40 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
NICK SCHWARTZ
MATT DeMATTEO
Coach: Jacque DeMatteo
2019 record: 2-8, 2-5 in
Class 5A Northern
All-time record: 311-379-21
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 at Mars* 7
9.18 at Armstrong* 7
9.25 Highlands* 7
10.2 at Greensburg Salem* 7
10.9 Plum* 7
10.16 at Indiana* 7
10.23 Knoch* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Matt DeMatteo
37-96, 413 yards, 4 TD
Receiving: Greg Galuska
23-286 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing: Luke Lindgren*
224-1,042 yards, 5 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Hampton has won just six
games the past four seasons.
• The Talbots suffered three-
and four-point losses to Kiski
Area and Fox Chapel, respectively,
last year. The outcomes
were crucial in the competitive
playoff chase in the Northern
Conference.
• The Hampton running game
averaged 198.3 yards last
season.
• Hampton has had just two
head football coaches since
1997. DeMatteo enters his 13th
season, and his predecessor,
Greg Mihalik, coached the
Talbots for 11 seasons.
HAMPTON HOPES TO
MAKE WAVES IN CLASS 4A
Dawson Dietz says it’s a perfect fit.
After several seasons competing as one of the
smallest teams in Class 5A, Hampton dropped
down to Class 4A, and it landed among similar
programs in terms of both size and geography.
“Mars Week 1, that’s going to be the most
exciting game of the year,” said Dietz, one of
several returning starters and an anchor on
the offensive and defensive lines who earned
second-team all-conference honors last year
at defensive tackle.
“It’s going to be televised. They are our biggest
rival right now. That’s going to be super
exciting.”
Coach Jacque DeMatteo hopes the conference
is not the only change for a program that hasn’t
been to the WPIAL playoffs since 2015 when it
made the Class AAA quarterfinals.
“The last two years, we felt we belonged and
made improvements,” he said. “We were really
close in a number of those games.”
Last year, the Talbots started 2-1 with wins
over Armstrong and Shaler, but they lost their
last seven while battling through adversities,
including injuries to several key seniors. Numerous
underclassmen were able to get their
chance, and the hope among the team members
is that it will pay dividends in 2020.
“The younger kids really benefited from the
experience and playing time,” senior wide receiver
and defensive back Gage Galuska said.
“That gave us a lot of energy going into the
offseason to build on things. Whether it’s been
with the coaches or doing things on our own,
getting groups of guys together at the field,
we’ve been able to stick together.”
Hampton will play a seven-game, conference
only schedule that begins with the Planets
on Sept. 11.
“We’ve been practicing like there’s nothing
different and are practicing harder than I can
even remember in the past couple of years.
We have the mindset of being prepared for
anything and everything,” Dietz said.
The season slate also features matchups
against Armstrong, Highlands, Greensburg
Salem, Plum, Indiana and Knoch.
“It is a very challenging conference,” DeMatteo
said. “All of the teams are well-coached
with their Division I players. It’s nice we won’t
have to drive all over the place to find good,
solid competition. We’re going to have to get
our confidence back, play hard, play well and
stay healthy.”
DeMatteo said he appreciates the attitude of
the players in their season preparation.
“When we’ve been able to do stuff and get
after things, we’ve really made progress,” he
said. “Hopefully, the younger kids who got a
chance to play can show that experience this
year. I like where we’re at, to be honest, with
some nice senior leadership. We have a lot of
kids with grit and tenacity who just want to go
out and play football.”
Matt DeMatteo, a senior, was thrust into the
starting spotlight at quarterback last year after
Ian Andersson went down to an injury against
Fox Chapel in Week 4.
“Matt was kind of thrown into the fire, but
he gained a lot of confidence,” Coach DeMatteo
said of his son. “Now, he needs to take it to
another level, make good decisions with the
ball and run with authority.”
The Talbots had to say goodbye to two-way
starter and 1,000-yard rusher Luke Lindgren,
but Galuska, the team’s leading receiver last
year, is back with Dietz to help form the team’s
core with fellow returnees in seniors Ryan
Mankivich (offensive line/defensive line),
Nick Schwartz (wide receiver/defensive back)
and Joe Liberto (running back/linebacker)
and juniors Christian Liberto (running back/
linebacker), Logan Schwartz (offensive line/
defensive line) and Jayden Resch (running
back/linebacker).
Mankivich was selected all-conference honorable
mention at offensive guard last season.
“Our one coach (Ron Budziszewski) has
really been using the saying, ‘Tomorrow isn’t
promised,’” Galuska said. “That has helped to
remind us to give everything we have each day,
no matter if it’s in football or not. We have a
lot of dedicated guys on this team, and I think
it will help us to do big things.”
by MICHAEL LOVE
GREATER ALLEGHENY • HAMPTON