Apollo-Ridge looks to stay healthy, bounce back
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Friday, August 19, 2022 | 12:01 PM
Apollo-Ridge’s Michael Fryer works out with his team during a recent practice Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Apollo-Ridge High School Stadium.
Apollo-Ridge coach John Skiba during a recent practice Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Apollo-Ridge High School Stadium.
Apollo-Ridge’s Connor Weigand works out with his team during a recent practice Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Apollo-Ridge High School Stadium.
Apollo-Ridge’s Nick Curci works out with his team during a recent practice Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Apollo-Ridge High School Stadium.
Apollo-Ridge quarterback Karter Schrock works out with his team during a recent practice Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Apollo-Ridge High School Stadium.
Apollo-Ridge coach John Skiba during a recent practice Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Apollo-Ridge High School Stadium.
Apollo-Ridge’s Nick Curci works out with his team during a recent practice Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Apollo-Ridge High School Stadium.
When coach John Skiba reviewed video of Apollo-Ridge games last season, he rarely saw his prospective starting lineup on the field.
That’s because the Vikings were plagued by a variety of injuries and illnesses that led to a 1-4 record in Allegheny Conference play, 2-7 overall.
In fact, in the game against Greensburg Central Catholic, lineman Bradey Schrock was listed as the backup quarterback. Not a lot of players with No. 57 play quarterback.
“I looked back at game film and saw, ‘He wasn’t there. He wasn’t there.’ It was hodgepodge week to week,” Skiba said. “We still had covid issues, Nick (Curci) had pneumonia, and we had some injuries.”
The Vikings are healthier now and looking forward to a bounce-back season. There are 42 players on the roster, so depth could be available, though Skiba said the depth will consist of freshmen and sophomores. Six starters return on offense, five on defense.
New teams are joining Apollo-Ridge in the conference. Burrell, a team the Vikings have played 33 times in the past, has moved into the conference, joining mainstays Ligonier Valley, Serra Catholic and Steel Valley. Imani Christian, Yough and Derry also join the conference.
“We know them. They know us. That’s the fun part of it,” Skiba said. “The new teams moving in will provide good competition. It makes our conference a little more solid.”
Karter Schrock, now a junior, and Curci, a senior, will be the players the Vikings build around.
Said Skiba: “They set the tones for both sides of the football. They both have done so much work in the offseason to get ready. Karter has put on more size and strength. I think Nick has gotten rid of all the effects of pneumonia. That was a hard season for him.”
“I’m ready to go,” Curci said. “I changed my training and I feel I’m a lot more healthier and in shape and ready to come back and have a full season. We’ll be ready to roll.”
Curci worked extensively on improving ankle and knee strength, along with working on joints and ligaments. Though he played just six games, Curci led the team in rushing, receiving and in tackles with 29.
“I did a ton of rehab in the offseason, a lot of ankle support,” Schrock said. “I feel like if we all stay healthy, we can make a run at the playoffs. You can see that we all want to work this year. We’re going to have some real competition and we need to be ready for it.”
Other players the Vikings are counting on are running back/defensive end Landon Harmon, running back/inside linebacker Mike Fryer and two-way linemen Connor Weigand and Cooper Gourley.
The biggest hole the Vikings have to fill is replacing star lineman Greg Klingensmith, now at William & Mary.
Among the newcomers to the lineup will be Mike Grant (C/DE), Nate Simpson (OT/DT), Ryan Lydon (OL/DT) and Seth Mahaffey (RB/S).
Apollo-Ridge opens its 54th season with Leechburg at home. Gourley, for one, doesn’t mind opening the season with a geographic rival.
“It’s exciting to open with them,” Gourley said. “I want to beat them and I’ll be ready for that.”
Apollo-Ridge
Coach: John Skiba
2021 record: 2-7, 1-4 in Class 2A Allegheny Conference
All-time record: 226-284-9
SCHEDULE
Date, Opponent, Time
8.26 Leechburg, 7
9.2 Valley, 7
9.9 at Deer Lakes, 7
9.16 Ligonier Valley*, 7
9.23 at Derry*, 7
9.30 at Steel Valley*, 7
10.7 Imani Christian*, 7
10.14 at Yough*, 7
10.21 Serra Catholic*, 7
10.28 at Burrell*, 7
*Conference game
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing : Karter Schrock
47-95, 772 yards, 4 TDs
Rushing : Nick Curci
79-530, 7 TDs
Receiving : Curci
19-299, 3 TDs
FAST FACTS
• When Apollo-Ridge’s game with Freeport was called off last year, it marked the first time in school history that the Vikings did not play a school from Armstrong County.
• Apollo-Ridge’s game against Yough on Oct. 14 will be the first time the schools have played since 1983. The Vikings are 6-0 against the Cougars all-time. Both schools came on the scene in 1969.
• First-time opponents this year include Derry and Imani Christian.
• Skiba, Apollo-Ridge’s all-time leader in victories with 60, is also the school district’s athletic director as of July 1.
ROSTER
No., Name, Pos., Ht./Wt., Cl.
1, Alexander Clawson, QB/FS, 5-10/138, Fr.
2, Alexander Wurmb, WR/DB, 5-8/130, Jr.
3, Logan Bianco, RB/WS, 5-8/135, Jr.
4, Richard Peach, WR/CB, 5-5/140, Fr.
5, Gage Johnston, TE/SS, 6-3/205, Sr.
6, Corbin Johnston, TE/DE, 6-1/200, Sr.
7, Gabriel Suman, WR/DB, 5-10/148, So.
8, Karter Schrock, QB/WS, 5-11/185, Jr.
9, Corey Mackintosh, WR/LB, 5-11/198, So.
10, Avery Grant, RB/LB, 5-4/135, Fr.
12, Jacob Mull, WR/DB, 5-11/157, Sr.
14, Darek Baustert, WR/DB, 6-2/155, Sr.
17, Michael Fryer, RB/LB, 6-0/190, Sr.
20, Jaden McCray, WR/CB, 6-1/159, Fr.
30, Luke Fox, K, 5-11/135, 5-11/135, Jr.
31, Dominick Curci, RB/LB, 6-2/230, Sr.
32, Seth Mahaffey, RB/S, 6-0/165, So.
33, Calvin Rodnicki, WR/FS, 5-9/1/30, Fr.
40, Kaden Ashmore, RB/LB, 5-10/170, So.
41, Landon Harmon, RB/DE, 5-10/220, Sr.
47, Caden Sekscinski, RB/LB, 5-10/175, So.
50, Damon Harkleroad, OL/DT, 6-0/175, Fr.
51, Mason Crawford, OT/DE, 5-10/227, So.
52, Tyler Syster, C/LB, 5-11/158, Fr.
54, Tyler Jaworskyj, G/DT, 5-10/205, Sr.
55, Ethan Mackintosh, OL/DE, 5-9/177, Fr.
56, Spencer Sells, OL/DT, 5-8/270, Jr.
57, Cooper Gourley, OL/DE, 6-1/250, Sr.
58, David Cochran, G/LB, 5-10/163, So.
59, Josh McKendree, OL/DT, 5-8/240, Fr.
62, Ethen Kowalczyk, OL/DT, 5-9/230, So.
66, Michael Grant, C/DE, 5-5/164, Sr.
71, Tyler Bartell, OT/DE, 6-3/225, So.
72, Connor Weigand, OL/DT, 6-0/245, Sr.
76, Connor Bogdanski, OL/DT, 6-3/300, Fr.
77, Ryan Lydon, OT/DT, 5-8/305, So.
78, Nate Simpson, C/DT, 5-8/335, Sr.
81, Charles Frain, WR/DB, 5-7/136, Fr.
86, Nathan Fryer, WR/SS, 5-11/166, Fr.
88, Breydon Orvosh, WR/DB, 5-11/155, Fr.
Note: Due to publishing scheduling conflicts, the preview for Allegheny Conference team Serra Catholic will appear on Trib HSSN next week.
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