Trinity hoping to take a step forward with experienced roster

By: Dave Mackall
Sunday, August 13, 2023 | 11:12 PM

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The positivity resonates throughout Dan Knause’s lingo:

• “Make today count.”

• “Team chemistry is so important.”

• “Person-student-player,” in that order, he says.

It’s been Knause’s calling card wherever he’s been, and it’s no different at Trinity, where he serves as assistant high school principal and is entering his second season as the Hillers’ football coach.

“I want to continue to teach young men how important development is. The bigger success will come if they get lost in their daily development,” said Knause, who is attempting to jump-start a program that has reached the WPIAL playoffs just five times since 2007, the last appearance coming in 2017.

If his plan succeeds, it will mark the third WPIAL program to make a turnaround under Knause’s watch, following breakthrough seasons at Class A Cornell (7-3 in 2010) and Class 4A Chartiers Valley, his alma mater (6-2 during a covid-interrupted 2020).

“You’re hoping for a team that will fight and scratch and claw for each other and work hard for their teammates,” he said. “If we can get to that point, I truly believe we can be in position to win every game every week. That comes as a humble statement. I know how good our (Big Seven) conference is. I know how good our coaches are. But we want our kids in a position in the fourth quarter to win every game, regardless of the opponent.”

Class 4A Trinity, in Knause’s first season with the Hillers, was 3-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big Seven in 2022, but there’s an air of optimism with the return of 16 starters, eight on each side of the ball.

Knause said it starts with quarterback Jonah Williamson, just a sophomore.

“He’s an impressive athlete. He has natural leadership and a cognitive ability to dissect the game,” Knause said. “He does a lot of complex things for us. He was impressive as a freshman and did some things, physically, that were impressive.”

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williamson last season passed for 667 yards and six touchdowns, completing more than 50% of his tosses.

“Even at a young age, he’s somebody who’s shown he knows the game well,” Knause said. “We’re going to open up the pass game a little as we go. Jonah did a little bit with half-field concepts last season, but we’re really going to the full-field reads with him in year two. He can handle it. He’s a very mature young man.”

Running back Andrew Durig, whose junior season was cut short by an injury, also returns and was expected to be 100% for Trinity’s opener Aug. 25 against Chartiers Valley.

While his time on the field was limited, the 5-10, 178-pound Durig still managed 90 touches for 651 all-purpose yards (7.2 average).

“He was pretty electric when he was in there,” Knause said. “He only played in about six games total.”

Dante DeRubbo, the team’s leading pass-catcher in 2022, and Luke Lacock could be favorite targets of Williamson’s after the senior pair of wide receivers gained a full year of experience in Knause’s system last season.

“We expect to make strides in year two and our No. 1 goal is the playoffs,” Knause said. “We had a young team in 2022 and are optimistic the experience gained will translate to progress on the field in 2023.”

Trinity boasts a veteran group of linemen on both sides, dominated by a number of seniors entering their third season of varsity competition.

Seniors Jace Banco, Aiden Davis, Braeden Helmkamp and Jimmy Lafferty and junior Semaj Fuse are two-way players who average 257 pounds.

“We have a lot of experience with our linemen,” Knause said. “I’m excited about that group because they’re the foundation of our team.”

Senior two-way lineman Mason Harps is among a handful of players whose development Knause is eager to see.

Some others are senior wide receiver/defensive back Isaiah Kimble, junior running back/linebacker Brock Spiker and sophomore wide receiver/linebacker Anthony Giorgi.

“The more intelligent they get, the faster we get them to play,” said Knause, 46, who has spent a coaching career hoping to relate his own experiences as a player on the gridiron.

A first-team, all-conference fullback/defensive end in 1995 at Chartiers Valley, Knause went on to play at Division III Westminster (Pa.), then a Division II program.

While he never was able to recover fully from a knee injury during his freshman season, he’s managed to keep his passion level high, leading three high school programs and serving at various times as an assistant at the high school and college levels.

“I’ve taken over three rebuilds, places that hadn’t won much,” Knause said. “I’m never going to be in the hall of fame, but I love teaching kids. This is probably the last time I want to do it. This is where I want to do it.”

Editor’s note: Due to production scheduling conflicts, previews for Class 4A Big Seven Conference schools Connellsville, Laurel Highlands, McKeesport and Ringgold will appear later this month.

Trinity

Coach: Dan Knause

2022 record: 4-6, 2-4 in Class 4A Big Seven Conference

All-time record: 381-525-37

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.25 Perry Traditional Academy, 7

9.1 at Chartiers Valley, 7

9.8 Peters Township, 7

9.15 at Connellsville*, 7

9.22 McKeesport*, 7

9.29 at Latrobe*, 7

10.6 Thomas Jefferson*, 7

10.13 at Laurel Highlands*, 7

10.20 Linsly School (W. Va.) 7

10.27 Ringgold*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Jonah Williamson

63-124, 667 yards, 6 TDs

Rushing: Andrew Durig

82-527 yards, 5 TDs

Receiving: Dante DeRubbo

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Braeden Helmkamp, a 6-5, 274-pound senior two-way lineman, whose junior year was cut short by an injury, made a commitment in early August to attend Army next year.

• Running back Andrew Durig posted the fastest time for Trinity at the third annual Steelers 11-ON 7-on-7 tournament in June at Bethel Park. Trinity was among 12 WPIAL schools competing in the event.

• Trinity lists 71 players on its roster, 24 of whom are freshmen.

• Former Trinity lineman Ty Banco, last season a finalist for the annual Bill Fralic Memorial Award, is a freshman walk-on at Texas A&M. Joe Enick of Penn-Trafford wound up winning the award, but Banco gained a measure of revenge on the wrestling mat by pinning Enick in 39 seconds to claim the 285-pound title at the WPIAL Class 3A championships.

Tags: Trinity