60 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
VALLEY
QUAKER NATE DICKS
SCHEDULE
•SIX Coach: Ron Balog
2019 record: 2-7, 1-6
All-time record: 239-348-14
NORTHWEST Date Opponent Time
9.11 at Avonworth* 7
9.18 Brentwood 7
9.25 at Aliquippa 7
10.1 Central Valley* 7
10.9 at Hopewell* 7
10.16 at Keystone Oaks* 7
10.23 Ambridge* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Michael Aspiotes*
43-98, 520 yards, 5 TDs
Receiving Patrick Cutchember
15-228 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Cutchember
86-493 yards, 4 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Quaker Valley was outscored
251-28 in its first five games
last season but just 109-98 in
its final four games, including
wins over Waynesburg and
Beaver.
• The Quakers claimed their
only WPIAL title in 2017,
defeating Aliquippa, 2-0, at
Heinz Field. They also went
on to win the PIAA Class 3A
championship.
• Balog is in his third season
as head coach at Quaker Valley.
He spent the previous two
season as an assistant coach
at Central Catholic.
• Quaker Valley returns
10 players with starting experience
on both sides of the ball.
PATRICK CUTCHEMBER
And, QV also welcomes back senior lineman
Ryan Kroner, who didn’t play last season but
will be a key cog up front.
“We expect some really good stuff out of him
up front,” Balog said.
On defense, Nelson will anchor the defensive
line, with Dicks, Eshenbaugh, Cutchember and
sophomore Jakub Pickett at linebacker and
Diemert and Steffey solidifying the defensive
secondary. QV’S BATTLE-TESTED
ROSTER READY TO REBOUND
by BILL HARTLEP
There are just three seniors on the Quaker
Valley football roster this fall.
Typically, that would be cause for concern.
But the Quakers’ underclassmen are more
experienced than most their age and have
been game tested against some of the best
teams WPIAL Class 3A has to offer.
“The junior group is really talented,” coach
Ron Balog said. “A lot of the sophomores got
to play as freshmen. We are young, but there
are some talented football players there.
If we can keep these young guys doing the
basics through camp and the beginning of
the season, I think they’ll progress well and
I think they’ll perform well.”
Many of the underclassmen saw significant
playing time a year ago when Quaker
Valley started 0-5 and finished 2-7. Injuries
were a major reason for the struggles, and
the team was down to fewer than 20 healthy
players at midseason.
A bright spot, however, was that younger
players got key varsity reps against the likes
of perennial powers Central Valley, Beaver
Falls and Aliquippa in the Tri-County West
Conference.
Some of those foes remain as PIAA and
WPIAL realignment slotted Quaker Valley
into the Class 3A Northwestern Six Conference
this season with defending WPIAL
champion Central Valley, Hopewell and Keystone
Oaks, as well as newcomers Ambridge
and Avonworth, the WPIAL Class 2A champion.
The Quakers also will play Aliquippa in a
nonconference contest.
“The conference doesn’t get any easier (by
adding Avonworth),” Balog said. “Central
Valley is probably the odds-on favorite in
Triple-A. Ambridge is coming down from
4A, so we’ll see what they do.”
Junior Patrick Cutchember will get the
keys to the Quakers’ offense. He led the team
in rushing (493 yards) and receiving (228
yards) last season and scored four times.
He will start the season taking snaps under
center.
“He’s one of our two or three best football
players,” Balog said of the third-year starter.
“He’s going to play a lot of quarterback for
us, some running back. Defensively, he’ll be
one of our inside linebackers.
“He’s a really talented kid. Very shifty,
very skilled runner, great hips, that makes
him elusive. He’s just a guy who’s tough to
bring down.”
Juniors Jamir Steffey and Nate Dicks also
will carry the load on offense, along with
sophomore Gavin Eshenbaugh. All carried
the ball last year, and Balog credited each
with getting stronger and better in the offseason.
Balog also expressed excitement about
junior Mason Diemert, who played wide receiver
as a sophomore last season after being
away from football since middle school. He
also picked off eight passes as a free safety.
“He’s gonna play a little quarterback, as
well,” Balog said. “He’s 6-5, and we’re going to
use him in a lot of different spots. He’s very
talented.”
As for those seniors, all three of them will be
anchors on the offensive line — Dustin Grimm
(5-9, 220) and Nate Nelson (6-2, 240) return to the
starting lineup.
“We expect big things out of those two guys
up front,” Balog said.