South Hills notes: Captains Novak, Perfetti lead way for Baldwin football

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, September 18, 2017 | 8:39 PM

Notebook items from around the South Hills:

• Aaron Novak and Lucas Perfetti are serving as co-captains of the Baldwin football team this season.

Novak is a 5-foot-11, 205-pound senior tight end/linebacker. Perfetti is a 6-0, 275-pound offensive/defensive lineman.

“Aaron Novak is a three-year starter with game rep experience,” coach Loran Cooley said. “This is beneficial to an extremely young team. Eighty-five percent of our lineup on both sides are first-year starters.

“Lucas Perfetti is the quarterback of the offensive line. He has extreme passion for the game and works extremely hard.”

Two other team members are selected weekly to serve as co-captains with Novak and Perfetti.

• Novak is one of nine seniors on the Baldwin football team.

The senior class also is represented by Jeremy Jenkins (QB/DB), Nick Latchut (WR/DB), Frank Owusu (TE/DE), Zach Leon (OL/DL), Jake Monroe (K), Bradley Friedman (OL/DL), Harrison Merlo (OL/DL) and Timothy McWilliams (TE/LB).

• The starters on the Fighting Highlanders' offensive line are a brawny bunch.

They consist of Harrison (5-11, 260) and Friedman (6-3, 260) at tackle; Perfetti (6-0, 275) and junior Jason Depretis (6-1, 285), at guard; and junior Harry DePetro (5-11, 240), at center. Pary Herrara (5-11, 235) also rotates in the mix.

As a group, their average weight is 258 pounds.

Depretis, a first-year starter, is the biggest player on the team. He also plays ice hockey for the Highlanders, and competes in throwing events in track and field.

The following rotate on Baldwin's defensive line: Noah Bartic (5-11, 260), Elyon Phiri (5-1, 235), Jacob Kemerer (5-11, 235), Jaqwon Henderson-Parker (6-0, 235) and Owusu (6-2, 193).

Bartic, Phiri, Kemerer and Henderson-Parker are juniors.

• The Baldwin boys soccer team's lineup is senior-driver this season.

Along with captains Janvier Ransom (forward), Laun Eh (midfielder) and Damian Pfaff (defender), senior starters include forward Devlin Iaquinta and defender Vishal Kharel.

The starting lineup also consists of junior midfielders John Ziegler and Liam Belan, sophomores Pasi Oswald (midfielder) and Raymond Thomas (defender), and freshman Kurt Schemm (defender).

The Highlanders' goalkeepers are junior Jackson Brandwene and senior Joe Hughey.

• Baldwin graduates Kelsie Balsam and Erin Werme are teammates with Thomas Jefferson graduate Riley Walsh on the Carlow women's soccer team.

Balsam is a junior defender and biology/autopsy specialist major. Werme is a freshman midfielder and a biology major. Walsh is a junior midfielder and a nursing major.

Also at Carlow, Baldwin graduate Katie Winter is a sophomore member of the women's cross country program.

The Celtics hold home races at Schenley Park's cross country trails.

• The Baldwin girls soccer team traveled Saturday to Altoona for a nonsection doubleheader event.

Senior forward Alina Stahl, a West Virginia recruit, sparked the Highlanders to a pair of victories with a pair of three-goal performances.

Baldwin edged Holidaysburg, 4-3, in the first game then defeated Juniata, 4-1, in the nightcap.

Haley Huber, a senior midfielder, and Robyn Sopata, freshman forward, also scored a goal apiece for the Highlanders.

The remaining team members who traveled to Altoona were Victoria Disesare, Adriana Marina, Isabella Rossa, Megan Flavin, Katie Deiley, Kelsey Heenan, Elena Zandier, Katie Doyle, Addie Carr, Briana Bandola, Rebecca Case, Mandi Bellas, Cali Rusnak, Elizabeth Knight, Samantha Zelenik, Isabella Kenny, Makenzie Auel, and goalkeepers Emma Brandwene and CharliAnn Hooper.

Riley Nolan did not make the trip because of an injury.

Baldwin, which returned to section action this week, improved to 4-3 overall with the two wins.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Baldwin