Program in a good place as Mohawk keeps stacking playoff seasons

By: John Phillips
Saturday, August 16, 2025 | 6:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

The long summer days that lead to the start of a football season are where many coaches feel wins and losses will be determined, based on the effort put in.

Mohawk coach Tim McCutcheon is no different, logging hours that go into the evening most days. But to build a winning culture at a school that is now on that cusp of stacking playoff appearances, the hard work never stops.

The Warriors are getting there under McCutcheon, who is now in his 11th season at the helm. Mohawk’s run into the WPIAL quarterfinals last season, losing to eventual champion South Park, was not on his bingo card prior to the start of 2024.

“We ended up playing South Park in the second round and they ended up winning the WPIAL title in 2A,” he said. “We had the lead at halftime and the game came down to the final play. They had two D-1 linemen and a D-1 running back and we didn’t have anything like that, so I was very proud of the kids and how they played. I didn’t see us as a WPIAL contender going into the year. They laid it all out on the line for us, and that’s all I can ask for.”

McCutcheon came to the school initially working in the youth program. When the school began to look for a new head coach in 2014, several assistants on the staff at the high school asked him to apply.

“It was not my intention. It presented itself, and several guys on the staff wanted me to go for it,” he said. “It wasn’t a goal of mine, but I did, and thankfully I did, and I love it, and 11 years later, I still enjoy doing it.”

McCutcheon, who grew up in New Brighton school district, is all too familiar with the legacy that many of the MAC schools carry when it comes to tradition and winning titles.

“Every team that gets mentioned, from Aliquippa to Beaver Falls, I used to play against them,” he said. “Before I got here, this school had one playoff appearance in school history. When I got hired, it was a late offer in June. The very first game we played was at Aliquippa at the Pit. We got down 7-6 at half and the kids had their heads down. We had to change the culture, since the school was not used to winning.”

Those early years saw very few wins under McCutcheon. The Warriors won just one game in 18 played. Changing the mentality of that was going to require a Herculean effort.

“When you take over a losing program, you don’t know what that means until you see it,” McCutcheon said. “We had to change the culture. You play in the MAC, schools in Beaver County and the Valley area, it’s rare that somebody in this conference isn’t in the finals. There is always one in the semifinals. There are usually three in the quarterfinals. Just surviving the conference play is hell on any team. Having been from the Beaver Valley, I know how hard it is to win around here.”

McCutcheon took a Beaver County approach in his rebuild efforts, and it has paid off over the past decade, making the playoffs on a nearly yearly basis, with six appearances over the past eight seasons, a semifinal run in 2023 and multiple quarterfinal runs.

Helping the Warriors this season make another postseason run will be seven returning starters on both sides of the ball, with several seniors leading the way, including starting quarterback Bobby Fadden.

Running back Joey Nail also returns to tote the rock. Opening holes for him while also protecting Fadden will be lineman Dan Monaco. Several juniors who will be counted on include running back Cash Stratton and lineman Brayden Radzyminski.

Through it all, McCutcheon feels he has a team that can contend and win the conference due to more depth.

“We have 37 to start the year on the roster,” he said. “I always want 10 a grade if I can get them. A few years ago, we had 50 in 2021 and 22. If I can get to 40, I’m extremely happy. We have good kids, and I feel we’ve built the culture of winning that’s needed.”

Mohawk

Coach: Tim McCutcheon

2024 record: 7-4, 5-2 in Class 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference

All-time record: 384-488-40

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.22 Neshannock, 7

8.29 at Laurel, 7

9.5 Shenango, 7

9.12 Ellwood City*, 7

9.19 at Beaver Falls*, 7

9.26 at Union*, 7

10.3 at New Brighton*, 7

10.10 Western Beaver*, 7

10.17 Freedom*, 7

10.24 at Riverside *, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Bobby Fadden

109-224, 1,677 yards, 19 TDS

Rushing: Fadden

93-618, 7 TDs

Receiving: Blake Logan*

44-734, 9 TDs

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Last year’s senior class at Mohawk was the first to make the playoffs all four years of play.

• Mohawk is one of the few MAC schools not located in Beaver County, as it sits just across the Lawrence County line.

Tags: Mohawk