TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • 39
HAYDEN TESKA
GREENSBURG SALEM
SEEKS RIGHT CHEMISTRY
Don’t get too used to the starting
lineup Greensburg Salem football
coach Dave Keefer rolls out in the
opening game.
Or, the following week. Or, maybe
even the one after that.
“We are going to try a lot of
things and move guys around until
we find something that works,”
Keefer said. “Our lineup in (the
first game) will be different from
the one in Week 3. It might take
until Week 3 to find a spot for
everybody.”
The Golden Lions, who are chasing
history — they sit one win
away from No. 700 — have a young
and mostly inexperienced group,
but one that shows flashes of talent
nonetheless.
An abundance of seniors graduated,
so Keefer and his staff
are looking to fill key voids with
players who look the part but are
unproven.
“We have a lot of young guys,”
Keefer said. “We’ll see how everyone
develops and grasps what we
want to do. Last year we steered the
truck. This year we’re building it.”
As for the milestone victory, it
would suit the team best to get it
sooner rather than later so it can
focus on a new spot in the Class
4A Greater Allegheny Conference.
Imagine the delight that would
have come with an opening-night
win over Hempfield, but that can’t
happen because the first three
weeks of the schedule were wiped
out because of a delayed start to
the season.
“We’ll take it any way we can get
it,” Keefer said. “It would be nice to
get it early. It’s one of those things,
the elephant in the room.”
Leading rusher Alex Briggs returns
for his senior season and will
have an experienced line blocking
for him. He ran for 621 yards last
fall on 108 carries.
Four linemen who started in
last year’s quarterfinal playoff
game against Blackhawk are back,
including senior right guard Joe
McGough, junior left guard Billy
McChesney, senior right guard Joe
Gongaware and senior right tackle
Dakota Powell.
Powell will be a fourth-year
starter, while McChesney and
Gongaware will start for a third
straight season.
A fifth would-be starter up front,
senior Matt Metrosky, transferred
to Greensburg Central Catholic.
With team leader Trent Patrick
gone at quarterback, the Golden
Lions will turn to junior Hayden
Teska, who missed much of last
season with a broken collarbone
he sustained in Week Zero while
playing defensive back.
“Hayden is different than Trent in
his style,” Keefer said. “He doesn’t
have Trent’s arm, but his accuracy
is exceptional and his ability to
read the field is really good. He is a
really heady player. He is composed
and confident in himself.”
Keefer said sophomore Christian
McChesney, junior Clayton Hudspath
and sophomore Kaleb Riggs
were competing to start at center.
Sophomore Rashad Canady and
junior J.C. Wallish also should see
carries in the backfield.
“We have three good guys with
good talent and ability,” Keefer
said. “But Briggs will carry the
majority of the mail.”
About “six or seven guys” were
looking to make an impact at
receiver.
Linebacker looks like the
strength of the defense, led by
Briggs. Others are juniors Jayden
Stevens and Preston Henry and
Wallish.
Canady also could fit into that
rotation if he doesn’t line up in the
secondary, and Teska is another
top defensive back.
Keefer enjoyed competing in the
Big Eight Conference, which included
4A heavyweights Thomas
Jefferson and Belle Vernon, last
year’s WPIAL finalists.
The Greater Allegheny will
house Armstrong, Hampton, Highlands,
Indiana, Knoch, Mars and
Plum.
“I wish we would have stayed
where we were, to be honest,” Keefer
said. “You know where you sit
with those teams. We played four of
the final four teams last year. From
a coach’s perspective there was a
preparation aspect that went into it.
“Don’t get me wrong, I like the
new conference. We play five 5A
teams, basically, so it doesn’t get
any easier.”
by BILL BECKNER JR.
Coach: Dave Keefer
2019 record: 5-6, 5-2 in
Class 4A Big Eight Conference
All-time record: 699-389-39
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Plum* 7
9.18 Knoch* 7
9.25 at Indiana* 7
10.2 Hampton* 7
10.9 Armstrong* 7
10.16 at Mars* 7
10.23 at Highlands* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Trent Patrick*
62-154, 805 yards, 11 TDs
Receiving Ryan Thomas*
12-171 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing Alex Briggs
108-621 yards, 3 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• The Golden Lions’ next win
will be the 700th in program
history. Only Jeannette (756),
New Castle (746), Aliquippa
(734) and Washington (710)
have more than 700 wins in
the WPIAL.
• Greensburg Salem averaged
18.6 points last season but
scored 28 against Mars, a
new conference opponent.
• Briggs averaged 5 yards a
carry as a junior.
• Teska also plays baseball
and was a starter as a freshman
two years ago at catcher.
ALEX BRIGGS
GREENSBURG SALEM • GREATER ALLEGHENY