Peters Township has high-end talent to contend again
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Thursday, August 27, 2020 | 11:31 PM
Peters Township’s Donovan McMillon goes through drills during workouts Thursday, Aug.20, 2020 at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township head coach T.J. Plack looks on during workouts Thursday, Aug.20, 2020 at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township’s David DiCio goes through drills during workouts Thursday, Aug.20, 2020 at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township’s Logan Pfeuffer goes through drills during workouts Thursday, Aug.20, 2020 at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township’s Michael Peyton goes through drills during workouts Thursday, Aug.20, 2020 at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township’s Austin McKinnon goes through drills during workouts Thursday, Aug.20, 2020 at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township’s Logan Pfeuffer goes through drills during workouts Thursday, Aug.20, 2020 at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township head coach T.J. Plack looks on during workouts Thursday, Aug.20, 2020 at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township head coach T.J. Plack looks on during workouts Thursday, Aug.20, 2020 at Peters Township High School.
Peters Township came within one point of winning the WPIAL Class 5A title last season, but that rain-soaked loss didn’t close the team’s championship window.
“We have some good guys coming back,” coach T.J. Plack said. “If we didn’t have (Donovan) McMillon, (Corban) Hondru and some of these others, we’re probably not in the mix. If we just had ‘guys,’ we’d still fight every game and maybe get back in a couple of years.
“But we’ve still got guys.”
Gone from last year’s 12-2 team is Penn freshman Josh Casilli, but McMillon and Hondru are both Division I recruits as well.
McMillon, a safety and wideout, committed to Florida. Hondru, a linebacker and tight end, chose Miami (Ohio).
What this year’s team has that last year’s lacked is depth, Plack said.
“We’re losing about four dudes who are very hard to replace, but we’re trying to do it with about 16 guys,” he said.
A year ago, the team had only nine seniors. It 2018, it had just 10.
This season, there are 16 seniors.
“We had really no depth whatsoever,” Plack said. “If one person went down, we were moving everyone around. This year, we’ve got a lot of depth.”
Hondru and McMillon lead a defense that allowed a touchdown or less eight times last season with three shutouts.
Hondru (6-1, 225) will be a four-year starter. He had 69 tackles last season, including 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss as Peters Township finished tied for the conference title. He committed in April to Miami (Ohio).
McMillon, a three-year starter, committed in July to Florida over offers from Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech. He was a difference maker on defense last season, but should contribute more at wide receiver this fall.
“We expect everything he brought last year on the defensive side of the ball and more,” Plack said. “He’ll be a guy we look to get the ball to in different ways.”
Senior quarterback Logan Pfeuffer also is a three-year starter. He passed for 2,358 yards and 24 touchdowns last fall, but Plack expects more creativity from the quarterback this season.
That means a little more improvisation when the pass protection breaks down.
“He fully understands what he needs to do with the ball and where it should go,” Plack said. “He understands the offense. He moves people around. He corrects the formation. But one thing I’m challenging him with is he needs to make some off-scripted plays for us.”
Senior receiver Breylen Carrington will help replace Casilli, who scored 22 touchdowns last season. The team also must replace 1,000-yard rusher Ryan Magiske, who graduated.
Senior running back Michael Peyton, who missed last season with a knee injury, will handle the carries. He’ll have the benefit of a veteran offensive line.
The Indians return four of five starters up front from last season. Coming back are tackles David Dicio and Austin McKinnon, and guards Ethan Spangenberg and Dylan Wente.
“We’re a different team than we’ve been in the past,” Plack said. “We’re heavy in the middle with linebackers, linemen and tight end-type guys.”
Peters Township lost to Gateway, 21-20, in the WPIAL finals last season. That loss wasn’t something they talked about this summer, Plack said.
“We’re not avoiding it,” he said. “Believe me, we’re going to use it, but we’ve been so wrapped up in ‘Are we going to play?’ and the coronavirus. We haven’t really talked about that with the kids, but that will come out.
“We will remind them where we were and how close we were.”
Schedule
Coach: T.J. Plack
2019 record: 12-2, 6-1 in Class 5A Allegheny Eight Conference
All-time record: 247-326-16
Date, Opponent, Time
9.18, Penn-Trafford, 7
9.25, South Fayette*, 7
10.2, Upper St. Clair*, 7
10.9, at Moon*, 7
10.16, Bethel Park*, 7
10.23, at West Allegheny*, 7
*Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference game
Statistical leaders
Passing: Logan Pfeuffer
143-233, 2,350 yards, 24 TDs
Rushing: Ryan Magiske*
217-1,290 yards, 17 TDs
Receiving: Josh Casilli*
46-790 yards, 13 TDs
Fast facts
• Peters Township’s appearance in the WPIAL finals last year was the first in school history.
• Pfeuffer already has a pair of 2,000-yard passing seasons. He threw for 2,045 his sophomore season.
• The Indians have won their conference’s title two years in a row. Before 2018, they hadn’t won a conference crown since 1975.
• Florida recruit Donovan McMillon’s father Darrin is co-defensive coordinator for Peters Township.
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Peters Township
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