What we learned in Week 1 of H.S. football

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, September 4, 2021 | 5:59 PM

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More than two dozen WPIAL football teams are off to 2-0 starts, but the most exciting could belong to Shaler Area.

The Titans hadn’t started 2-0 since 2009, when coach Neil Gordon still was walking the team’s sideline. In the 11 years since, the program has had one winning season and six winless campaigns. They also have hired three head coaches in that span, but fourth-year coach Jim Ryan has them headed in the right direction this fall.

Shaler defeated Mars, 25-6, on Friday. Augie Tortorea, Dylan Schlagel, Josh Miller and Luke Cignetti scored touchdowns in the win.

“Everybody’s on cloud nine,” Ryan said. “We’re excited. Everybody’s having a good time. Really, it comes down to the kids are bought and sold on the new system that we installed and the new philosophy we’re teaching. I couldn’t be more proud of our kids.”

Ryan revamped the offense this fall with help from new assistant coach John Tortorea, a former head coach at Quaker Valley. A year ago, Shaler was outscored 325-92.

“The kids really took to the new concepts,” Ryan said. “It’s standard football stuff. We run a pro style. We run a tight-end wing set. Put it this way: It’s a lot of stuff, but the kids are really good at it.

“It’s like picking through a shopping catalog. What do we want to do this week because we could do this, this and that.”

It’s shaping up to be a bounce-back season after last year’s 0-7 record.

A week earlier, Shaler won 37-20 at New Castle. Mars and New Castle were frequent WPIAL playoff qualifiers in recent years.

“That makes it even more satisfying,” Ryan said, “to know we took it to two teams that are historically good football programs.”

Among the other bounce-back starts is Laurel Highlands (2-0). The Mustangs started last season 1-5 and began 0-5 in 2019.

‘Why you play’

For the first time in almost two years, there were students cheering and chanting together in the bleachers at Gateway’s Antimarino Stadium. Those student sections, with theme nights and coordinating clothes, were missing last season because of the pandemic.

There were some good crowds in Week Zero, but Week 1 seemed even closer to the atmosphere from years past.

“It was great, the whole atmosphere,” Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Cherpak said. “It was an enjoyable game to be a part of. Even if we’d ended up losing at the end, it was a great high school football game. This is why you play in games like this: to be a part of this.”

The Thomas Jefferson vs. Gateway game drew more than 3,000, and the Aliquippa at Beaver Falls matchup drew around 3,500. Mt. Lebanon athletic director John Grogan estimated upwards of 5,000 attended the Blue Devils’ game against Upper St. Clair.

Girl power

West Allegheny and Trinity combined for 77 points and more than 600 passing yards in a wild game Friday night.

Yet, what shouldn’t be overshadowed are the three field goals by West Allegheny freshman Casie Yonker, a 5-foot-7 female kicker who proved to be the difference in a 9-point win.

Yonker made attempts from 28, 25 and 20 yards, and West Allegheny won 43-34. She plays girls soccer and gained football experience kicking for the junior high team last year.

“I’ve joked with her that she could probably play some outside linebacker for us, too,” coach Dave Schoppe said. “She’s a great girl, and we’re lucky to have her on the team.”

She went 3 for 3 on field-goal attempts.

It’s the second year in a row West Allegheny has a female kicker. Then-senior Breana Gerst kicked nine extra points in a win last year over Connellsville.

Schoppe is good with this new tradition.

“Everywhere I’ve coached, we’ve typically had male soccer players come and kick,” he said. “Once I came to West A, we have female kickers. They’ve done a great job for us.”

Strong arm

One of Week 1’s top stat lines belonged to Armstrong junior Cadin Olsen, who is piling up touchdown passes by the bunch. The quarterback threw five more Friday while completing 23 of 35 passes for 285 yards in a 49-6 win over Deer Lakes.

Olsen has thrown 31 TDs in 10 varsity starts. Friday’s game was the seventh time he had at least three in a game. He has thrown four TDs five times and reached five TDs twice.

This season, Olsen has passed for 552 yards and eight touchdowns. As sophomore, he ranked second among WPIAL passers with 2,035 yards and threw 23 touchdowns.

No worries

Clairton suffered a rare season-opening loss Friday night, but history says don’t count out the Bears yet.

Consider, since 2006, Clairton had lost its opener only twice in 15 seasons before Friday’s 14-12 setback to Steel Valley. In 2019, the Bears bounced back to win the WPIAL title. In 2009, they won both WPIAL and PIAA championships.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.