Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Small schools make best of bare-bones rosters

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, August 22, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Teams in the WPIAL Class A Eastern Conference have something in common on the eve of a new football season: low roster numbers.

Injuries will be magnified as teams try to combat depth issues over the course of a 10-game regular season.

With the exception of Riverview, which has 49 players listed on its roster, most of the eight-team conference has 30 or fewer set to suit up.

Brentwood and Frazier have just more than 30, whereas Jeannette, Greensburg Central Catholic and Leechburg have about 25.

Springdale is hovering in the low 20s. The Dynamos had to cancel their season opener.

How do coaches manage the sparse rotations?

“We pray,” Jeannette coach Tommy Paulone said in jest. “It is week to week to decide who is healthy and where we need to pivot next in terms of scheme and touches.”

Paulone said developing each player is key, through practice reps, while also getting “good-on-good” work, as coaches say, to give better players the best competition and prep work.

Fitness is also a buzzword in the Eastern-A. Rest and recovery also matter.

“We take pride in our in-season strength and condition,” Paulone said. “We are in the classroom for the majority of one practice at least once a week.

“This makes sure we are assignment oriented without the wear and tear of traditional early-week practice. This is a no-excuse type conference. We work together to play a middle-school schedule to get our numbers back to where they need to be.”

Norwin nears milestone

A season-opening win could put Norwin in a select group of local programs.

The Knights need one win to reach 400 in their history. They enter Friday’s game against Penn-Trafford with an all-time record of 399-604-36.

Only five Westmoreland County schools have 400 or more victories: Jeannette (777), Greensburg Salem (711), Monessen (685), Latrobe (475) and Ligonier Valley (465).

Overall, 50 WPIAL teams have won 400 or more times.

Kubasky out

Junior Gabe Kubasky was primed to lead a talented defensive secondary at Southmoreland, but the safety is out for the season with a torn ACL he suffered about a month ago while running a route during a noncontact practice.

Kubasky also was in line to be a top target for freshman QB Anthony Smith after a strong showing in 7-on-7 tournaments.

Offer for Kerns

Franklin Regional senior linebacker Austin Kerns has the look of a college prospect at 6-foot and 215 pounds.

He is a two-time all-conference linebacker, as well as a team captain.

Colleges are beginning to express interest in Kerns. Last week, he received a scholarship offer to play at Central State, a Division II team in Wilberforce, Ohio.

Kerns, who was named a defensive MVP at the 2Tenths Speed & Agility Top 150 camp this summer, made 101 tackles last season, including 191/2 for loss, and had 111/2 sacks.

He also plays wide receiver.

Extra points

Hempfield senior receiver/defensive back Owen Buchholz has an opportunity to play at Gettysburg College, a Division III program that competes in the Centennial Conference. … Greensburg Central Catholic will play at two neutral sites because of construction at the opposing schools’ home venues. The Centurions will play Clairton at noon Sept. 14 at Thomas Jefferson and take on Springdale on Oct. 11 at Burrell. … Southmoreland needs five wins to reach 200.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Hempfield, Jeannette, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Monessen, Norwin, Penn-Trafford