Alle-Kiski Valley high school notebook: Football teams ready to feel heat

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, August 5, 2017 | 6:54 PM

Previous Next

Previous Next

High school football players have spent much of the summer going through non-mandatory workouts, seven-on-seven competitions and strength and conditioning sessions, but the season's official beginning is near.

Monday marks the start of the PIAA's five-day heat acclimatization period, a mandatory process for teams before camp begins Aug. 14. Teams must have five consecutive days of heat acclimatization before their first full-contact practice.

During heat acclimatization — entering its fifth year as a PIAA policy and third as a five-day session — teams can work out in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts for five hours on the first, third and fifth days and three hours and the second and fourth days.

No individual practice session can last longer than three hours, and all players must complete the program.

“We prepare them for the schedule they're going to see in camp,” said Leechburg coach Mark George, meaning individual drills on offense, defense and special teams. “It's conditioning. Not so much running every second, but conditioning because we're trying to get them to hustle to the stations. We're trying to get them to stay focused on what they have to do, so when we start camp and start in pads, they've done this for a whole week and there's not a lot of new.”

Springdale coach Seth Napierkowski, entering his first season, said he won't change much from summer workouts. But because all players will be there for the first time, he said he can start to put in the more complicated aspects of his offensive and defensive schemes.

Teams playing in Week Zero on Aug. 25 or 26 — in the Alle-Kiski Valley, that includes Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Kiski Area, Leechburg, Plum and Springdale — have less time to prepare for the season, making the practice time in heat acclimatization that much more important.

“We're going to do a little bit of everything,” Napierkowski said. “We're going to use that time up. This is the time where you really get better. Once you get the pads on and start running with pads, this is when you truly get into good physical condition. You can run them as much as you want in the summer, but without pads, without a helmet on, it's just not the same. This is where we start getting into game shape.”

George gives his players a reward on the final day of heat acclimatization, as Leechburg will take a team trip to Kennywood.

“For the most part, the kids do look forward to it,” George said. “I think it's just good team bonding. We just have a fun time. It's nice to get to know the kids outside of the practice and outside of the locker room. We ride rides together. We eat together. It's a lot of fun.”

Heavner help

Former Burrell and Kiski Area football coach Dave Heavner will be coaching elsewhere in the Alle-Kiski Valley this fall, as he will take over as defensive coordinator on Riverview coach Matt Bonislawski's coaching staff.

Heavner coached Burrell from 2006-07 and Kiski Area from 2012-16, compiling a record of 26-41 and three WPIAL playoff appearances. He also has championship pedigree as a defensive coordinator, serving in that position for Franklin Regional in 2005 when the Panthers won the WPIAL and PIAA Class AAA titles.

Bonislawski has a few assistants with head coaching experience to lean on in his second season at Riverview. Offensive coordinator Todd Massack coached Fox Chapel from 2001-04 and Riverview from 2007-13, and junior high coach Bill Rometo led Plum from 1989-2008, becoming the Mustangs' all-time winningest coach.

Making a splash

Two months removed from her high school graduation, Bailey Bonnett already is making an impact at college.

The Highlands alumna broke Kentucky's 200-meter breaststroke record at the 2017 U.S. Open Swimming Championships this week in East Meadow, N.Y. Her time of 2 minutes, 31.04 seconds came in Thursday's preliminary heats and qualified her for the “B” final later that night, and she ultimately placed 15th overall.

Bonnett swam in the “B” final of the 400 individual medley Friday night, taking 14th place in 4:52.23.

A four-time PIAA champion and eight-time WPIAL gold medalist, Bonnett ended her Highlands career as the school record-holder in almost every event. As a senior, she won WPIAL and state titles in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM.

Bumbaugh a Battler

Amber Bumbaugh, the catcher who helped Kiski Area softball reach the WPIAL playoffs this spring for the first time since 2010, will play at Division II Alderson Broaddus. The Battlers announced their 2018 recruiting class late last month.

Bumbaugh hit leadoff for Kiski Area, batting .327 with a .431 on-base percentage and only two strikeouts in 66 plate appearances. She had two doubles, three triples, scored 22 runs and threw out four of 14 would-be base stealers.

Doug Gulasy is a Tribune-Review staff writer.