Carlynton football moving in right direction after 3-win season

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, November 8, 2020 | 11:01 AM

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While the struggles were evident at times, the Carlynton football program continues to take baby steps after three winless seasons in a four-year period from 2014-17.

The Cougars finished 3-5 overall, giving them a combined six wins in back-to-back years for the first time since the 2011 team won five games and the 2012 squad won once.

“We did some very good things, and we saw some things that we need to work on,” second-year Carlynton coach Rich Piccinini said. “We had a lot of young players playing, including four freshmen, so it was good to get them some well-needed experience. Our experienced players showed good leadership, and it gives us something to build the program with in the future.”

Carlynton finished 1-4 in the Class 2A Three Rivers Conference, tied with Seton LaSalle for last. That one win came on opening night, when the Cougars were rewarded with a forfeit victory over conference champion Sto-Rox when the Vikings could not play because of injuries and several ineligible players.

The Cougars ended their season with a victory, as well. The team decided to play an eighth game on opening weekend of the district playoffs. Carlynton rolled past Riverview, 48-8.

“It’s always good to end on a high note, especially this year,” Piccinini said. “It shows our players and our program what we are capable of if we put in the work during the week in practice.”

The other win for Carlynton came in Week 5, when they beat Carrick, 48-8.

Piccinini said the wins were nice but not the most important thing.

“Obviously our victories were highlights, but what was really good to see was the growth and maturity of our younger players. This will help build our program in the future. For example, when freshmen are forced into the starting line-up, it was good to see the strides they made and will continue to make as their careers progress. It was also good to see our offense and defensive lines improve as a group.”

Some of the standout performers were a mix of underclassmen and a senior.

“Senior Bryan Lee had an excellent year at running back and linebacker. Shawn Curry did well as a sophomore running back and defensive back as we expect big things from him in the future. We had some very good junior linemen on both sides of the ball in Tyler Masdea, Pierce Greiner and Ben Ray. We expect them to have exceptional senior seasons next year. Junior Bryce Rodriquez also had an excellent season at wide receiver and defensive back.”

The football season was unique, to say the least. Carlynton was able to play its entire schedule without a covid-19- related postponement.

The fear of all small-school programs is injuries, as one can launch a domino effect that can wreak havoc on a season because of small roster sizes.

“With some key injuries, a lot of times we were a little short-handed and forced to play some players out of position,” Piccinini said. “But those guys really stepped up and did what they had to do to help the team. That’s a true sign of leadership and being unselfish. Those are program-building moments.”

That is one of the reasons Piccinini and his staff are already looking ahead to next season.

“The experience and playing time of our underclassmen is a good sign for the future and a reason for optimism. Some of our linemen next year will be four-year starters. We also have some experienced returning skill players. Our coaches do an excellent job with the progress of our players, and we have high expectations for them.”

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