After gaining experience, Quaker Valley looks to take step forward

By: Ray Fisher
Tuesday, August 13, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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The 2023 season was a tough grind on a young Quaker Valley football team, much like 2022.

After finishing 1-8 two years ago, the Quakers ended up 1-9 last season. They were 1-5 both years in the Class 3A Western Hills Conference.

The aim now is to utilize the Quakers’ experience to achieve a much more productive season in 2024.

“We have a young team, but we’re not inexperienced anymore,” coach Jason Cappa said. “Our expectation is to build a team that can compete for an entire game. We have been working since December to build our strength and speed, which is what we have been lacking. We expect our skill positions to create mismatches that will benefit our team with big plays.

“Last year, we were able to compete with teams in the first half but with our inexperience, and physically, we weren’t able to carry our game into the second half.”

QV has seven returning starters on offense and eight on defense. Returning lettermen include seniors Dominic Cox-Giles (WR/LB), Jack Diemert (RB/DB), Lewis Juarez-Safran (OL/DL) and Nico Cardinale (WR/DB) and juniors Rex Fatur (ATH/DB), Logan Benedict (QB/LB), Ben McHenry (QB/ATH/DB), Kris Brown (OL/DL) and Ty Popowich (WR/DB).

“Logan Benedict and Ben McHenry shared starting duties at quarterback last year,” Cappa said. “These two are top-notch athletes and bring excellent leadership to our team. They are so critical to our offense. When not at quarterback, they are both on the field at another skilled position. We have to find ways to have them on the field at other positions at all times.”

Cox-Giles is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound dual-sport athlete — he also plays basketball — and a fourth-year starter.

“It’s my senior year and we haven’t made the playoffs (in football) yet,” Cox-Giles said. “Quaker Valley football is going to be great this year. We’re going to be hype. We’re going to go out there and play the game right.

“We have a lot to prove. People have been counting us out for years. We’re hungry and working hard every day. We’re getting better every day, and I’m very excited to see and show what this football team is about.”

Cox-Giles said he hopes to eclipse 500 yards in receiving this season.

Diemert’s athleticism can be utilized at several positions for the Quakers, including as a running back or “athlete” on offense and at linebacker or in the secondary on the other side of the ball.

“I think we are really going to be an explosive team,” Diemert said. “My expectations are for us to have a pretty solid start, to come out hard and strong and to put some wins on the board. I really think it would help boost our team’s confidence.”

The 5-9, 180-pound Diemert led the Quakers in rushing (1,046 yards), rushing average (6.3 ypc), receiving yards (217), receiving average (19.7 ypc) and scoring (8 TDs) last fall.

“One of my personal goals is to hit 2,000 yards rushing,” Diemert said. “And I would say our chemistry on and off the field is a team strength. I’ve been hanging with these guys since I’ve been little.”

Diemert also has wrestled at QV for three years. He logged a 30-15 record with 15 falls in 2023-24 and owns a 75-45 career mark. He advanced to the WPIAL tournament in the 145-pound weight class.

Cox-Giles, Diemert, Juarez-Safran and Cardinale have been starters in football since their freshman season.

“We have had great senior leadership from those four,” Cappa said. “These guys don’t miss workouts and bring 100% effort and a positive attitude to everything they do.

“Logan Benedict, Rex Fatur, Ben McHenry, Ty Popowich, Kris Brown and Atticus Barr have followed the lead of our seniors in terms of how to compete and bring energy and effort into every workout. They truly make people better around them like leaders should.”

Newcomers to the lineup include seniors Stiven Delgado (OL/DL) and Ty Kretzler (OL/DL) and sophomores Josh Odom (RB/LB) and Aris Haniotes (OL/DL).

“Stiven Delgado began playing football last year for the first time but has developed his skills this offseason,” Cappa said. “Ty Kretzler played as a freshman and a little as a sophomore but due to injury had to stop playing. He will be counted on (on the offensive line). Josh Odom and Aris Haniotes will play a big role on both sides of the ball. Josh has the strength of a college freshman and Aris is a very athletic and strong lineman.

“We have a handful of seniors. We are loaded with sophomores and juniors who have played significant minutes when they were freshmen.”

Cox-Giles, Diemert, Cardinale, Delgado, Juarez-Safran and Kretzler are the only seniors on the squad.

The Quakers take the approach that personal growth helps develop team growth.

“After last season and speaking with players about what their goal is and where they want to see the team,” Cappa said, “we have had a number of players focus on becoming better football players. Atticus Barr has worked all offseason with a quarterback coach and strength trainer. He doesn’t look like the same player as last season.

“And our freshmen class has made it a point to outwork everyone on the team. These guys show up for everything. They are team players who are coachable and work harder than any group.”

The Rebels have a new offensive coordinator in Shad Stepp, a Butler graduate who played Division III college football in Texas.

Another addition to the coaching staff is Jeff Behr, who mentors the wide receivers and defensive backs. Behr is a North Hills alumnus who played collegiately at Seton Hill.

Two other new faces affiliated with the program are Christian and Ashley Pope from Mindfire Fitness.

“We hired them to train our athletes,” Cappa said, “to increase our strength, speed, agility and conditioning. We have been going to their CrossFit gym since April.”

QV held its annual “spring ball” program May 20-23 with daily practices at Chuck Knox Stadium. Spring ball serves as a building block for all team members, leading into summer practices and the fall season.

“The main goal is having a solid foundation of what our culture is,” Cappa said, “and having a clear understanding of our base offense, defense and special teams. We had a great turnout at our spring practices. We were able to move some people around and get a great jump on installing our new offense and defense going into the summer.

“Our players have focused on team unity and working together to make the team better. This only happens with great leadership. Our seniors and leaders have made it a point to get players involved and show up to compete. We have a group of leaders who have changed the culture to think in terms of the team’s success over individual successes.”

Team members also participated in an indoor weight and speed training program during the winter months.

Quaker Valley

Coach: Jason Cappa

2023 record: 1-9, 1-5 in Class 3A Western Hills Conference

All-time record: 243-378-14

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 at Freedom, 7

8.30 Keystone Oaks, 7

9.6 at Freeport, 7

9.13 at North Catholic*, 7

9.20 Valley, 7

9.27 at Hopewell*, 7

10.4 Avonworth*, 7

10.11 Central Valley*, 7

10.18 at Beaver*, 7:30 pm

10.25 McGuffey*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Ben McHenry

23-66, 337 yards, 4 TDs

Rushing: Jack Diemert

166-1,046 yards, 5 TDs

Receiving: Diemert

11-217 yards, 3 TDs

FAST FACTS

• Mark Knochel is Quaker Valley’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator; Shad Stepp is OC. Other varsity assistants are Bob Patterson (running backs, cornerbacks), Mike Knochel (OL/DL), Johnny Knochel (OL/DL), Jeff Behr (receivers, safeties) and James McHenry (special teams). Mike Knochel is in charge of player development and runs the offseason lifting program.

• Jason Cappa, who is in his third season as head coach, plans to provide his coaching expertise to the defense, which is where he has the most experience.

• Cappa comes from a family of coaches and educators. He also held coaching positions at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Riverview, Shady Side Academy and South Allegheny. He attended Riverview in Oakmont, where he was the first all-state football player in school history as a tight end/linebacker. Cappa was a four-year inside linebacker at Clarion.

• QV’s lone win last season was a 38-30 conference victory Sept. 29 against Hopewell. It snapped an 11-game losing streak for the Quakers.

Tags: Quaker Valley