Burgettstown looks to use toughness to make another trip to playoffs

By: Antonio Rossetti
Wednesday, August 21, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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When Burgettstown seemed to be down and out last season, the Blue Devils made a push and made the playoffs, using their physicality and aggression.

Burgettstown defeated OLSH, Carlynton, and Avella in a row to earn a postseason berth.

“We may not be the fastest guys, we might not be the most athletic guys, but I can tell you we are some of the toughest guys,” senior Travis Coles said. “If we get knocked down, we’re going to get right back up and we’re going to punch you in the face on the next play. That’s our mentality going into the season.”

Burgettstown’s coach is Mark Druga, who has a career record of 43-26 with the Blue Devils. Druga returned to the program last season and he’s grateful for his staff that stuck with him.

Coles is happy to finish his high school football tenure with the coaching staff.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better coach or a better coaching staff,” Coles said. “These guys bleed football, and you can tell that they are passionate about it. They love what they’re doing, and they want what’s best for us as a team, so I couldn’t be happier.”

The Blue Devils lost three key starters to graduation, including dual-threat quarterback Brodie Kuzior, running back Rudy Brown and wide receiver Zack Shrockman.

“We’ll rely on our line because, for the most part, our line is returning.” Druga said. “We lost two starters from last year. However, some of the linemen who didn’t start played a considerable amount. Our line has a great deal of experience coming back. We are extremely young, so we’ll rely on our line, no doubt about it.”

One of the players returning is three-time all-conference lineman Teddy Gray. Sam Elich also returns after playing on the line and at tight end last year.

“Teddy’s about 6-2 and 300 and he’s been a three-year starter all-conference,” Druga said. “Sam has been starting since last year, and he’s 6-5 and 240. Needless to say, we have leeway where he could play for us. He’ll be a lineman, but again, he could easily play tight end. He could still be middle linebacker, or, more importantly, he could be a defensive lineman with that size.”

Druga said that although they lost their top skill position players, their line and linebackers come in with experience.

“The box should be very strong,” Druga said. “We run a 3-4, so we have three returning defensive linemen, and we have four returning linebackers. We expect to shore up the middle, and then we just have to continue to work on the secondary area.”

As for the secondary and the defense, Gray has high hopes.

“We have Danny Smith returning at safety, and then we lost our old linebacker core,” Gray said. “It was Beau Ferris and Brody Kozier, and we gained a new linebacker in Sam Elitch and Brian Charles, who are both seniors. They’re both, I think, very solid football players, and I’m excited to see what they can do this year.”

Smith, who is a junior, led the team last season with three interceptions. Shannon Archie also returns.

“(Archie is) one of our fastest players on the team, and at the skill position, he’s one of our strongest as well,” Druga said. “He can bench, give or take, about 245 and that’s, especially for a D-back junior, that’s considerably strong.”

Druga said Charles and Travis Coles will also play big roles defensively. He added that Wyatt Stevenson and the rest of the defensive corps hit the weight room hard.

“They were in there as soon as the season was over,” Druga said. “Brian Charles and then on top of that, Teddy Gray and Travis Coles, they’ve been in that weight room. Teddy did track, but the bottom line is his focus has been geared towards football, that’s for sure.”

As for the replacements at running back, Coles will be taking snaps. Coles ran for 91 yards on 32 attempts last season. He lost some weight but gained muscle over the offseason.

“I’m ready, and I couldn’t be more excited,” Coles said. “Honestly, if I could play every single snap of the game I would, and I’m just more excited than ever for football season to start.”

Druga added that Colton County, who also plays linebacker, and Brady Rightweiser will take snaps at running back.

“As soon as I was named head coach and we opened up the weight room, (Rightweiser) was there, and he’s been a stalwart in there constantly, so if not at running back, we expect him to be doing many things on our football team,” Druga said.

As for Coles, he will play multiple roles on offense. He is confident in the leaders at the skill positions.

“He’s going to be gaining some snaps potentially as a, I don’t want to say wildcat, but as a change-of-pace kind of quarterback,” Druga said. “We have Brian Charles, who is a tight end and middle linebacker. He’s coming back, and he’s a two year starter, so that helps, in regards to the skilled department, to have some leaders.”

At quarterback, underclassmen Dom Stevenson and Blake Neal are both looking to take over. Neal saw some playing time last year.

“Don’t take his age lightly,” Coles said about Neal. “He’s a football player. He’s really good. His mind and everything, all he thinks about is football, and that’s great to see.”

The seniors have high hopes for the underclassmen. Coles said Smith will play a big role as he is young and determined, and the young core of players have all impressed him.

“We just got a lot of young players who love to play football, and that’s a really good thing to see when you have a team that lost a lot of starters last year to graduation,” Coles said. “It’s really good to see that you have these young guys stepping up who really are determined to make this team better and just playing our brand of football.”

Gray noted the connection the team has with one another.

“We all try to keep our bonds very tight,” Gray said. “Obviously, every grade has their little clique. I have my senior buddies that I’m closest with, but we try to include everybody equally. I’m always the one that’s offering to give somebody a ride home or ride to and I think that’s very important.”

Gray said that he remembers going all out for the seniors when he was a freshman and he’s confident that the younger players will do the same.

“I just was telling them how it would be great for them to return the favor to me, to make me finish all four years on a playoff team,” Gray said. “I tried to put a big emphasis on making the playoffs. If we don’t get it, that’s fine. I would love it if it did, but I have faith in my guys that we will make it.”

Coles said the seniors are coming together and that with Burgettstown being a small school, everyone is family.

Last season, the Blue Devils lost to Union, but played an outstanding first half. Coles and the team want to make it farther for the community.

“Our loss last year against Union really left a sour taste in my mouth,” Coles said “When we went out there, we played our brand of football in the first half, and everything kind of fell apart in the second half. It really left a chip on my shoulder. It’s really making me more motivated than ever to not only make it to where we were last year, but make it farther too.”

Burgettstown

Coach: Mark Druga

2023 record: 5-5, 4-3 in the Class A Black Hills Conference

All-time record: 459-503-39

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 Union, 7

8.30 at Bentworth, 7

9.6 at Jefferson-Morgan, 7

9.13 Cornell*, 7

9.20 at Chartiers-Houston*, 7

9.27 Fort Cherry*, 7

10.5 Neshannock, 2

10.11 at Monessen*, 7

10.18 Serra Catholic*, 7

10.25 Bishop Canevin*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Brodie Kuzior*

47-103, 739 yards, 6 TDs

Rushing: Kuzior*

179-785 yards, 10 TDs

Receiving: Zack Shrockman*

27-543 yards, 11 TDs

FAST FACTS

• Burgettstown has had three players make it to the NFL: Pat West, Walter West and Mike Nixon.

• College football hall of famer Barry Alvarez, the former Wisconsin coach, graduated from Burgettstown Union High School.

• Burgettstown won two WPIAL titles in program history, one in 1929 and one in 1941.

• Matt Taylor and head coach Mark Druga’s brother Rich Druga are on staff and were also head coaches for the Blue Devils.

Tags: Burgettstown