Laurel Highlands begins post-Rodney Gallagher era with confidence

By: Paul S. Brittain
Thursday, August 24, 2023 | 11:21 PM

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In 2019, two eras of Laurel Highlands football began simultaneously.

That was the season that Rich Kolesar began his tenure as head coach of the Mustangs, while talented freshman Rodney Gallagher arrived on the scene.

A 2006 Laurel Highlands graduate, Kolesar enters his fifth season of leading the Mustangs while Gallagher has graduated and is playing on a football scholarship at nearby West Virginia University.

Those four years produced 21 victories out of 40 games, including a pair of playoff wins, and a Big 7 Conference tri-championship with McKeesport and Thomas Jefferson in 2022.

But Kolesar advises those who think that Gallagher’s departure means there will be a drop in the Mustangs’ fortunes could be in for quite a big surprise from this year’s group.

“Our success means the kids expect to win now and it has also been passed down what it takes to win. We have the potential to be even better than last year,” Kolesar said.

Still, there is no denying that Gallagher will be missed, both on and off the field.

“Rodney was a great leader and showed the team how to win over the last four years,” Kolesar said. “He was a great athlete but a better person. And we’ll definitely miss him being around.”

The conference championships and playoff victories over Beaver in 2021 (28-27) and at home over West Allegheny (44-15) last year were program firsts.

Additional graduation losses from that group included running back and defensive back Keondre DeShields, running back and linebacker Leyland Layhue, kicker Harry Radcliffe and tight end and defensive end Kaden Friel.

DeShields is playing football this fall at St. Francis (Pa.), while Radcliffe and Friel are both suiting up at Cal (Pa.).

The conference championship was made possible by Laurel Highlands’ enjoying its first victory in 29 meetings over traditional power Thomas Jefferson.

The big win took place at the Mustangs’ Corral on homecoming night and “meant a lot to this program and the kids,” Kolesar said.

That huge victory over Thomas Jefferson paved the way for an 8-3 overall record for Laurel Highlands last season.

Kolesar said the Big 7 is one of the deepest conferences in the WPIAL. Tri-champion McKeesport was the only team to beat Laurel Highlands at home.

Kolesar said the Mustangs fell behind early against McKeesport and were never able to recover.

“Latrobe and Connellsville had dropped down from (Class) 5A, and Ringgold has a history of good football, while Trinity has been improving,” Kolesar said. “We play local teams in Uniontown and Albert Gallatin, where you can throw the records out and anything can happen. There will be packed houses on those nights”

The other nonconference games are challenges in defending Class 3A state champion Belle Vernon along with Kiski Area.

“From top to bottom, this is a very good conference and you have to bring your A game every single week,” Kolesar said. “They’re all big games and little details usually make the difference (between winning and losing).”

The Mustangs return nine players on defense, including four all-conference players.

Junior Antwan Black Jr. is getting plenty of attention from college coaches. At 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Black will be used at wide receiver, running back and defensive back.

His 90-yard touchdown reception early in the game against Thomas Jefferson set the tone for the Mustangs’ big victory.

“Antwan had a good summer and he’s great once we get the ball in his hands,” Kolesar said.

The Laurel Highlands roster has balanced numbers among the four classes this season, with 13 seniors, 13 juniors, 17 sophomores, and 20 freshmen.

The offense has six returning players.

The Mustangs may choose a quarterback by committee as senior Johnny Duke (5-11, 180), junior Parker Hoff (5-10, 220) and sophomore Noah Lyon (6-1, 175) bring various talents to the mix.

Gallagher was the quarterback in most instances during the 2022 season.

“They work really well together,” Kolesar says of his quarterbacks. “This is a really healthy competition and they work well together. Each of them is going to have their own (offensive play) package.”

Hoff is a natural running back, Duke is a natural quarterback, and Lyon brings a lot of athleticism, according to Kolesar.

“Whoever is playing in the game at quarterback at times, the other two players will be used in some manner because We want to get the best athletes on the field as much as possible,” Kolesar said.

Additional running backs who are competing for playoff time are senior Jaiden Tucker and junior Tristan Baker.

The returning offensive line includes first team all-conference guard Billy Barton, along with junior center Josh Kelly and seniors Brad Smith and Hunter Hrabb.

Last year, Radcliffe kicked a school record 53-yard field goal against Uniontown.

Kolesar said junior Tanner Bruzda is an adequate replacement for the kicking duties, and he is capable of splitting the uprights from 50 yards away.

There is something about changing the so called “culture” of a program to the point where expectations increase and future teams have their own examples to provide inspiration. Laurel Highlands now has that winning example to fire the team up this season and well beyond.

As a group, Kolesar said the Mustangs “have put in a lot of hard work. We should have really good classes over the next four years.”

Kolesar also noted that this group of seniors wants to make a last impression for future Laurel Highlands football teams.

“We met with the seniors to discuss their expectations, and they want to get to the next level,” Kolesar said. “They want to do something new that no one (at Laurel Highlands) has ever done before.

“They have had the experiences of the last two years in playing in big games. They are sick of getting only to the second round (of the playoffs), and that is enough for them to want to push through.”

Kolesar implied that the sky is the limit when it comes to this year’s goals and expectations, meaning that any thoughts of advancing to the WPIAL playoff semifinal round or even as far as the Class 4A championship game at Acrisure Stadium are now much more than just a pipe dream for Laurel Highlands.

The Mustangs competed at numerous 7-on-7 camps during the offseason, including at Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia.

“We expect to be rewarded for our efforts,” Kolesar added.

He said there will be doubters in the media and among high school football followers, since the program has lost numerous graduates who provided such a strong and experienced nucleus to the mix.

“Rodney was a special type of player who will be tough to replace,” Kolesar said. “But we have a really good football team that is working together for the same goal.”

Laurel Highlands

Coach: Rich Kolesar

2022 record: 8-3, 5-1 in Class 4A Big 7 Conference

All-time record: 205-356-7

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.25 at Uniontown, 7

9.1 Belle Vernon, 7

9.8 at Kiski Area, 7

9.15 at McKeesport*, 7

9.22 Latrobe*, 7

9.29 at Thomas Jefferson*, 7

10.6 Albert Gallatin, 7

10.13 Trinity*, 7

10.20 at Ringgold*, 7

10.27 Connellsville*, 7

*Conference game

Tags: Laurel Highlands