Montour has experience to contend in Class 4A Parkway Conference

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, August 10, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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With many players back in the black and gold last fall, there were expectations for success for Montour. While the Spartans came up short of their ultimate championship goal, finishing 10-2 with a trip to the WPIAL semifinals is not too shabby.

“We had an excellent season,” Montour coach Lou Cerro said. “As the season was progressing, we thought we would have a chance to keep getting better each week and you could see it in the players’ demeanor as well. We ran into a great team in McKeesport in the semifinals, and we did not play our best game. They exposed us a little at our weakest spots.”

Cerro hopes his team can shore up those weak spots and has plenty of experience returning to do so with eight players back on offense and nine returning on defense.

“We have a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball, and I am excited about how they all have matured since last year,” Cerro said. “We will have a lot of competition during camp since we have kids who played a ton, and they all will be competing for starting jobs. As all teams do, the summer and offseason have been awesome, and we’re looking forward to all the competition.”

While experience and confidence are not issues, Cerro and his staff are wary of over-confidence.

“When you have success as we did last year, you must make sure your team is not over confident,” he said.

Montour lost a three-year starter at quarterback in Jake Wolfe, who was the Spartans leading passer with 2,662 yards and 31 touchdowns, leading rusher with 786 yards, and the team’s top scorer with 14 touchdowns. But Cerro is confident Montour has its answer at QB.

“Jake was special, but we have a QB in Trey Hopper who has paid his dues and has waited three years for this opportunity,” Cerro said. “He is a different quarterback than Jake, as Trey is more of a passing guy. Jake running the ball at least 10 times a game last year gave the offense a different dimension. We will count on Caden Halajcio, who really played well as a sophomore, to carry the ball a lot more this year.”

One of the new skilled players ready to help the new quarterback is three-year starter Kaleb Platz. The senior tight end and linebacker is ready to do what he can to make the transition to Hopper a successful one.

“We all have faith in Trey and we know he can get the job done,” Platz said. “We are all going to do our jobs and win a lot of ballgames.”

Some of the other key senior Spartans to watch for this season include:

• Wide receiver and linebacker Daniel Batch, a dynamic player who returns punts and has more than a dozen offers.

• Wide receiver and defensive back A.J. Alston, a smart player who makes plays on both sides of the field. He has an offer from Robert Morris.

• Lineman Mark Dobrowsky, a two-year starter with an offer from VMI .

• Wide receiver and defensive back James Bundridge, a three-year starter who Cerro says plays consistent.

“The strength of the team would be the skill group and our speed and tempo,” Platz said. “We are in great shape and we know what is expected of us. Defensively, I know we are going to play fast and strong. We are going to be lethal this year on both sides.”

Playing in the Class 4A Parkway Conference, the schedule for Montour, both conference and nonconference will be challenging and is expected to prepare for what the Spartans hope is long playoff run come November.

“Class 4A and Parkway will be competitive as usual, with Aliquippa and everyone else,” Cerro said. “West A will be very good. We have a very competitive nonsection schedule with Central Valley, Moon and Mars that should get us ready for the season.”

Montour

Coach: Lou Cerro

2023 record: 10-2, 6-1 in Class 4A Parkway Conference

All-time record: 464-354-20

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 Central Valley, 7

8.30 at Moon, 7

9.6 at Trinity, 7

9.13 Knoch, 7

9.20 at Mars, 7

9.27 at Blackhawk*, 7

10.4 New Castle*, 7

10.11 at Ambridge*, 7

10.18 Aliquippa*, 7

10.25 West Allegheny*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Jake Wolfe*

148-246, 2,662 yards, 31 TDs

Rushing: Wolfe*

156-786 yards, 14 TDs

Receiving: A.J. Alston

42-815 yards, 12 TDs

* Graduated

FAST FACTS

• This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Spartans winning the second of back-to-back WPIAL Class 2A football championships. Montour defeated previously undefeated Arnold in the 2A finals at Jeannette, 19-7. The previous year, the Spartans captured their first district crown with a win in the 1963 finals over Freeport, 29-12. The ’64 title run would be the last for Montour until the Spartans cruised past Knoch 47 years later in the 2011 championship game, 42-14.

• This is the 20th year for Lou Cerro as head coach at Montour. He also serves as the school district’s athletic director. He has won three WPIAL championships, at Montour in 2011 and at his previous coaching stint at Seton LaSalle in 2002 and ‘04.

• During Cerro’s first 19 years at Montour, the Spartans have missed the playoffs only four times. They did not qualify in his first two seasons in 2005 and 2006, as well as in 2018 and in 2020. However, that number could have easily been two misses in nearly two decades. In 2018, they finished in a three-way tie for fourth place and lost the tiebreaker to New Castle. In 2020, the Spartans finished in third place in the 4A Parkway Conference, but only the top two teams and two of the three third-place teams made the shortened covid year playoffs, and they lost out to Hampton and McKeesport.

• This is the 93rd season of Montour football, including preceding schools in the district. The Spartans have an all-time record of 464-354-20.

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