Blue-collar linebacker leads charge for Riverview

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, August 24, 2021 | 8:40 PM

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Anthony Mazur came into Riverview’s preseason football camp in 2018 as a fullback on offense as he hoped to make an impact in his first varsity season.

However, change was on the horizon for Mazur, then a 5-foot-7, 175-pound freshman.

Injuries to the offensive line brought opportunity and a challenge for Mazur, who moved into a key role in the trenches.

“It was definitely an eye-opener, getting hit and pushed back all the time,” said Mazur of his smaller stature against mostly older and bigger defensive counterparts across the ball.

“It wasn’t a lot of fun, but I learned a lot.”

The experience, he said, was beneficial as it got him on the field early in a starting role.

“I was getting on the field and getting a chance to play, so that was good,” said Mazur, who also saw starting opportunities at linebacker that season. “I wanted to do whatever I could to help the team.”

Now, as a senior at 5-9 and 190 pounds, Mazur is delivering the hits from his combo running back/fullback spot and on defense at inside linebacker for a Raiders team hoping for bigger things in 2021.

“We are looking to win some games, and also for the seniors, we want to help keep the program moving forward so the younger players can keep the winning going in the years after us,” Mazur said. “We want to set the tone before we go out. We want to work hard and play hard each day, whatever the results end up being.”

Riverview, 0-8 last year, is hoping to return to the playoffs out of the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2016.

From a roster of 20-25 just a couple of years ago to now having numbers in the low 40s, Mazur is excited for the impact that growth means for the program.

“It’s really weird having a packed locker room and having to order extra practice jerseys,” he said.

“Some of the kids are wearing game jerseys and game pants in practice because we just don’t have enough. It’s also a good thing for what we are able to do in practice.”

Mazur returned to the offensive backfield as a sophomore. He served as a lead blocker and also carried the ball 42 times for 124 yards and a touchdown. At linebacker, he recorded 39 tackles.

Last year, in a season affected before and during by the covid pandemic, Mazur again put his blocking skills to the test and added 35 carries for 133 yards and two scores.

He led the team in tackles with 45 and recovered a fumble over eight games.

“Anthony is kind of a throwback player,” Riverview coach Trevor George said. “He’s tough, gritty, and he just leads by example.

“He’s a vocal leader, too. He’s a good representation of the two towns, Oakmont and Verona, with its blue collar workers who clocked in and worked hard as they possibly could for their families and then clocked out. He translates that to the football field where he works hard for his (Riverview football) family.”

Mazur said he is excited for one more season in the backfield and together at inside linebacker with teammate and friend Dean Cecere.

“We really have a strong connection, and we’re really good friends outside of football, too,” Mazur said. “It is more of a brother connection. If one of us gets hit, we’re both hitting the that guy. We have each other’s back. We know what we have to do to see each other succeed on the field.”

Mazur grew up a baseball player, but in junior high, he decided to transition away from the sport.

He said athletic director Mario Rometo played a big role in getting him to try football in eighth grade.

“I wasn’t sure about football, but (Rometo) saw me in school and was always asking me to give it a shot,” Mazur said. “One day, I went out there, and I stuck with it because I really liked it.”

The rest, they say, is history for Mazur, who now is talking to a few college coaches about possible football pursuits at the next level.

He said it’s both fun and a challenge balancing his time for athletics, academics and work as a manager at Walgreens in Oakmont. He hopes to pursue a business course of study in college. Whether football comes along for the ride, he’s not sure yet.

“Football really helped turn a lot of things around for me,” Mazur said. “It’s helped me make good decisions. I feel I am a better person now because of it.”

Riverview kicks off its season at 7 p.m. Friday with a Week Zero nonconference game at Shady Side Academy.

Mazur said last Saturday’s scrimmage with Deer Lakes was productive in the team’s prep for the season.

“I think we did pretty good,” he said. “We watched the film and saw some of the little mistakes we made and how to fix them in practice. We’re excited for Friday. We’ll be ready.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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