With Bradley, skill players returning, OLSH aims to win 1st outright conference title

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, August 17, 2018 | 10:24 PM

Since taking over the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart football program in 2016, former Sto-Rox football coach and current Avonworth boys basketball coach Dan Bradley has brought unprecedented success to the purple and gold.

In the first six years of Chargers football, the team won a total of 13 games with no playoff appearances. The combined record for OLSH in 2014-15 was 1-17.

But in two seasons under Bradley, the team is 16-6 with two playoff appearances, including the school’s first ever postseason victory a year ago, 52-26 over Springdale.

Now with seven players back on both sides of the ball, is OLSH football ready to take another step forward?

“Expectations are high due to the return of so many key players offensively and defensively,” Bradley said. “Attendance has been outstanding during the offseason, and we’ve competed in some high level seven-on-seven camps this summer and did very well.”

The Chargers have plenty of pop at the skilled positions on offense, with the return of one of the top quarterbacks in the district, as well as their leading rusher and top receiver from a year ago and one of their top running backs from 2016 who missed last year with an injury.

Senior Tyler Bradley once again will lead the offense, having thrown for more than 2,000 yards as both a sophomore and junior. In 2017, Bradley connected on 187 of 271 passes for 2,757 yards and 31 touchdowns.

“I think the expectations for Tyler grow a little bit as he enters his third year as a starter,” said coach Bradley, who also is his father. “Lead and perform. He has talent around him, so it’s still a team approach in our eyes.”

For his part, the younger Bradley is excited for him and his teammates to take the next step.

“I think we have a real shot to win it all this year,” Tyler Bradley said. “We return almost everyone on both sides of the ball, and we have a key starter returning from a season-ending injury last year.”

Both of Bradley’s top targets from last fall return in senior wide receiver Andrew Schnarre and senior running back Richard Banks. Schnarre led the Chargers with 54 receptions for 904 yards and eight touchdowns, while Banks had 52 catches for 809 yards, an average of more than 15 yards per catch.

Banks also led the team in rushing and scoring with 1,137 yards on the ground and 22 touchdowns. He will be joined at running back by senior Austin Wigley, who suffered a season-ending injury before Week Zero last year. Wigley gained 624 yards on the ground and scored 12 touchdowns in 2016.

Some of the key players back on defense are all-conference senior linebacker Matt Gautner, senior linebacker Ryan Parry, junior linebacker Brock Saftner, senior defensive back Sig Saftner and Schnarre and Banks as all-conference defensive backs.

Inexperience on both the offensive and defensive lines is a concern for coach Bradley.

An 0-2 start and a loss in the conference opener last year kept OLSH from winning the Class A Big 7 Conference title outright. Instead the Chargers shared the honor with Rochester. The Rams, along with Union and Laurel, appear to be the biggest obstacles for the Chargers in their goal of winning the school’s first outright conference crown.

“As a team, we’re fortunate to be in the position we’re in,” coach Bradley said. “I’m grateful that (Tyler) and his teammates can leave high school with positive athletic experiences. Hopefully, it’s a long, long season.”

Added Tyler Bradley: “My goal is to go out with a championship ring this year. We have all the pieces to accomplish it; we just have to put the work in and do it.”

Schedule

Coach: Dan Bradley

2017 record: 9-3, 7-1

All-time record: 29-47

Date, Opponent, Time

8.25, Westinghouse, 3 p.m.

8.31, Sto-Rox*, 7 p.m.

9.8, Northgate*, 7 p.m.

9.14, at Rochester*, 7:30 p.m.

9.21, Bishop Canevin*, 7 p.m.

9.29, Laurel*, noon

10.5, at Jeannette, 7 p.m.

10.12, Jefferson-Morgan, 7 p.m.

10.19, at Union*, 7 p.m.

10.26, at Cornell*, 7 p.m.

*Class A Big Seven Conference game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Tyler Bradley

187-271, 2,757 yards, 31 TDs

Rushing: Richard Banks

167-1,137 yards, 22 TDs

Receiving: Andrew Schnarre

54-904 yards, 8 TDs

Don Rebel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Don at drebel@tribweb.com.

Tags: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart