Kiski Area looking to snap 4-game skid against Mars

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 | 6:06 PM

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The gloves are off and the boots are out at Kiski Area.

Sam Albert dug into his closet this week and pulled out an old friend: the pair of combat boots he first wore at Valley, the footwear that became something of a good-luck charm whenever he decided to put them on.

Kiski Area’s coach last wore the boots — now old and worn enough that they hurt his feet — several years ago, but he retrieved them this week as a message to his team with an enormous game looming against Class 5A Northern Conference opponent Mars.

“We’re going to war this week,” Albert said. “We’re like 18-3 when I wear them, so hopefully that inspires the kids and we’re going to hit the beach and bring everything we have.”

The Cavaliers (3-5, 2-3) might look in need of some motivation after four consecutive losses wiped away a strong start to the season. Albert sat starters the last two weeks, and Kiski Area suffered lopsided losses at Woodland Hills (47-0) and McKeesport (66-6).

Still, Kiski Area can clinch a WPIAL playoff spot with a win over Mars (7-1, 4-1), a perennial postseason qualifier that the Cavaliers are playing for the first time. A loss to the Planets would make Kiski Area’s Week 9 game at Armstrong a must-win for postseason play.

Should Kiski Area make the playoffs, it would be the fifth school Albert led to the postseason, joining Valley, Butler, Freeport and Highlands.

“We’re coming off a pretty rough skid of games, but we’re staying confident and ready to take on the challenge this week,” said Kiski Area senior RB/LB Drew Dinunzio-Biss, who sat out the last two games. “We’re staying pretty positive. We know what we have to do to make the playoffs, and this team stands in our way. We just have to go out and take care of business.”

Albert said the team’s attitude hasn’t suffered even with the recent results, with the players staying energetic through a steady rain at Monday’s practice.

“Our kids, they come every day to work,” he said. “They’re great kids, they do what we ask them. A lot of teams, you lose two like that or three, they’d be miserable. Our kids come every day excited, and that makes it easy. They’re fun to be around.”

Although Mars and Kiski Area are meeting for the first time, Albert and Mars coach Scott Heinauer share a long history. Friday will mark the 13th game between the two longtime coaches, who saw a lot of each other when Albert coached at Freeport and Highlands.

Heinauer holds a 7-5 edge over Albert, the most recent game a 14-8 victory for Mars over Highlands in 2016 in a game that came down to the final play.

“He’s a very well-respected coach, and he always is prepared,” Heinauer said. “This will be the first meeting that these two schools will have had. Our coaching staff and his coaching staff, I’m sure, we know some people who are on his staff. It’ll be an interesting experience. Obviously, he’ll want to win, and obviously we want to beat him. I think that’s important. His team’s on a downward spiral, but they’re still in the playoff hunt.”

Mars, winners of four straight games, qualified for the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season. The Planets have done so in four different classifications.

Once again Mars is leaning on a powerful ground game with its Wing-T formation, though Albert said the Planets give defenses other looks, too. Garrett Reinke rushed for 221 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-14 win over Fox Chapel last week, but the Planets also pass the ball more than recent years with quarterback Tyler Kowalkowski (856 yards, nine touchdowns). Mars topped 40 points three times in the last four weeks.

“We’ve just got to be assignment sound and do your role,” Dinunzio-Biss said.

The Cavaliers are looking to get their offense, led by 1,600-yard passer Ryne Wallace, back on track after scoring six points in the last two weeks.

“It’s definitely a challenge when you’ve never played before,” Heinauer said. “You have video, but you don’t know what they’re actually going to do against you. I think that’s a big thing. They throw the ball extremely well. … I don’t know if we’ve seen a quarterback like (Wallace) all year long, so it’ll be a big challenge for us.”

Heinauer said Mars needs to play with urgency, comparing Friday’s game to one last season against Knoch that the Planets lost.

Albert said his team needs to avoid the mistakes — penalties and missed assignments — that plagued them in recent weeks.

From there, the Cavaliers will see if their coach’s boots are made for winning.

“I told our kids, look, it’s time to battle,” Albert said. “We’ll see if we respond.”

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Doug at dgulasy@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dgulasy_Trib.

Tags: Kiski School, Mars