Ligonier Valley junior lineman Sam Caldwell assumes leadership role

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, August 18, 2023 | 3:56 PM

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Ligonier Valley football coach Roger Beitel smiled when he learned what junior center Sam Caldwell said about himself and the upcoming season.

Caldwell is one of two starters returning for the offense. He became the starting center early during his sophomore season. He has taken ownership of the position and become the leader of the offensive line.

“It was a very big moment for me,” Caldwell said. “It threw me into the deep end, but I got used to it very quickly. It was a whole different view. I went from Saturday morning JV games to Friday night varsity games, and I just loved it. I pushed and pushed and got better.”

And he’s not just trying to become a better; he’s encouraging everyone around him.

“I’ve been trying to become a leader,” Caldwell said. “I’ve been trying to teach the young guys to become better. I try to hit the gym every day and put in the extra work. I wanted to become the best I ever could.”

Ligonier Valley’s third season back in the WPIAL produced the school’s first playoff victory in its new district. The Rams were a dominant force in District 6 from 2015-19, winning two titles and reaching the finals four consecutive seasons.

The Rams finished 8-4 last season, defeated Western Beaver, 27-20, in the first round and advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals where they lost to Beaver Falls, the Class 2A runner-up.

To get back to the playoffs for a third consecutive season, Caldwell will play an important role.

He is one of a long list of talented linemen who have donned the red and black. That list includes Michael Petrof (Navy), Christian Jablonski (Lehigh) and Wylie Spiker (St. Francis, Pa.).

“Sam plays a really important position on the offense line,” Beitel said. “As a center, he’s the anchor of the line. He makes the calls, and he also has the most experience for us.

“Last year, he went in during the second half against Southmoreland and he played in every snap from that point forward. Having him back and being a junior with all that experience is very helpful.”

The 6-foot, 315-pound junior enjoys the leadership role. And though he said he’s trying to make himself a better player, he encourages his teammates to do the same.

“I expect myself to be the greatest. I want to be the best there is,” Caldwell said. “I want my teammates to succeed. I try to push all of them to be the very best they can.

“I believe teamwork, communication, putting the work in the weight room and overall being great friends is the key. Being a family and going all the way is our goal.”

Beitel said Caldwell is the one player he can count on always to be at practice or lifting/conditioning workouts.

“He’s lifted very hard, and his attendance to the weight room has been through the charts,” Beitel said. “Sam tries to elevate the other players around him while trying to make himself a better player. Being present all of the time is important. We need to lean on that, especially with so many kids being first-year starters, so he can communicate their blocking assignments better.

“He’s a very smart kid, both in the classroom and on the football field. That will carry through on the field for us.”

And Caldwell just doesn’t play offense: Beitel expects him to be a presence on defense from his tackle position.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Ligonier Valley