TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • 47
Coach: Rich Kolesar
2019 record: 3-7, 3-4 in
Class 4A Big Eight Conference
All-time record: 187-344-7
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 at Albert Gallatin 7
9.18 Ringgold* 7
9.25 at West Mifflin* 7:30
10.2 Belle Vernon* 7
10.9 at Thomas Jefferson* 7:30
10.16 at McKeesport* 7
10.23 Trinity* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Tyler Christopher*
111-251, 1,387 yards, 8 TDs
Rushing: Christopher*
119-413 yards
Receiving: Robbie Sleighter*
28-261 yards
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• North Union and South
Union merged to become
Laurel Highlands in 1966.
North Union and South Union
are townships that surround
Uniontown in Fayette County.
• Laurel Highlands has never
won a WPIAL playoff game. It
is 0-10.
• The last time Laurel Highlands
played in a WPIAL playoff
game was in 2015, losing
RODNEY GALLAGHER
to Central Valley, 59-14.
• Belle Vernon football coach
Matt Humbert graduated from
Laurel Highlands in 2003. He
played quarterback. 2-SPORT STAR READY
TO ELEVATE MUSTANGS
JAYDEN PRATT
Sophomore Rodney Gallagher helped the
Laurel Highlands basketball team win a WPIAL
Class 4A title in 2020.
Can the superstar athlete now help the football
team become relevant?
Since North Union and South Union merged
to become Laurel Highlands in 1966, the basketball
team has had most of the school’s athletic
success.
In 54 years, the Mustangs have not won a conference
title in football and are 0-10 in WPIAL
playoff competition.
Second-year coach Rich Kolesar hopes things
change in all sports in the district.
“We’re hoping all sports, just not basketball
and baseball, are successful,” Kolesar said.
He’s the district’s third coach in three seasons.
Laurel Highlands was 3-7 in his first year.
If Gallagher can elevate the program, Manges
knows he won’t be able to do it by himself.
“Rodney is an amazing athlete,” Kolesar said.
“He’s exciting.”
Gallagher plays wide receiver and defensive
back. As a freshman, he ran the ball 36 times
for 392 yards and five touchdowns, caught 25
passes for 491 yards and five scores and had
returns (kickoff and interception) for scores.
Kolesar plans on getting the ball in Gallagher’s
hands even more this season. He and
juniors Dan Carney and Joe Chambers will
battle for playing time at quarterback. They’re
replacing Tyler Christopher, who completed
111 of 251 passes for 1,387 yards and eight
touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Chambers is one of six other basketball
players that decided to join Gallagher on the
football team this season.
The others are junior receiver Jayden Pratt,
junior receiver Demonte Kiss, senior receiver
Tarrence Thomas-Brown, senior lineman Ray
Egnot and junior tight end A.J. Sumpter.
“We got three-fourths of the basketball team
out,” Kolesar said. “They are kids that know
what it takes to win.”
Laurel Highlands only returns three starters
on offense and four on defense.
Along with Gallagher, the offensive returners
are receiver senior Christian Burchick
and senior running back ShiNeill Thomas,
who rushed for 228 yards and scored three
touchdowns.
Gallagher, Burchick, Thomas and senior
tackle Lorenzo McFadden return on defense.
“Replacing the entire offensive line is a concern,”
Kolesar said. “But we have a good group
working hard to replace them. We will average
around 270 on the line.
“We do have a lot of talented skilled players,
just not a lot of experience. It will be fun watching
them grow.”
Kolesar said he plans to play a defense that
suits the talent.
Laurel Highlands was a 3-5 stack that
switched to a 4-4 on defense in 2019. Kolesar
said he may use more 4-3 this season.
“We had good numbers working out all summer,”
Kolesar said. “We’re ready for the challenges
we’ll face in the Big (Eight) Conference.”
The top teams in the conference are Thomas
Jefferson, Belle Vernon and McKeesport. Kolesar
said he expects his team will battle West
Mifflin, Trinity and Ringgold for the next spot.
Uniontown, also in the conference, decided not
to play football this fall.
by PAUL SCHOFIELD
LAUREL HIGHLANDS • BIG 8