Offseason growth boosts expectations for Laurel

By: Bill Hartlep
Thursday, August 22, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Brian Cooper cited growth as the biggest area of improvement for his 2024 Laurel football team.

That term is two-fold in that the Spartans are a more mature team, showing growth in the mental part of the game and gaining a year of experience, something important for a young squad that graduated just three seniors last spring.

It also highlights the size of his returning players, who are noticeable bigger, stronger and built for the rigors of a Class A Big Seven Conference schedule.

“We’re definitely a lot bigger than last year,” said Cooper, who enters his 11th season. “We had a lot of young kids on the team. A year of maturity, a year older, you can see a big difference in our size and hopefully with our physicality. We’re a lot stronger, and I think you’ll see that transition on the field.”

The team is still on the young side, with just six seniors, but many of those underclassmen gained experience in 2023 when the Spartans went 4-7 overall and 3-3 in the conference before falling to Clairton, 44-7, in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.

One of those returning underclassmen is junior quarterback Luca Santini, who threw for more than 600 yards and five touchdowns and also ran for 159 yards.

“He’s got a strong arm. He’s reading the defense a lot better,” Cooper said. “The 7-on-7s we went to, he was a lot more consistent in his reads. He throws a good football. You can see the difference in maturity and everything that goes along with it. As a 10th grader, it’s hard to make those reads. You see a lot more maturity there. His arm’s gotten stronger.”

Senior Jackson Sauders also saw time as a wildcat quarterback last season and is expected to fill a similar role in addition to his work at wide receiver. He had 17 catches for 244 yards last season and also ran for more than 150 yards.

“What we’re excited most about is he’s looking healthy and fast,” Cooper said. “His junior year, he was fast but not as fast as a 10th grader after he sustained an ankle injury as a 10th grader. He busted out of it in track last year. He’s quick. He’s got good hands. You can put him in the slot and run the ball if needed.

“We’ll use him in multiple ways. He’s bigger and more physical. He has a decent enough arm as a quarterback so if defenses load the box, he can hurt you there as well.”

Laurel has boasted a strong running game in past seasons and expects to continue that tradition. Running back Ben Hennon, who surpassed 1,000 yards and was an all-conference selection, graduated. He followed in line of the strong running game provided by Luke McCoy and Kobe Derosa in past seasons.

Junior Nate Hill is in line to start this year at running back after gaining nearly 200 yards a year ago on 30 carries.

“He’s powerful, definitely the fastest kid on the team,” Cooper said.

Junior Jack Miles ran for 109 yards last season as an H-back and also will be in the backfield.

Junior wide receiver Kolton Carlson returns after making 22 catches for 401 yards. He is expected to see time in the slot and in the backfield as well. Senior Tyler Shearer also returns at receiver after making 13 grabs for 250 yards in 2023. First-year player Brayden Faulkner, a sophomore, also could see carries.

Up front, Laurel will rely on four returning starters in seniors Jayden Iorio and Mack Shevitz and juniors Casey Wilson and Kevin Mahoney. The Spartans will have to replace all-conference guard Keegan O’Brien, who graduated.

Much like the offense that returned nine starters, Laurel is experienced on defense with eight starters back. The group will be led by a strong group of defensive linemen as well as Carlson and Miles as playmakers at inside linebacker.

“Both are athletic, strong, big kids,” Cooper said. “They’re nice weapons to have on the field, on offense as well as defense.”

After finishing in a tie for third in the Big Seven last season, Cooper and the Spartans have sights set on contending for the top spot this fall.

“Obviously, I expect us to improve on last year,” he said. “We know we’re in a tough conference. You have to get through healthy. We want to push to get back on top of the section. Every year you are trying to make the playoffs. On top of that, we want to push for the section championship. It’s a tough task. The Big Seven is a tough league to be in. We have a grind of a season, but we feel we have the right pieces to make that push. Hopefully it all comes together.”

Union moved up to Class 2A, but Neshannock dropped down to take its place in the Big Seven, joining Northgate, Rochester, Shenango, South Side and Summit Academy.

“It’s usually where the WPIAL champion comes from or at least playing in the game,” Cooper said. “No disrespect to any other (conferences), but we know we’re in for a grind. Neshannock has always been a good, physical game. We’ve had some battles with them the past few years. It definitely adds to the rivalry when we’re in the same section. You always are trying to prove to be the best in the county.

“You can’t overlook Rochester and South Side. They are well coached with some great athletes. It’s a grind of a conference. You have to be consistent and get a little lucky with the injuries.”

Laurel

Coach: Brian Cooper

2023 record: 4-7 overall, 3-3 in Class A Big Seven Conference

All-time record: 365-268-10

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 Ellwood City, 7

8.30 at Mohawk, 7

9.6 Riverside, 7

9.13 Bishop Canevin, 7

9.20 at Rochester*, 7

9.27 Northgate*, 7

10.5 at Summit Academy*, 12:30 p.m.

10.11 Shenango*, 7

10.18 at South Side*, 7

10.25 at Neshannock*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Luca Santini

37-103, 601 yards, 5 TDs

Rushing: Ben Hennon*

212-1,088 yards, 9 TDs

Receiving: Kolton Carlson

22-401 yards, 5 TDs

* Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Brian Cooper has a career record of 97-88 in 19 years as a head coach, including a stint at Shenango from 1999-2006.

• Maya Jarrett, a junior kicker, converted 16 extra-point attempts and a field goal last season, becoming the first female player to score a point for the Laurel football team.

• Laurel will head to Neshannock for the regular-season finale on Oct. 25 in a battle for Lawrence County supremacy. Neshannock went 9-2 last season, winning the MAC title, and reached the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals.

• Laurel won the WPIAL championship once, in 1980.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

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