Frazier out to prove 1-win seasons are thing of the past

By: Jason Black
Thursday, August 29, 2024 | 8:40 AM

Entering the 2024 season, the Frazier football team has plenty to prove.

The Commodores want to prove to themselves and their fans that they are a much better team than the last few years’ records have indicated. They also want to prove that they are capable of establishing a winning foundation, which will be built upon in the years to come.

Mike Shannon, who is entering his third season as coach of the Commodores, knew when he took the job that a turnaround in the fortunes of the program would not come overnight.

“Rebuilding takes time,” Shannon said. “But this team has taken steps forward, and we got better as the year went on.”

Shannon has guided the Commodores to back-to-back 1-9 campaigns. However, he noted that both victories, which came against Springdale, occurred late in the season.

“The resiliency of this team has shown,” Shannon said. “We were coming together toward the end of the season and we never stopped fighting.”

Shannon’s task will be to try to take any late-season momentum and cohesion the Commodores built in 2023 and keep it rolling into this season.

“It’s just a matter of building on that stuff,” Shannon said. “We are a completely different team from where we were at two years ago.”

Judging by the offseason the Commodores had, the team may indeed be ready to take a few more steps forward this season.

“This is probably the best summer workouts we’ve had,” Shannon said. “We had 15 kids show up consistently and they are ready to go.”

It was an offseason focused not just on getting bigger and stronger but on getting quicker and more explosive.

“We really focused on running and speed training,” Shannon said, noting that assistant coach Shomari Phelps did a tremendous job of installing an offseason workout plan geared toward plyometrics, speed and strength. “Shomari has these guys in shape, and they are ready.”

Shannon also noted that Frazier participated in a couple of 7-on-7 camps at Yough and Beth-Center, and while there were some hiccups, he came away pleased with their performances.

“There were some learning curves, but I couldn’t be happier with them,” Shannon said.

While the Commodores are certainly hungry to turn in a solid season, the overall numbers within the varsity program have dipped slightly — down from 37 last year to a preseason count of 31 this year. Still, numbers don’t seem to be a huge worry for Shannon and his staff.

“We peaked at around 40 in the (Tri-County South) conference title season (2015), but we’ve usually always been around 30, and we did graduate 11 seniors,” Shannon said. “We view it as an opportunity for young players. It’s not a negative. It’s more of an opportunity.”

One of the players who will be looking to take advantage of a big opportunity in front of him is sophomore Brady Secrest.

Entering the season, Secrest is slated to play quarterback and lead the Frazier offense.

“Brady hasn’t missed a workout all summer,” Shannon said. “He is a member of our 1,000-pound club in the weight room and he has a big opportunity. He understands the playbook and he is executing what we are trying to do.”

Lining up in the backfield behind Secrest will be a host of running backs. Leading the way will be junior Derek Diamond. After rushing for more than 500 yards as a sophomore last year, Diamond comes in as the primary tailback.

Look for seniors Dailan McManus and Andrew Bandish to also see time in the backfield.

Bandish and McManus will also be utilized as some of the team’s primary pass-catchers. Sophomores Brandon Gardner and Chase Smith and junior Chris Petruska will also serve as weapons in the passing game.

“They have great speed and they’re all smart football players,” Shannon said of his wide receivers.

Junior Noah Bachinsky will work as the unit’s top tight end. Shannon noted that Bachinski is versatile in that he has the size to block up front while also running routes in the passing game on occasion. Gardner is another player who could see time at the tight end position.

Perhaps the group that Shannon is most pleased with on offense is the offensive line.

“They are very coachable and they’ve come a long way,” Shannon said. “They’ve gotten into tremendous shape and I’m proud of the effort that I’ve seen from them.”

Anchoring the line will be sophomore Dylan Krukowsky at center. The guard positions will likely be handled by senior Josh Girvin, sophomore Brant Rice and junior Gus Lion. Look for senior Dagan Baccino and junior Ethan Tobaj to play on the outside at the tackle positions.

In recent seasons, the Commodores have had their share of struggles on offense. However, Shannon noted that scaling things back a bit may do wonders for the group going forward.

“We’ve simplified things, and we have young players who are eager to improve,” Shannon said, noting that the group will be looking for consistency in the running and passing game all season.

On defense, the Commodores will again try to use their speed to their advantage.

Up front, Derek Diamond, Girvin, Rice, Krukowski, junior Alex Sellinger and freshman Marty Diamond will play on the defensive line.

Baccino and Bachinski will try to cause havoc from their middle linebacker spots, while Bandish, Gardner and junior Jerico Prescott should cause problems for opposing offenses when they line up as outside linebackers.

Petruska, Smith and McManus will play as defensive backs and defensive ends, as will sophomore Jayden Rothey and junior Jacob Fabus.

Rothey and Petruska are capable corners with McManus alternating between cornerback and safety and Smith also playing at safety.

“They are really getting after the football,” Shannon said of his overall defensive unit. “They’ve put in a lot of effort, now it’s just a matter of flying to the football. Last year we gave up too many home run plays. We have to make teams earn their points.”

While Shannon has a good read on the offense and defense, he noted that the Commodores entered camp still looking for a primary special teams player capable of handling the kicking and punting duties.

The Commodores will compete in the Class A Eastern Conference, which includes Brentwood, Clairton, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Leechburg, Riverview and Springdale.

“Clairton is certainly a conference favorite,” Shannon said. “Leechburg will be strong and Jeannette has made some steps forward. It will come down to a bunch of us fighting for a playoff spot at the end.”

After a few rough seasons, Shannon believes that the Commodores are ready to start building on the positives that were gained through those growing pains of recent years.

“It’s a matter of what is their legacy going to be?” Shannon said. “If our message wasn’t getting through to them, our numbers would be way down. Obviously we want more wins, but building a program takes time. The coaching staff believes that they can compete for a playoff spot. The players believe it too, and they’ll go after it.

“Our goal is to be competitive in every football game,” Shannon continued. “The kids are anxious to play. They want to show people that they are better than 1-9. That’s not who we are and we want to prove that.”

Frazier

Coach: Mike Shannon

2023 record: 1-9, 1-5 in the Class A Eastern Conference

All-time record: 341-467-16

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.24 at Summit Academy, 12:30 pm

8.30 Mapletown, 7

9.6 at Carmichaels, 7

9.13 at Jeannette*, 7

9.20 Clairton*, 7

9.27 at Brentwood*, 7

10.4 Leechburg*, 7

10.12 at Riverview*, noon

10.18 Greensburg Central Catholic*, 7

10.25 Springdale*, 7

* Conference game

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