120 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
TRI-COUNTY SOUTH • MONESSEN
Coach: Shane Swope
2019 record: 4-6, 4-3 in
Class A Tri-County South
All-time record: 668-375-47
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Avella* 7
9.18 Bentworth* 7
9.25 at Jefferson-Morgan* 7
10.2 Mapletown* 7
10.9 Carmichaels* 7
10.16 at West Greene* 7
10.23 at California* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Isaiah Beltram
31-55, 508 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving Darius Stevenson*
9-215 yards, 4 TDs
Rushing Isaiah Beltram
55-493 yards, 4 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Monessen has had just two
winning seasons since 2013
but made the WPIAL quarterfinals
in 2018.
• Mikey Blainefield, a former
Greyhounds standout who
played at Georgetown, resigned
as coach after three seasons.
• Swope hopes to incorporate
a spread offense to get the
ball into the hands of his top
playmakers.
• The Greyhounds scored one
less point (247) than they
allowed (248) last season. NUMBERS IMPROVING
TAKI FREZZELL
SHANE SWOPE JR.
FOR YOUNG MONESSEN
Rumblings about Monessen
possibly folding its proud football
program because of low roster
numbers were quickly stamped
out when Shane Swope was hired
during the winter to lead the Greyhounds.
Numbers actually began to grow
over a coronavirus-disrupted
spring and summer as Swope, a
former Yough assistant, began his
mission to flip the program into a
regular contender again.
“There is no reason Monessen
can’t win again,” said Swope, a
Yough graduate. “I had to get out
and find more players. These kids
are proud to be from Monessen,
and I knew there were a ton of good
athletes in town.”
Swope, who helped renovate the
team’s locker room and plans to
give out a turnover chain and title
belt as postgame awards, brings enthusiasm
to the Greyhounds, who
went 4-6 last season and did not
make the WPIAL Class A playoffs.
“We have a lot of speed coming
back,” Swope said, “but we’re going
to be young. We only have a
handful of seniors.”
And the younger players have
been pushing the seniors for playing
time.
An incoming freshman could
take over at quarterback in Shane
Swope Jr., the coach’s son who
transferred from Yough.
His father believes he can step in
and play right away. The younger
Swope led Yough’s middle school
team to a 12-3-1 record across two
years, including an undefeated
season in 2019, and did so in record
breaking fashion, breaking
program marks set by the great
Dustin Shoaf, who graduated two
years ago as Yough’s all-time leading
rusher.
“We have a lot of young guys, but
we have a bright future,” Coach
Swope said.
Among the slight senior group is
running back Isaiah Beltram, who
ran for 493 yards last season. The
small but shifty Beltram should be
a key ball carrier and run stopper
at linebacker.
“The thing about him is that
he has no film, but he is a special
player,” coach Swope said. “He
could line up everywhere for us.”
Add senior Elijah Davis to the
backfield, and the Greyhounds
have a nice mix.
The 200-pounder will be more of
a power runner.
Beltram also has the potential to
line up in wildcat packages at an
unsettled quarterback spot that
Swope had hoped to have ironed
out by training camp.
Beltram played some quarterback
last year.
The line took a hit when two
players transferred out in senior
Mark Mizerak (6-3, 290) and sophomore
Trevian Thompson (6-0, 290).
Mizerak left for Greensburg Central
Catholic, while Thompson is
now at Clairton.
While the Greyhounds won’t
lead the Tri-County South in size
up front, they will look to senior
Taki Frezzell, sophomores Josh
Arnold and Jaisean Blackman and
junior Ethan Newman to clear
running lanes.
Frezzell could see a shift to middle
linebacker for a defense that
could be strong at slowing the run.
Other players to watch include
freshmen Jermere Majors, an
H-back and defensive end, and
Jamar Bethea, a running back;
senior Milton Sanders, a receiver
and linebacker/end; junior linebacker
Dayton Carson; junior Greg
Adams (RB/LB); junior Kiantae
Robinson (RB/LB); junior Randy
Hines (WR/DB); sophomore Nigier
Foster (RB/DB); senior Che Hill
(WR/DB); and junior Kody Kuhns,
a tight end.
Foster has shown flashes during
camp and could be one of the main
ball carriers.
Senior Chas Mrlack, who strictly
was a kicker last season, could see
time at wide receiver and defensive
back.
by BILL BECKNER JR.