44 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
Coach: Scott Heinauer
2019 record: 6-5, 4-3 in
Class 5A Northern Conference
All-time record: 420-515-32
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Hampton* 7
9.18 at Highlands* 7
9.25 Plum* 7
10.2 at Armstrong* 7
10.9 at Knoch* 7
10.16 Greensburg Salem* 7
10.23 at Indiana* 7
GREATER ALLEGHENY • MARS RAFAEL BARTLEY
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Quinn Fuller
28-65, 515 yards, 5 TDs
Receiving Mitchell Wright*
6-138 yards, 2 TDs
Rushing Teddy Ruffner
263-1,919 yards, 26 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• The last time Mars did not
qualify for the WPIAL playoffs
was also the last time they
finished with a losing record.
Mars lost to Mohawk, 14-7, in
the final week of the 2004
regular season in a win-to-getin
Class AA Tri-County North
Conference game.
• Teddy Ruffner enters the
season with 2,898 rushing
yards for his career. If he
stays healthy, he’ll pass the
likes of recent Mars rushing
standouts Isaiah Johnson, Garrett
Reinke and Josh Schulteis.
If Ruffner runs for more
than 1,100 yards, he will join
Billy Bair (4,702 yards from
2004-07) and Austin Miele
(4,168 yards from 2008-10) as
Fighting Planets backs to rush
for more than 4,000 career
yards.
• Scott Heinauer begins his
29th season as coach at
Mars. He is also the school’s
athletic director and is the
winningest high school football
coach in Butler County history.
He is knocking on the door of
200 career wins as he enters
the season with a record of
195-108.
TEDDY RUFFNER
MARS LOOKING FOR MORE
POSTSEASON SUCCESS
In 2005, Mars finished with a 5-5
record after a Class AA first-round
playoff loss to Burrell.
That was the last time the Fightin’
Planets had a non-winning
season.
Lately, however, Mars has mastered
regular season success, but
the Planets aren’t aligning come
playoff time.
From 2006-15, Mars was able to
win at least one postseason game
in every year but one — 2011, when
it dropped a Class AAA opening
round game to West Mifflin.
The Fightin’ Planets are 0-4 in
opening-round games since 2015,
including a 47-6 thumping at the
hands of Peters Township in the
Class 5A first round last year that
ended their season at 6-5.
“This year, we have to right this
ship, and this team has the determination
to change this attitude,”
Mars coach Scott Heinauer said.
“The seniors we have this year
have the attitude to win and finish
strong. They know what it takes
to finish games. They have been
waiting for their chance, and now
is their time to take control of this
team.”
When you think of Mars football,
you think of a successful ground
game led by outstanding running
backs.
This year should be no different
with the return of senior Teddy
Ruffner, who gained 1,919 yards on
263 carries last fall for an impressive
average of 7.3 yards per tote.
He also led the team in scoring
with 26 touchdowns.
“He has gotten bigger, stronger
and faster than last year,” Heinauer
said. “He will have to be the
guy who we will depend on as our
leader of our football team. He is
every bit as good as the players
that we have had in the past. It’s
up to this team to make sure he
gets more than just seven games.
The team will go as far as Teddy
will take us.”
Ruffner is honored to be the current
Mars running back on a long
list of wing-T offensive standouts.
“It definitely feels good to be
mentioned along with the great
running backs that have come
through the program,” Ruffner
said. “It’s just been a constant line
of guys having great careers, and
I wanted to continue that legacy.
“I watched all the other guys
growing up, and I wanted to be
just like them and I push myself
to hold up the standard that’s been
set here.”
As good as he is with the ball
in his hands, Heinauer believes
Ruffner might be better at tackling
the opposing ball carrier from his
linebacker position.
Junior quarterback Quinn Fuller
returns for his third year starting
under center. Fuller threw for 515
yards and five touchdowns in 2019.
Also back for the Fightin’ Planets
are senior all-conference linebacker
Ben Chizmar, senior all-conference
lineman Chase Nesselroad, senior
defensive back Anthony Vargo and
junior lineman Remy Crofutt, who
started as a freshman but missed all
of last year with an injury.
With only four starters back on
both sides of the ball, experience is
a big concern for Heinauer headed
into the 2020 campaign.
“We need more experience to
help our kids learn the plays and
defenses better,” he said.
While Mars is dropping into a
new class and a new conference,
there is some familiarity for them
in the new 4A Greater Allegheny
Conference.
Armstrong and Hampton also
made the drop after two years in the
Class 5A Northern Conference, plus
the Planets are reunited with old rivals
such as Highlands and Knoch.
“It’s nice to see some local rivals
back,” Heinauer said. “It should
make for some great games this
season. (We’re) looking forward
to playing some backyard games
again. No easy games.”
Just making the playoffs though
isn’t good enough for these Planets.
“I expect a big year for us in
4A,” Ruffner said. “We’ve been
knocked out in the first round my
whole high school career, so we
really want to go farther this year.
I think we are as talented this year
as we’ve been the last few years.
“Our goal is the same as always,
compete for first (place) in our
section and make a run in the
playoffs.”
by DON REBEL