New faces join experienced backfield for Riverside

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, August 16, 2018 | 10:03 PM

Losing 16 seniors from a Class 2A football team might make it feel like a rebuilding season.

Don’t tell that to Riverside coach Ron Sciarro. His Panthers have made back-to-back trips to the WPIAL semifinals, and while there are plenty of holes to be filled, there still are plenty of playmakers wearing green and white uniforms.

The Panthers return is a two-year starter at quarterback in junior Ben Hughes, and a running back in senior LaMarcus Cleckley who nearly eclipsed 1,000 yards as the No. 2 option in the backfield. Cleckley and the graduated Noah Harris each rushed for more than 900 yards and double-digit touchdowns.

Senior Nic Ottaviani, who rushed for four touchdowns a year ago, and sophomore Hunter Nulph will join Cleckley in the backfield. Seniors Nathaniel Marak and Jarrett Spear return as starters on the offensive line. Ben Antal and Adam Boots have also impressed in practices so far on the line.

Hughes threw for 1,500 yards as a sophomore last year. He has improved over his first two years as a starting quarterback, especially in limiting the mistakes.

“He’s very smart,” Sciarro said about his quarterback. “He runs the offense. He controls everything. We’re counting on him to have a good year.”

One of the things Sciarro likes most about his junior signal caller is how he has taken a leadership role as an underclassman.

“He leads by example,” Sciarro said. “He sets the tempo.”

The loss of Austin Dambach , who contributed 16 total touchdowns on the season, will especially hurt on the outside. The top four receivers from a year ago, representing 85 percent of the team’s receptions, all graduated. Cleckley caught five passes out of the backfield a season ago. Josh Bishop figures to be one of the top pass-catching options on the outside.

The latest addition to the wide receiving corps is a familiar face for Sciarro — his grandson, Nate, who moved in from Chicago right before heat acclimatization workouts began.

“It’s been good,” Sciarro said of his grandson, a junior. “He’s only had (a week), and he’s picking everything up, so he’s doing well that way.”

In his two years back as the coach of Riverside, Sciarro’s Panthers have lost six games, four of which have came against Steel Valley. Two of those losses came in the WPIAL semifinals.

Even with lots of new faces on the field, Riverside does not look at 2018 as a “rebuilding” year. The goal is to take that final step to the WPIAL championship game. Riverside has not played for a district championship in football since Sciarro’s first stint, when the Panthers played in three straight finals from 1991-93.

Defense is the staple of a Sciarro team at Riverside. For the 2018 season, the defense will possibly be the Achilles’ heel for whether or not the Panthers can make that run.

“We lost nine out of 11 (starters), so we’re trying to fill the holes,” he said. “There’s a lot of question marks; it’s whoever steps up. So these two scrimmages coming up … will tell us a lot.”

Schedule

Coach: Ron Sciarro

2017 record: 9-3, 6-1

All-time record: 266-221-4

Date, Opponent, Time

8.31, Neshannock*, 7 p.m.

9.7, at Freedom*, 7:30 p.m.

9.14, Western Beaver*, 7 p.m.

9.21, Shenango*, 7 p.m.

9.28, at Carlynton, 7 p.m.

10.5, Mohawk*, 7 p.m.

10.12, at Ellwood City*, 7 p.m.

10.19, at Valley, 7 p.m.

10.26, New Brighton*, 7 p.m.

*Class 2A Midwestern Conference game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Ben Hughes

74-129, 1,576 yards, 21 TDs

Rushing: Noah Harris*

173-973 yards, 15 TDs

Receiving: Austin Dambach*

29-694 yards, 16 TDs

*Graduated

James Dotson is a freelance writer.

Tags: Riverside