New coaching regime looks to get Brentwood back to playoffs

By: Ray Fisher
Saturday, August 19, 2023 | 9:00 PM

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Brentwood’s football team finished 2-4 in the Class 2A Century Conference last season and 3-7 overall.

Longtime coach Kevin Kissel resigned. Nick Caponi, who served as an assistant under Kissel for 18 years, fulfilled a lifelong dream by taking over.

“So far, the coaching staff has loved how hard the kids have worked and how well they have embraced a new system,” Caponi said. “The kids have made great progress this summer because of their work ethic, and I expect that same attitude from them moving forward.

“No matter what the conditions or circumstances, I expect the kids to give their best effort because that is one thing that they control.”

Caponi’s hiring was announced Feb. 27 at a school board meeting.

“Growing up in Brentwood and playing and coaching for the program, being the head coach here was always something that I have thought about,” the 42-year-old Caponi said. “Obviously, I am very excited. Being hired as the head coach is something I have worked towards. I look forward to this opportunity. It is an opportunity I am going to embrace.

“Brentwood has a long tradition of having a strong football program, and I am looking forward to continuing to build off that. This program is an integral part of the community. I believe creating enthusiasm around this program and building positive relationships between the parents, players, student body and community are important.”

The Spartans have eight returning starters this year — seniors Blake Davis (OL/DL), Daelinn Drew (RB/LB/DB) and Shane Palmer (WR/DB); juniors Forest Betz (WR/DB), Daymire Spencer (OL/DL), Owen Beck (H-Back/LB) and Colton Rosing (WR/DB); and sophomore Cedric Davis (QB).

“Cedric Davis will focus more on his QB play rather than defense,” Caponi said. “Learning a whole new offensive system is tough on a quarterback because he needs to know what everyone is doing on every play.

“However, Cedric is able to play at linebacker or defensive back if we need him to.”

Drew and Beck will start at running back while Palmer, Betz and Rosing will lead the receiving corps and have been joined by senior Ethan Simmons (WR/DB).

“We plan to move Daelinn Drew around on offense, from running back to receiver, based on the personnel group,” Caponi said.

Defensively, Drew and Beck lead the linebacking corps, and the secondary appears strong with Palmer, Betz, Rosing and Simmons. Davis and Spencer anchor the line play.

“Our expectations for this season include improving our record and making the playoffs,” Davis said. “My goal is to make the all-conference team.”

Davis, 17, is a 6-foot, 205-pound lineman. He also plays baseball at Brentwood.

Other possible starters this year include seniors Ian Harrington (TE/DE), Talen Ho (RB/LB), Richard Ng (OL) and A.J. Caruso (OL); along with juniors Zack Vickless (RB/LB), Jeremy Steele (WR/DB), Max Rock (OL), Antonio Weir (OL) and Cody Jablonski (LB).

Two young athletes expected to contribute are sophomore Wyatt Wooten, at linebacker, H-Back or tight end, and freshman Dayshaun Spencer, Daymire’s brother, at wide receiver and defensive back.

“It’s all hands on deck for us,” Caponi said. “We are going to need to count on pretty much everyone to contribute.”

Brentwood qualified for the playoffs seven years in a row from 2008-14 and 11 times since 2006.

But the Spartans have sat out the playoffs the past three years with 3-4, 1-9 and 3-7 records, marking the first time during Kissel’s long reign the team failed to qualify for three consecutive seasons.

Caponi and his staff have made major changes on offense.

“We will utilize a no-huddle system with the option or capability of going up-tempo,” the rookie head coach said. “This was something I wanted to change on the offensive side from previous seasons and our offensive coordinator, Steve Hubsch, has great experience with this type of offense from his time coaching at Canon-McMillan and also at Baldwin.

“Defensively, our coordinator, Jake Thomas, played collegiately at Robert Morris and is bringing some of the philosophy and schemes they ran while he played there.”

According to Caponi, the players have grasped the new concepts.

“The upperclassmen have positively accepted a whole new offensive and defensive scheme,” he said. “It’s not an easy thing for players to hear a coach say they are going to have to dedicate much more time and energy to learning a new system. But they have done a tremendous job of accepting that challenge.

“And the underclassmen have worked very hard. They are consistent in their effort and commitment. I’ve been very pleased with the progress this group has made over the summer.”

Caponi’s first order of business in his new position was to hire a coaching staff.

“I brought in a whole new staff,” he said. “Steve Hubsch is the offensive coordinator; Jake Thomas is the defensive coordinator. Dan Caponi, my uncle, coaches the running backs and linebackers. Jeremy Cenci and Ken Solomon coach the offensive and defensive lines. We also have Austin Veatch and Michael Trent helping out as volunteer coaches.

“I’m very excited about this coaching staff. They bring a lot of experience from coaching and playing standpoints. We have guys who have coached at other schools and have played at the collegiate level from Division I to Division III.”

After one scrimmage, the Spartans and new coaching staff will open the season Aug. 25 at Ellwood City.

Brentwood plays only four homes games this year.

Editor’s note: Due to production scheduling conflicts, the preview for Century Conference school Charleroi will appear later this week.

Brentwood

Coach: Nick Caponi

2022 record: 3-7, 2-4 in Class 2A Century Conference

All-time record: 427-424-28

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.25 at Ellwood City, 7

9.1 at Imani Christian, 7

9.8 South Park, 7

9.15 McGuffey*, 7

9.22 at Washington*, 7

9.29 at Beaver, 7:30

10.6 Waynesburg*, 7

10.13 at Sto-Rox*, 7

10.20 Charleroi*, 7

10.27 at Keystone Oaks*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Tavian Miller*

49-105, 499 yards, 3 TDs

Rushing: Daelinn Drew

71-280 yards, 5 TDs

Receiving: Drew

21-185 yards

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Caponi played football and baseball at Brentwood from 1995-98, along with one year of basketball, and was the recipient of the Mark Reider Award. After high school, he continued his baseball career at Grove City. Caponi is a seventh grade social studies teacher in the school district and served as an assistant football coach since 2004.

• Caponi’s cousin, Matt, played football at Baldwin and continued his career at national powerhouse Mount Union. He helped lead the Raiders to a 55-1 record and three NCAA Division III national championships. He was a starting safety and team captain and earned second team all-conference honors as a senior.

• Tavian Miller (499) and Cedric Davis (455) combined for 954 yards in the passing department last season, completing 89 of 190 passes between them.

• The team’s leading pass-catcher in 2022 was C.J. Fox with 23 receptions for 161 yards and one touchdown. Fox averaged 7 yards per catch.

• Eight players caught passes for the Spartans last season, consisting of Fox, Daelinn Drew (21-185), Zach Wuenschell (16-172), Forrest Betz (11-178), Anthony Herisko (11-151), A’vyair Johnson (3-38), Shane Palmer (3-31) and Miller (1-38).

Tags: Brentwood