TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • 35
CHARTIERS VALLEY • PARKWAY
JACOB ADWAR
DROP TO 4A ENERGIZES
CHARTIERS VALLEY
In 2009, Chartiers Valley closed
out the first decade of the century
with one of its most successful
football seasons. The Colts lost
only once in the regular season and
finished with an 8-2 record.
The last 10 years have been a
struggle on the gridiron for Chartiers
Valley, with only two playoff
trips, the most recent coming in
2015.
The Colts have spent the last four
years in Class 5A, winning only
four conference games in that span
and amassing an overall mark of
10-30.
Hope springs eternal for the
Colts as they embark on a new
decade in a new classification.
Chartiers Valley moves from 5A
to 4A and into the tough Parkway
Conference a year after winning
two of its first three games before
losing seven straight to close out a
2-8 campaign.
“We played great competition
in our conference, but we should
have won more games,” coach Dan
Knause said. “Our depth and other
factors became an issue, and we
did not perform at an elite level
necessary to win games.”
While the Colts could not answer
the challenge when starters were
lost in 2019, Knause likes what he
has in his team’s depth heading
into this season.
“Although we lost a lot of skill,
we feel we have guys who can replace
that production at all positions,”
Knause said. “We have solid
experience at the quarterback
position and at the wide receiver
position. Our backfield will be
new, but we feel like we have a solid
crew ready to step up.”
One of those players expected to
step up is Jordan Demus, a senior
who has started for three years
on defense at cornerback and is
expected to play a major role in the
running game. Demus returned
three kicks for touchdowns a year
ago.
“I feel good about being the lead
back,” Demus said. “The coaches
believe in me and so do the players,
so I feel it’s going to be a good year.”
Quarterback Griffin Beattie led
Chartiers Valley in passing and
rushing a year ago. Upon his graduation,
two players in the mix to
take over the starting role are junior
Anthony Mackey and senior
Socrates Boulis.
Both saw varsity time at quarterback
last season with Mackey
throwing for 414 yards. Boulis is
also listed as a wide receiver.
Other players back among the
five offensive and six defensive
starters include seniors Anthony
Collura, Chase Bruggeman, Jacob
Adwar, Seth Bauman and Romello
Sanford.
“The defense will improve a lot
this year,” Demus said. “Last year,
we had a lot of first-year starters,
but this year, we have a lot more
experience and a lot more chemistry.”
Another key player on both sides
of the ball for the Colts is junior
Abraham Ibrahim.
“He played a lot as a sophomore,”
Knause said. “He has a huge ceiling
and impressive skill set.”
As is the case for all football
teams, winning the turnover battle
is huge. Knause feels his team
didn’t get enough takeaways a year
ago while key mistakes led to the
Colts offense losing the pigskin
too often.
“Creating turnovers on defense
has to be an improvement area,”
Knause said. “We have to eliminate
turnovers on offense and make
smarter decisions. We made too
many costly mistakes last season.”
The Colts may be moving down
in classification, but their conference
will still be daunting with the
likes of Aliquippa, Beaver, Blackhawk,
Montour and New Castle.
“We know our new conference
is stacked with good players and
well-coached teams,” Knause said.
“I think the depth challenges we
face will be more on par in 4A than
the teams we played in the past few
years. We are energized to play new
teams and develop new rivalries.”
Demus knows it won’t be easy,
but he feels he and his Chartiers
Valley teammates are capable of
reaching the postseason.
“We were a little excited to move
down, but we all know 4A isn’t any
easier,” he said. “We believe we can
compete and we expect to make a
run for the playoffs.”
by DON REBEL
Coach: Dan Knause
2019 record: 3-7, 0-7 in Class
5A Allegheny Eight Conference
All-time record: 234-345-5
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 at Montour* 7
9.18 South Fayette 7
9.25 at Hopewell 7
10.2 Blackhawk* 7
10.9 at Aliquippa* 7
10.16 Beaver* 7
10.23 New Castle* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Griffin Beattie*
48-97, 427, 4 TDs
Receiving Sean Banas*
17-166 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing Beattie*
138-796 yards, 7 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Dan Knause is a 1996 graduate
of Chartiers Valley and is
in his fourth season as Colts
head coach. He is trying to
turn around another program
after having success 10 years
ago in turning Cornell into a
winner and a playoff team in
2010.
• After four unsuccessful
seasons in Class 5A, the Colts
hope to make the playoffs for
the first time since 2015 when
they finished tied for fourth
place in the AAA Parkway
Conference and fell to Belle
Vernon, 36-7, in the opening
round.
• Chartiers Valley is 0-5 in
its last five WPIAL football
postseason games. The Colts’
last playoff victory came
in November 2007 when
they edged Franklin Regional,
28-21, in a Class AAA
first-round game. They then
lost to Pine-Richland in the
quarterfinals.
JORDAN DEMUS