Shaler out to end losing streak with new offense

By: Josh Rizzo
Thursday, August 19, 2021 | 6:01 AM

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Luke Cignetti and the Shaler football team are ready to show everyone their offense may have a little more zip this season.

The junior running back is excited for the Titans to demonstrate their new wrinkles.

“We seem to be clicking and firing on all cylinders,” Cignetti said. “As long as we play the game correctly, we have a chance to stand with the teams like Penn-Trafford, Penn Hills and North Hills. Overall as a team, we are much better and more prepared than last year.”

Shaler’s season was smothered early last season as the Titans had issues with covid-19 during training camp and missed a lot of time. Shaler’s young roster was never able to find its footing, finishing 0-7 overall and 0-4 in Northeast Conference play.

“That was a huge, huge miss last year,” Cignetti said. “Not only is that time for us to get our head right and get familiar with the plays, we bond more as a team during that training week because we are stuck together for the whole week because we have to make it work.”

The Titans will open this season Aug. 27 with a nonconference road game against New Castle.

Boosting the offense will be vital for a program that was outscored 229-85 last season. Titans coach Jim Ryan brought in some help to revitalize the attack.

Ryan hired former Quaker Valley coach John Tortorea to serve as the quarterbacks coach and he worked with Ryan to revitalize the offense.

“He and I developed the offense in the offseason,” Ryan said. “He is a good guy and it’s nice having his perspective on the staff as a former head coach.”

The Titans are still in the process of determining who their quarterback will be. Dom Rossi and Keegan Smetanka are battling for the position.

Rossi led the Titans in passing last season.

“Right now, we haven’t made a decision for who we are going to go with for a quarterback,” Ryan said. “They are both repping there right now and we’ll see where we go when we get into the season. They are both solid young men and are in it for the team. Either way we go, it will be a benefit to the team.”

Cignetti and Josh Miller will share time at running back.

On defense, Austin Timko and Augie Tortorea will anchor the linebacking core on the inside. Miller and Rossi will also play important roles on defense.

Shaler believes the work it put in this offseason will lead to a turnaround for the Titans.

“The total buy-in we’ve had this offseason,” Ryan said. “The overall commitment of the whole team. It’s a testament to the leadership we’ve seen in the senior class, but with the underclassmen as well.”

Shaler

Coach: Jim Ryan

2020 record: 0-7, 0-5 in Class 5A Northeast Conference

All-time record: 361-431-30

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.27 at New Castle, 7

9.3 Mars, 7

9.10 at Hampton, 7

9.17 at West Allegheny, 7

9.25 Penn-Trafford, 1:30

10.1 at Fox Chapel*, 7

10.8 Pine-Richland*, 7

10.15 Kiski Area*, 7

10.22 at Penn Hills*, 7

10.29 North Hills*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Dom Rossi

14-41 122 1-6

Receiving: Dylan Schlagel

5-49

Rushing: Josh Miller

40-203

FAST FACTS

• Shaler hasn’t won a WPIAL championship, but it has reached the district finals, losing 25-14 to Blairsville in the 1947 Class AA title game.

• Neighboring Hampton returns to the schedule after a one-year hiatus. The last time the teams met in 2019, the Talbots came away with a 31-28 victory.

• Shaler’s offense improved as last season went on. The Titans scored a total of 14 points in their first three games. They averaged 19.5 points per game over their last four.

• Shaler’s losing streak is at eight. The Titans lost to Gateway in the first round of the 2019 WPIAL playoffs.

Tags: Shaler