Jump in classification to test Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 | 11:21 PM

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Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic football will look young on paper this fall with only seven seniors on the roster.

On grass however, the Trojans boast a highly regarded group of experienced underclassmen that will get to showcase their talents in Class 3A after a move up in class.

That group is led by junior outside linebacker/running back Nikhai Hill-Green, who is the third-ranked recruit in Pennsylvania in the 2020 class by Rivals.com, and junior quarterback Zack Rocco, who passed for more than 2,000 yards last year with 29 touchdowns.

Rocco and Hill-Green, along with junior lineman Dominic Prentice and senior defensive back/receiver Rahod Allen are returning all-conference players.

Trojans coach Pat O’Shea said his senior class is the smallest he has ever had in 27 years of coaching, but he likes the mix of players he has at his disposal.

“Our seniors have been together for four years, and they are going to work their tails off, but the success of our football team is going to be dictated by our sophomores and juniors,” O’Shea said. “We’re young in terms of age, but the underclassmen have experience playing on Friday nights. They know the speed of the game and how physical the game is.”

The Trojans lost 18-14 to eventual Class 2A champion Washington in the semifinals last year. That result still stings, and they want to go a step or two farther even with a move up in class.

“That game still haunts our team,” Rocco said. “It motivates us to work harder, because we were only five points away from going to play in a title game, which is what we all want to do.”

The Trojans lost leading receiver Ryan Maziarz and leading rusher Joe Meinert to graduation, but they feel they have the athletes to help ease the burden of their departures.

O’Shea complimented Rocco, Hill-Green and Allen for their respectful nature and willingness to get better, which helped them become all-conference players along with their unique skill sets.

Rocco burst onto the scene last year putting up gaudy passing stats. The numbers speak for themselves, but what O’Shea likes even more is Rocco’s attitude.

One of the messages O’Shea gives to his players is about not being “macho,” but respectfully confident. That means respecting the game and their teammates. He sees those characteristics in Rocco as a leader in the huddle.

“I want the kids to help each other out on the field,” O’Shea said. “I don’t want them screaming at each other, but I want them to say ‘Hey we need to do this’ and get involved. I think the kids have bought into that, and I know Zack has. The other thing is that Zack believes in himself. He knows he’s blessed with some real athletic talents, not only throwing the football, but running, too. Zack has the ability to scramble and add a dimension to the offense that is really hard to defend.”

Like Rocco, Hill-Green was praised for his character on and off the field. O’Shea likened him to a throwback-style player, akin to the ones he grew up watching play for the Steelers in the 1970’s. One not worried about flash, but results.

“Nikhai is the kindest and caring kid, but when he puts on the pads he understands the true nature of football,” O’Shea said. “It takes amount of physical, emotional and mental toughness to make it in this game, and Nikhai has all of it.”

Hill-Green has offers from Boston College, Temple, Toledo and Howard.

“First of all (Nikhai) is an amazing leader on our team,” Rocco said. “He can play anywhere, because he’s an amazing athlete. He’s really smart and really dedicated.”

Allen was a standout at cornerback a season ago and didn’t see a lot of time on offense, but that’ll likely change this year. In the early part of camp, Allen was working out at slot and has fit into the offense well.

Growing enrolment since Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic opened its Cranberry Township campus in 2014 led to a bump up to Class 3A. It brings a new slate of conference opponents to the Trojans. They’ll play Freeport, Deer Lakes, Burrell, Derry, Uniontown, Elizabeth Forward and Yough. The biggest adjustment will be facing teams that have larger rosters. The Trojans will be in the high 30’s as far as their roster.

“It’s going to be a tough conference, and when you move up the letters from A, to 2A, to 3A the one thing is that everyone has more depth,” O’Shea said. “Everybody has athletes, but the depth is what gets you through the grind. We’ve had to shift some players around to get some more depth in some areas, including the offensive line.”

Schedule

Coach: Pat O’Shea

2017 record: 10-3, 7-0

All-time record: 428-304-32

Date, Opponent, Time

8.24, Albert Gallatin, 7 p.m.

8.31, at Burrell*, 7 p.m.

9.7, Freeport*, 7 p.m.

9.14, at Central Valley, 7 p.m.

9.21, at Derry*, 7 p.m.

9.28, Mt. Pleasant*, 7 p.m.

10.5, at Elizabeth Forward*, 7 p.m.

10.12, Uniontown*, 7 p.m.

10.19, Yough*, 7 p.m.

10.26, at Deer Lakes*, 7 p.m.

*Class 3A Big East Conference game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Zack Rocco

146-231, 2,186- yards, 29 TDs

Rushing: Joe Meinert*

156-1,225 yards, 5 TDs

Receiving: Ryan Maziarz*

30-419 yards, 9 TDs

*Graduated

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.