarterback play will be key, and Bukowski is confident in the abilities of senior Brayden Hinzy, who had his first experience
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ers will be much easier with solid protection from the offensive line, and Bukowski believes his team has a front five that will be able to compete in Class 4A. “We are not real tall up front, but other than center, our guys range from 280 to 300 pounds,” Bukowski said. “We want to make sure that they are not only big but tough. We have worked on strength and technique. With the skill players we have, they won’t need much space to do something, but we must protect our quarterback.” Junior Aden Brame (6-3, 300 pounds) is set to start at tackle after getting the nod at center last season. Fellow junior Gavin Schradel (6-0, 260) will return at left guard. Schradel also brings the smarts, as he holds a GPA of 4.5, and Bukowski said he will help his teammates out with their assignments when needed. Mike Shultz is the third out of four juniors who will line up in the trenches. The 6-2, 300 pounder will play at right guard. Cannon Hazel moved from fullback to center to help out the team. Bukowski said that while Hazel may not have the size of other centers at 6-0 and 215 pounds, he is tough and demonstrated a team-first attitude in moving positions. “Cannon stepped up for the team and you need guys like that,” Bukowski said. Caleb Bartock came into camp under the radar as a first-year senior, but the 6-2, 245 pounder has been turning some heads during offseason workouts. “He never even played in the youth leagues, but he is probably our first or second best lineman, and that shows how good he’s playing,” Bukowski said. “We are extremely excited about his potential.” Evans and Stash will be used on the defensive line, while Dugan, Galloway, Settles and Gavin Radford will make up the secondary. Sophomore Hunter Smithburger returns as the team’s kicker and punter after a solid freshman campaign. “He is phenomenal, and we definitely don’t want to punt as many times as we did last year, but if we have to, we know we have a good kid to do it,” Bukowski said. “We are confident in his abilities as a place kicker, and we think he could play football in college as a punter.” Bukowski was pleased with the work his team did in the offseason, and he credits Jorge Frezzell in working with the squad on their strength and conditioning. Uniontown returns to the WPIAL after playing an independent schedule the last five years. The Red Raiders were placed in Section 3-4A with Fayette County rivals Albert Gallatin and Laurel Highlands, along with Chartiers Valley, Ringgold and South Fayette. “When I was hired, me and my staff made it clear that we wanted to play in the WPIAL,” Bukowski said. “If you are in Western Pennsylvania, you want to play in the WPIAL and against the best. Our athletic director, Harry Kaufman, and the administration was on board, and we were able to make that happen.” While Bukowski is eager to be playing in the WPIAL, he understands the challenge that awaits his team. “There are no gimmes when it comes to Class 4A football,” Bukowski said. “When you look at our conference, South Fayette has been good for a long time, and they are coming down from Class 5A, so they are used to playing big schools. I’m glad we have Albert Gallatin and Laurel Highlands in our conference. It makes it nice for the fans and the kids with the local rivalry aspect. “Ringgold has gotten much better over the last few years, and they have a couple of experienced guys at the skill positions that are talented, and they have a receiver who has Division I offers. I expect that to be a good game. The one team I don’t know much about is Chartiers Valley, but they have big numbers and will be a tough opponent.” Uniontown had roughly 48 players on its roster during heat acclimatization week. “We had around 40 kids on our roster last year,” Bukowski said. “We were expecting a few more to show up, but they may when school starts. We are in year two now, so we have to show progress, however, once you start to win, other kids will start to show up and want to play. “We have put the offseason work in, and the kids have responded, and I’m proud of them, but now you have to show up on Fridays and make sure that hard work pays off.” Bukowski is assisted by Roderick Hall, Joe Hazel, Dylan McRae, Jordan Pawlikowsky and David Wojtanowski.
Photo by Jonathan Guth Uniontown head coach Tim Bukowski speaks with Jackson Mickens during a practice at Bill Power Stadium.
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Laurel Highlands Edenfield hopes effort leads to success for Mustangs By Jonathan Guth jguth@heraldstandard.com Ian Edenfield always had Laurel Highlands in his heart, but chances are the 2018 graduate didn’t bet he would be leading his alma mater just eight years after he roamed the halls at Laurel Highlands High School. Edenfield was hired on May 12 to replace Aaron Raffle as the Mustangs’ head coach. Raffle resigned in mid-March after coaching one season. In the three-and-a-half months since the school board voted unanimously (9-0) to hire the former PennWest California and Oklahoma State player, Edenfield has been working to get his team up to speed.
“I am satisfied with the work the guys have put in so far,” Edenfield said. “We had a group of about 20 to 25 guys who consistently attended workouts in the summer. They work hard and give me effort all the time.” Laurel Highlands had roughly 40 players participating in heat acclimatization week, which was the goal that Edenfield set for roster size when he was hired. The Mustangs fared well in 7-on-7s at Southmoreland and the Gold Bowl in Belle Vernon, but Edenfield is well aware that championships aren’t won in T-shirts and shorts. “We did well in those, but it’s not real football,” Edenfield said. “You need to have everything working well to succeed in football.”
GOOD LUCK TO ALL MUSTANGS Photo by Jonathan Guth Laurel Highlands quarterback Gabe Centofanti fakes a handoff to Easton VanMeter during a workout at Mustang Field.
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LAUREL HIGHLANDS SCHOOL DISTRICT
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The coaching staff at Laurel Highlands is not far removed from playing, as Edenfield has brought in Jimmy Pierce, Chad Livingston, Josh Burns and Connor Hebda. Cedric Lloyd is the veteran on the staff. “Jimmy was the offensive player of the year in the conference when I played with him in high school,” Edenfield said. “He was also a good defensive back at Cal. Chad is the all-time leading receiver here at LH and does a great job, and Josh kills it in the weight room. I wish I would have taken pictures of the guys before they started working with Josh and after to show the progression they have made. “Connor just graduated from Uniontown, and he will be a freshman in college at WCCC (Westmoreland County Community College), but he wanted to get involved in coaching. He played four years at Uniontown and will help work with our offensive line. I coached Connor in Legion Baseball. He is a great kid and will help us out big time. “Coach Lloyd demands excellence on defense, and if they don’t give the effort or he is not pleased with the execution, we will do it again, or he will have them do up-downs. We are trying to change this culture. We want these kids to do it the right way all the time.” The Mustangs will compete in Section 3-4A against local rivals Albert Gallatin and Uniontown. The remaining three conference games will be with Chartiers Valley, Ringgold and South Fayette, but Edenfield doesn’t want to look too far down the road. “Right now, our focus is to be 1-0 every week,” Edenfield said. “We will worry about the conference games down the line.” Laurel Highlands will play five non-conference games before hosting the Rams on Oct. 2 to open league play. The Mustangs feature a young but experienced quarterback in sophomore Gabe Centofanti, who was the team’s starter last year following the second week after Noah Lion was injured against Ambridge. “Gabe has been awesome,” Edenfield said. “He has been here and done a great job of learning the offense and putting
guys in the right spots. He is going to do a great job this year. It is tough to play varsity as a freshman, especially at quarterback, and that is dialed up a notch when you are playing teams like Thomas Jefferson, Belle Vernon and Chartiers Valley.” Nick Crouch and Easton VanMeter will be the featured running backs. Edenfield has been impressed with Crouch’s dedication to improving his strength to carry the load. “Nick has bought into transforming his body,” Edenfield said. “When I got the job, I told him he was going to play running back. He was 160 pounds and asked me, ‘How can I put on weight? I want to be a machine and not be able to be stopped.’” Edenfield said the senior has given max effort each day, and is a great leader and person. Jonah Coleman, Alafia Calloway, Braden Fowler and first-year player Jiovoni Davis are penciled in as the team’s wide receivers. Laurel Highlands’ offensive line casts an opposing shadow, which Edenfield hopes will be a key piece in the Mustangs’ offensive production. “They are some big boys,” Edenfield said. “I have been coming up here since I could walk with my dad being a coach, and even my dad said he doesn’t think there’s been an O-line that’s been as big as this one, and he’s been here forever.” Kaleb Stroop (6-2, 270 pounds), Giovanni Falce (6-4, 300 pounds), Aiden Guittap (6-3, 290 pounds), Zimere Green (6-2, 290 pounds) and Dante Lewis (6-1, 286 pounds) will be in the mix up front. “A lot of these guys have put in the work since they were freshmen and sophomores,” Edenfield said. “They were a part of it when Rodney (Gallagher) was here. They’ve seen it and want to do good.” Edenfield believes Laurel Highlands’ strong suit on defense will be its secondary. Coleman and Calloway will start at cornerback, while Crouch and Fowler will get the nod at safety. Three-year veterans Mark Reed and Colton Sweitzer will return at middle linebacker. VanMeter is also in the mix. Timmy
LAUREL HIGHLANDS SCHEDULE
AUG 28............................... MOUNT PLEASANT SEPT. 4.................................................AT DERRY SEPT. 11..................................CONNELLSVILLE SEPT. 18...................................AT SOUTH PARK SEPT. 25................................ AT WEST MIFFLIN OCT. 2.................................................RINGGOLD OCT. 9..........................AT CHARTIERS VALLEY OCT. 16....................................SOUTH FAYETTE OCT. 23...........................AT ALBERT GALLATIN OCT. 30..........................................UNIONTOWN ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
Gemas and Walter Guziak are set to make an impact at outside linebacker. Senior Talib Lovett will return at nose guard. He has been a three-year starter. Ratu Sela Boladau will play at defensive end, and Donovan Lynn, Wyatt Mahoney and Hunter Varndell are the Mustangs’ edge rushers. Senior Tyrone Burton has made his mark for Laurel Highlands on the basketball court, but Edenfield has been impressed with the first-year player. Jackson Nairn will handle the kicking duties, but he is also the team’s backup quarterback and can play wide receiver. Nairn is also a member of the Mustangs’ soccer team. Crouch will punt, but Nairn can also play the position if needed. “The nice thing about Jackson is that he jumps in all the time and gives good effort,” Edenfield said. “We are confident in what he can do.” The defensive backs will return kickoffs and punts.
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15 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
Belle Vernon Leps’ roster is low on quantity, high on quality
Photo by Mark Marietta Belle Vernon running back Chace Petrosky (21), shown here against Ringgold, set the school’s single-game rushing record last year with 335 yards against Chartiers Valley
By John Sacco Contributing writer Missing the WPIAL playoffs last season stung the Belle Vernon High School football team. The Leopards had been riding high for a handful of years. But a difficult schedule, lower roster numbers and some untimely injuries helped to deny Belle Vernon a spot in the Class 4A postseason. The Leopards are back down in Class 3A this season. Spirits are high despite roster numbers being low at around 3435 players. Belle Vernon is challenging itself with a season opener against rival Thomas Jefferson, so the Leopards will get a good evaluation of where they stand as a team before conference play begins. Second-year head coach Scott Bryer expects a return to playoff football in 2026 but knows it won’t be easy. “I think the schedule that’s ahead of us is one of the top ones,” Bryer said. “In our conference alone, we have two teams
HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 16
that won nine games last year in Elizabeth Forward and Southmoreland. We also have some teams that in recent history have put good teams on the field. I don’t know if the schedule has gotten much easier. Moving down helps keep roster sizes on a level playing field, at least a more level playing field than we were in the recent past.” The Leopards will be in the Interstate Conference along with Derry, Greensburg Salem, Mount Pleasant, Waynesburg, Elizabeth Forward and Southmo-
reland. Belle Vernon will also play Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Burrell in non-conference games. Bryer thinks the quality of the roster can stand up to the obvious challenges. “The quantity is low, but the quality, I think, is high,” Bryer explained, “We have some good players. I think we have a solid senior class. I’m looking for a big year from David Bergstedt (5-7, 165) on both sides of the ball. I think as an inside linebacker, you’re going to have a hard time finding a better one
than him right now. But he’s really blossomed for us on offense. He’s going to be a weapon for us.” Bergstedt was an all-conference linebacker last season, and he will be the Leopards’ hammer defensively. He will bring versatility to the offense. Bergstedt won’t be cast in just one role. “We’ll use him at slot receiver, so we will kind of move him around a little bit. David is a Swiss Army Knife type. He plays offense with the same mentality he plays defense – very aggres-
sive. He’s a nice asset to have on both sides of a ball.” Bryer pointed to others the team will be counting such as senior two-way lineman Ethan Barron. He added that senior running back Cameren Jenko is versatile and productive. He ran for 135 yards against Central Valley in 2025. Chace Petrosky also returns in the backfield after nearly rushing for 1,000 yards last season. Petrosky set a school record with 335 yards rushing against Chartiers Valley. “Chase really came on strong at the end of the season,” Bryer said. “We’re looking for big things from him. Barron’s our leader up front on both sides of the ball. Jenko is another one of those guys who, like Bergstedt, we can move all over the place. He’s going to have eyes on him, no matter where he goes. Against Central Valley last year was the first time he ever played running back in high
BELLE VERNON SCHEDULE
AUG 28.......................... THOMAS JEFFERSON SEPT. 4....................................AT OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART SEPT. 11................................. AT WEST MIFFLIN SEPT. 18............................................... BURRELL SEPT. 25.......................GREENSBURG SALEM OCT. 2...................................................AT DERRY OCT. 9................................. MOUNT PLEASANT OCT. 16.............................. SOUTHMORELAND OCT. 23.............. AT WAYNESBURG CENTRAL OCT. 30.................. AT ELIZABETH FORWARD ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
school. He’s a weapon out of the backfield catching the ball and on defense he jumps off the film. So, he’s going to play some outside linebacker.” Others Belle Vernon is counting on include senior Luca Ghilani, receiver and outside linebacker; senior quarterback Jace Gedekoh, who doubles as defensive end for the Leopards. “We have good players and that is the one blessing,” Bryer said. “In terms of the quality of play and the opponents we face, I still think we have our work cut out for us. “I think we made that
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turn probably midway through last year. Our senior class did a really good job of getting the culture back to where it needed to be. I thought we finished the year heading in the right direction. Those kids last year would have done anything to play one more game. So, when you look at it like that, I think we have things heading in the right direction and it really spilled over into the offseason.” Bryer is assisted by Scott Knee, Chris Edenfield, Mike Metikosh, Tim Livingstone, Ryan McWreath, Logan Pfronger, Reiley Wilant, Scott Heckel, Jamason Wiant, Jack Bryer, Brett Berish, Tim Beck, Jim Trenk, Anthony Sauritch and Dylan Haney.
17 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
Bentworth Bentworth enters season with solid line, defense By Jack Sacco Contributing Writer After an 8-3 record and second-place finish in the Tri-County South Conference in 2025, Bentworth will face a new challenge with a move to the Class A Black Hills Conference. The distances that the Bearcats will travel for conference games has increased, but the message from fourth-year head coach David Pordash remains consistent. “It’s going to be a lot tougher than last year, but as I told the kids you have to beat them all anyway. You have to win in the playoffs,” Pordash said. “Our goal is to make the playoffs every year.” The Bearcats make the move to the Black Hills Conference with Brentwood, who moved from the Eastern Conference. Also moving in are Washington and Sto-Rox. Both move down from the Class 2A Century Conference. The three holdovers in the Black Hills are Burgettstown, Fort Cherry, and Monessen. The non-conference also stands as a challenge for the Bearcats. They will open the season hosting Class 2A McGuffey. In weeks 2 through 4, Bentworth’s opponents were decided by the WPIAL. They will go on the road to former conference rival Jefferson-Morgan, host Keystone Oaks and travel to Greensburg Central Catholic before starting the conference slate at home against Brentwood. “Jeff-Morgan is tough. Keystone Oaks is going to be pretty good. Greensburg
Central Catholic is good. We got no love from the WPIAL this year,” Pordash said. “I’m disappointed in the whole process. But again, I told the kids we’re over it, and we’re going to make a run for the playoffs.” To do so, Bentworth will need to adjust to a roster that lost its top playmaker. With Ben Hays one of the WPIAL’s top rushers last season there was little reason to do anything but hand him the football. Now, with Hays headed to college, the Bearcats will adjust by balancing the offense this season. “We’re going to open up the pass game more this year,” said Pordash. “I think last year we were probably 90 percent run to 10 percent pass. We’re going to try to come out and be more 50-50 or 60-40.” Pordash will deploy a pair of brothers at running back. Senior Alejandro Leichty joined by his sophomore brother Noah. The Bearcats return their quarterback, senior Ty Watson, who threw for nine touchdowns last season. Senior Kaden Ayres is his most established returning target. He will be joined on the outside by juniors Tim Bassich and Hayden McMillan. The strength of the offense, however, might be in the offensive line. “I think our offensive line is going to be tough this year. I think the running backs and our wide receivers, if we spread it out, we should be able to hold our own this year,” Pordash said. Up front, Bentworth returns seniors Levi Urcho and Quincy Brown. Urcho and Brown were both all-conference selections last year. Gavin Haynes is another returner who will join them up front this season. All three will look to be big contrib-
BENTWORTH SCHEDULE
AUG 28.......................... THOMAS JEFFERSON SEPT. 4....................................AT OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART SEPT. 11................................. AT WEST MIFFLIN SEPT. 18............................................... BURRELL SEPT. 25.......................GREENSBURG SALEM OCT. 2...................................................AT DERRY OCT. 9................................. MOUNT PLEASANT OCT. 16.............................. SOUTHMORELAND OCT. 23.............. AT WAYNESBURG CENTRAL OCT. 30.................. AT ELIZABETH FORWARD ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
utors on defense once again. After allowing 9.2 points per game last season, Pordash expects the Bearcats’ defensive unit to stabilize the team again. “I think our defense is going to do very well. It improved from the first year when I took over and the years prior to that. I think it’s a big culture change for Bentworth,” Pordash said. “Our defense should keep us in games.” The back end of the defense will be led by Ayres, who was an all-conference selection after picking off five passes. He is joined in the secondary by senior Bryce Crowson, Ty Watson and the Leichty brothers. The Bearcats’ goal of making the playoffs will be dependent on putting together a strong resume in their tough conference. “I think if you have four good wins you might be able to squeak in as a wild-card team,” Pordash said. “Us playing two years in a row in the playoffs helps us a lot.” Pordash is joined on the coaching staff by Jerry Cavanaugh, John Fundy, Shawn Dziak, Jerry Maley, Dante Sicchitano, Troy Garove, and Dom Sicchitano.
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HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 18
Beth-Center Trump trying to turn back clock at Beth-Center By Rob Burchianti rburchianti@heraldstandard.com Tim Trump remembers what it used to be like to play football for Beth-Center. “It all started with Billy Connors, then Bart (Don Bartolomucci) and Eddie (Woods),” said the Bulldogs’ second-year head coach. “We want to reestablish that culture.” Trump, a B-C graduate who was a two-way lineman for the Bulldogs and a longtime assistant coach, believes he has the team headed in that direction. “Things are a lot different this year,” Trump said. “The kids are more understanding of what we expect and what we want out of them. Getting back to that old Beth-Center culture was really important to us, expectations of doing things the Beth-Center way, we like to say.” The Beth-Center way to Trump is hard-nosed, hard-hitting, funda-
mentally sound football. It wasn’t an easy task when he stepped in as coach last year. “It was a hard thing for those kids to understand how we want things done,” Trump said. “But I think they’re taking to it now, because most of their fathers or brothers all played for us and they get it.” Beth-Center finished in a three-way tie with Avella and Carmichaels for third place in the Tri-County South a year ago at 3-4 and was 3-7 overall. The Eagles got the nod for the WPIAL playoff spot among the trio. Trump is confident the Bulldogs, who return most of their team, can not only break through and reach the postseason but also push for the TCS title. “I think we’re going to be fighting for one of the top spots for sure,” Trump said. “Coach (Ed) Woods has the team to beat in California. I think Frazier is going to be really tough. J-M and West Greene will be tough. I think those teams will all be fighting for the playoffs. “We only lost two players, Cyncere Cruse and Teagan Veatch. They were good kids and good athletes. But we’ve got a lot coming back.” The big gun returning for B-C is junior running back Enzo Brown who rushed for 867 yards in 2025. “Enzo was my leading rusher last year who had a very good season,” Trump said. “Another guy we got back was DeSean Whipkey, who missed all last year with an injury. I’m pretty excited to have them in the backfield together. They’re both juniors. “Homer Headlee is a senior who will be the fullback in front of them. Another guy who will spell in there at fullback and H-back is Cyler Myers. He’s a senior, too.” Senior Chase Bebout returns at quarterback and, with a trio of tall, fleet receivers, Trump feels B-C can burn defenses that focus too much on the Bulldogs’ ground game. “Chase can throw the ball and he’s got a good receiver in Danny Duncan,” Trump said. “He’s a senior. Also Hunter Bobbs and Nick Miller can catch the ball. They’re all 6-foot and above. Nick is 6-6. He’s also our backup quarterback. Bobbs is a 6-2 junior and Danny is 6-foot, and all three of them are fast. So I won’t be afraid to put the ball in the air. “Bobbs is also our kicker and a really good one with a strong leg. It means a lot to a team when you have a weapon like that. On kickoffs, too, if he can kick the ball in the end zone, that’s even better for us to deny a kickoff return.” Trump has high hopes for his offensive line, which was ravaged by injuries a year ago. “I have two starters, my two guards, that are coming back from major surgery,” Trump said. “One, Brody Bebout, Chase’s twin brother, had a total ankle reconstruction. He’s a senior, just a really tough kid. The other one, Bradley Detrick, tore his PCL. He’s a junior now. “Another returner, Blake Stopko (6-4, 300) was all-conference for
us last year. He’s only a junior. We’re expecting big things out of him again.” The injury bug has already hit Beth-Center again this season. “I lost my starting right tackle in the offseason to an ACL injury, Dominic Minucci,” Trump pointed out. “He is 6-3, 275 pounds.” The Bulldogs, who have 28 on their roster, will be forced to play most of their players two ways. “On the other side of the ball, Brody will be a defensive end, Blake is going to be a defensive tackle and Bradley was a linebacker last year but we’re moving him back to defensive tackle,” Trump said. “He’s put on some weight and he’s played tackle before. Headley is my other defensive end. “Enzo and Cyler will be my two inside linebackers, Whipkey will be an outside linebacker. Then I’ll have Evan Miller and Antonio Davis as the other outside linebacker. They’re both juniors.” Trump is hoping to develop depth as the season goes along. “Numbers aren’t where they need to be again,” he said. “It’s frustrating, trying to get the numbers up. So we’re going to have a majority of the kids playing both ways. If we can give them a break and put somebody else in there once in a while, that’s what we’ll try to do. “Realistically, my view on freshmen is it’s really hard for them to get on the field. It takes a lot of work. But usually around the midway point, they can start contributing, once they understand what you want. If we can use them for a series to give a starter a break, that helps out.” Trump has named five captains. They are Stopko, Brown, Duncan and both Chase and Brody Bebout. “I have a lot of kids who’ve played together and stuck together, and that’s a good thing,” Trump said. “They’re pretty tight with each other.” Trump sees his team taking a big step up in 2026. “I’m excited for this year,” he said. “I want to roll with these kids and bring back the Beth-Center tradition to where we need to be.”
BETH-CENTER SCHEDULE
AUG 28......................................... BRENTWOOD SEPT. 5.......................... AT RIVERVIEW, NOON SEPT. 11..........................................LEECHBURG SEPT. 18..............................................AT AVELLA SEPT. 25................................AT WEST GREENE OCT. 2........................... JEFFERSON-MORGAN OCT. 9................................... AT CARMICHAELS OCT. 16................................................... FRAZIER OCT. 23.................................... AT MAPLETOWN OCT. 30........................................... CALIFORNIA ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
19 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
Brownsville Castor upbeat in second year as Brownsville rejoins WPIAL By Rob Burchianti rburchianti@heraldstandard.com When Cody Castor stepped in as Brownsville football head coach for the 2025 season one of his assignments was to make sure his players kept playing hard through adversity. “Our goal was to try to teach the kids how to compete,” Castor said. “Last year when I got here I experienced games at basketball and saw some of their film from football where once the game starts to tilt the other way they lose momentum, they would stop competing. “I tried to make the goal compete, compete, compete as much as possible to get us to be focused. At some point towards the end I was trying to do the best I could for the seniors who had stuck it out for their four years. “Now we’re looking to continue to set standards for the kids. Show up early, care about each other, be respectful. That’s starting to help us have a better program right now.” Brownsville went 0-8 in Castor’s first year at the helm but the Falcons averaged over 12 points per game, its highest mark since 2019. Now it will shed its independent label of the last four years and rejoin the WPIAL for the 2026 season. “I’m very excited,” Castor said about the move. “I looked across the sideline a lot last year and I saw Ohio schools with about 60 players on their roster versus my 18.”
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Photo by Rob Burchianti Brownsville freshman Jax Patterson makes a leaping catch despite tight coverage by Todd Settles during the Falcons’ first official day of practice.
HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 20
The Falcons’ numbers have gone up in Castor’s second year. “One of the main differences this year is that we’re plus-six with our roster size right now, at 24,” Castor said. “That’s helping us start to get to the 11-on-11 phase of practice. That really helps the kids recognize, and being in the second year of the system is helping them know what their job is and making them play a little bit faster. “There are a lot of athletes on this team. We’ve just got to try to teach them where their eyes need to be looking at to help them react a little quicker.” Castor’s roster may grow even bigger before the season begins. “I’ve got a couple more kids reaching out to me now who are interested in joining with school about to start up,” he said. “Hopefully we can continue to add to the roster.” Brownsville was placed in the Class 2A Allegheny Conference by the WPIAL where it will compete against Apollo-Ridge, Charleroi, East Allegheny, Ligonier Valley, South Allegheny and Steel Valley. The Falcons have non-conference games against Uniontown, West Greene and Carlynton. Castor, a Uniontown and Penn State graduate who played four years of football for the Nittany Lions, is upbeat going into this second season.
“Having some continuity from the players we have coming back and three coaches returning from last year is a big positive for us,” Castor said. “We have seven, including me, on the coaching staff and we added a coach to middle school this year so instead of two there we’ll have three.” Assistant coaches under Castor for 2026 will be Nick Seto, Tyton Brunner, Jeremy Ulery, Larry Cash, Ron Makarun and Tim Katic. Castor pointed to Silas Patterson as a player the rest of the team looks up to. “I look at Silas as a leader for us,” Castor said. “I first got to start working with him when he was a basketball player as a freshman. He competes so hard and he gives max effort. He’s here as much as he can be in the summer for both programs. He’s really impressed me since I’ve been here. “A close friend of his and a good teammate, Max Dieudonne has also been a very hard worker amongst two programs. Thomasray Stimmell is another guy who’s always here doing the work. He’ll play on both sides of the ball.” Patterson is one of two players battling for the starting quarterback spot. “Silas and Austin Pascarella are getting the most reps there right now,” Castor said. “We’re trying to make them compete as long as they
“Good Luck for the 2026 Season” from the Board of Education, Administration, Faculty and Staff of
Brownsville Area High School
can. I think there’s a good possibility that we use them both BROWNSVILLE SCHEDULE as much as possible throughout AUG 28...........................................UNIONTOWN the year. SEPT. 4..................................AT WEST GREENE “At tailback I’m looking to split reps between Max and SEPT. 11..................................... AT CARLYNTON Cynseir Douglas. We have a SEPT. 18.................................... APOLLO RIDGE bigger-sized back also, Neovae SEPT. 25..................... AT SOUTH ALLEGHENY Jordan, going into his senior OCT. 2................................... LIGONIER VALLEY year, so we have some good OCT. 9.................................... AT STEEL VALLEY talent between those three.” Castor is still evaluating his OCT. 16..............................................MCGUFFEY wide receiver room. OCT. 23.................................EAST ALLEGHENY “We’re trying to figure that OCT. 30...................................... AT CHARLEROI out,” he said. “When Silas is not ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M. at quarterback, he’s going to be a receiving threat as well as Max when he’s not at running back. There’s a freshman, Tom on both sides of the ball. Settles, there’s another sophomore, Braiden “We have to be a combination at everything Scheitlin, who’s probably going to factor in there. right now,” Castor said. “We have to be really And we have a first-year senior, Garrett Yoders, good at running the ball and playing defense. who’s done a good job through camp catching That’s what wins high school football games. But the ball.” with the athletes we have, we’re also trying to A talented freshman could work his way into create space with passing concepts and get the the mix as well. ball in their hands with room to maneuver.” “Silas has a younger brother, Jax Patterson, Patterson will also play a key role in the who’s a freshman,” Castor pointed out. “He’s defense. closing in on 6-foot, probably about 5-11, and “At linebacker, inside we’ve got Silas and Stimhe’s got a lot of big-play ability. He’s a basketball mell,” Castos said. “Outside we’ve got Neovae player as well. We’re looking for him as he learns Jordan and a collective of Logan Ross, Braiden to try to make an impact for us.” Scheitlin and Cynseir Douglas. Brownsville is big in the trenches. “The secondary right now is kind of a compe“We weighed our line in the other day and they tition. We’re looking at Todd Settles at the safety, average about 290 pounds,” Castor said. “That’s then the corners are going to be trying to work one of the positives. It’s kind of getting them into their way for reps. We’ve got Yoders the senior, shape and condition that’s going to be a little Jax Patterson has some potential to play in the bit of a challenge. I’m looking at a guy right now, Memphis Shumar, a junior who is standing about secondary as well. Max Dieudonne was starting at outside linebacker but with the kind of feet he 6-foot-5, probably about 315 pounds whose feet has we’re considering putting him back at the are pretty good for his size. It’s just a matter of other corner spot.” getting him in shape to play a full game. Castor is counting heavily on Dieudonne in the “Outside of Memphis, we have Nolan Hudock kicking game. who’ll be playing one of the tackle spots. He’s a “Our special teams guy is Max, who did a little returning four-year starter. Stimmell is going into bit of everything last year,” Castor said. “He was his third year in a row starting on one side of the our punter and our kicker. We’re trying to recruit ball or the other.” soccer kids but we expect Max to have most of Ideally, Castor wants his team to be versatile the kicking responsibilities.”
Photo by Rob Burchianti Brownsville head coach Cody Castor instructs his lineman during a drill at practice.
21 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
California California expecting another banner season By Bill Hughes Contributing Writer The California Trojans were the Class A Tri-County South Conference champions in 2025, and head coach Ed Woods wants to see his team there again. “Our expectations and goals don’t change,” he said without him ever mentioning the Trojans being the defending conference champions. “Every year, we want to win the Tri-County South. That’s definitely an expectation. We also want to win some games in the playoffs. Those are the expectations.” For Woods and his staff, much like every football team, the season doesn’t start in August, and he feels his team is focused on another TCS crown. “To make that happen, it starts in December for us,” he said. “The problem is, and a lot of the schools have issues because of the numbers – kids are playing multiple sports. “You really aren’t getting the core kids in the weight room from December through the school year, but this past year, we had a lot of younger kids, and it was helpful to them.” The time and attention the younger kids were able to receive was huge while other players were in different sports seasons. “The core starters are playing basketball, they are wrestling or playing baseball,” Woods said. “That’s kind of a struggle, but it is for most Class A schools.
Photo by Rob Burchianti California’s Colton Lowden celebrates a game-sealing tackle against Bentworth last season. Lowden returns for his senior season.
“The weight room is big. But after the spring sports are over, we had pretty much 100 percent participation all summer long in the weight room. The problem is, it is only two, two-and-a-half months of lifting and conditioning. It isn’t enough, but we will take it.” California has a solid group of players back and when asked who the top returners were, Woods spoke about nine players. Among the group are five seniors, three juniors, and a sophomore. The quintet of seniors includes wide receiver-safety-linebacker Chase Shemansky, wide receiver-defensive back Weston Monticelli, guard and defensive lineman Kyle Marshall, tackle-linebacker Colton Lowden, and wide receiver-linebacker Elijah Carpenter. “We need senior leadership from them,” Wood said. “They are a big part of what we want to do.” The trio of juniors are two-way lineman John Reeves and tailback-cornerback Alan Dennis, and fullback-defensive end Brayden Crockett while sophomore Brandon Meier moves in at quarterback after playing last year as a freshman. Dennis is the leading returning rusher with 136 yards a year ago. “We need (Reeves) to play well at center and I have high expectations for John,” Woods said. “Brandon did a good job for us last year and we hope to see growth from him.” Crockett is moving to defensive end from linebacker. There has been plenty of offseason talk about Beth-Center being the top team in the conference,
HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 22
Photo by Rob Burchianti California head coach Ed Woods walks to the sidelines after a timeout during a game last season. Woods guided the Trojans to the Tri-County South championship in 2025.
and when asked about his former team, Woods is aware of CALIFORNIA SCHEDULE the hype. AUG. 28................................................ MOHAWK “From what I hear, Beth-CenSEPT. 4.................................. AT FORT CHERRY ter is supposed to be the team SEPT. 11....................................... WASHINGTON to beat this year as they have SEPT. 18.....................................CARMICHAELS a lot of returners,” he said. “I SEPT. 25............................................AT FRAZIER think the majority of their kids are returning. Before any of us OCT. 2...................................... AT MAPLETOWN play games, they are definitely OCT. 9......................................... WEST GREENE the team to beat.” OCT. 16......................... JEFFERSON-MORGAN A new team to the conference OCT. 23................................................AT AVELLA this year, Frazier, is the team OCT. 30.................................AT BETH-CENTER that ended California’s season a ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M. year ago in the playoffs. “Frazier will be a tough team and a tough game for us,” he said. “They are a contender. Cherry, and Woods believes it will test his team, “I am not sure about the rest of the conferespecially on the lines. ence, though. Carmichaels has a new coach. I “The play up front is always key,” he said. “I am am not sure what Jefferson-Morgan has back, but George (Messich) has been there forever not sure how we compare to (the non-conference opand always does a great job with what he has ponents), but we are going to find out soon enough coming back. I don’t know much about West Greene, but that staff always coaches them up, and we are excited to play those three games. and I am sure Avella will be ready.” “I wanted playoff-caliber teams right off the Woods is happy to seCalifornia has one of the bat, and it will tell us what kind of team, and toughest non-conference schedules in Class A. The Trojans play Mohawk, Washington and Fort what kind of players, we have.”
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23 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
Carmichaels Young Carmichaels building under new coach
Photo by Rob Burchianti First-year Carmichaels head coach Ken Perkins shares a laugh with a group of players during a Mikes practice.
By Jerin Steele jsteele@observer-reporter.com During a preseason practice, Carmichaels coach Ken Perkins stood on the back of a tackle sled while encouraging the offensive linemen going through drills. That’s been Perkins’ home as a coach for many years. Coaching the offensive and defensive linemen. Now he’s entering his first year as the head coach of the Mikes and has a young team to mold. The Mikes have only five seniors on the roster. “It’s been wonderful, but it’s definitely been a different experience,” Perkins said of moving into the head coaching role. “I’m normally with that one specific group, the offensive and defensive line, most of the time during practice. Normally I’d be watching those guys, but now I’m watching everybody. It’s been a great experience getting to know and work with everyone.” Perkins was on former coach Ryan Krull’s staff. Krull resigned after last season. He coached the Mikes for 10 years over two separate stints. “I like a lot of the things that Ryan did and there are going to be a lot of things you see that will stay the same, but there’s going to be some things we do differently too,” Perkins said. “One thing is the balance of run to pass. We want to make it a little more even. Our passing offense struggled a bit last year, so we’re working on it. It probably won’t be 50-50, but we’re going to try to make it a little closer to even.” Perkins inherits a team with more freshmen than any other class, but has some experienced players to build around. There were 30 players on the roster entering training camp and the five seniors are: Steven Lewis, Job Smith, Elan Caldwell, Cole Jackson and Aiden Henderson. “Of course, you always want your numbers to be a little higher, but it’s good to have these numbers,” Perkins said. “I’m not dissatisfied at all with it. We do have some juniors coming back with experience and some sophomores coming back with a little bit of experience, so it’ll be interesting to see how it all works out.” Caldwell leads an experienced line that figures to be a strength of the team. All five starters return. From left to right they are Jordan Davis, Tristan Miller, Jason Baer, Caldwell and Jackson. “It’s all about team-bonding and hard work,” Caldwell said. “We’re hitting the sled together and nobody is complaining. I know I can trust each one of them on a Friday night.” At the skill positions there will be some new faces in the starting lineup. Sophomore Peyton Morecraft takes over at quarterback for Cannon Bupka, who graduated. Morecraft previously played wide receiver. The Mikes’ top running back from last year, Will Murray, also graduated.
HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 24
CARMICHAELS SCHEDULE
AUG 28..................................... AT LEECHBURG SEPT. 4.............................................MONESSEN SEPT. 11................... GREENSBURG CENTRAL CATHOLIC SEPT. 18.....................................AT CALIFORNIA SEPT. 25..............................................AT AVELLA OCT. 2..................................................... FRAZIER OCT. 9......................................... BETH-CENTER OCT. 16..................................AT WEST GREENE OCT. 23....................AT JEFFERSON-MORGAN OCT. 30.........................................MAPLETOWN
We just have to stay focused in everything we do and not just at practice but outside of practice too. Eating the right foods, getting enough sleep, so we can elevate our game on Friday nights.” The Mikes will look to improve on a 4-5 season and send the handful of seniors out on a high note.
“I’m excited to get one more opportunity playing football with my boys, but I’m also a bit sad, because it’s the last time I get to do it,” Lewis said. “We’re putting in the work and I’m excited to see how the season turns out.”
ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
Junior KC Shook will slot in at running back as part of a threeman backfield with Lewis and Smith. “I’ve been lifting hard and running to get ready,” Shook said. “I’ve been waking up at 6 a.m. every day and doing all those things and working on footsteps. That helps a lot. I started both ways last year as a hybrid, so I know a lot of what we want to do.” Carmichaels will again be in the Tri-County South Conference. Almost all of their rivals remain, except Bentworth, which moved to the Black Hills Conference. Frazier makes a return to the Tri-County South. Playing local rivals like Mapletown, West Greene, Beth-Center and Jefferson-Morgan on a yearly basis allows for friendships to build and bragging rights to be up for grabs. “We’ve grown up with them since we were little and versed each other our whole lives,” Smith said. “It’s nice to see how we progressed over the years. It’ll be sweet if we can get some of the wins that we’ve been looking for over the last few seasons.
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Photo by Rob Burchianti Offensive lineman Jordan Davis (55) blocks during a Carmichaels practice.
25 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
Charleroi
Charleroi trying to grow with young team
By Bill Hughes Contributing Writer A year into taking over the football program at his alma mater, Charleroi head coach Scott DeUnger and his coaching staff can see the difference from last year at this time. “Obviously, the organization of it, one year in, nothing is new anymore,” he said. “Now we own the program and there are no surprises. “We can dictate more than in years past. We had to weave our way through last year, and now it is my program.” The team will be extremely young again, but the experience that was gained from last year’s 2-8 season is beyond valuable, and the positive vibe about the program is helping get numbers up. “The numbers overall have been good, and we have a half-decent senior class (number wise),” DeUnger said of the 10-player class. “Our junior class (seven) is a little light but we do have a couple good young classes. “The sophomore class is the big one, and it is very talented. We have some up and coming freshmen, and the team has really bought into the process.” There are 15 sophomores on the roster, including eight who started a year ago as freshmen, and there are eight freshmen on the team. “We hope to have a JV program, and it depends on who plays on Friday nights,” he said. “It would definitely help the program out and give some of the kids some much-needed reps and experience.” There are 11 returning starters on both sides of the ball for the Cougars, with some starting every game last year while others, “mixed and matched,” DeUnger said, depending on matchups and injuries. “Almost every position was a starting freshman or sophomore in that lineup last year,” DeUnger pointed out. The entire starting backfield is sophomores and returning starters, with Jaxson Klinger at quarterback, Elijah Allah and Brody DeUnger at running back, and Camden Perez at H-back. Freshman Carter Pantalo could also see his number called in the backfield.
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At wide receiver, senior Braedin Lunger returns after missing last year because of injury and will be joined by classmates Braeden Todaro and Max Holmes as well as junior Max Woystek, Allah, and Brody DeUnger. Depending on the offensive set, Perez, senior Brady Riley, Todaro and Woystek could see time at tight end. Up front, 6-3, 270-pound senior tackle Jonathan Tillman will anchor the line. He will be joined by four sophomores in left guard Arie Hartley, center Lucas Jones, right guard Jesse McMasters, and right tackle Christian Wiley. Senior Peyton Reed will also see plenty of time on the line, and sophomore Luke Ankney could fill in when needed. Despite gaining experience last year on offense and averaging more than 21 points per game over the last five contests, DeUnger knows there is still a way to go for his young team. “The bodies are there, but their minds aren’t developed yet,” DeUnger said. “They have to learn as we go, and the game, at times, is as mental as it is physical.” The Cougars could use multiple sets on both offense and defense. On the defensive side of the ball, McMasters, Reed, Hartley, Wiley will see time up front on the defensive line while Jones, Allah, and Perez will start at linebacker. Ankney, fellow sophomore Sy’Monte Hall, and Pantalo will also see playing time. Lunger and Holmes are the cornerbacks, with Brody DeUnger, Brody, Wojicek, Todaro, and Klinger seeing the field at safety. Senior Lucas Mazon will handle the kicking and punting duties. DeUnger said he was happy to see how quickly the players wanted to get the offseason started after last season concluded. “From day one, they hit the weight room in early November and had great numbers through the offseason,” he said. “Multisport players were in and out while playing other sports, but they had their minds on football. “Now we need that effort on the field. We need to practice better. We have to want to practice better. Our practice ethic has been awesome. The players have been showing up early, working on things early and showing the coaches they are willing to work hard. The
CHARLEROI SCHEDULE
AUG 28.......................................AT MONESSEN SEPT. 4............................................CARLYNTON SEPT. 11.................................................... AVELLA SEPT. 18..........................AT LIGONIER VALLEY SEPT. 25...............................AT APOLLO RIDGE OCT. 2..........................................STEEL VALLEY OCT. 9...............................SOUTH ALLEGHENY OCT. 16........................... AT EAST ALLEGHENY OCT. 23..............................AT QUAKER VALLEY OCT. 30......................................BROWNSVILLE ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
tempo has been great. This is how it has to be done to have a successful program.” Now in his second year, what expectations does DeUnger have for his team? “My expectations are always high, but realistically, we still have a young team and young starters,” he said. “Their PRs (personal records) have gone up in the weight room, and we are stronger. “We had two wins last year and I would love to be around the .500 mark. I would love to surprise some teams this year. We will still have a lot of young starters and will have some ups and downs.” Charleroi is in the Allegheny Conference and DeUnger knows it won’t be easy. “Steel Valley was in the WPIAL championship game last year, and I am sure they will be a juggernaut,” he said. “South Allegheny will be another one and have some good athletes. Ligonier Valley put it on us last year, and we will also see Brownsville, Apollo-Ridge and East Allegheny in conference play. “We can control what is in our little football home that we call the box. Last year, we worried about things outside the box. We are focused on what is inside the football box this year.”
HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 26
Connellsville Keller leads the way as Connellsville jumps back into WPIAL Photo by Rob Burchianti Connellsville wide receiver Rocco Farrell (28) looks to throw a block during a Falcons running play last season. Farrell is back for his senior season.
By Rob Burchianti rburchianti@heraldstandard.com Jace McClean will be going it alone at head coach as Connellsville’s football team heads back into the WPIAL this year after sharing that duty with Mike Lilley and Chad Lembo the previous four years. The formerly independent Falcons will compete in the rugged Class 5A Big East Conference, which also includes Fox Chapel, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Latrobe, Penn-Trafford and Woodland Hills. At least McClean has a seasoned, talented senior player to
lean on. Linkon Keller returns as one of the WPIAL’s most versatile players. Keller is the Falcons’ top running back and will shift from safety to linebacker on defense. He’s also the punter as well as Connells-
ville’s kick and punt returner. “Linkon is one of our leaders, although he’s not vocal, he leads by example,” McClean said. “He always does the right thing and the kids will follow him. I call him the quarterback of the defense, telling
CONNELLSVILLE SCHEDULE
AUG. 28............................. SOUTHMORELAND SEPT. 4...........................AT ALBERT GALLATIN SEPT. 11.....................AT LAUREL HIGHLANDS SEPT. 18.........................................UNIONTOWN SEPT. 25................................ PENN-TRAFFORD OCT. 2............................AT WOODLAND HILLS OCT. 9..............................................AT GATEWAY OCT. 17.................................... LATROBE, NOON OCT. 23...........................FRANKLIN REGIONAL OCT. 29.....................................AT FOX CHAPEL ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
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people where to go, what to do. He’s like that on offense, too, he knows what every player is doing. “He’s very football savvy. He’s a big-play maker, too, wherever he’s at on the field. He’s an all-around great player.” Keller is one of the few returning starters on offense for the Falcons. “We’re young,” McClean said. “We graduated nine of 11 starters on offense.” Still, Connellsville’s roster size has more than doubled in the last four years. “We have a total of 54 kids,” McClean said. “We’re getting there. When we took over we only had 23 on the sideline, so we’re creeping up.” The new quarterback will be Cooper Wilson. “Cooper is a junior and it will be his first varsity snap,” McClean said. “His backup he’s competing with, Jeffrey Nicholson, is a sophomore. “Obviously, our go-to guy is Linkon as our No. 1 running back. Our fullback and tight end will be junior Tanner Johnson. We’ll be mixing him in there at both spots. Our No. 1 receiver will be Rocco Farrell, a senior who’s a smaller guy with a big heart. He’s stepping up and being a leader for us this year, too. He’s our sparkplug. “Another receiver is Jeremy Jenkins, who will be a senior. He’s pretty fast. We’ll use his speed, sometimes in the backfield and definitely out wide. Kam Anderson is another top receiver and he’s only going to be a sophomore.” Size isn’t one of the Falcons’ strengths, so McClean would like to get players out in space on offense. “We have a lot of tweeners, athletic kids,” McClean said.
27 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
“We’re not going to bully anybody up on the line, so we’re going to try to spread out the defense and get our athletes out in the open, help them find green and go.” Connellsville is very inexperienced up front. “We have five new linemen after all five graduated from last year,” McClean said. “Our staple this year, a senior right in the middle, is Myles Hollis at center. Our two tackles we’re looking for to step in are Chance Detone and Josiah Teets, both juniors. We lost big Mike Work (6-foot-7, 365 pounds) to graduation, although we have a new guy who came out this year, also a big boy, who will try to fill those shoes, Charlie Kenney. He’s a project, a work in progress. He’s going to be a junior. Another interior lineman is Michael Adamcheck. He’s doing a heck of a job.” McClean decided to move Keller closer to the line of scrimmage on defense. “We’re going to drop Linkon down to one of our outside linebacker spots,” McClean said. “He was our safety last year. We’re going to move him in the box. Tanner Johnson will be the Mike and also outside we have Morgan Colbert (junior).”
Connellsville likely will use several lineman both ways. “Hollis will be a nose guard on defense, and also Deion Sledge, another senior,” McClean said. “The ends more than likely will be Detone and Teets. We had another guy there, Colt Robinette, but unfortunately he tore his ACL a couple weeks ago at practice. He was a projected starter, junior, good kid, just had surgery last week. He’s recovering now. Hopefully, if all works out he’ll be back next year.” McClean is looking at an array of players to fill jobs in the secondary. “Safety is kind of a tossup,” he said. “Right now we have our quarterback, Cooper Wilson, on one side. On the other side we have a couple new guys. We have a wrestler who came out for football, Daniel Smith (junior). He’ll be battling with Elijah Washington (senior). Then Jeffrey Nicholson will be battling for all those spots, too, at safety and outside linebacker. He’s a smart kid, he’ll be out there somewhere. He knows his angles. “On the outside we have Rocco Farrell, Jeremy Jenkins and then Kam Anderson.” As for special teams, McClean
said, “Linkon is the punter and at kicker we have a soccer player, Tucker Beaman, who’s done a fairly good job so far in camp.” Connellsville’s non-conference foes are all nearby rivals in South-
moreland, Albert Gallatin, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown in its tuneups for Big East play. “The kids are excited about that,” McClean said.
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HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 28
Frazier Frazier looks to build upon last year’s success By Jonathan Guth jguth@heraldstandard.com Tony Battaglini understands you can’t replace an all-state running back, but the second-year head coach at Frazier believes his team has enough weapons to get the job done this season. Battaglini, who is a graduate of Frazier High School, watched with joy last year, as the Commodores were led by Derek Diamond, who rushed for 1,889 yards on 303 carries. He scored 18 touchdowns and converted on five two-point conversions. Diamond, who also played linebacker, made the second team when the all-state selections were announced, but it was his last year of high school. “Derek was a huge part of our offense,” Battaglini said. “Our identity was to be a run-first team, and he didn’t wear down. He wore other guys down, even though he was carrying the ball around 40 times a game. “While we will miss him and appreciate what he did for our program, you have to build upon the program from what happened last year with the next guys stepping up.” While Diamond was one of the more important players on the field for Frazier, other squads did their best to key on him, which provided opportunities for others to fill the void, and the Commodores were able to defeat California in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs and finish their season at 7-5. “Derek had a tough time getting going against California because they made it a point to try and take him away from us, but that left opportunities for guys like Chase Fulmer and Lincoln Dye to step up,” Battaglini said. “Chase had three touchdown receptions in that game.” Dye and Fulmer have also graduated, but Frazier welcomes back four offensive linemen and senior quarterback Brady Secrest (6-2, 175). Dylan Krukowsky (5-11, 215), Brant Rice (6-0, 240), Jett Murphy (6-2, 215) and Ethan Tabaj (6-1, 185) return on the offensive and defensive lines. “We have those four starters returning plus some new guys,” Battaglini said. “It is always big to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. That generally dictates who wins football games. I believe those guys can help us open up the holes and we have the skill guys to run through them.” The Commodores benefited from a run-heavy offense, thanks to Diamond, and played stout defense, but Battaglini believes Secrest is ready to take the next step. “We started to put a lot on Brady’s plate towards the end of the year last season,” Battaglini said. “We put him in a position to work in our playoff games. He always had the physical tools, and he has grown mentally.” Diamond didn’t leave the field too many times last season, but when he did get a rare breather, Kevin Etling would receive some touches. Etling, who also plays linebacker, will split carries with Camden
Photo by Lori C. Padilla Frazier’s Dylan Krukowsky walks towards a group of Commodores fans and cheerleaders after a WPIAL playoff win at California last season.
29 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
Stokes. Senior Brant Alekson (6-5, 220) provides a big target for Secrest at wide receiver, and freshman Nico Anderson could jump right in the mix. “Brant is a big kid who was able to come up with some huge catches for us last year,” Battaglini said. “Nico doesn’t move like a freshman. He picked up everything pretty quickly and has been a pleasant surprise.” Seniors Cooper McMasters and Jayden Rothey return in the secondary. “We have defensive back and wide receiver type bodies who can play either offense or defense, which doesn’t always happen in high school, especially at the Class A level,” Battaglini said. “If a kid has the ability to help you on both sides of the ball, you want to take advantage of that, but you always don’t want to see him get hurt. It is one of those things you have to gauge as the season progresses.” Junior Owen Searcy will handle the kicking duties. Battaglini is confident in his abilities, which can be a turning point in Class A games, as it is no guarantee that a coach can convince a soccer player to come and do the honors. Many schools in Class A, including Frazier, don’t field a soccer team. “Owen is a weapon,” Battaglini said. “He made a couple of field goals in a game last year. To have a kid that can do that, especially at our level, is hard to find. I’m confident about throwing him out there, even at 40 yards.” The Commodores return to the Tri-County South, which is officially named Section 1 in Class A, according to the WPIAL website. The eight-team conference also includes Avella, Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown and West Greene. Battaglini’s squad played in a conference last season that included juggernauts like Clairton and Jeannette, but he believed that made his team battle tested come playoff team. “I will say it is nice to get away from Clairton because they are just on another level,” Battaglini said. “With that being said, we know it’s not going to be easy at all. We are going to get the best of everyone, and I expect the California game to be an awesome environment. “Beth-Center is always a tough team and Jefferson-Morgan has had a ton of success lately. They may have lost some of their top guys, but those kids are used to winning and there is a lot of pedigree there.” Battaglini stated the close proximity to his team’s conference opponents will add excitement due to geographical rivalries. Battaglini will be assisted by Jeff Ogrodowski, Josh Stewart, Ryan Keebler, Rob Dorcon, Bill Hiller, Matt Yartin, Jake Forsythe and Dakota Romantino.
FRAZIER SCHEDULE
AUG. 28................................ LIGONIER VALLEY SEPT. 4............................AT KEYSTONE OAKS, DOMONT STADIUM SEPT. 11......................................AT MONESSEN SEPT. 18....................... JEFFERSON-MORGAN SEPT. 25.......................................... CALIFORNIA OCT. 2................................... AT CARMICHAELS OCT. 9............................................MAPLETOWN OCT. 16..................................AT BETH-CENTER OCT. 23..................................AT WEST GREENE OCT. 30.................................................... AVELLA ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
Photo by Lori C. Padilla Frazier quarterback Brady Secrest prepares for contact while playing in the WPIAL playoffs last season. Secrest returns for his senior year.
HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 30
Jefferson-Morgan Rockets must have replacements ready By Jack Sacco For the Herald-Standard Experience and familiar faces have allowed Jefferson-Morgan football to make the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. But with the passing of time, what was once one of the Rockets’ biggest strengths has become their biggest question mark. Fifth-year head coach Shane Ziats took over a team that was coming off a 1-9 season and has led them to a 28-15 record in his tenure. However, this season Ziats is tasked with rebuilding a roster that has just four returning starters. “We have just four kids coming back and that’s it. Everybody else is going to be a new starter. Some of them have played but most of them didn’t, so that is going to be the biggest obstacle to overcome,” Ziats said. The returners for Jefferson-Morgan are junior two-way lineman Jeremiah Rodriguez, senior tight end/linebacker Grayson Marmie, senior quarterback Triton Farabee, and junior wide receiver/defensive back Liam Rogers. The most notable loss for the Rockets is the graduation of offensive standout Deakyn DeHoet. DeHoet was Farabee’s top weapon last season, compiling more than 1,500 yards of offense and 28 total touchdowns.
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Farabee finished with 14 passing touchdowns and 1,090 passing yards despite missing some time with an injury. For the other spots, Ziats should have plenty of competition. Jefferson-Morgan heads into camp with an expected roster size of 36 players. This large group will look to keep Jefferson-Morgan near the top of the Class A Tri-County South Conference. J-M’s attempt at a Tri-County South championship three-peat failed last season, finishing third in the conference behind California and Bentworth. It was enough for the Rockets to make the playoffs, but they went in injury-riddled and shorthanded. They were defeated in a first-round matchup against eventual WPIAL runner-up Laurel. The Tri-County South had only one change during realignment. Bentworth was moved over to the Black Hills Conference and Frazier is the newcomer, coming from the Eastern Conference. The others remaining are Avella, Beth Center, California, Carmichaels, Mapletown, and West Greene. With the other top teams facing turnover, Ziats is unsure of how the conference will look by season’s end. “It’s kind of a wide-open conference. We don’t know who’s going to win, who’s going to do what, or who’s going to be where. So, there should be some good competition again this year,” Ziats said. The Rockets will have some time to get ready for the league schedule with three non-conference games. They open their season on the road at Burgettstown, before their home opener against former conference rival Bentworth. Their non-league slate concludes with a trip to Chartiers-Houston before opening the conference schedule at Frazier. Heading into the season, Jefferson-Morgan’s key to success is to be a tough, high-effort team. “During practice, these kids, the ones that have been there, have given effort every day. I expect that one of our strengths is to not quit, not give up, and just try to do what they can,” Ziats said. Ziats will also lean on the leadership, experience, and playoff pedigree of his returning contributors. “For those kids who have been there, the playoff experience absolutely helps. They know what it takes. They know how to get back to it and where to get to,” Ziats said. “That will help those younger kids to try to help them and share that experience and try to get them in line to where they need to be.” Working with Ziats will be assistant coaches Ron Gallagher, Jake Rush, Jacob Nace, William Rogers, Tom Corazzi, Alan Yanak and Nick Reha.
Photo by Rob Burchianti Jefferson-Morgan head coach Shane Ziats sends in a play with Liam Roberts during the Rockets’ game against Beth-Center at Parker Field last season. Roberts is back for his senior year. JEFFERSON-MORGAN SCHEDULE
AUG. 28............................AT BURGETTSTOWN SEPT. 4..........................................BENTWORTH SEPT. 11.................AT CHARTIERS-HOUSTON SEPT. 18............................................AT FRAZIER SEPT. 25........................................MAPLETOWN OCT. 2....................................AT BETH-CENTER OCT. 9....................................................... AVELLA OCT. 16.......................................AT CALIFORNIA OCT. 23.......................................CARMICHAELS OCT. 30...................................... WEST GREENE ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
31 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 MAPLETOWN SCHEDULE
Mapletown Young Mapletown hopes for bigger things
By Chris Dugan dugan@observer-reporter.com The powers of youthful enthusiasm will be put to a riveting test this fall at Mapletown, where freshmen and sophomores will play more than casual roles. That typically is a sign that long Friday nights are ahead for a high school football team, but veteran George Messich, who enters his 44th season as the Maples’ head coach, says this group of 9th and 10th graders are better than you might expect, and they’re surrounded by a few talented upperclassmen. All of that makes for what should be an interesting season with better results than last year’s 1-9 finish. “We’re not a bad team for this conference,” Messich said of the Class A Tri-County South. “We have something coming up. We have only six seniors and 20 sophomores and freshmen, but there are a lot of younger kids who can play.” Mapletown had one of the most puzzling and interesting starts to a season last year. They were blown out 41-6 in the season opener at Avella,
which made the WPIAL Class A playoffs. “We were horrible,” Messich said of that game. So the coach decided to change his offense and go back to the I-formation that he employed for decades. The Maples shifted wingback Carson Vanata, who had been held to “about 35 yards” by Avella, to the tailback position. In the next game, Mapletown defeated Frazier, 22-21. Frazier went on to make the Class A quarterfinals. Vanata rushed for 161 yards, two touchdowns and a game-winning two-point conversion with three seconds remaining to beat Frazier. The next week, Vanata ran for 271 yards against Chartiers-Houston, also a playoff quarterfinalist, and Mapletown had a 21-point fourth-quarter lead before a turnover turned the tide and C-H rallied for an unlikely come-from-behind win. Mapletown’s season turned again the next week when Vanata broke his leg early in a game against Jefferson-Morgan. His season, and Mapletown’s momentum, was over. Vanata, a 6-2, 200-pound senior, is back this fall and so is
the optimism at Mapletown. “Carson played three games and rushed for about 500 yards,” Messich pointed out. “And he did that against two of the best teams we played. He killed it working in the weight room. He’s in perfect health, so that’s a plus for us.” Vanata’s running mate in the backfield, senior fullback Ashton Walker (6-2, 195), suffered a knee injury during the first week of the Maples’ baseball season. He was recently cleared to return. “Walker is powerful, and he’s not slow,” Messich said. “The strength is we have Vanata and Walker in the backfield.” The veteran coach also likes the potential of sophomore Blake Switalski and freshman Austin Hennessey as changeof-pace running backs. Mapletown lost its best offensive lineman to injury four plays into last season, but they return four starters from the group. Returning are senior Kaeden Lotspeich (5-10, 225), junior Kaleb Evosevich (5-11, 190) and sophomores Landon Walker (6-3, 245) and Joshua Debolt (5-10, 235). Sophomore Brayden Tedrow moves into the
center position. The passing game is where several freshmen could be impactful. The quarterback is expected to be freshman Tyler Dusenberry (6-3, 175). “We went to several 7-on7s this summer and for a freshman I was impressed with him,” Messich said. “He can run it and throw it. There’s potential there. For a freshman, I’m very pleased with him.” Hennessey, Switalski, sophomore Bryson Shaffer (6-3, 200) and freshman Jax Donley will be the receivers. “The offensive line is OK. I think we’ll be good up front,”
AUG. 28.................................................... AVELLA SEPT. 4........................... AT EAST ALLEGHENY SEPT. 11...........................AT SERRA CATHOLIC SEPT. 18..................................... WEST GREENE SEPT. 25..................AT JEFFERSON-MORGAN OCT. 2.............................................. CALIFORNIA OCT. 9................................................AT FRAZIER OCT. 16..................................................... AVELLA OCT. 23....................................... BETH-CENTER OCT. 30................................ AT CARMICHAELS ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
Messich said. “Defensively, I don’t know because of all the freshmen and sophomores.” Messich said he had two other freshmen, Clayton Radcliff and Andrew Phillips, who could work their way into the lineup and are playing multiple positions. “We’re going to have a lot of young kids playing, but they’re not playing like freshmen,” Messich said.
Mapletown opens the season with three consecutive away games. The Maples will open again against Avella followed by trips to East Allegheny and Serra Catholic. The home opener is also the Tri-County South opener against West Greene on Sept. 18. “California and Beth-Center are probably the top two teams. After that … it will be interesting,” Messich said.
Good Luck Mapletown
Best Wishes To All The Athletes and Coaches from The Administration and Staff of
Mapletown High School Photo by Rob Burchianti Mapletown’s Kaeden Lotspeich (70) blocks as quarterback Tyler Dusenberry (12) pitches the ball to Carson Vanata during a Maples practice.
For the latest schedule updates, please visit segsd.org OR bigteams.com
HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 32
Monessen
Monessen headed in right direction
By Bill Hughes Contributing writer It took longer than he would have liked, but sixth-year Monessen football coach Wade Brown is starting to see things where he would like them to be. “Just in terms of getting the kids to be football players,” he said. “When I first got here, I felt we had a lot of athletes that were playing football. “Now, with the offseason program with lifting and developing football players, we are going in the right direction.” Brown has five starters back on offense and eight on defense. The five returning starters on offense are junior right tackle Roodly Destyl, who is in his third year as a starter, senior fourth-year starting wide receiver Jayveon Jeffries, senior running back Kayden Kolbeck, who started at receiver last year, senior quarterback Kaier Payne and junior center Xavier Bell, a three-year starter. “Roodly and Xavier will be important for us up front and we could use Roodly at fullback as well,” Brown said. “Jayveon is better, and Kayden said he wanted to get better and he has proven it as he hasn’t missed a day since we started the offseason. “I am expecting us to be really good on offense, and I think we should be able to pass the ball better this year with Kaier.” Brown went into detail about how Tony Ruscitto has been working with the quarterbacks. “I am glad to have him on, and he was my head coach my sophomore year (at Duquesne in the early-1990s),” Brown said. “The kids are learning so much from him.”
Other starters on offense are senior right guard Josh Smith, freshman left guard Derrick Dixon, senior left tackle Jaquan Craggette, junior wide receiver Kezjere Butler, junior H-back Daniel Towler, senior slot receiver Damaje Martin. Craggette started as a sophomore but was hurt on the first play of last season and missed the rest of the campaign. The Greyhounds will use multiple offenses and variations within each. “We feel with Kobeck we will be able to run the ball. He has put on some strength and will be a viable tailback for us this year,” Brown said. “We hope to be able to both run and throw the ball.” Defensively, the Greyhounds are looking to make things happen and improve upon last year when they gave up an average of 25.7 points per game. “We expect the defense to be good, and we have a lot of returning starters,” Brown said. “They understand what we are trying to get accomplished on defense. A lot of them have started two or three years and know what we expect. We want to be consistent.” Destyl and Payne started on the defensive line last year, although Payne might move to outside linebacker. “As our starting quarterback, we don’t want (Payne) in the trenches on the defensive line,” Brown said. Butler returns at outside linebacker while both Jeffries and Colbeck return at safety. Another safety from last year, sophomore Ja’cory Minnie, will slide over to cornerback.
MONESSEN SCHEDULE
AUG. 28............................................CHARLEROI SEPT. 4................................. AT CARMICHAELS SEPT. 11.................................................. FRAZIER SEPT. 18...................................... FORT CHERRY SEPT. 25................................ BURGETTSTOWN OCT. 2......................................AT BRENTWOOD OCT. 9....................................... AT LEECHBURG OCT. 16........................................ WASHINGTON OCT. 23.................................... AT BENTWORTH OCT. 30............................................AT STO-ROX ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
Towler and Creggette are middle linebackers, Smith and Dixon will play the defensive line, while Martin and freshman Stefan Hall will see time at cornerback. Destyl and junior Addye Fields will handle the kicking duties. Monessen is in the tough Class A Black Hills Conference, and Brown knows his team will have to play hard each week. “Our goals and expectations are to win the conference,” he said. “We know that with Fort Cherry, and Washington coming down from Double-A, and with Burgettstown, Bentworth, Brentwood and Sto-Rox, it will be tough.” Monessen’s opener Friday, when it hosts cross-river rival Charleroi, is approaching fast, and Brown knows what has to happen before then. “We just have to keep working like we have been working,” he said. “If we can get the line on the same page and clicking, with our skill players, we just have to be able to put it together and stay in the moment to make a run.”
33 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
Mt. Pleasant Vikings eye return to the playoffs By Jonathan Guth jguth@heraldstandard.com Mount Pleasant had its six-year playoff streak snapped last year, but head coach Jason Fazekas welcomes back 11 starters (4 offense, 7 defense) and 18 lettermen, including all-conference players Stephen Predajna and Christian Brodak. Predajna, a senior who also wrestles for the Vikings, was all-conference at running back and linebacker, led Mount Pleasant in rushing last season with 592 yards and an average of 4.8 yards-per-carry. He also scored seven touchdowns. Predajna has won three letters. Brodak, a senior who earned his all-conference nod at defensive lineman, is also a member of the Vikings’ offensive line and a two-year letterman. Mount Pleasant will have a new leader in passing and receiving, as quarterback/ linebacker Dane Firmstone and running back/defensive back Richard Shawley have graduated. Firmstone was 50 of 107 for 611 yards and four touchdowns, while Shawley pulled in 18 receptions for 133 yards and a trip to the end zone. The Vikings have to find someone to fill the void left by offensive and defensive
lineman Carter Strayer. Juniors Cole Hart (6-2, 170) and Bobby Smithnosky (6-1, 180) will vie for snaps at quarterback. Both will play in the secondary when on defense. Nick Morell (5-6, 135) and Aiden Roadman (5-9, 165) will split carries at running back. Morrell will line up in the secondary when Mount Pleasant is on defense and Roadman will play at linebacker. Fazekas also pointed out
other promising newcomers in two wide receivers and defensive backs, Lukas Gonzales (6-1, 175) and Noah Dewitt (5-10, 160). Carter Urban (5-9, 175) could be penciled in at tight end, and other offensive linemen who look to earn some reps are Michael McLaughlin (5-11, 210), Preston Sherrick (6-1, 270), Blake Sellinger (5-10, 265) and Jonathon Dipasquale (5-11, 240). Dipasquale has a shot
to find playing time on the defensive line. Senior Tristan Wtorkiewicz (5-9, 170) returns as a starting defensive back. The Vikings’ wrestler will also play at running back. Brady Brooks (5-11, 170), Kaden Hudec (5-11, 175), Colten Keefer (6-0, 185), John Klejka (6-1, 290), Anthony Pologruto (5-9, 170) and Trent Stanek (6-0, 215) are returning starters. Mount Pleasant will compete in Section 1-3A,
MT. PLEASANT SCHEDULE
AUG. 28.....................AT LAUREL HIGHLANDS SEPT. 4..................................................... YOUGH SEPT. 11...................... AT SOUTH ALLEGHENY SEPT. 18.................................................... DERRY SEPT. 25............ AT WAYNESBURG CENTRAL OCT. 2.................................................FREEPORT OCT. 9..................................AT BELLE VERNON OCT. 16.........................GREENSBURG SALEM OCT. 23.........................ELIZABETH FORWARD OCT. 30........................AT SOUTHMORELAND ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
also known as the Interstate Conference, with holdovers from last year in Derry, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg Salem and rival Southmoreland. Belle Vernon and Waynesburg Central have joined the conference, as the Leopards came down from Class 4A and the Raiders moved up from Class 2A.
Fazekas, who graduated from Mount Pleasant Area High School, is in his 24th year of coaching, including the past nine years as the Vikings’ head coach. Fazekas will be assisted by Luke Liprando, Dylan McElfresh, Dave Greene, Jake Fazekas and Tom Sandala.
Photo by Rob Burchianti Mount Pleasant running back Stephen Predajna runs the ball against Southmoreland during a game last season.
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HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 34
Ringgold Ringgold ‘ready to roll’ in new-look conference By Bill Hughes Contributing Writer There is a different type of buzz around the Ringgold football program this year, one that hasn’t been felt in quite some time. For third-year head coach Robert Heller, it has everything to do to players buying in during the offseason, especially the returning leaders. “This has been our best offseason in the two years I have been here,” Heller said. “The first goal when you first step in, they had been 0-27. You get that one win to put it behind you. “Year 2, we build it from there.” The Rams started 3-1 last season and finished 4-6, one game out of the playoffs in the Class 4A Big Six Conference. “We were young last year and gained valuable experience,” Heller said. “Most of these guys have been with me since they were freshmen, and this year is our coming out party. This is the first time we are going in as a veteran group.” Heller says it helps that many of the players now have multiple years in his program. “The first year, it was about numbers and we looked for players,” he said. “Last year, we didn’t do that. This year, I didn’t. “If 20 show kids show up, give me 20 football players. If 30 shows up, give me 30 football players. If I have to chase you, then this is probably not the right sport for you. That isn’t the culture here. We are ready to roll.” Leading the way for the Rams is senior wide receiver and defensive back Demetri Lowe. The Youngstown State commit weighs 190 pounds, up from the 165 he finished at last season. “I am biased, but Meech is by far in the top three athletes in the WPIAL,” Heller said. “I think everyone is going to see a more physical side from him.” Lowe finished with 42 catches for 792 yards and 16 touchdowns. Junior Dennis Hawkins is back at quarterback. “He has matured and is a great athlete,” Heller said. “Again, I am biased, but I think he is a top-five athlete in the WPIAL.” Lowe and Hawkins are two of nine returning starters on offense. Losing 1,000-yard running back Amoni Ward to graduation was a “big loss,” according to Heller, but he is excited about 5-11, 205-pound junior Nick Stasko. “He is a bruiser,” Heller said. “I will be shocked if he is not one of the leading rushers in the WPIAL.” There is plenty of depth at wide receiver to go with Lowe, including his younger brother Gavyn, a sophomore, seniors Ashton Mincin and 6-3 Braylon
Lomax, and junior Amari Jackson, who transferred in from Steel Valley. Senior Leslie Nicolas is the tight end. “We moved some kids who are skill players, more like tight ends,” Heller said. “We moved some to the line, and this line will be our best in our three years.” Junior Keanen Anderson is at center and has played since his freshman year. Senior Ty Jones moves from center to guard, junior Silas Miller is also at guard, and juniors Cole Konek and Dom Fonzi are the tackles. Miller was an all-conference player as a freshman but missed last season because of an injury. “Dom and Cole have played defense for us for two years, and now they will play on both sides of the ball,” Heller said. The Rams return 10 starters from last year on defense. “I am expecting our defense to make some noise,” Heller said. On the back end, Hawkins is the free safety, sophomore Avonte Ferguson is at one corner and either Jackson or senior Lorenzo Morton. Junior Dezire Saterfield rounds out the secondary at strong safety. The linebacker corps is deep with Stasko, Meech Lowe and junior Brayden Davis at outside backers, Chris Jaquay in the middle, and senior Cam Trilli seeing time at both the inside and outside. The defensive line consists of Fonzi and Konek at ends, Miller and Nichols inside, and both senior Owen Conroy and junior Troy Tubio seeing time on the line. “I am expecting a monster year out of Dom and Cole,” Heller said. “They are long, fast, and athletic.” Senior Bill Cameron, a player from Ringgold’s soccer team, will handle the kicking duties. Heller hopes to see more progress
from last year to this year than they saw from the 2024 season to 2025. “We break the (losing) streak and build off of the first year and get to (four) wins last year. We see the progress, and it is the point of all of this,” Heller said. “We have seen it on the field, and we saw it this offseason. “We will rock it with guys who grinded all summer. That is how you change the culture. This is how things are going to run.” “Nothing is perfect, but we have seen progress,” he continued. “I think Meech is the first one from our program going D1 in, I think, a decade. The goal was to change things and see progress, to send players to college.” The Rams are in the new-look Class 4A Big Six Conference with Chartiers Valley, Uniontown, Laurel Highlands, South Fayette and Albert Gallatin. “In a perfect world, I am hoping the winner wins the conference the last week against South Fayette,” said Heller. “On paper, South Fayette is No. 1 because they are dropping down.” Heller did not hesitate when asked what his goals and expectations are for the Rams. “The goal is to make the playoffs, and the program hasn’t been to the playoffs in 10 years,” he said. “The culture has changed. The goal for the guys isn’t just playoffs. They fear nobody in the WPIAL. “My expectation is that we make the playoffs, and in all reality, everyone’s goal should be to win a WPIAL championship, if you are truly a competitor.” The Rams open the season Friday against Trinity. “I scheduled Trinity because it is a test for us,” Heller said. “We are looking forward to it, and it is a big test right out of the gate because they are a really good program that is only getting better.”
RINGGOLD SCHEDULE
AUG. 28.............................................. AT TRINITY SEPT. 4................................................AT VALLEY SEPT. 11...............................................HAMPTON SEPT. 18.................................................. AT KISKI SEPT. 25........................................ SOUTH PARK OCT. 2........................AT LAUREL HIGHLANDS OCT. 9.............................................UNIONTOWN OCT. 16................................ ALBERT GALLATIN OCT. 23........................AT CHARTIERS VALLEY OCT. 30...................................SOUTH FAYETTE ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
35 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
Southmoreland Scotties look to keep rolling in Shoaf’s second year By Rob Burchianti rburchianti@heraldstandard.com Southmoreland hit the ground running in its first year under head coach Dustin Shoaf in 2025. The Scotties won their first eight games before falling to conference champion Elizabeth Forward, qualified for the playoffs and went 9-2 overall. Shoaf deflected credit for his successful coaching debut to his players and coaches. “I think it was the kids were bought in, the coaching staff was bought in,” Shoaf said. “Once we realized early on how special it could be, we didn’t let ‘what ifs’ be a question mark. It was a lot of understanding what we have and then running with it. “The kids did well. They fed off the coaches. It wasn’t just one person. It took everybody in the program.” Year two is off to a good start, too, according to Shoaf. “Everything has been smooth,” said the Yough graduate. “It’s been a great transition to year two. It’s nice to see that the kids know how we operate. That first practice of heat week we flew through. We had probably one of the best first practices I’ve been a part of in a long time. “Our numbers are up this year. We’re at 46 players. We’re excited. We’re competing and doing all the little things right that will add up.” Senior Dawson Wolfe is one of the Scotties’ top returning players and plays a key role on both sides of the ball at quarterback and linebacker. “Dawson is one of my two captains with Nick Carbonara,” Shoaf said. “They’ve done a really good job and they’ve taken that next step in leadership so that’s why. “But actually our senior class as a whole has done really good. They know the expectations. They know what we need to take care of. With all that being said, some of our younger kids, our sophomores, they are stepping up as well. We have a good mix from freshmen-to-senior crews.” Southmoreland has 13 seniors but also is counting on a bevy of sophomores and several juniors to play key roles. One of those sophomores is Carbonara. “Wolfe is back at quarterback and Nick Carbonara and Nick Snyder (junior) will be our main two running backs,” Shoaf said. When it comes to throwing the ball, the Scotties have plenty of options in a deep wide receivers/tight ends group. “We have a handful,” Shoaf said. “Mason Pergar (sophomore), Seth Grosser (senior), Brock Geho (sophomore), Reese Jordan (junior) are some of the top ones. Will Dziurzynski (sophomore) is another kid, Walter Higgins (junior), Zion Mitchell (senior).” Southmoreland is experienced up front. ”We feel really good about our offensive line,” Shoaf said. “That’s our staple right now going into the season. We’ve got pretty much four guys back who played last year. Overall, between
guys that got reps and newcomers, I’d say we have 15 linemen that we feel really good about. It’s one of our deeper rooms on the offensive side.” Shoaf noted seniors Justinn Hribal, David Sager and Kohen Neiderehiser, juniors Harrison Bechtold and Peyton Bann, and sophomore Noah Shoemaker as a few of his top linemen. “A lot of those guys will play both ways and they’ll compete,” Shoaf said. The Scotties are solid at linebacker. “Wolfe, of course, is there, and Jake Hull, who does really well at linebacker and led us in tackles last year,” Shoaf said. “Also we have Carbonara there and Seth Grosser is another cat.” Southmoreland will be banking on an inexperienced secondary to come through. “We’re a little young in the defensive backfield but they’re athletic,” Shoaf said. “Pergar, Cam Gower (sophomore), Jordan, Geho are in that group. Dylan Brown is another, and Cale Bretzone, they’re both freshmen. Also Mitchell. “We’re confident they can come through. They’ve shown some glimpses of what they can do.” The Scotties are solid in the kicking department. “Liam Smith is back and we actually gained another kicker from the soccer team,” Shoaf said. “It helps to have a good kicker.” Smith led local kickers in points (53) and field goals (seven) and was the area’s 18th-leading scorer overall last season. The Class 3A Interstate Conference was altered slightly for the 2026 season with Yough leaving and Belle Vernon and Waynesburg Central coming in. Returning along with the Scotties are EF, rival Mount Pleasant, Greensburg Salem and Derry. The top three will qualify for the postseason along with possible Wild Cards. Southmoreland’s non-conference slate includes Connellsville and Uniontown as well as Jeannette and Highlands. “We love the schedule and the conference,” Shoaf said. “I think it’s a great regional conference although I wish Yough would have remained,” he added, noting his alma mater. “As for our goals, they will always be to win a conference title and compete. Winning season, get that first playoff win, make a domino run down to Acrisure (Stadium). Nothing changes. “Our mentality doesn’t change. Our philosophy doesn’t change.” Shoaf’s coaching staff includes AJ Blasco, former Laurel Highlands head coach Rich Kolesar, Tyler Lewandowski, Max Malis, Jaylen McNair, Southmoreland boys basketball coach Frank Muccino, Joe Pergar, Terry Quashnock, Rusty Richards, Kaden Tkacs and Scott Wood who was head coach at Yough when Shoaf played.
Photo by Rob Burchianti Dustin Shoaf returns for his second year as head coach at Southmoreland after guiding the Scotties to a 9-2 record in 2025. SOUTHMORELAND SCHEDULE
AUG. 28............................ AT CONNELLSVILLE SEPT. 4............................................. JEANNETTE SEPT. 11..........................................UNIONTOWN SEPT. 18................. AT GREENSBURG SALEM SEPT. 25.......................ELIZABETH FORWARD OCT. 2......................WAYNESBURG CENTRAL OCT. 9........................................ AT HIGHLANDS OCT. 16................................AT BELLE VERNON OCT. 23.................................................AT DERRY OCT. 30.............................. MOUNT PLEASANT ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 36
Contents of Tab
AP photo Quarterback Mason Heintschel provided a spark to the Pitt offense and kept the Panthers in contention for the ACC regular-season championship until the final week of last season. He will try to build on his fantastic freshman season.
Quarterback Mason provided Pitt’s offense with an unexpected spark in the second half of the 2025 season and almost sparked the Panthers to a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s title game. After a fantastic freshman season, expectations are high for Heintschel to elevate his game and the Panthers to another level. Offensive coordinator Kade Bell has the pieces around Heintschel to do that, including three starters returning on the line and talented sophomore running back Ja’Kyrian Turner. The only thing that could hold Pitt’s offense back is a receiving group that is thin on proven options. Head coach Pat Narduzzi must find a way to build another solid defense. This unit limited ACC teams to only 5.2 yards a play last season and was second in the conference against the run. There are holes to fill, however. Standout linebackers Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis will be missed, and Narduzzi has to plug voids in the secondary. The schedule isn’t daunting, but Pitt has to play at Miami, Louisville, Virginia Tech and California in ACC play. “This season, we’re not playing Miami and Notre Dame at the end of the year,” Narduzzi said at the ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C. “We had a pretty good run. I think Miami played in the national championship game, and I think Notre Dame was pretty good. Probably both of them should have been in the (College Football) Playoff. “I would say last year … I think we did pretty good. We didn’t play our best games (against Miami and Notre Dame) but those are two pretty good football teams. We’ll have our chance again someday.” That somebody could happen this year with Heintschel returning at quarterback. This time last year, Heintschel was a little-known true freshman who spent fall camp running Pitt’s scout team while the Panthers looked for Eli Holstein to take the next steps after a solid debut campaign in 2024. But after ineffectiveness by Holstein, Heintschel got his big chance and became Pitt’s starter in Week 5, and the Panthers never had to look back. Heintschel completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 2,354 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall. He went 6-3 as a starter and had four 300-yard passing games. “Getting back to the ACC championship; that’s our goal,” Heintschel said. “We get back
there, go win that game and then obviously, the sky’s the limit, College Football Playoff and all that kind of stuff. We’ve got to take this one game at a time. We get Miami (Ohio) Week 1. We’ve got to have a really great fall camp before that.” Turner is only 5-9 and 180 pounds, but he’s tough, lightning quick, and he’ll be used even more after leading the Panthers with 745 yards and seven touchdowns, and catching 25 passes last year. The Panthers have several returning starters up front, such as Ryan Carretta, now playing center, B.J. Williams (right guard) and Ryan Baer (right tackle). Kendall Stanley (left guard) is back and was named Pitt’s Ed Conway Award winner as the team’s most improved offensive player during spring drills. The final piece of the offensive line appears to be Penn transfer Netinho Olivieri, who spent spring starting at left tackle. On defense, the Panthers must replace Louis, who was an All-America linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Biles, an all-ACC standout, transferred to Texas. Leechburg graduate Braylan Lovelace, a senior, is expected to anchor the linebacker unit, The defensive front will be strong. The production comes from all sides, with ends Isaiah Neal and Jimmy Scott combining for eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and the defensive tackles can move, too. Narduzzi, who brought in 16 transfers over the winter, spotlighted outside linebackers DeMarco Ward (Memphis) and Alex Sanford (Purdue) as being “impact players for us right now.” Pitt likes to play aggressive man-to-man coverage at cornerback and it will be trial by fire for the new starters. Josh Guerrier played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, totaling eight tackles and blocking a punt at Florida State. “He’s got plenty of potential, and I want to see it every day,” Narduzzi said. “We’re looking for intensity. I’m looking for guys competing in execution, that’s what it all comes down to. Execution, and to see some separation somewhere. To see someone say, ‘Hey, I’m the guy,’ and take it over. But if two guys do that, then there is no separation. “We’re excited to play in one of the best leagues in the country,” Narduzzi added. “We’re fired up in Pittsburgh and can’t wait for
37 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
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ELEY McCRORY Quarterback Mason provided Pitt’s offense with an unexpected spark in the second half of the 2025 season and almost sparked the Panthers to a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s title game. After a fantastic freshman season, expectations are high for Heintschel to elevate his game and the Panthers to another level. Offensive coordinator Kade Bell has the pieces around Heintschel to do that, including three starters returning on the line and talented sophomore running back Ja’Kyrian Turner. The only thing that could hold Pitt’s offense back is a receiving group that is thin on proven options. Head coach Pat Narduzzi must find a way to build another solid defense. This unit limited ACC teams to only 5.2 yards a play last season and was second in the conference against the run. There are holes to fill, however. Standout linebackers Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis will be missed, and Narduzzi has to plug voids in the secondary. The schedule isn’t daunting, but Pitt has to play at Miami, Louisville, Virginia Tech and California in ACC play. “This season, we’re not playing Miami and Notre Dame at the end of the year,” Narduzzi said at the ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C. “We had a pretty good run. I think Miami played in the national championship game, and I think Notre Dame was pretty good. Probably both of them should have been in the (College Football) Playoff. “I would say last year … I think we did pretty good. We didn’t play our best games (against Miami and Notre Dame) but those are two pretty good football teams. We’ll have our chance again someday.” That somebody could happen this year with Heintschel returning at quarterback. This time last year, Heintschel was a little-known true freshman who spent fall camp running Pitt’s scout team while the Panthers looked for Eli Holstein to take the next steps after a solid debut campaign in 2024. But after ineffectiveness by Holstein, Heintschel got his big chance and became Pitt’s starter in Week 5, and the Panthers never had to look back. Heintschel completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 2,354 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall. He went 6-3 as a starter and had four 300-yard passing games. “Getting back to the ACC championship; that’s our goal,” Heintschel said. “We get back
there, go win that game and then obviously, the sky’s the limit, College Football Playoff and all that kind of stuff. We’ve got to take this one game at a time. We get Miami (Ohio) Week 1. We’ve got to have a really great fall camp before that.” Turner is only 5-9 and 180 pounds, but he’s tough, lightning quick, and he’ll be used even more after leading the Panthers with 745 yards and seven touchdowns, and catching 25 passes last year. The Panthers have several returning starters up front, such as Ryan Carretta, now playing center, B.J. Williams (right guard) and Ryan Baer (right tackle). Kendall Stanley (left guard) is back and was named Pitt’s Ed Conway Award winner as the team’s most improved offensive player during spring drills. The final piece of the offensive line appears to be Penn transfer Netinho Olivieri, who spent spring starting at left tackle. On defense, the Panthers must replace Louis, who was an All-America linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Biles, an all-ACC standout, transferred to Texas. Leechburg graduate Braylan Lovelace, a senior, is expected to anchor the linebacker unit, The defensive front will be strong. The production comes from all sides, with ends Isaiah Neal and Jimmy Scott combining for eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and the defensive tackles can move, too. Narduzzi, who brought in 16 transfers over the winter, spotlighted outside linebackers DeMarco Ward (Memphis) and Alex Sanford (Purdue) as being “impact players for us right now.” Pitt likes to play aggressive man-to-man coverage at cornerback and it will be trial by fire for the new starters. Josh Guerrier played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, totaling eight tackles and blocking a punt at Florida State. “He’s got plenty of potential, and I want to see it every day,” Narduzzi said. “We’re looking for intensity. I’m looking for guys competing in execution, that’s what it all comes down to. Execution, and to see some separation somewhere. To see someone say, ‘Hey, I’m the guy,’ and take it over. But if two guys do that, then there is no separation. “We’re excited to play in one of the best leagues in the country,” Narduzzi added. “We’re fired up in Pittsburgh and can’t wait for
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AP photo Quarterback Mason Heintschel provided a spark to the Pitt offense and kept the Panthers in contention for the ACC regular-season championship until the final week of last season. He will try to build on his fantastic freshman season.
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HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 38
Waynesburg Central Passing combination makes Raiders dangerous
By John Sacco Contributing writer If any team is capable of a good game of pitch and catch, it certainly is the Waynesburg Central Raiders. The quarterback-receiver tandem of Teagen Crouse and Jack Riccuti, both seniors, would be tough to upstage. Last season, Crouse completed 101 of 183 passes for 1,843 yards with 13 touchdowns with only five interceptions. On the other end of his aerials was Ricciuti, who caught 42 passes for 880 yards and five TDs. It’s a dangerous combination. “They’re just ridiculously hard workers,” Waynesburg head coach Joe Kuhns said. “They go out of their way to get extra stuff. Teagen has quarterback training that he does; Jack does speed training. They all go to the same strength and conditioning guy. If there’s work that can be done to get better, they’re willing to do it and then some. I think that’s what makes them as good as they are. “Jack is just as athletic as he is big. I would put Teagen up — pound for pound — against anybody. I’m talking about athleticism. He’s probably going to be a receiver at the next level just because he’s super athletic. Whatever he decides he’s going to do at the next level, I have no doubt he’s going to be good at it because he’s just that kind of kid. Football is in his blood, and he’ll do whatever he can do to get good at it.” Ricciuti, a senior, has offers from Penn West California and West Liberty. Kuhns is certain other offers are forthcoming. “We had a lot of success in seven-on-seven this year. Obviously,
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because of those two,” Kuhns added. While Crouse and Ricciuti (6-3, 210) are standouts, Waynesburg returns several good players. “We have a nice group around them, too,” Kuhns said. The Raiders have moved from Class 2A to Class 3A this season where they will compete in the Intestate Conference along with Belle Vernon, Derry, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg Salem, Mount Pleasant and Southmoreland. Waynesburg has non-conference games that include West Greene, Chartiers-Hoston, Albert Gallatin and Valley. Kuhns is assisted by Derek Bochna, Chay Lahew, Colby Kuhns, Colby Pauley, Tim Bennett, Dave Sarra, Jeff Coss and Adam Knight. Kuhns is in his second stint at Waynesburg. He previously coached at Waynesburg for three seasons. Kuhns most recently coached Beth-Center and California High School. He coached California to six consecutive playoff berths. Kuhns, a California University graduate, left the Trojans’ job in 2008 with a 38-36 record from 2002 to 2008. Following a strong 2005 regular season, Kuhns coached his team to its first playoff victory in 19 years. The following season, the Trojans won the 2006 Tri-County South Conference championship. In five years (2016-2020) at Beth-Center, Kuhns had a 19-30 record. The Bulldogs won 17 games in Kuhns’ first three seasons. Beth-Center qualified for the WPIAL playoffs all three seasons but lost in the first-round each time – twice against Steel Valley. “Three teams we played last season were in the WPIAL semifinals,” Kuhns pointed out. “Those teams, I think, would be just as successful in Class 3A, too. We’re banking on that. We’ve seen some tough competition. “My biggest expectation is for kids to just have a good time, to just show up and play the sport that they love and see where the chips fall. “On paper, we should be good. We’re very senior heavy and we have all but two or three starters returning on both sides of the ball. We are in Triple-A now and depth is going to be a big thing for us. If we can stay healthy, I think our skill guys can play with anybody.” Kuhns is counting on a bevy of returners to help carry the load and ease the transition to Class 3A. Among them are senior receiver/linebacker Ace Litmanovich; senior running back/linebacker Ross Tennant; senior running back/linebacker Kymani Sumpter; junior receiver/defensive back Caleb Phillips, who Kuhns said is a real quiet guy but all he does is make plays. Up front, Waynesburg has two-way lineman Caden Fowler, who Kuhns said “could probably be one better lineman in our conference.” Senior two-way lineman Andy Mahle is expected to be a force. “He’s a big kid who can really run,” Kuhns said. “So, we tried him at tight end, but unfortunately with the depth of our interior line, I don’t think we’re going to get to do that with him. “These are all good kids who have been together since they were 7- or 8-years-old,” Kuhns added. “They’ve been successful the whole time and we’re just hoping to push them over the finish line with something successful this year. “We’re not looking across our schedule. It’s every game that things could go either way. It’s going to be tight. I think Elizabeth Forward and Belle Vernon will be the top two in the conference. But I think that it is probably going to come down to the end for playoff spots.”
Photo by Rob Burchianti Waynesburg Central’s Jack Ricciuti makes a leaping reception against West Greene during a game last season. WAYNESBURG CENTRAL SCHEDULE
AUG. 28...................................... WEST GREENE SEPT. 4....................... CHARTIERS-HOUSTON SEPT. 11..........................AT ALBERT GALLATIN SEPT. 18................. AT ELIZABETH FORWARD SEPT. 25............................. MOUNT PLEASANT OCT. 2...........................AT SOUTHMORELAND OCT. 9..................... AT GREENSBURG SALEM OCT. 16...................................................... DERRY OCT. 23..................................... BELLE VERNON OCT. 30...............................................AT VALLEY ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
39 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 WEST GREENE SCHEDULE
West Greene Pioneers depending on strong sophomore class By Rob Burchianti rburchianti@heraldstandard.com Beau Jackson felt he got a bit spoiled his first year as head football coach at West Greene when he took over for Brian Hanson in 2023. “I had a lot of seniors, a lot of experience and we had a pretty good season,” Jackson recalled. The Pioneers finished second in the Tri-County South Conference behind California with a 6-1 record and were 8-3 overall, including a playoff loss. West Greene was 4-6 overall and 4-3 in the TCS the following year, tying Carmichaels for third place, but missed the postseason on a tiebreaker. In 2025, a youthful Pioneers team was 1-6 in the TCS and 1-9 overall. “The next couple years after that first season we had to kind of adjust to having a younger team, especially last year,” Jackson said. “I think I’m better prepared for coaching younger guys now after going through that.” His players know what to expect from him now, Jackson said. “I think we’ve had a pretty good routine since I’ve been here,” Jackson said. “We try to be consistent.” The Pioneers are even younger in 2026 with 14 sophomores and three freshmen among a roster of 24. “We’re going to be pretty young across the board,” Jackson said. A lot of the underclassmen gained valuable experience a year ago. “Throughout last season we had seven of those sophomores who started at some point,” Jackson said. “A couple others also got a lot of playing time when they were freshmen.” Joel Rizor was one of those freshmen. He stepped in under center last year and he returns at quarterback with a more versatile skill set. “Joel has been working really hard in the offseason,” Jackson said. “His legs were the biggest threat he had last year. He’s done a lot of work on his arm since then. We’re excited to see him be more of a dual threat this year.
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“I’m a run-first guy, so if that’s working we’re going to stick with it. But I’ll say this, he has a lot more confidence throwing the ball now and we have a lot more confidence in calling the passing game.” The Pioneers will be counting on two sophomores at running back. “We’re going to rotate in a few guys there but the two major ones will be Bret Scott and Kyan Berardi-Stockett,” Jackson said. “They also put in a lot of work in the offseason so we’re looking for good things from both of them.” Rizor has a variety of options to look for when he wants to throw. “We have a mix of wide receivers, young guys but good athletes.” Jackson said. “Gavin Roberts is going to be one. He’s another sophomore who’s going to be an outside threat. We’re going to move Kyan around a little bit where he’ll be running some routes too. We also have Caiden Cunningham and Brent Harris, both juniors, who we can throw to.” Anchoring the line on both sides of the ball will be seniors Mason Ansell and Reece Tharp. “Those guys have been doing a good job of keeping the flow going with the run game,” Jackson said. “We’ll be starting some sophomores and freshmen around those two.” Sophomore Kyle Cunningham spearheads the defense. “He’s a middle linebacker who we’re going to be leaning on to lead the way,” Jackson said. “He’s certainly our vocal leader.” Jackson has three freshmen who he thinks can help the team at some point in 2026. “Like any other freshmen class, they have to develop physically,” Jackson said. “We only have three but we’re excited about each one of them. They’re working very hard. Corbin Rice is a lineman, big kid. We have Colt Frye who is going to play tight end and inside linebacker. Then we have Jayden Burns who’s going to be a receiver/corner.” Jackson likes his team despite its lack of upperclassmen.
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AUG. 28............. AT WAYNESBURG CENTRAL SEPT. 4.......................................BROWNSVILLE SEPT. 11....................................... AT MCGUFFEY SEPT. 18.................................. AT MAPLETOWN SEPT. 25..................................... BETH-CENTER OCT. 2..................................................AT AVELLA OCT. 9.........................................AT CALIFORNIA OCT. 16.......................................CARMICHAELS OCT. 23................................................... FRAZIER OCT. 30...................AT JEFFERSON-MORGAN ALL GAMES ARE SCHEDULED TO KICKOFF AT 7 P.M.
“This is a good group of kids,” Jackson said. “There are a few other guys who could make an impact. Mark Wassil is a sophomore who’s worked his tail off as a lineman for us. And Joel has a twin brother, Jacob Rizor, who didn’t play last year. He’s been working hard, is a bit small but a good athlete. We’re still trying to see where he fits on the team.” Jackson was hoping to have a bigger roster and explained the shortcomings of being just a few players down from normal. “We finished the last three years with about 27 or 28,” Jackson said. “Four fewer guys might not seem like much but it makes a big difference with practices. When we get into the season, 24 might go down to like 20 with injuries and we won’t be able to do full scrimmages. We’ll have to focus on half-line stuff.” The Tri-County South again has eight teams but there has been one change with Frazier stepping back in and Bentworth going out. “Frazier’s been in there before so they’re a familiar foe,” Jackson said. “I know they were very good last year. To me, California is the reigning champs and it’s theirs until someone takes it from them.” Jackson is confident his team can compete for a playoff spot. “We’re very young,” he said, “but if we can execute well enough I think we have the opportunity to compete with anybody in our section.”
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HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 40
PennWest California Vulcans have depth to make another playoff run By John Sacco Contributing writer To enjoy success in the rugged Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, it takes talent and depth, great coaching and the ability to rise up against a weekly grind of difficult opposition. Under coach Gary Dunn, the PennWest California Vulcans have done just that. California enters the 2026 season as the No. 3 pick in the PSAC West Division, according to the conference’s preseason poll. Indiana and Slippery Rock are ranked first and second, respectively. While the Vulcans have several starters and top-line talent to replace, optimism and expectations remain high. “I’m really excited about the guys we have coming back,” said Dunn, now in his 11th season at the school and owns a 75-28 record. “I think we built strong depth in our program. We do have some guys to replace. I think we’re going to have great competition for jobs. “We’ve recruited in the way where we’ve developed guys. I think we have a deep team. I think we’re going to have a lot of position battles where guys are going to have opportunities to earn roles. I think the depth of our program is what I’m excited about.” Cal’s returning starters on defense include junior lineman Courtney Dunn, (6-2, 250), junior linebacker Tre Greene (5-10, 215), sophomore defensive back Nevan Hopkins (6-0, 175), junior linebacker Malachi Thomas (6-2, 220), who had 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in first year as a starter, and senior defensive back Amory Thompson (6-1, 180), who had two interceptions in the NCAA playoff win at Virginia Union.
On offense, the Vulcans return senior lineman Nasim Gray (6-3, 295), senior lineman Jacob King (6-6, 300), who started 24 consecutive games before missing last year’s playoffs with an injury, junior tight end Jake Layhue (6-4, 205) and sophomore receiver Kenny Lewis IV (5-9, 185), who ranked third on the team in receptions and receiving yards as a true freshman. Cal also returns specialists Andrew Gonzalez, a senior punter (6-2, 210), who ranked fifth in the PSAC with 38.7 yards per kick, with18 punts inside the 20-yard line, and junior placekicker Harry Radcliffe (5-9 ,190), who finished second in the PSAC with 95 points and third with a 73.9 percent field-goal percentage. King and Radcliffe are returning All-PSAC West selections. “The PSAC is a grind and in the West, you have to show up every week, and you must have a good week of work,” Dunn said. “You must put the preparation in and then show up and compete on Saturdays. For us, it’s how does this team come together? How does this team work during the week to give us a better opportunity to have success on Saturdays? If we prepare well, then we’ve got a better chance to play well.” The Vulcans have been selected to the NCAA playoffs in each of the last two seasons and advanced to the second round in 2025, after earning their first road playoff victory since 2009. Cal finished with nine victories last year behind a pair of four-game winning streaks and four victories over nationally ranked teams. The Vulcans have won at least nine games three times in the five years. California will debut co-offensive coordinators in 2026 following the departure of longtime coordinator
Photo by Lori C. Padilla PennWest California’s Kenny Lewis IV (19) runs after making a reception during a playoff game against Frostburg State at Adamson Stadium last season. Lewis ranked third on the Vulcans in receptions and receiving yards as a true freshman in 2025. Chad Salisbury, who is now the head coach at West Liberty. Tyler Orlosky, a former All-American at West Virginia, enters his second year on the coaching staff and worked with the offensive line last fall. Record-setting quarterback Noah Mitchell rejoins the program after serving as the school’s first flag football coach last spring. He started all 43 games in his career with the Vulcans from 2018-22 and later served as a graduate assistant. “We lost our offensive coordinator who had been with me my whole 10
years here and we’re super excited for him to get an opportunity to be a head coach at the Division II level,” Dunn said. “We were able to retain everybody else on the staff, so that is exciting. Sometimes change is good, and sometimes fresh ideas and different things are good. Chad did a wonderful job for us, and it earned him a lot of respect as a man, as a football coach. He did a great job for us but, sometimes change can be good.” In addition: • Redshirt junior running back Bob-
by Boyd, Jr., a McKeesport graduate, returns after being limited to four games in 2025 because of injury. Two years ago, he received All-PSAC West first team honors after finishing with 938 rushing yards on nearly 200 attempts. Boyd has more than 1,800 rushing yards in his career while averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. • The Vulcans utilized multiple starting quarterbacks last year for the first time since 2013. However, no player returns on the roster in 2026 who attempted a pass last season.
41 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
Contents of Tab
AP photo Quarterback Mason Heintschel provided a spark to the Pitt offense and kept the Panthers in contention for the ACC regular-season championship until the final week of last season. He will try to build on his fantastic freshman season.
Quarterback Mason provided Pitt’s offense with an unexpected spark in the second half of the 2025 season and almost sparked the Panthers to a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s title game. After a fantastic freshman season, expectations are high for Heintschel to elevate his game and the Panthers to another level. Offensive coordinator Kade Bell has the pieces around Heintschel to do that, including three starters returning on the line and talented sophomore running back Ja’Kyrian Turner. The only thing that could hold Pitt’s offense back is a receiving group that is thin on proven options. Head coach Pat Narduzzi must find a way to build another solid defense. This unit limited ACC teams to only 5.2 yards a play last season and was second in the conference against the run. There are holes to fill, however. Standout linebackers Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis will be missed, and Narduzzi has to plug voids in the secondary. The schedule isn’t daunting, but Pitt has to play at Miami, Louisville, Virginia Tech and California in ACC play. “This season, we’re not playing Miami and Notre Dame at the end of the year,” Narduzzi said at the ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C. “We had a pretty good run. I think Miami played in the national championship game, and I think Notre Dame was pretty good. Probably both of them should have been in the (College Football) Playoff. “I would say last year … I think we did pretty good. We didn’t play our best games (against Miami and Notre Dame) but those are two pretty good football teams. We’ll have our chance again someday.” That somebody could happen this year with Heintschel returning at quarterback. This time last year, Heintschel was a little-known true freshman who spent fall camp running Pitt’s scout team while the Panthers looked for Eli Holstein to take the next steps after a solid debut campaign in 2024. But after ineffectiveness by Holstein, Heintschel got his big chance and became Pitt’s starter in Week 5, and the Panthers never had to look back. Heintschel completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 2,354 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall. He went 6-3 as a starter and had four 300-yard passing games. “Getting back to the ACC championship; that’s our goal,” Heintschel said. “We get back
there, go win that game and then obviously, the sky’s the limit, College Football Playoff and all that kind of stuff. We’ve got to take this one game at a time. We get Miami (Ohio) Week 1. We’ve got to have a really great fall camp before that.” Turner is only 5-9 and 180 pounds, but he’s tough, lightning quick, and he’ll be used even more after leading the Panthers with 745 yards and seven touchdowns, and catching 25 passes last year. The Panthers have several returning starters up front, such as Ryan Carretta, now playing center, B.J. Williams (right guard) and Ryan Baer (right tackle). Kendall Stanley (left guard) is back and was named Pitt’s Ed Conway Award winner as the team’s most improved offensive player during spring drills. The final piece of the offensive line appears to be Penn transfer Netinho Olivieri, who spent spring starting at left tackle. On defense, the Panthers must replace Louis, who was an All-America linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Biles, an all-ACC standout, transferred to Texas. Leechburg graduate Braylan Lovelace, a senior, is expected to anchor the linebacker unit, The defensive front will be strong. The production comes from all sides, with ends Isaiah Neal and Jimmy Scott combining for eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and the defensive tackles can move, too. Narduzzi, who brought in 16 transfers over the winter, spotlighted outside linebackers DeMarco Ward (Memphis) and Alex Sanford (Purdue) as being “impact players for us right now.” Pitt likes to play aggressive man-to-man coverage at cornerback and it will be trial by fire for the new starters. Josh Guerrier played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, totaling eight tackles and blocking a punt at Florida State. “He’s got plenty of potential, and I want to see it every day,” Narduzzi said. “We’re looking for intensity. I’m looking for guys competing in execution, that’s what it all comes down to. Execution, and to see some separation somewhere. To see someone say, ‘Hey, I’m the guy,’ and take it over. But if two guys do that, then there is no separation. “We’re excited to play in one of the best leagues in the country,” Narduzzi added. “We’re fired up in Pittsburgh and can’t wait for
HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026 | 42
Penn State Penn State ready for fresh start under Campbell Associated Press Former Herald-Standard Player of the Year and Belle Vernon graduate Quinton Martin could be Penn State’s primary running back after he rushed for 103 yards in the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson last season.
Associated Press Penn State is starting fresh with new coach Matt Campbell who’s spent the last few months reassembling a program that crumbled last season. After entering 2025 as College Football Playoff hopefuls, the Nittany Lions went flat to start Big Ten play. Longtime coach James Franklin was fired following losses to UCLA and Northwestern in October and a staff and player exodus followed before Campbell was hired in December. The former Iowa State coach retained beloved interim coach and longtime assistant Terry Smith, hired defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn from USC and relied on the transfer portal to find proven players, many of them coming with him from Ames. Fifty players also opted to stay, among them star linebacker Tony Rojas, eager to prove
43 | HERALDSTANDARD.COM | SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2026
last year was an aberration. The Nittany Lions have enough talent to compete against anyone on what initially appears to be a light schedule lacking Big Ten heavyweights No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon and No. 6 Indiana. There are road trips to No. 16 Michigan and No. 17 Washington.
training camp. Weaknesses lurk up front where potential starters are unproven The Nittany Lions are thin on proven players along the defensive line. A combined 14 tackles
Strengths include chemistry on offense Former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht brings veteran experience and will be supported by familiar faces on what should be a steady offense with plenty of options. Coordinator Taylor Mauser and quarterbacks coach Jake Waters are both Iowa State vets as are receivers Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen. Tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle also played with Becht last year. Andrew Rappleyea returns to round out a reliable tight end group that should allow the offense to establish a physical identity. Hard-charging running back Carson Hansen transferred from Iowa State and will likely share the backfield with former Ohio State back James Peoples who’s been a standout in
bell and Lynn are banking on the potential of players like returning sophomore Yvan Kemajou, who notched 12 tackles, five for loss and 1 1/2 sacks in 10 games as a true freshman last year, and Max Granville, who was out last season with an injury, to solidify the front. On the offensive side, Anthony Donkoh returns up front to propel the running game and protect Penn State’s quarterbacks. Guard Cooper Cousins started alongside Donkoh twice last year, but the Nittany Lions will likely rely on three new faces at the other spots with Texas State transfer Brock Riker emerging as the group’s center. New faces Becht (transfer from Iowa State), RB Hansen (transfer from Iowa State), RB Peoples (transfer from Ohio State), WR Sowell (transfer from Iowa State), DT Taupaki (transfer from UCLA). Key losses
and ends either saw their eligibility expire or transferred. Campbell used the portal to add bodies, including five players who combined to play 55 games last season. Among them is eighth-year journeyman Siale Taupaki from UCLA. Camp-
RB Kaytron Allen (NFL), RB Nicholas Singleton (NFL), DT Zane Durant (NFL), LB Amare Campbell (transferred to Tennessee), S Zakee Wheatley (NFL). Biggest games for the Nittany Lions Vs. No. 14 USC (Oct. 10), at No. 16 Michigan (Oct. 17), at No. 17 Washington (Nov. 7).
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Pitt Heintschel’s return creates air of optimism for Pitt
Associated Press Quarterback Mason Heintschel provided a spark to the Pitt offense and kept the Panthers in contention for the ACC regular-season championship until the final week of last season. He will try to build on his fantastic freshman season.
Associated Press Quarterback Mason Heintschel provided Pitt’s offense with an unexpected spark in the second half of the 2025 season and almost propelled the Panthers to a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s title game. After a fantastic freshman season, expectations are high for Heintschel to elevate his game and the Panthers to another level. Offensive coordinator Kade Bell has the pieces around Heintschel to do that, including three starters returning on the line and talented sophomore running back Ja’Kyrian Turner. The only thing that could hold Pitt’s offense back is a receiving group that is thin on proven options. Head coach Pat Narduzzi must find a way to build another solid defense. This unit limited ACC teams to only 5.2 yards a play last season and was
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second in the conference against the run. There are holes to fill, however. Standout linebackers Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis will be missed, and Narduzzi has to plug voids in the secondary. The schedule isn’t daunting, but Pitt has to play at Miami, Louisville, Virginia Tech and California in ACC play. “This season, we’re not playing Miami and Notre Dame at the end of the year,” Narduzzi said at the ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C. “We had a pretty good run. I think Miami played in the national championship game, and I think Notre Dame was pretty good. Probably both of them should have been in the (College Football) Playoff. “I would say last year … I think we did pretty good. We didn’t play our best games (against Miami and Notre Dame) but those are two pretty good football teams. We’ll have our chance again someday.” That somebody could happen this year with Heintschel returning at quarterback. This time last year, Heintschel was a little-known true freshman who spent fall camp running Pitt’s scout team while the Panthers looked for Eli Holstein to take the next steps after a solid debut campaign in 2024. But after ineffectiveness by Holstein, Heintschel got his big chance and became Pitt’s starter in Week 5, and the Panthers never had to look back. Heintschel completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 2,354 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall. He went 6-3 as a starter and had four 300-yard passing games.
“Getting back to the ACC championship; that’s our goal,” Heintschel said. “We get back there, go win that game and then obviously, the sky’s the limit, College Football Playoff and all that kind of stuff. We’ve got to take this one game at a time. We get Miami (Ohio) Week 1. We’ve got to have a really great fall camp before that.” Turner is only 5-9 and 180 pounds, but he’s tough, lightning quick, and he’ll be used even more after leading the Panthers with 745 yards and seven touchdowns, and catching 25 passes last
year. The Panthers have several returning starters up front, such as Ryan Carretta, now playing center, B.J. Williams (right guard) and Ryan Baer (right tackle). Kendall Stanley (left guard) is back and was named Pitt’s Ed Conway Award winner as the team’s most improved offensive player during spring drills. The final piece of the offensive line appears to be Penn transfer Netinho Olivieri, who spent spring starting at left tackle. On defense, the Panthers must replace
Louis, who was an All-America linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Biles, an all-ACC standout, transferred to Texas. Leechburg graduate Braylan Lovelace, a senior, is expected to anchor the linebacker unit, The defensive front will be strong. The production comes from all sides, with ends Isaiah Neal and Jimmy Scott combining for eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and the defensive tackles can move, too. Narduzzi, who brought in 16 transfers over the winter, spotlighted outside linebackers DeMarco Ward (Memphis) and Alex Sanford (Purdue) as being “impact players for us right now.” Pitt likes to play aggressive man-to-man coverage at cornerback and it will be trial by fire for the new starters. Josh Guerrier played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, totaling eight tackles and blocking a punt at Florida State. “He’s got plenty of potential, and I want to see it every day,” Narduzzi said. “We’re looking for intensity. I’m looking for guys competing in execution, that’s what it all comes down to. Execution, and to see some separation somewhere. To see someone say, ‘Hey, I’m the guy,’ and take it over. But if two guys do that, then there is no separation. “We’re excited to play in one of the best leagues in the country,” Narduzzi added. “We’re fired up in Pittsburgh and can’t wait for the season to start.”
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Contents of Tab
AP photo Quarterback Mason Heintschel provided a spark to the Pitt offense and kept the Panthers in contention for the ACC regular-season championship until the final week of last season. He will try to build on his fantastic freshman season.
Quarterback Mason provided Pitt’s offense with an unexpected spark in the second half of the 2025 season and almost sparked the Panthers to a berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s title game. After a fantastic freshman season, expectations are high for Heintschel to elevate his game and the Panthers to another level. Offensive coordinator Kade Bell has the pieces around Heintschel to do that, including three starters returning on the line and talented sophomore running back Ja’Kyrian Turner. The only thing that could hold Pitt’s offense back is a receiving group that is thin on proven options. Head coach Pat Narduzzi must find a way to build another solid defense. This unit limited ACC teams to only 5.2 yards a play last season and was second in the conference against the run. There are holes to fill, however. Standout linebackers Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis will be missed, and Narduzzi has to plug voids in the secondary. The schedule isn’t daunting, but Pitt has to play at Miami, Louisville, Virginia Tech and California in ACC play. “This season, we’re not playing Miami and Notre Dame at the end of the year,” Narduzzi said at the ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C. “We had a pretty good run. I think Miami played in the national championship game, and I think Notre Dame was pretty good. Probably both of them should have been in the (College Football) Playoff. “I would say last year … I think we did pretty good. We didn’t play our best games (against Miami and Notre Dame) but those are two pretty good football teams. We’ll have our chance again someday.” That somebody could happen this year with Heintschel returning at quarterback. This time last year, Heintschel was a little-known true freshman who spent fall camp running Pitt’s scout team while the Panthers looked for Eli Holstein to take the next steps after a solid debut campaign in 2024. But after ineffectiveness by Holstein, Heintschel got his big chance and became Pitt’s starter in Week 5, and the Panthers never had to look back. Heintschel completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 2,354 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall. He went 6-3 as a starter and had four 300-yard passing games. “Getting back to the ACC championship; that’s our goal,” Heintschel said. “We get back
there, go win that game and then obviously, the sky’s the limit, College Football Playoff and all that kind of stuff. We’ve got to take this one game at a time. We get Miami (Ohio) Week 1. We’ve got to have a really great fall camp before that.” Turner is only 5-9 and 180 pounds, but he’s tough, lightning quick, and he’ll be used even more after leading the Panthers with 745 yards and seven touchdowns, and catching 25 passes last year. The Panthers have several returning starters up front, such as Ryan Carretta, now playing center, B.J. Williams (right guard) and Ryan Baer (right tackle). Kendall Stanley (left guard) is back and was named Pitt’s Ed Conway Award winner as the team’s most improved offensive player during spring drills. The final piece of the offensive line appears to be Penn transfer Netinho Olivieri, who spent spring starting at left tackle. On defense, the Panthers must replace Louis, who was an All-America linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Biles, an all-ACC standout, transferred to Texas. Leechburg graduate Braylan Lovelace, a senior, is expected to anchor the linebacker unit, The defensive front will be strong. The production comes from all sides, with ends Isaiah Neal and Jimmy Scott combining for eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and the defensive tackles can move, too. Narduzzi, who brought in 16 transfers over the winter, spotlighted outside linebackers DeMarco Ward (Memphis) and Alex Sanford (Purdue) as being “impact players for us right now.” Pitt likes to play aggressive man-to-man coverage at cornerback and it will be trial by fire for the new starters. Josh Guerrier played in all 13 games as a true freshman last season, totaling eight tackles and blocking a punt at Florida State. “He’s got plenty of potential, and I want to see it every day,” Narduzzi said. “We’re looking for intensity. I’m looking for guys competing in execution, that’s what it all comes down to. Execution, and to see some separation somewhere. To see someone say, ‘Hey, I’m the guy,’ and take it over. But if two guys do that, then there is no separation. “We’re excited to play in one of the best leagues in the country,” Narduzzi added. “We’re fired up in Pittsburgh and can’t wait for
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Waynesburg University
New coach puts his stamp on Yellow Jackets By John Sacco Contributing writer The opportunity to make a change is part of the intrigue for Larry Wilson as he takes over as head coach at Waynesburg University. A longtime assistant in the NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Wilson is learning about the Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference and the Yellow Jackets, who haven’t been able to crack through and become a top-5 team in the conference. Wilson, most recently the offensive coordinator for Clarion and a member of both John Luckhardt’s and Gary Dunn’s coaching trees at PennWest California, was hired as the new coach of Waynesburg University early this year. Wilson, 50, succeeds Dr. Cornelius Coleman, who was dismissed after four seasons. The Yellow Jackets’ last winning season was 2014 and the last PAC championship was 2012. One of Waynesburg’s issues has been competing with the PAC’s top teams: Washington & Jefferson, Grove City, Case Western Reserve and Westminster, both on the field and in financial commitment to the program. “Understanding that landscape of the PAC and the competitiveness and, obviously, financial situations for student-athletes are all important,” Wilson said. “That was part of the process with the search committee. I wanted to be aligned with that when we go out for potential student-athletes who we believe in and who fit the mold we’re looking for. We’re looking to being as competitive as we can to attract those students and families. Attracting the right kids, being aligned and getting in situations to earn a great degree from Waynesburg, and to be affordable and be competitive within the PAC is essential. Absolutely, that was part of the process and of me making the decision.” Wilson began his football coaching career as the head coach in high school at Frazier, where he worked with the middle school, junior high school, junior varsity and varsity teams. He also worked within the Frazier School District as a longterm substitute teacher in science and physical education. Since taking over the Yellow Jackets, Wilson has worked to learn about his new circumstance and now he is eager to see what happens in his first season at helping to transform Waynesburg into a contender. “What was intriguing about being able to get here in January is you inherit the guys you inherit,” Wilson said. “We were able to retain around 55 kids from the spring and from day one. I had an idea and we had an idea of what we wanted the program to look like – how we lift, how we practice, how we walk on campus and how we approach class. That group of 55 guys has set the standard, which means to me how you operate on
Photo by Nathan Bauza Waynesburg University running back Zayne Cawley was given an extra year of eligibility after an injury-shortened 2025 season. He holds the Yellow Jackets’ single-game rushing record with 336 yards in a 35-26 win over Bethany in 2023. a day-to-day basis and how you develop these kids. “I feel good about the kids who were there in the spring. I could see the change in them. I do believe kids want to be pushed. We’re all about work ethic and just trying to be better each day, knowing we’re going to have some failures along the way. That’s just kind of the lifestyle we live. The standard was set there. We’re bringing in around 50 kids in this (recruiting) class, so half the roster is going to be brand new. Hopefully, we can, with a short camp, get these new kids to kind of adjust quickly and see how this thing blends.” Waynesburg returns five starters on offense and seven on defense. The offensive starters returning include seniors Kory Ansell, a 6-2, 285-pound tackle, running backs Zayne Cawley (5-7, 185) and Carson Shriver (5-11, 205), junior Lucas DeLoatch (5-11, 275), an offensive lineman, and sophomore quarterback Luke Hudson (6-3, 180). The returning defensive starters are seniors Tyler Curry (6-2, 216), a linebacker, and Joanes Polynice, (5-10, 205), a
defensive back, juniors Ishaak Adam (6-1, 290), a lineman, linebacker Kevin Willis, (5-10, 215), John Johnson III, (6-1, 300) a lineman, Ewing Jamison, (5-11, 205) a linebacker, and sophomore Marcus Miller (5-11, 170) at defensive back. “I got a chance to sit down with the coach and I’m sure many of the other players got a chance to as well,” Ansell said. “We really believe in the change, and we think it’s a good thing for us and the school. “I do appreciate a lot of the veteran players like Kevin Willis. The previous coaching staff because they brought me here. That was a big change for me and I’m glad they took a shot with me.” Added Jamison: “It’s been a great turnaround, really with the new staff. They bring a new energy. They know what they want out of everybody. And it’s a new focus. “I think we just need to continue to buy in collectively and do what we’re doing together. Our coordinator, Coach (Matt) Toby is installing a new defense and everybody’s buying in and has come together as a real brotherhood.”
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West Virginia
Rodriguez believes WVU will be better in 2026 AP photo West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez believes the Mountaineers will have much more to cheer about this season.
By Spencer Ripchik Dominion Post The opportunity to make a change is part of the intrigue for The more you look into the 2025 season for West Virginia football — Year 1 for coach Rich Rodriguez — the worse it gets. The Mountaineers went 4-8, won two Big 12 games and lost to Ohio, who is a Group of Five school. The last time Rodriguez’s squad took the field, Texas Tech came to Morgantown and won 49-0. It was one of the worst seasons in recent years. Realistically, the season was set up for failure. Rodriguez was hired in December, so he couldn’t have much of a recruiting class, and he had a mass exodus of players leave through the transfer portal. He attempted to patch holes to make the team competitive in his first year by adding 70plus players, which was some of the most in all
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of college football. With a new coaching staff bringing a new scheme, it was too much in not a lot of time. Rodriguez learned a lot from Year 1, and pledges that the 2026 season should be better. “As tough as it was at times last year, I think it was our biggest learning year going forward to this year,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez has a couple of points to back his claim, starting with having a full year to establish a coaching staff and build a hefty, almost 50-player recruiting class. He also brought in a promising group of transfer portal players. WVU is deeper. Rodriguez has multiple linemen who have started full seasons in college football. He has defensive players who have years of experience and running back Cam Cook, who had the most production of any Division I running back in 2025, to anchor his run-heavy offense. Production was key to building this roster to “win now.” “We’re able to get competition at just about every position,” Rodriguez said. “We looked more for production as opposed to potential, for guys who have been very productive, have started and played in college games. I thought our staff did a good job of that.” There are some returners, but not many. Rodriguez lost a load of players in the portal, especially ones who might have started in 2026. The returners, like offensive lineman Nick Krahe and linebacker Ben Cutter, worked hard in the spring at showing the new players how WVU operates. “The few returning players have done a great job of helping us establish the culture, reestablish the culture, I guess you could say,” Rodriguez
said. “I feel pretty confident we’re better all the way around.” A quarterback in Rodriguez’s offense is ex-
pected to carry the ball a lot. Rodriguez is known as the father of the read option, which is the quarterback handing the ball off or taking off and running. This year’s quarterbacks can carry the ball. Scotty Fox Jr.’s first big moment was a big touchdown run against Robert Morris, and Oklahoma transfer quarterback Michael Haw-
kins Jr. took off against Auburn in 2024 for a long touchdown. Youngster Jyron Hughley even had a big touchdown run on his first play in the spring game. Jaden Bray Bray is the alpha in the receiver room. Bray had 30 grabs for 382 yards in 2023 in his last season when he was fully healthy. The potential is there. Bringing in Cook at running back and some of the 4-star recruits who were added this winter cost money in this era of college football. Money Rodriguez said he has more of than in 2025. WVU has the full revenue share this year, he said. But money isn’t everything, he learned. Texas Tech had one of the most expensive rosters in the sport last year and was bounced in its first game of the College Football Playoff. The Red Raiders won the Big 12, but still, they had higher expectations. There were other teams, like Penn State and Clemson, who had expensive rosters and weren’t even ranked in the top 25 at the end of the year. Rodriguez learned how to better manage money going into Year 2. “Where college athletics is at, college football in general, you’ve got to be able to manage money,” Rodriguez said. “You’re paying players, so you got to pay the right guys. If you make a mistake, you got to own up to it and make adjustments. If you made the right move, you got to make sure you lock them in. Money helps solve a lot of problems.”
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Steelers McCarthy era begins with Steelers chasing playoff win Associated Press Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) runs a gauntlet of youth football players on his way to the practice field at the team’s training camp in Latrobe, Pa., Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Associated Press The Pittsburgh Steelers underwent sweeping changes this past offseason as longtime head coach Mike Tomlin retired after 19 years. Steelers fans are hoping that a new era can finally push the team back to championship contention. One reason the Steelers needed a change was their lack of postseason success. Pittsburgh has not had a losing season since 2003, but the Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2017 and a Super Bowl since the 2008 season. Pittsburgh’s last Super Bowl appearance came in the 2010 season, when the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers, who were then coached by Mike McCarthy and quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers. Now, McCarthy is the head coach of his hometown Steel-
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ers and tasked with helping Pittsburgh take that next step. That goal is especially important to linebacker T.J. Watt, who has spent his entire career with Pittsburgh and is waiting for the playoff success that has eluded him. Watt joined a podcast recently and spoke openly about his desire to see that change. Since Pittsburgh drafted Watt in the first round in 2017 out of Wisconsin, the Steelers have failed to win a postseason game. “I have not won a playoff game in my whole career. … That’s just unacceptable. Yeah, that needs to change, and I sound like just a broken record, but that’s what it is,” Watt said. Watt is not the only veteran in Pittsburgh facing a rapidly closing championship window. The Steelers have several defensive standouts who have spent years trying to reach the top of the NFL without getting there. Defensive lineman Cam Heyward
Associated Press Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) talks with head coach Mike McCarthy during the team’s practice in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
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has built a Hall of Fame-caliber career but he too has not won a Super Bowl. Watt remains one of the league’s premier defensive players, yet at 31, his opportunity to win a championship is becoming limited. McCarthy’s arrival gives Pittsburgh an offensive-minded head coach that also has struggled to produce consistent winning teams. His experience working with quarterbacks and building productive offenses could be critical as the Steelers attempt to become AFC contenders. The defense also enters the season with a new scheme under coordinator Patrick Graham. If he can maximize Watt, Heyward, and the rest of Pittsburgh’s defensive talent while McCarthy revitalizes the offense, then the Steelers could have a path to contention. If the Steelers field an improved offense, then they have a strong chance to return to the postseason. However, that success will depend heavily on the play of Rodgers, whose best seasons are behind him. Rodgers still throws the football with ease and even moves around a little. This isn’t the Rodgers of 10 years ago who could carry a team, though. He will need support from his receivers, offensive line, running game and the defense. If any of those areas fall short, it could become a recipe for disaster. There’s no guarantee everything comes together. McCarthy will almost certainly bring the most aggressive offense
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the Steelers have fielded in at least a decade. Still, a lot will have to go right for that approach to pay off. He will have to maximize the strengths of wide receivers DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson and rookie Germie Bernard, as well as running backs Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle and tight ends Pat Freiermuth, James Washington and Robert Tonyan. Metcalf and Pittman have been slowed by injuries in preseason camp. There is still significant support on defense around Watt, who finished third on the team in sacks behind linebackers Alex Highsmith (9.5) and Nick Herbig (7.5). Pressuring the quarterback shouldn’t be a problem for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh added two key defensive backs, cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker, to bolster a secondary that dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness throughout 2025. Jalen Ramsey, an AllPro at cornerback, said he found “renewed energy” when he had to play safety during the second half of last season. Ramsey is a pivotal chess piece for Graham. Joey Porter Jr. adds a shutdown cornerback to the mix. For the first time since 2023, Pittsburgh will open the season at home, kicking off against the Atlanta Falcons. The schedule gets more difficult in the second half, when they play Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Denver, Houston, Jacksonville and Baltimore in consecutive weeks.
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