1st-year coach looks to get Burrell back to WPIAL playoffs

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, August 13, 2025 | 6:01 AM

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Winds of change swept through the Burrell football program in the offseason.

Shawn Liotta, the Bucs coach for seven seasons who led the program to three WPIAL playoff appearances during his tenure, stepped down in December to enter the Arena Football coaching ranks.

Dom Girardi, quite familiar with high school football in the Alle-Kiski Valley as a player and a coach, came on board at Burrell a month later with designs on getting the Bucs back on track after a tough 2024 season.

The former Highlands coach said a strong spring and summer of work from the mix of returning talent and those ready to step into new roles has everyone in the program optimistic as the season approaches.

“There was a lot going on with everyone getting a feel for each other and what will be the best version of ourselves,” Girardi said.

“We’re still feeling that out, and it will probably be that way until even the start of the season and into the season. It is a process. We could only answer so many questions without pads. Coaches have a saying that everything changes once you put the pads on. We’ve been working through that process as quickly as we can without rushing.”

Girardi said change was going to be a given, and that will be evident on offense where the Bucs often employed a heavy run-first, and sometimes run-only, formula in recent seasons.

“With anything, some learning curves are steeper than others,” he said.

“With developing a little bit more of a passing game, it’s been more of a steeper curve for the kids, but they’ve been working hard. And that was a good thing to work on in the summer to get it established. We will be a little bit more spread out. How that will shake out will be based on production and what gives us the best results.”

Girardi said a trio of players — junior Hobbes Omecinski; sophomore Antonio Perkins, a transfer from Valley; and freshman Kruze Fenner, the younger brother of former Burrell quarterback Chase Fenner — have been battling at quarterback.

Sophomore Liam Perdue and seniors Parker Logut and Nate Bigenho are expected to be top receiving targets, and senior tight end/fullback Liam Kasavage could also be in the mix.

But junior tailback Trey Coury, a workhorse back last year with more than 250 carries, more than 1,100 yards, and seven touchdowns, will again be a major factor on the offensive side of the ball.

“Within the first week of getting the job, I probably got told about Trey by about a dozen different people. Just about what type of kid he is, his work ethic and what he brings to the team,” Girardi said.

“Everything I heard turned out to be true. He’s a great kid. He is just a pretty darn good running back. We’re going to find as many different ways as possible to take advantage of the things he does well. He is very well put together. He’s very explosive. He is a leader for us.”

Senior Joah Martin, a second-team Allegheny 7 Conference all-star last season, returns to anchor the offensive line and will be joined by an experienced pair in senior Ryan Rusiewicz and junior Jacob Taylor.

“I told the big guys up front that with being a run-heavy team in the past, they are going to be the ones who will have to help lead us into the season,” Girardi said.

“I think the run game will come along quicker than the pass game just because of the learning curve and how the offense as a whole evolves at the pace that it does.”

Martin is expected to also anchor the trenches on defense, with Kasavage a main cog at linebacker.

“Liam moved to linebacker from defensive end last year,” Girardi said. “He’s doing a really nice job.”

Junior Ayden Kun also is one to watch on the defensive line, Girardi said.

“We very much want to be a downhill defense that plays as aggressive and as dynamic as possible,” Girardi said.

“We want to be able to give offenses different looks and blitz packages to contend with. We put in a good amount over the summer, and the kids have picked it up pretty well.”

Imani Christian returns as the defending conference champ, and Deer Lakes, Freeport and Highlands were conference playoff qualifiers a year ago.

“The local rivalries, that is what I am really excited about,” Girardi said.

“I enjoyed my time at Highlands, and we developed some rivalries with teams, but we were playing teams on the other side of Pittsburgh a lot of the time. It’s exciting for us to play Freeport, Valley, Highlands and Deer Lakes. When you are playing local schools, you get the communities involved, and there’s so much pride at stake. It’s fun for the players and for the fans in the stands.”

Burrell kicks off the season Friday with a Week Zero matchup at Avonworth. The Antelopes are the defending WPIAL Class 3A champions and PIAA runners-up.

“It’s always fun to see how kids, with that extra year of growth, will surprise you,” Girardi said.

“There are those who will help us who didn’t play as big of a role in the past. Some of that is scheme, and some of that is just them having another year under their belts. I think everybody came in with the understanding that everybody and anybody had the opportunity to get on the field and help us on a Friday night. We’re just focused on taking it day by day, week by week, and crossing different points off the list as we get there.”

Burrell

Coach: Dom Girardi

2024 record: 2-8, 2-4 in Class 3A Allegheny 7 Conference

All-time record: 305-289-9

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.22 at Avonworth, 7

8.29 at Shady Side Academy, 7

9.5 Mt. Pleasant, 7

9.12 at Derry, 7

9.19 Freeport*, 7

9.26 at East Allegheny*, 7

10.3 Valley*, 7

10.10 Highlands*, 7

10.17 at Imani Christian*, 7

10.24 Deer Lakes*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Stevie Hasson*

37-86, 474 yards, 2 TDs

Rushing: Trey Coury

269-1,143 yards, 7 TDs

Receiving: Trey Coury

14-164 yards

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Trey Coury was an ironman in Burrell’s two wins last year. Against East Allegheny and Valley, Coury ran the ball a combined 107 times for 518 yards and four touchdowns.

• Burrell missed the WPIAL playoffs in 2024, snapping a three-year streak of earning a postseason berth. The Bucs have qualified for the postseason 21 times since their first trip in 1967.

• Burrell ran offensive plays last year at a ratio of one pass for every five rushes (88 to 431). The Bucs collected 1,657 yards on the ground, an average of 165.7 a game, with 10 touchdowns, to 474 yards through the air with just two scores.

• Bucs first-year coach Dom Girardi is the brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach David Girardi. Dom Girardi graduated from Valley and was the head coach at Highlands for five seasons (2017-21). He finished with a 21-26 overall record and guided the Golden Rams to the WPIAL playoffs in 2021.

ROSTER

No., Name, Pos., Ht./Wt., Cl.

0, Parker Logut, WR/LB, 6-2/200, sr.

1, Antonio Perkins, QB/S, 5-10/175, so.

2, Vincent Scherer, WR/CB, 5-10/160, sr.

3, Liam Kasavage, RB/LB, 5-10/200, sr.

4, Josh Pruitt, TE/DE, 6-1/210, jr.

5, Nisaun Jones, RB/LB, 5-9/165, so.

6, D.J. Cosentino, TE/LB, 6-2/190, sr.

7, Kasey Shank, RB/CB, 5-6/160, sr.

8, Zack Coudriet, WR/CB, 5-10/160, sr.

9, Max Ford, WR/CB, 5-10/160, sr.

10, Brennan Green, FB/LB, 5-9/185, jr.

11, Hobbes Omecinski, QB/LB, 6-1/200, jr.

12, Cruze Fenner, QB/CB, 6-0/135, fr.

13, Julian Chapman, WR/LB, 6-0/160, sr.

15, Nate Bigenho, WR/S, 5-9/150, sr.

16, Nathan Labecki, WR/S, 5-10/155, jr.

17, Josh Bivins, WR/LB, 5-8/145, fr.

18, Patrick Nee, TE/LB, 6-1/175, jr.

19, Lucas Swahn, WR/CB, 5-10/155, jr.

20, Jaxon Mitchell, OG/LB, 5-6/195, fr.

21, Hunter Kunkle, RB/LB, 5-10/165, jr.

22, Trey Coury, RB/LB, 5-10/190, jr.

23, Rocco Giannetti, WR/DB, 5-9/165, so.

24, Austin Haus, K, 5-5/125, jr.

25, Liam Perdue, WR/CB, 6-1/155, so.

26, Brycen Kunkle, RB/LB, 5-0/140, so.

30, Tyler Jacobs, RB/LB, 5-7/135, so.

31, Joshua Taylor, WR/LB, 6-0/180, jr.

32, Nick Damon, WR/S, 5-8/140, fr.

36, Bryce Fields, WR/CB, 5-4/120, fr.

42, Brennan Roberts, RB/LB, 5-8/150, fr.

50, Weston Baronie, OG/DE, 5-10/185, sr.

51, Logan Heakins, OG/LB, 5-10/205, so.

52, Joah Martin, OT/DT, 5-11/315, sr.

53, Adam Pometo, OG/DE, 5-9/215, jr.

54, Jarenn Martin, OG/LB, 5-11/225, jr.

55, Ryan Rusiewicz, C/DT, 6-0/230, sr.

56, Nate Sofaly, OT/NT, 5-7/250, sr.

57, A.J. Mitchell, OG/LB, 5-9/215, sr.

58, Isaac Shank, OG/NT, 5-10/240, fr.

59, Brenen Durkin, OT/DE, 5-10/230, so.

60, Ayden Kun, OG/DE, 6-0/220, jr.

61, Jadon Roberts, OT/DT, 5-8/175, jr.

62, Will Furnier, OG/LB, 5-10/165, so.

63, Bryce Fotheringham, OT/DT, 6-0/255, so.

64, Brandon Grimm, OG/NT, 5-8/250, jr.

65, Caleb Guido, OT/NT, 6-2/350, so.

69, Jacob Taylor, OG/DE, 6-0/220, jr.

72, Stephen Chapman, OT/DE, 6-3/275, fr.

73, Nick Ireland, OT/DT, 5-10/325, fr.

74, Lincoln Shoemaker, C/LB, 5-7/200, so.

75, Christian Burchette, OT/DT, 5-6/290, so.

77, Steven Wilson, OT/DT, 6-1/265, sr.

82, Jason Schwartz, WR/Cb, 5-7/120, fr.

83, Aiden Squires, WR/CB, 5-9/140, fr.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Burrell