TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • 99
BRENTWOOD • THREE RIVERS
AIDEN WARDZINSKI
BRENTWOOD OUT TO
BUILD ON BREAKOUT YEAR
Brentwood was close to having a
golden season in 2019.
The Spartans finished 10-3 overall
with all three losses coming
down to the wire.
Brentwood lost its season opener
to Keystone Oaks, 26-21, fell to
Burgettstown for the Three Rivers
Conference crown, 16-13, in
Week 8 and then was eliminated
by Washington in the WPIAL Class
2A semifinals, 20-14.
“The 2019 season was an overall
success for our program,” coach
Kevin Kissel said. “We were disappointed
that we lost out on a
close game at Burgettstown for
the conference championship,
but making a deep run in the 2A
playoffs helped ease some of that
disappointment.
“We had an outstanding group
of seniors last year, and they were
fun to be around and coach. We had
great leadership, and that group
competed in every game they played
in. That was a very special group,
and we will miss all of those guys
moving forward, that’s for sure.”
If the Spartans are going to take
the next step in 2020, they will do
so with a lot of different faces from
last year’s team. Brentwood has
five starters back on offense and
only three return on defense.
“Our major concern for this year
is trying to replace the senior class
that we lost last year,” Kissel said.
“We had the conference defensive
player of the year last year in Luke
Bauer. No one player will be able to
make up for the production Luke
gave us. We also lost a number of
two-year starters on both sides of
the ball, and that experience is
tough to replace.”
Gone is quarterback John Milcic,
who connected on 123 of 245
passes for 1,789 yards and 16 touchdowns
and was second on the team
in rushing with 817 yards and nine
touchdowns.
The new Spartans quarterback
is still undecided. Going into camp,
junior Jase Keib was taking firstteam
reps, but he was being pushed
by sophomore Tavian Miller.
“Jase has a little more experience,
but both are excellent athletes
and both are tough competitive
kids,” Kissel said. “Whoever
wins the job will have some tough
shoes to fill in replacing John.”
Brentwood has three returning
linemen in senior center Zander
Johnson, junior Alec Troy at guard
and junior Jack Weisenhauer at
tackle. Weisenhauer is also a returning
starter as linebacker on
defense.
A couple of two-year starters
return on defense in senior tackle
Steven Bakowski and sophomore
Amire Spencer, who played
a significant role last year as a
freshman.
The big returning piece to the
Brentwood puzzle is running back
Aiden Wardzinski.
The senior led the team in rushing
with 1,034 yards (5.6 yards per
carry) and was tops in scoring with
14 touchdowns.
“We lost a good senior class,”
Wardzinski said. “The pandemic
is definitely a setback, but I
think we’re going to be ready for
anything that comes our way and
we’re going to give it all we have.”
Wardzinski also led the team
in receiving with 695 yards and a
hefty 13.4 yards per reception.
“Wardzinski will be a major key
for us going into this year,” Kissel
said. “He really came on as the
season went on last year and had
a huge season for us. He also plays
middle linebacker on defense and
is able to make plays from sideline
to sideline. He has the potential
to be one of the best all-around
players in all of 2A.”
After a second-place finish a year
ago behind Class A-bound Burgettstown,
Brentwood could be one of
the favorites in the Three Rivers
Conference.
“The new-look Three Rivers Conference
should be as competitive
as ever,” Kissel said. “I think the
conference is wide open with really
anyone in this conference having
a chance to take one of the playoff
spots.”
The Spartans are joined by recent
rivals Carlynton, Seton La-
Salle and South Side while Sto-Rox
and Western Beaver replace Burgettstown,
Serra Catholic, South
Allegheny and Fort Cherry.
“I’m looking forward to playing
in this new conference and competing,”
Wardzinski said. “The
key to our success is we’re going
to have to be in shape. We might
not be the biggest (team), but we’ll
compete like it.”
by DON REBEL
Coach: Kevin Kissel
2019 record: 10-3, 6-1 in
Class 2A Three Rivers Conference
All-time record: 420-404-28
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Seton LaSalle* 7
9.18 at Quaker Valley 7
9.25 Steel Valley 7
10.2 at Carlynton* 7
10.9 Western Beaver* 7
10.16 South Side* 7
10.23 at Sto-Rox* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing John Milcic*
123-245, 1,789 yards, 16 TDs
Receiving Aiden Wardzinski
52-695 yards
Rushing Wardzinski
184-1,034 yards, 14 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Kevin Kissell is one of the
district’s elder statesmen
among head coaches as he
prepares for his 24th season
at Brentwood.
• Brentwood enjoyed one of
the biggest turnaround seasons
in the WPIAL last fall.
The Spartans missed the playoffs
and finished 4-6 in 2018.
Last year, Brentwood reached
the Class 2A semifinals and
ended up 10-3 overall.
• Playoff wins for Brentwood
over East Allegheny (28-19)
and Neshannock (20-0) last
year were the Spartans’ first
postseason victories since a
2016 victory in the first round
over Frazier.
• Brentwood had the top
defense in Class 2A last fall,
yielding only 10.5 points per
game. Quarterback John Milcic
finished sixth in 2A in passing
while Aiden Wardzinski was
ninth in the class in rushing.
AMIRE SPENCER