Scholastic Notebook – 10/22/2010

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, October 22, 2010 | 12:00 AM

Deer Lakes has been one of the feel-good stories of WPIAL football this season. For some of Deer Lakes' coaches, what makes them feel good is they know first-hand how frustrating all the losing can be on a Deer Lakes player.

Deer Lakes coach Todd Hazlett is a Deer Lakes graduate. So is his quarterbacks coach, Tim Burk. They know all about Deer Lakes history. For years, they have heard about how the Lancers have NEVER been to the WPIAL playoffs. Of the WPIAL football teams that have played at least 20 years in the WPIAL, Deer Lakes is the only one that has never qualified for the postseason.

But this season, Deer Lakes is 5-2 overall and in second place in the Allegheny Conference with a 4-1 record. The top four teams qualify for the playoffs.

"It sure is nice sitting here and having a different perspective for once, of being near the top and looking down, instead of being at the bottom and looking up," Hazlett said.

Last week, Deer Lakes beat Freeport for the first time in 15 years. The win also clinched the first winning season for Deer Lakes since 1995.

"Tim Burk was the quarterback of that last winning team here," Hazlett said. "We know all about the trials and tribulations of facing the Freeports and Ford Citys year after year. Going through those years is what makes this feel better."

Sto-Rox Players Out

Due to a new academic policy, 17 Sto-Rox players will not play in tonight's game against Shenango.

Under the new policy, a student must have at least a C in four core classes to participate in extracurricular activities. This is the first week where players will be ineligible. It was somewhat of a surprise last Saturday when Sto-Rox was handled by Western Beaver, 22-6. But Sto-Rox didn't have any players ineligible for that game.

It is expected that at least a few of the 17 ineligible players will be starters. But Sto-Rox had 44 players on its team at the start of the season, so the team will not be decimated.

Going Green

Belle Vernon plays host to Thomas Jefferson in a big Big Eight Conference game tonight. It's not often Thomas Jefferson loses conference games, but what could help Belle Vernon's plight is running back Matt Green getting closer to full strength.

Green rushed for 1,122 yards in the 2009 regular season, but missed the first four games of this season with an ankle sprain. Last week, he rushed for 171 yards on 26 carries in a 10-0 win against West Mifflin. It was only Green's third game of the season.

"He's pretty close to 100 percent," said Belle Vernon coach Aaron Krepps. "The way I look at it, the first two games he was back, it was like his first two scrimmages of the year. So last Friday was like week one of the season for him. It's nice to have him back on both sides of the ball because he's a great safety as well."

Krepps believes Green is a Division I college player. Krepps said some Mid-American Conference schools have showed interest.

"I hope the injury doesn't affect his recruiting because I really believe he's a Division I talent," Krepps said.

The Last Game

Charleroi Stadium first opened in 1937 in the town of Charleroi. Friday night, the Cougars will play in the stadium for the final time when they play host to Freedom in a non-conference game.

A new stadium is being built near the school. The old place certainly has a lot of tradition. It was home to the 1959 WPIAL champion Cougars. Also, Darrell Harding once set the WPIAL all-time rushing record at the stadium in a game against McGuffey.

Quite Offensive

A football team in Michigan gained more than 1,000 yards

Tags: Belle Vernon, Charleroi, Deer Lakes