Plum players determined to return to WPIAL playoffs

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, August 18, 2018 | 7:15 PM

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A quick-passing heavy thunderstorm briefly knocked out power at Plum during a late-July workout.

“We can keep going,” coach Matt Morgan said as he described his team for the upcoming season. “There’s a backup generator.”

Indeed, the power kicked back on about a minute later. Morgan could use some of the same timeliness from some of his former backup players this fall.

The graduation of about 25 players means Plum is looking at new faces in a lot of places this fall, but the Mustangs believe their up-and-comers can generate the program’s first WPIAL playoff appearance since 2015.

“With the younger group, obviously they’re going to be a little bit more undisciplined,” senior quarterback Hunter Linhart said. “But with a younger group, you also have a little more athleticism and a little more excitement. They’re excited to get on the field and do plays and go through practice, and it helps the other guys on the field when they might be down.”

The team’s youth meant Plum’s coaches practiced a bit more patience in the offseason, but they also had to strike a balance in order to make sure the players would be ready in time for a difficult Class 5A schedule.

“There’s a lot of teaching, a lot of expectations that these kids are not normally used to because they’re so young, but they’re kind of thrown in there fast,” said Morgan, a former standout offensive lineman at Plum and Pitt now entering his sixth season as coach at his alma mater.

“Overall, I think the kids that do come here work their butts off. We’ve thrown a lot at them already. That’s a lot of learning for young guys.”

One thing that can’t be taught is a strong mentality, which Morgan is hoping to see develop with the Mustangs after a 3-7 campaign last fall.

“I hate losing, so going 3-7 is not good,” said senior Cooper Aubele, a three-year starter on the line. “I want payback.”

Morgan compared the situation to 2014, when an under-the-radar Plum team upset favored Penn Hills in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.

“These kids have to start developing that attitude,” Morgan said. “(The 2014 team) was an older group that kind of understood. It was all juniors and seniors. They were done losing. That’s the kind of mentality we want these guys to have. We want them to grow off that 3-7 season. They’ve got to get better, and they’ve got to get stronger, tougher and understand that’s not acceptable for our standards.”

Compared to last season’s 20-plus seniors, this group has only six or seven, Morgan said. Those players, such as Linhart or Aubele, will take on a greater importance as they try to guide their younger teammates.

“Whenever they’ve got questions, they know to come to us,” Linhart said. “We can answer them. They know they can rely on us. As starters, they might be starting as young guys. They’ve got some nerves, so they come to us, and we can calm them down and help them through it.”

Linhart, who passed for 103 yards in part-time work last season, takes over as full-time starter this fall. Corey Thomas graduated, and junior Anthony Little can no longer play because of a heart condition.

Although some of the skill players are young, Morgan likes their talent. Top wide receivers include junior Nic Sluka and sophomores Reed Martin and Max Matolscy. Martin caught six passes last season, tops among the returnees.

The running back group includes junior Nate Dumbaugh and sophomores Josh Cummings and Billy Guzzi, who will try to replace the production of Colton Robb and Dakota Sunday, who combined for more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground last season.

“They’re all different types of backs,” Morgan said. “One’s more of a straight-ahead, slasher type of guy (Dumbaugh), the other one’s more of the athletic one (Guzzi), and then you’ve got the big bruising running back (Cummings). We’ve got different styles, and we’ve just got to see what best fits us offensively and fits our needs.

“… In our previous five years here, we’ve never really had that one guy that could take the ball 20 to 30 carries a game, like your Zane Dudeks of the world. I’ve always had running back by committee, and it’s always worked well for us. We kind of go with the hot hands.”

Aubele, the left tackle, and senior left guard Adam Garvin return on the offensive line.

Defensive players to watch include junior linemen Akil Washington and Aidan Wetmore, while senior Seth Norcutt and sophomore Preston Sunday will lead the linebacking corps.

Plum remained in Class 5A through realignment and will play in a conference with Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Franklin Regional, defending WPIAL champion Gateway, Latrobe, McKeesport and Penn-Trafford.

Morgan said several teams in the loaded Class 5A are in a similar position to the Mustangs’: searching for their identities before the season begins. Plum takes on Highlands in a Week Zero game Aug. 24.

“We want to win here,” Morgan said. “We want these kids to grow up the right way and be good student-athletes and members of society when they get older. People like winners, and we’ll keep going.”

Schedule

Coach: Matt Morgan

2017 record: 3-7, 3-5

All-time record: 322-400-27

Date, Opponent, Time

8.24, Highlands, 7 p.m.

8.31, at Franklin Regional*, 7 p.m.

9.7, Gateway*, 7 p.m.

9.14, at Connellsville*, 7 p.m.

9.22, at McKeesport*, 1 p.m.

9.28, Penn-Trafford*, 7 p.m.

10.5, at Albert Gallatin*, 7 p.m.

10.12, Latrobe*, 7 p.m.

10.19, at Belle Vernon, 7 p.m.

10.26, Hempfield, 7 p.m.

*Class 5A Foothills Conference game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Anthony Little

43-104, 489 yards, 6 TDs

Rushing: Colton Robb*

128-708 yards, 2 TDs

Receiving: Dom Carlisano*

6-105 yards, 1 TD

*Graduated

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

Tags: Plum