TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • 41
HIGHLANDS • GREATER ALLEGHENY
CHANDLER THIMONS
HIGHLANDS LOOKS TO PICK
UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF
Toward the end of last football
season, Highlands started to hit
a stride.
In their final three games, the
Golden Rams went 1-2, but losses to
South Fayette and Latrobe came by
a combined five points. They also
produced three of their five highest
scoring outputs of the season.
Despite losing 10 seniors, the
Golden Rams have a lot of talent
returning, including their starting
quarterback, leading rusher and
an experienced offensive line. So
Highlands coach Dom Girardi is
hoping the experience his team
developed at the end of last season
can carry over.
“It’s something we’ve talked
about numerous times. You know
just picking up where we left off
and building,” Girardi said. “I
think a lot of what you saw last
year was the youth and inexperience.
So, as they gained that valuable
experience on Friday nights,
they got more comfortable, and we
were able to do what we wanted to
do easier. We’re just hoping to pick
up where we left off.”
After throwing for 1,363 yards and
11 touchdowns last season, sophomore
quarterback Chandler Thimons
will be at the center of the
Highlands offense this season. But
if the Golden Rams want to take
one step further, the pieces that
surround the young quarterback
will be crucial.
The returning experience on the
offensive line will be a key part to
keeping Thimons comfortable in
the pocket. With seniors Jeremiah
Nelson, Wahkeem Roman and Jeremiah
Saunders returning, plus a
few others, Thimons said he’ll feel
secure when he drops back, and he’s
excited to see what the offense can
do this season.
“It’s a big help to have most of
them returning,” Thimons said.
“Keem (Roman), (Nelson), Dan
(Thimons), who is only a junior,
they are all going to be a big help.”
On top of blocking for Thimons,
the line will also pave the way for
junior running back Brock White,
who carried the rushing load last
year by gaining 809 yards and four
touchdowns on 177 carries.
Kaleb White was the next-closest
rusher with 35 carries. The
Golden Rams also return wide
receiver D.J. Loveland, who was
the second-leading pass catcher
last season with 23 receptions for
348 yards and four touchdowns.
With a core group of returnees
and a slew of younger players
coming up through the program,
Loveland is excited to see what
they can do this season and has
been impressed during voluntary
workouts.
“We’ve been throwing the ball
really well, and our running back
got a lot bigger. He’s already a powerhouse.
He’s got more pounds on
him,” Loveland said. “The younger
guys are also looking good, a
couple of good receivers, and the
offensive line is still the same line
from years past, so we’re solid all
around.”
Now, all the Rams need to do is
put it together.
“If you have a good group of
guys coming back, which we do,
you just want to see yourself continue
to grow in your identity,”
Girardi said. “You want to see
yourself continue to do what you
were doing in the past and do it
better and more frequently with
better consistency.”
by GREG MACAFEE
Coach: Dom Girardi
2019 record: 2-8, 2-5 in
Class 4A Northwest 8
Conference
All-time record: 264-247-7
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 at Knoch* 7
9.18 Mars* 7
9.25 at Hampton* 7
10.2 at Plum* 7
10.9 Indiana* 7
10.16 at Armstrong* 7
10.23 Greensburg Salem* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Chandler Thimons
84-170, 1,363 yards, 11 TDs
Receiving Johnny Crise*
38-729 yards, 7 TDs
Rushing Brock White
177-809 yards, 4 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Chandler Thimons ranked
second among freshman WPIAL
quarterbacks last year in
passing yards.
• On defense, the Golden
Rams return their top four
tacklers — Jeramiah Nelson,
Jeramiah Saunders, Wakeem
Roman and DJ Loveland combined
for 296 tackles.
• The Golden Rams traveled
344 miles last year for their
road games. With its realignment
to the Greater Allegheny
Conference, Highlands will total
131 miles in travel.
• Highlands earned its final
win of the season last year
in overtime when Thimons
completed a 10-yard pass to
Loveland to push the Golden
Rams ahead of New Castle,
28-22, on senior night.
BROCK WHITE