A new beginning for South Park football under 1st-year head coach

By: Dinari Clacks
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 | 12:57 AM

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A new regime is underway for South Park football this season, but with a similar look.

New head coach Brian Abbey served as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator for the past nine years before longtime head coach Marty Rieck resigned this past offseason. Abbey is a 2001 South Park graduate who won a state championship as a player and again in 2005 as an assistant coach.

Abbey is convinced the switch will not affect the team moving forward and raved about the senior leadership the team has this year.

“We have a group of seven seniors who all bring varsity experience with them, and they really did a nice job of holding everything together,” he said.

South Park got back on track last year after missing the playoffs in 2021 for the first time since 2018. The Eagles went 5-6 last season, 4-2 in the Western Hills Conference, and reached the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. With a small junior class, many sophmores got reps on both sides of the ball.

“We have a lot of kids coming back with 18 lettermen.” Abbey said. “On paper, it doesn’t look like a veteran group, but we are, in fact. I’d say we’re on the build as opposed to on the way backward.”

After graduating 13 seniors last year, the task looks daunting, but the coaches on the staff insist the goals remain lofty and the same: competing for a conference championship, seniors or not.

Leading this group of seniors is Michigain commit Zach Ludwig, who plays linebacker and has previously made some starts for the Eagles under center.

This year, Ludwig will be handed the reins at quarterback from three-year starter Harper Conroy, who graduated. Abbey has full confidence in Ludwig under center.

“He is experienced within the offense and he provided a spark for us last year,” Abbey said. “We put him in spots at quarterback last year, and he did a very nice job sparking us when we needed to.”

Ludwig will not be the only experienced player in the backfield, as the Eagles bring back their top two rushers from last year in seniors Eric Doerue, who rushed for over 1,000 yards, and A.J. D’Agostino.

South Park plans to fully use this to its advantage, looking to lean on the run game behind a line that lost all-WPIAL performers in Sean Morrison and Broden Urquhart, who graduated. The staff believes in the revamped line despite not planning to start a single senior across the five spots.

The staff does think this year can be special for the blue and white, showing characteristics of championship-winning teams from the past.

“South Park is a special place, and I feel we have had many teams that fufill that family atmosphere, and throughout summer workouts and how they go about their buisness, they are really setting that tone,” Abbey said.

South Park

Coach: Brian Abbey

2022 record: 5-6, 4-2 in Class 3A Western Hills Conference

All-time record: 411-371-27

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.25 East Allegheny, 7

9.1 Keystone Oaks, 7

9.8 at Brentwood, 7

9.15 at Beaver*, 7:30

9.22 Avonworth*, 7

9.29 at Seton LaSalle*, 7

10.6 Quaker Valley*, 7

10.13 at Hopewell*, 7

10.20 McGuffey, 7

10.27 West Mifflin*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Harper Conroy*

58-119, 666 yards, 4 TDs

Rushing: Eric Doerue

216-1,378 yards, 18 TDs

Receiving: A.J. D’Agostino

8-196 yards, 1 TD

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• South Park’s last PIAA state title in football was 2005.

• South Park has made the playoffs in five of the last eight seasons.

• This is the 87th season of South Park football, including preceding schools in the district.

• This is South Park’s second season in the Western Hills Conference.

Tags: South Park