Former college coach has Chartiers Valley football winning again — 5 things to watch in Week 6

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, October 3, 2025 | 10:43 AM

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Chartiers Valley’s Steve Spence jokingly says there’s at least one difference between coaching football in college or high school.

“In college, when things are going badly at practice, you can threaten them with, ‘Hey, we’re going to be here all night,’” Spence said with a laugh. “In high school, if their rides are coming at five, they’re leaving at five.”

Truthfully, the former Washington & Jefferson assistant coach has found that the football fundamentals he relied on each Saturday work just as well on Friday nights. Six games into his high school coaching debut, the first-year coach has Chartiers Valley off to a 5-1 start as one of the WPIAL’s best turnaround stories this year.

The Colts had previously won five games in a season just once since 2012.

Spence spent almost two decades in coaching between W&J and John Carroll, football knowledge he brought with him to his new job. But Spence said he had to figure out how best to apply those college tips and techniques at the high school level.

“It’s still a learning experience and by no means am I there yet,” Spence said. “I’ll plug certain things in and see what works and what doesn’t work. There’s definitely a lot of both. Sometimes I say, ‘Whoa! We’re not ready for that stuff yet.’”

Chartiers Valley went 3-6 last season followed by a coaching change. In came Spence, a 15-year assistant coach at W&J, a former college athlete at John Carroll and an ex-high school quarterback at Steubenville Central Catholic.

Seven assistants on Spence’s staff also coached in college. That includes his father, Frank, a hall of fame high school coach in Ohio.

“I feel very thankful and lucky to come to CV. I also feel thankful and lucky to have the guys that came with me,” Spence said. “A lot are guys I worked with while at Washington & Jefferson.”

Chartiers Valley opened Big Six play with a 62-7 win over Laurel Highlands last week, and now hosts conference foe Belle Vernon (1-4, 0-1) on Friday night.

Several other WPIAL teams have also enjoyed turnarounds this season including Norwin (4-2), Riverview (4-2) and Apollo-Ridge (4-2). Combined, those three teams won six games last year.

Spence served as an offensive coordinator at W&J and now calls plays for a Chartiers Valley attack that borrows some ideas from the Presidents. The Colts average 38.6 points per game as the highest-scoring offense in WPIAL Class 4A.

“If you watch a Char Valley game and a W&J game, you’re going to see the same system being run,” Spence said.

The Colts’ offense starts with senior running back Tayshaun Lewis, who Spence called one of the team’s most-talented players and hardest workers. Seniors Julius Best and Damien Holloway are the top wide receivers, with senior Luke Miranda at quarterback. Another senior, Mike Lawrence provides versatility and moves between running back, wide receiver and tight end while also starting at linebacker.

After a Week Zero loss to South Fayette, their first win came in Week 1 when they topped West Allegheny, 29-28, with a winning two-point play in overtime. That was the first of five straight victories since.

“This was a football program and a school that was very much ready to experience success,” Spence said. “I do think the excitement has risen every single week. There’s definitely a buzz at the school and in the community. The first thing I told our players when I met them in January was that we were going to earn the right to be a confident football team. I think they’ve done it.”

Celebrating 100 years

Years before Mike Ditka or Joe Namath suited up to play high school football, members of the Beaver Valley Football Officials already were working games.

In fact, that officials chapter is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this season.

Founded in 1925, its current members will work various games again this week. The chapter has 45 dues-paying members on its active roster.

“Beaver Valley Football Officials are a passionate group of individuals who love the game of football and are enthusiastic about recruiting and retaining officials at all levels,” the group said in a statement announcing its centennial anniversary. “We are committed to promoting the integrity of the game in a fair and respectful manner while ensuring player safety and strive to maintain the high standards of the PIAA and NFHS rules, standards and adaptations.”

Several retired members were inductees in the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame, including Sam Adams, Ronald “Lefty” Dionisio, Jim Irons, Lenny Lieper and Reggie Smith. Other notable names include Larry “Bull” Cronston, Mark Estermyer, Mike Cunning and Dave McHenry.

The BVFO commemorated the century milestone by designing shirts with a 100-year logo and will celebrate at their annual membership “smoker” later this month in Monaca.

The chapter holds weekly rules interpretation meetings on Tuesday nights from August through October at Blackhawk’s Highland Middle School. The group is accepting applications for new members and “encourages folks of all ages and backgrounds to become and official and join our chapter of the PIAA.”

Individuals can register to become an official on the PIAA website.

Cleared for playoffs

Penn Hills’ Richard “Tre” Littlejohn is a talented wide receiver and defensive back with college offers from Akron, Liberty, Miami (Ohio), Sacramento State and Toledo with Florida State also joining his list last month.

For the first time this season, Littlejohn takes the field Friday knowing he’ll be eligible for the playoffs if he can help the Indians get there.

The 5-foot-11, 178-pound junior was a preseason transfer from Seton LaSalle. The WPIAL held an eligibility hearing for Littlejohn on Tuesday and granted him a postseason waiver that lets him take part in the playoffs, WPIAL executive director Scott Seltzer said.

Most transfers after 10^th grade are postseason ineligible for one year unless they qualify for a waiver.

Penn Hills (2-4, 2-0) hosts No. 1 Pine-Richland (5-1, 3-0) in a key Northeast Conference matchup at 7 p.m. Friday.

Littlejohn leads the Indians in receiving with 17 catches for 297 yards and four touchdowns. Last year, he had 490 yards on 26 catches and scored eight times at Seton LaSalle.

Penn Hills started its season 0-3 before winning two of its past three games.

Another traffic jam?

The Parkway might be crowded again this year.

This will be a big week for the conference which has two head-to-head matchups that should provide some clarity.

The Week 6 slate has Montour (4-2, 1-0) visiting New Castle (5-1, 1-0) while West Allegheny (2-3, 1-0) hosts Aliquippa (3-2, 1-0).

Three of those four teams ended last season as conference tri-champions with New Castle excluded. But the Red Hurricanes already shook up the conference last week by beating Aliquippa.

“This week will tell a lot in our conference with us playing New Castle and West A playing Aliquippa,” Montour coach Lou Cerro said. “It could end up as a three-way tie again. With New Castle being in the mix this year, it definitely makes it more intriguing.”

Crowded in the middle

Another congested conference to watch is the Class A Eastern.

Seven of the eight teams have at least one conference win entering Friday. Clairton (3-0) leads the pack, but everybody else in the eight-team conference is essentially separated by one game: Leechburg (2-0), Riverview (2-1), Frazier (1-2), Greensburg Central Catholic (1-2), Jeannette (1-2), Brentwood (1-2) and Springdale (0-2).

This week’s slate includes Frazier at Leechburg, Greensburg Central Catholic at Jeannette and Riverview at Brentwood. A game scheduled last week between Leechburg and Springdale was postponed, leaving them with one fewer win or loss for now.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Chartiers Valley