78 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
ALLEGHENY • APOLLO-RIDGE
Coach: John Skiba
2019 record: 7-4, 4-2 in
Class 2A Allegheny
All-time record: 218-275-9
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Ligonier Valley* 7
9.18 at Freeport 7
9.25 Burrell 7
10.2 at Summit Academy* ppd
10.9 Shady Side Academy* 7
10.16 at Serra Catholic* 7
10.23 at Steel Valley* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Jake Fello
73-120, 1,110 yards, 8 TDs
Receiving Klay Fitzroy
33-621 yards, 6 TDs
Rushing Logan Harmon
199-1,415 yards, 18 TDs
FAST FACTS
• Apollo-Ridge will match up
with Serra Catholic for the
first time since the quarterfinals
of the 2007 WPIAL Class
A playoffs.
• Led by Logan Harmon,
the Vikings’ running attack
averaged 191.3 yards a game
in 2019.
• The Apollo-Ridge defense
returns eight of its top nine
tacklers from a year ago.
• Klay Fitroy averaged 18.8
yards per catch last year. DEPTH, EXPERIENCE FUEL
LOGAN HARMON
KLAY FITZROY
HUNGRY APOLLO-RIDGE
No matter where Apollo-Ridge
coach John Skiba turns on the
practice field, he sees a returning
starter.
Experience abounds for the Vikings,
who hope to build on last
year’s 7-4 overall record and WPIAL
Class 2A playoff appearance.
The team also hosted its first postseason
game since 2014.
“I and the other coaches are fortunate
to have a group that is very
mature and has been through a
lot,” Skiba said. “They now are
natural leaders. Before we started
to work out officially, a lot of them
were working out on their own and
putting together group workouts.
They knew what needed to be done.
We had great turnouts when we
returned to workouts. There is a
lot of energy around this team.”
When the WPIAL shortened
schedules because of the pandemic,
Apollo-Ridge lost scrimmages
with Valley and Yough. A Week 1
game against 2019 WPIAL Class
2A champion and PIAA runner-up
Avonworth became the Vikings’
lone scrimmage.
The Oct. 30 game with WPIAL
newcomer Ligonier Valley, a new
conference foe for Apollo-Ridge, was
moved to the new opening date,
Sept. 11, and a nonconference game
with Greensburg Central Catholic
was eliminated.
Conference foe Summit Academy
canceling fall sports left a
void in Apollo-Ridge’s schedule the
weekend of Oct. 3.
Nonconference contests against
Freeport (Sept. 18) and Burrell
(Sept. 25) remain.
In addition to Ligonier Valley,
the Vikings will have conference
games against Steel Valley, Shady
Side Academy and Serra Catholic.
Ligonier Valley finished 12-1 in
its final season in District 6.
“It’s a pretty athletic conference
with a lot of good skill players,”
Skiba said. “Ligonier Valley brings
in a lot of tradition to the conference.
We understand what kind of
battle that is going to be. ”
Seniors Klay Fitzroy (wide
receiver/quarterback), Jake Fello
(quarterback) and Logan Harmon
(running back) each led offensive
categories last year, and they will
be joined in the skill positions
by seniors Keighton Reese (wide
receiver), Adam Troutman (tight
end), Dom Reiter (fullback) and
sophomore Nick Curci (running
back).
“With this experienced group
back, we are just executing the necessary
things on and off the field
to be ready for the season,” Fitzroy
said. “Last year was pretty exciting
because we were able to show everybody
what we were capable of
doing. We’ve been working hard to
build on all of those good things.”
Up front, there is starting experience
from seniors Lucas Yard
(guard), Jake Duriancik (guard),
Connor Wynn (center/guard) and
Cole Sells (center), as well as junior
tackles Bradey Schrock and Greg
Klingensmith.
Harmon led the team in tackles
last year (92) from his inside linebacker
spot, and Reese (outside
linebacker) and Reiter (inside linebacker)
each added 52 stops.
Fitzroy (defensive back) fronted
the defense with four interceptions.
Also back to form the core of
the defense are Fello (free safety),
Yard (inside linebacker), Wynn
(defensive end), Schrock (defensive
tackle), Klingensmith (defensive
end), Curci (outside linebacker)
and senior defensive back Zach
Hreha.
Skiba said junior Angelo Cicco
(wide receiver) and sophomore
Landon Harmon (fullback/defensive
end) should have increased
roles in 2020.
Sophomore Jake Mull handled
place kicking duties last year and
will be joined by junior Gavin Cole,
who returns after playing at Kiski
School last season.
“The guys are just excited to
play, and they understand what
possibly could be with the season,”
Skiba said. “They know they have
a chance to be something special.”
by MICHAEL LOVE