South Allegheny looking to take next step under 2nd-year coach

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, August 23, 2018 | 9:03 AM

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Coming off a 2-7 season, South Allegheny’s football team is a year older and ready to compete for a WPIAL playoff spot.

With eight starters returning on both offense and defense, second-year coach Mike Crown wants his senior leaders to take the reigns and get his young players ready to compete.

“I think the experience they gained (last year) is now they know the system,” Crown said. “There are a lot of juniors on this team that had to participate as sophomores, and we have a lot of good senior leadership.

“Those seniors now have to pick up the juniors and sophomores to a level where we can compete with the teams in our conference.”

One of those seniors returning to the starting lineup is NCAA Division II recruit Brandon Nolder. He threw for 1,165 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2017 with a quarterback rating of 94.6 in his first year as a starter.

Crown has installed a new up-tempo offense, and Nolder’s role will change from just passing the ball to becoming more of a balanced quarterback.

“(Nolder) is going to be a very vital part of our offense,” Crown said. “He had to throw the ball for us last year and now we are going to ask him to run the ball a little bit. We are trying to do some different things to get the ball in his hands. He has to command the leadership role and respect of the kids.”

Sophomore Antonio Epps and senior Eli Webb will also be important components in the spread offense as the Gladiators look to keep teams on their toes with an even mixture of running and passing.

A lot of the offensive line is back as they look to keep Nolder and the rest of the Gladiators’ skill players on their feet. Anchored by senior left tackle Zach Betters, Crown has been impressed with the work his linemen have put in to get ready for the season.

“When you look at our offensive line, all five of those guys have come in and really worked,” Crown said. “(Hunter) Hamilton played a little bit last year, (Frank) Cortazzo started for us last year, (Troy) Mitchell is all new at center. I think everyone has stepped up their game. To point any one person out just wouldn’t be fair.”

On defense, South Allegheny will be featuring a 4-4 approach with junior defensive end Chase Nicomatti anchoring the front line. Senior Austin Matczak returns at middle linebacker, coming off of a year in which he collected 49 tackles and 11/2 sacks.

With most of the returners in their junior year, Crown is excited about the youth on defense and wants to use it to his advantage.

“We are going to have kids with starting experience, but think about it, they have 10 games’ experience,” Crown said. “We are playing against teams where some of those kids have 20 to 25 games’ experience. We are still really young in that sense of it, but I think we are going to get after it a little bit.”

South Allegheny’s youth will be tested in what is shaping up to be a competitive Three Rivers Conference. Gone are 2017 conference champion Steel Valley and runner-up East Allegheny, but former Allegheny Conference champion Seton LaSalle and Century Conference powerhouse Burgettstown take their place.

Although Steel Valley left the conference, South Allegheny will take on the Ironmen in nonconference play, making this one of the tougher schedules Crown and his team have had to face.

“People will open up the schedule and say you’re losing Steel Valley and East Allegheny, you’re losing two dominant teams in double-A,” Crown said. “Then when you look at Seton LaSalle coming over and doing what they did in 3A for the last couple years and then Burgettstown that played Steel Valley in their final game. Both of those teams have proven to be deep-in-the-playoff-type teams, and it is probably an even trade for those guys.

“And with the crossover games, we don’t lose (Steel Valley). We still play them, so in a lot of ways our schedule got tougher.”

Crown said that the players have bought into his system and are ready to compete. After taking over for legendary Gladiators coach Pat Monroe last season, the transition took a while.

“The kids now know what we are looking for, and knowing the expectations is always good,” Crown said. “Kids like things to be clear, concise and consistent, and we set their expectations based on those three C’s. They now know what we want, how we want it and now they know where we need to go.”

Crown wants to see his team work as a collective unit during the regular season.

“We have to come together,” Crown said. “Our seniors have to start jelling with the younger guys, and everybody has to know their position in our program. Everyone is going to work together collectively to make everyone else successful.”

Schedule

Coach: Mike Crown

2017 record: 2-7, 1-5

All-time record: 171-329-6

Date, Opponent, Time

8.24, Frazier, 7 p.m.

8.31, at Brentwood*, 7 p.m.

9.7, at East Allegheny, 7 p.m.

9.14, Seton LaSalle*, 7 p.m.

9.21, at Fort Cherry*, 7 p.m.

9.28, Steel Valley, 7 p.m.

10.5, at South Side*, 7 p.m.

10.12, Serra Catholic*, 7 p.m.

10.19, Carlynton*, 7 p.m.

10.26, at Burgettstown*, 7 p.m.

*Class 2A Three Rivers Conference game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Brandon Nolder

64-129, 1,165 yards, 14 TDs

Rushing: Juwan Mitchell*

107-558 yards, 5 TDs

Receiving: Derrick Lockhart*

28-712 yards, 9 TDs

*Graduated

Zack Ziegler is a freelance writer for the Mon Valley Independent.

Tags: South Allegheny