Ligonier Valley looks to move on from consecutive losing seasons

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, August 15, 2025 | 6:01 AM

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Ligonier Valley football coach Roger Beitel had not endured consecutive losing campaigns before last season.

Westmoreland County’s longest-tenured coach does not want a third.

The Rams were 3-7 overall and 1-5 in the tough WPIAL Class 2A Allegheny Conference in 2024.

They graduated 13 seniors, but Beitel hopes a talented freshman class mixes well with the rest of the team to create competition for starting jobs.

“We have really put in the work during the offseason to get bigger, stronger and faster,” Beitel said as he begins his 22nd season. “Every position is open.

“We are not satisfied in being a 5-15 football team, which we were the past two seasons. We struggled to win, and we are looking to change that. We must find a way to turn things around.”

Ligonier Valley was 20-10 its first three seasons back in the WPIAL. It also qualified for the WPIAL playoffs in 2021 and 2022.

Two of the biggest offensive losses were the graduation of the Jablunovsky brothers — John, who rushed for 1,243 yards and scored 16 touchdowns, and Mark, who had 16 catches for 387 yards and five touchdowns.

The Rams return seven starters on offense and seven on defense.

Bowie Schreyer returns at quarterback, where he completed 43 of 95 passes for 747 yards and seven touchdowns. He was picked off 14 times.

Schreyer has competition in freshman Levi Foust. Beitel said both can play other positions if needed.

Beitel will be counting on a couple of tough lineman to lead the way.

Seniors Connor Faas and Tony Lonas are returning starters at guard, and junior Dakota McDonald saw time at center.

“Dakota is a competitor,” Beitel said. “We need to find the best three or four players to fill out the line.”

Beitel will look at five other players — junior Jake Roberts, senior Nolan Huba, sophomore Kaleb Schmidt and freshmen Brayden McKenzie and Blake Penrose — to compete for the other starting jobs.

Grayson Daugherty, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, returns at wide receiver and is looking to contribute.

Bryce Vida and Cameron Kunkle saw playing time on offense a year ago. Vida rushed for 162 yards and a score, and Cameron Kunkle caught 11 passes for 202 yards and a score from the tight end spot.

Others looking for playing time in the backfield with Vida are seniors Aaron Dennison and Brody Stitt, sophomore Nico Brown and junior Patrick Latin.

On defense, Lonas will play end; Lucas Krieger, Vida and Faas will be on the line, and senior Jake Petalino is back at safety.

Joining Petalino and Kunkle in the secondary are Brown, juniors Greg Sleasman and Tyler Queer, and Schreyer, Latin and Daugherty.

Others expected to fill roles at linebacker include Stitt, Foust, freshman Eric Deitz, junior Noah Mack and Dennison.

“We have to get back to playing Ligonier Valley football,” Beitel said. “There are things we can control and things we cannot. We can only control what we do.”

The Rams open the season with the Riot on the Ridge game Aug. 22 at Derry.

They host Greensburg Salem on Aug. 29 and then travel to Jeannette on Sept. 5 before opening Allegheny Conference action Sept. 12 at Shady Side Academy.

Ligonier Valley

Coach: Roger Beitel

2024 record: 3-7, 1-5 in Class 2A Allegheny Conference

All-time record: 488-517-40

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.22 at Derry, 7

8.29 Greensburg Salem, 7

9.5 at Jeannette, 7

9.12 at Shady Side Academy*, 7

9.19 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart*, 7

9.26 at South Allegheny*, 7

10.3 Charleroi, 7

10.10 South Park*, 7

10.17 Steel Valley*, 7

10.24 at Apollo-Ridge*, 7

*Conference games

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Bowie Schreyer

43-95, 747 yards, 7 TDs

Rushing: John Jablunovsky*

175-1,243 yards, 16 TDs

Receiving: Mark Jablunovsky*

16-387 yards, 5 TDs

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Since rejoining the WPIAL in 2019, the Rams have made the postseason in 2021 and 2022. They defeated Western Beaver, 27-20, in 2022. They are 25-25 overall since moving over from District 6.

• Laurel Valley and Ligonier Valley high schools merged into one school in 2010.

• Prior to rejoining the WPIAL in 2019, the Rams reached District 6 finals four consecutive seasons, winning in 2016 and ‘17.

ROSTER

No., Name, Pos., Ht./Wt., Cl.

1, Boden Schreyer, QB/DB, 5-10/191, sr.

2, Patrick Latin, RB/DB, 6-1/172, jr.

3, Isaac Leighty, RB/DB, 5-7/136, jr.

4, Knourth Drury, RB/DB, 5-4/131, so.

5, Levi Foust, QB/LB, 5-10/183, fr.

7, Greyson Daugherty, WR/DB, 6-3/190, so.

8, Tucker Wilcox, WR/DB, 5-11/177, so.

9, Ryan Mohney, RB/LB, 5-9/170, so.

10, Gregory Sleasman, WR/DB, 5-9/167, jr.

11, Brody Stitt, WR/LB, 5-7/172, sr.

12, Elijah Robinson, WR/LB, 5-8/184, jr.

13, Blake Hitt, RB/DB, 5-4/148, fr.

15, Tyler Queer, WR/DB, 5-8/177, jr.

17, Andrew Fuller, QB/LB, 5-4/154, so.

21, Remington Keenan, WR/DB, 5-5/130, fr.

24, Eric Dietz, RB/LB, 5-9/150, fr.

25, Aaron Dennison, RB/LB, 5-7/188, sr.

26, Jonathon Constable, WR/DB, 5-8/200, sr.

28, Jacob Petalino, RB/DB, 5-8/154, sr.

30, Isaac Chivers, WR/LB, 6-0/208, jr.

32, Anthony Petalino, WR/DB, 5-6/122, fr.

34, Bryce Vida, RB/LB, 5-7/192, sr.

35, Niko Brown, RB/DB, 5-7/154, so.

42, Noah Mack, OL/LB, 5-7/210, jr.

45, Blake Rensko, TE/LB, 5-11/170, fr.

51, Karson White, OL/DE, 5-8/178, so.

52, Connor Faas, OL/LB, 5-10/208, sr.

55, Tony Lonas, OL/DL, 5-9/250, sr.

56, Wyatt Taylor, OL/LB, 6-1/173, jr.

57, Nolan Huba, OL/DL, 6-0/298, sr.

62, Blake Penrose, OL/LB, 5-11/230, fr.

63, Ethan Friscarella, OL/DL, 6-1/212, jr.

65, Jacob Robertson, OL/DL, 6-0/258, jr.

66, Lucas Krieger, OL/DL, 5-11/198, sr.

67, Brock Mack, OL/DL, 5-7/197, fr.

71, Wyatt Queer, OL/DL, 5-11/282, jr.

72, Brayden McKenzie, OL/DL, 6-0/287, fr.

74, Michael Hillen, OL/LB, 5-9/214, jr.

76, Kaleb Schmidt, OL/DL, 5-10/324, so.

77, Dakota McDonald, OL/DL, 6-0/298, jr.

82, Cameron Kunkle, TE/DE, 5-11/183, sr.

83, Nathan Beech, WR/DB, 5-5/183, jr.

88, Mason Phillips, WR/LB, 6-0/146, fr.

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