CTK ’16: 2-A Midwestern Athletic Conference Preview

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, August 26, 2016 | 9:01 PM

The Midwestern Athletic Conference has had a rich history. In the 60’s and 70’s it was New Castle, showing why the Red Hurricanes are among Pennsylvania’s most historic programs. The late 80’s brought the addition of Aliquippa, setting up historic meetings with Riverside.

Since the mid 90’s, the conference hadn’t changed much as the Quips, along with Beaver Falls, New Brighton and Beaver have been at the top of the standings.

With the move to 6 classes, some new teams take up residence in the MAC. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Neshannock, Riverside and South Side move up to AA, while Freedom, Laurel, Mohawk and New Brighton look to add to the history of the MAC.

5 teams plus a wild card qualify in Class AA for the Highway to Heinz, making a great race for all of the post-season spots.

Here is a team-by-team preview and predicted order of finish in the conference.

CARDINAL WUERL MORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS

The Trojans went 11-1 with only a semi-final loss to Jeannette on their card. CWNC went unbeaten in the former Black Hills Conference but takes the step up to Class AA for the next 2 years. Former Steelers linebacker Jason Gildon is in his 2^nd year as head coach. He returns 2 explosive members from an offensive that averaged 37 points per game.

RB Mario Latronica ran for 918 yards and scored 14 touchdowns as a junior. Also in the offensive mix is FB TIahjure Harp at 220 pounds, he could be very hard to bring down once he gets going downhill. The offensive line is led by junior C Seth Benson, who is a two-way starter. The Trojans are looking for a starter at quarterback, with no decision made entering camp.

LB Tyler Ellwood returns to a defense that allowed just 9 points per game. Harp also figures at linebacker. Junior SS Ryan Maziarz also returns after being named all-conference last year with 7 interceptions. Dominic Serventi will again start at cornerback.

CWNC begins their new conference with a bang, traveling to old foe Neshannock in Week 1. Prior to that, the Trojans travel to Quad A power Highlands

FREEDOM BULLDOGS

The Bulldogs look to get back on the winning track in 2016, perhaps an escape from the likes of Aliquippa, Beaver and Beaver Falls will help. Freedom finished 2-7 last yeat year and averaged only 13 points per game on offense. Tom Liberty takes over as head coach, moving from Riverside. Expect more emphasis on the passing game in 2016.

However, the Bulldogs do return several key members of the offense. Junior RB Kyle Borgman was honorable mention. Nick Henderson scored 6 times, sophomore QB Zach Rosa is back along with WR Scotty Lazarus. Also coming back to the program is WR Jason Norman.

4 starters on the offensive line return in Randy Simmons, Nolan Trombetto, Evan Sweesy and Warren Crawley, junior Danny White rounds out the blockers.

Usually a spotlight will not fall on a defense that allowed 31 points per game, but the Bulldogs return several key pieces that gained a valuable year of experience. Trombetto, Sweesy and Randy Simmons started on the front line and return. Simmons will be a 4-year starter and made 78 stops as a junior.

Borgman, Dean Ward, junior Michael Muron and sophomore Cody Ross will start at linebacker. Henderson and junior Michael Keith are in the secondary.

Kicker Zach Greene returns, he handles the punting as well. Expect the Bulldogs to fare much better in 2016.

LAUREL SPARTANS

The Spartans were looking like a playoff contender in 2015 at 3-3, but 3 straight losses to end the season ended any hopes of a post-season trip.

Brian Cooper is back for his 3^rd season. He must find a way to improve a defense that allowed 33 points per game, including 135 in the last 3 losses. The Spartans will have 34 players in uniform for the coming season.

Matt Hudson is back on the defensive line, he is getting attention from both D-I and D-II programs. Josh Wargo and Ryan Stewart are also up front. All the linebackers return from last year in Isici Layne, Jake Collier, Phil Telesz, Mike Seth and Lance Hill. Jordan Dantico is in the secondary.

RB Spencer Jones ran for 423 yards and a pair of td’s, he received conference honors. Layne had 27 catches and Dantico 25 with 7 scores to pace the returning offense. Junior Jesse Pacifico had 5 td catches.  Juniors Hill and Will Shaffer along with Telesz are all competing for the QB job. Hill has the only varsity experience with a td pass and an interception last year.

Laurel averaged 26 points per game, that is a number that Coach Cooper would be happy with in 2016.

The Spartans will open at home in Week Zero with Lawrence County foe Union.

MOHAWK WARRIORS

The Warriors have lost 10 straight games and second year coach Tim McCutcheon must find a way to keep opponents off the board. Mohawk allowed 345 points last season while only scoring 59. 36 players will wear the Warriors uniform in 2016.

RB Cayne Yacubic was the lone bright spot for Mohawk, running for 501 yards and scoring 30 of the 59 points. QB Jayden Johnson had 9 interceptions. Hopefully Mohawk can find a way to win a game in the new conference in 2016.  Cam DeGaton and junior Damien Nowicki will also see carries.

Luke Pasquarello is the leading returning receiver, sophomores Parker Lyons and Jaize Ziegler will both see action at tight end.

4 starters are back on the offensive line in tackles Frank Romano and Nick Smock and guards Matt Gwin and Shawn Cline.

The defensive line will see a rotation of juniors Devon Yarletts and James Argiro, Smock, Lyons, Cline , Gwin and Romano. The linebackers will be Johnson and junior Mason McKinley. Nowicki will be in the secondary.

The Warriors open the season hosting Laurel on September 2^nd.

NESHANNOCK LANCERS

The Lancers continued their winning ways in 2015, hosting a home playoff game for the third straight tear. Neshannock finished 9-2 in the Big Seven, but fell to Jeannette in the Class A quarterfinals. Fred Mozzocio starts his 5^th season as the Lancers’ boss, and will have 36 kids out for the tea. Neshannock has advanced to 3 semifinals in his first 4 years, compiling a record of 39-8.

Neshannock will have senior QB Frank Antuono back for his 3rd year as the signal caller, leading an offense that averaged 37 points per game. He has thrown for over 35 hundred yards and has 39 career td passes with just 11 interceptions. Antuono rushed for 940 yards last year and has scored 31 career touchdowns, he was named the conference offensive player of the year. He was a big part in the Lancers posting 71 points in a win over Riverside.

The Lancers bring back a pair of seniors in Danny Welker and Ty Sear. Welker had 35 catches and 609 yards, scoring 8 touchdowns. Welker is also valuable carrying the ball and using his speed to the outside edge. He is drawing interest from Robert Morris, Slippery Rock and Clarion. Sear was the Big Seven lineman of the year from his tight end position, he had committed to Temple but recently changed to Pitt. Expect big things in 2016 from both of these players.

Junior Sean Doran anchored the offensive line at center, he was named all-conference. However, he may be going to a lower number this year with a switch to running back. WR Anthony Medure, sophomore Chris Scott and junior Greg Fornataro will provide Antuono with a number of targets.

Junior Mason Davidson will take over the offensive line leadership and will start on the defensive front with Sear. Gary Crawford will be on the offensive line while Nick Staph will start on defense.

Antuono has committed to Robert Morris as a linebacker, he is a strong hitter at inside linebacker, along with Welker. Doran and Medure will be at outside linebacker while Scott will be at corner after picking off 4 passes. Also at DB will be Scott and Seth Fehrs.

The defense has been a staple for the Lancers under Mozzocio, allowing just 15 points per game last year.

NEW BRIGHTON LIONS

New Brighton finished 5-5 last year and made the playoffs as the 4^th place team from the AA Midwestern Conference. Head coach Joe Greco continues his 2^nd tour of duty as the Lions mentor. New Brighton has posted 536 wins in school history.

The Lions return some talented players. RJ Debo is a 3 sport star. While better known as a pitcher, Debo racked up 5 touchdowns as a junior. Expect to see him in many roles this season, including fullback. Deshawn Clark also returns, he had 15 catches and can do more. Jonah Martin will start at RB.

The offense must improve this season, after averaging just 21 points per game last year. Tyler Williams starts at QB, the Lions will use some freshman in key receiving roles, hopefully they will step up to the challenge.

6 lineman return after seeing playing time in 2015. Matt Hall, Jason Johnson, Burke Sheets, Nick Rombold, Seth Main and Steven Weathers all will be up front, along with Caleb Stephens.

Debo and Martin will anchor the defense, Debo at linebacker, Martin at strong safety. New Brighton allowed 31 points per game, a number that must decrease if New Brighton is to challenge.

The Lions kick off on September 2^nd at South Side.

RIVERSIDE PANTHERS

2015 was a disappointing season in North Sewickley Township. After coming off a playoff berth the previous year, the Panthers fell back to a 3-6 record. Riverside averaged 30 points per game, using a passing offense centered around graduated QB Jason Dambach.

Gone is Tom Liberty, who changed locations in the conference, going to Freedom. Taking his place as head coach is Ron Sciarro, who led the Panthers from 1987-1994 and to 3 straight championship trips in 1991-93. Sciarro emphasized a run first/ball control offense in his time at Riverside, but a problem could be that 2 of his main offensive weapons are both receivers.

Ricky Wass led the Panthers with 57 catches and 10 touchdowns. Junior Austin Dambach had 45 catches and scored 9 times. He averaged 18 yards per catch and is drawing attention from several schools. Dambach set a WPIAL receiving record with 343 yards on 13 catches in a loss at Neshannock. Both Wass and Dambach were key members of the Panthers 2016 WPIAL Baseball title team.

Junior Woodrow Hughes takes over for the elder Dambach at QB. Lance Fisher ran for 328 yards and 4 td’s as a junior. Noah Harris returns after having torn an ACL as a sophomore. Wass, sophomore LeMarcus Cleckley and junior Noah Catalano could also see some carries.  Junior Dylan Shannon will be the tight end.

Brandon Speer will start on the offensive line. Conor Thumm, juniors Shane Kirkham, Joel Zellem, Billy Gunn and Damon Lemanski, along with sophomores Jarrett Speer and Nathaniel Marak are all looking for the other starting spots on both offense and defense.

Junior Adam Saunders hit 2 field goals last year.

Defense was the bad news last year, the Panthers allowed 37 points per game, including 71 in a loss to Neshannock. That could change under Sciarro and staff, who always had a tough defense with the Panthers.

Fisher and Wass will start on defense at linebacker. Dambach anchors the secondary.

No doubt the Panthers have circled October 7^th when they travel to Neshannock for a 2^nd straight year. The Panthers did post 48 points in that game.

SOUTH SIDE BEAVER RAMS

Even though the Rams move up in class and will face some new opposition, the outlook is bright in Hookstown in 2016.

Glenn McDougal stepped down as the Rams coach. Luke Travelpiece takes over after serving as an assistant last year and previously at Geneva College.

The Rams finished 6-4 last year, falling 33-32 to Fraizer in the opening round on the Highway to Heinz. QB Robbie Heberle returns, he rushed for 11 touchdowns last year. RB AJ Crider ran for almost 700 yards and 7 scores. Cole Campbell scored 4 times, giving the Rams a nucleus on offense. The Rams had no issues scoring in 2015, averaging 32 points per game.

Mike McCool, Tyler Berger and Zach Johnson will be at WR. Cody Hample can play TE or on the interior line.

Ryan Ozenbaugh, Jake Navarra and Logan Jones anchor both sides of the ball. Kyle O’Keefe will also start on offense. Jones received all conference honors on defense. Crider had 56 tackles and 4 sacks in his junior year, he also garnered all-conference honors and has verbally committed to Toledo. Hample and Jake Botkin will also start at linebacker. Jordan Bruce, Matt Roach and Campbell return in the secondary.

The defense allowed 25 points and has potential to be better in 2016.

MSA SPORTS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:

1.   Neshannock Lancers

2.   Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans

3.   South Side Rams

4.   Freedom Bulldogs

5.   Riverside Panthers

6.   New Brighton Lions

7.   Laurel Spartans

8.   Mohawk Warriors

Tags: Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Freedom, North Catholic