Quaker Valley reflects on another successful football season

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, November 9, 2018 | 6:45 PM

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Ron Balog couldn’t restrain his emotions in an impassioned post-game speech — he was as happy as he’s ever been after a loss and just as sad that the season was over.

Quaker Valley’s first-year coach wanted his players to know how much they meant to him.

“I’ve always been one of those guys that my heart is on my sleeve,” Balog said. “You know where I stand. The emotion comes from the fact that after getting hired in April, those seniors and the guys on the team made me feel so welcome.”

The Quakers won’t get banners commemorating this season like last year’s team, but Balog hopes the effort of his players will be felt for years.

They played like champions in defeat, he said, because most of them are champions. He counted 19 who have won a WPIAL and PIAA title, but the same players also had to overcome adversity in 2018.

Quaker Valley did not have a head coach until seven months ago and endured a three-game losing streak halfway through the season.

That’s why no one panicked after giving up a blocked punt and touchdown to start the first quarter against North Catholic, a team that hadn’t given up a touchdown since mid-September.

“That’s what sticks out to me, especially with the seniors, is their demeanor whether they were winning or losing was always very business-like,” Balog said. “They do not get too high or too low.”

The Quakers could not execute offensively, but their defense forced six turnovers. Two led to touchdowns by linebacker Smith Johnson, who recovered a fumble in the end zone, and another by Cam Wolf on a 40-yard interception return.

Those plays, combined with others like defensive lineman Jeremy McCoy diving for an interception, gave the Quakers an unlikely 14-9 lead over the Trojans in the third quarter.

“We never wavered,” Balog said. “Those guys don’t flinch.”

Balog knew that from weekly meetings with the team’s five captains — Ethan Moore, Ryan Jackovic, Isaac Guss, George Francic and Johnson.

“We were confident in ourselves all season,” Jackovic said. “We had that 0-3 run, and that definitely hurt. We also knew it was early, and we could still make playoffs.”

Quaker Valley won four of its last five regular-season games, including a 50-43 overtime win against Keystone Oaks to stop its midseason losing streak.

“I think that overtime win against Keystone Oaks really was the big win of the season,” Jackovic said. “It showed the young guys that against Keystone Oaks, a really good team, that we could hang with them and anyone else.”

Down 24-17 late in the fourth quarter against North Catholic, the Quakers shined again.

Moore used his mobility to scramble in the backfield like so many times before — he had a team-leading 123 carries, 453 rushing yards and nine touchdowns — and heaved a ball toward the end zone while being hit.

The pass was put in a spot where only a diving Demetrios Perez could catch it with just his fingertips separating the football and the grass at JC Stone Field.

“Demetrios probably caught 15 passes for the whole year, but a lot were really clutch catches,” Balog said. “He’s got ice in his veins. He made a huge play when we needed one.”

But three minutes later, the Trojans had scored again with 38 seconds left, and the Quakers ran out of time to pull off anymore late-game magic.

“I think we gave it our all, but they just beat us,” Jackovic said. “I think we played our best. There’s nothing to be sad about that game, and I hope the group last year and the group this year showed the younger guys, including those not even in high school yet, that Quaker Valley can have a successful football program.”

Balog wants to be the Quakers’ coach long-term, and Jackovic believes that will stabilize the team.

“Hopefully, Coach Balog will be there for years to come and success from last year and this year pushes the young guys,” Jackovic said. “I hope I can come back and watch good teams. Before I got to high school, some teams were going 0 and whatever and 1 and whatever. Now, it’s different. I hope it’s a team that I can watch in the playoffs and that plays for the WPIAL and state title. That’s what I hope the last two senior groups have accomplished.”

Shawn Annarelli is a freelance writer.

Tags: Quaker Valley