Jul 28, 2023 6 min read

Boyz II Men isn’t just a R&B, soul and pop band formed in Philadelphia in 1985. At Upper St. Clair, it’s the mantra for the football team, especially since the Panthers return 13 seniors and only a handful of veterans from last year’s WPIAL Class 5A runner-up club.

“We have a culture of winning here but it’s also a culture that is about teaching these kids to be young men of substance and character,” said USC field general Mike Junko. “We talk about when the wolf is at door or hard times come to you, facing and overcoming those challenges is part of life.

“Playing on the football field on Friday night is hard but so is raising a family. So is meeting the challenges of your job,” Junko continued. “So we feel as coaches it is our job not just to teach them how to win but to how to compete in life. That is what is exciting about this crew we have. They are young and anxious to get started. They have been waiting their turn. This is their shot. their chance to live out their dream. It’s going to be exciting to watch them grow.”

Junko anticipates the 2023 campaign to be a maturation process because this will be the youngest unit he puts on the gridiron since he assumed the head coaching duties five years ago. USC faces Norwin, North Hills, Baldwin and Fox Chapel before opening conference action against powerhouse Peters Township at 7 p.m. Sept. 22 at Confluence Financial Partners Stadium.

“Certainly the first place people look is the scoreboard but when you are as young as we are, you evaluate yourself by looking at the areas of growth. Part of the maturation process is handling the highs and lows that the season brings. If we do experience early struggles, our focus and emphasis will be learning from those setbacks, grow and move forward. It’s from setbacks where growth takes place. It’s part of the journey.

“We’re hoping to see growth in the non-conference schedule. The first games are key because that is where the foundation needs to be laid. That’s step one but step two is our expectations. At USC, it’s always to compete for conference championships. It’s a tradition we have been able to establish and an important part of our culture. We embrace that challenge.”

Hence Junko views USC’s youth as an asset.

“It can be a strength,” he said. “Our kids are open to coaching and are competing for jobs. As a coach, you want your teams to embrace competition. These guys have been out here trying to get on the field on Friday night. That is a net positive.”

Veteran linemen Marco Carone and Nate Stohl as well as the tandem of Ethan Hellman and Julian Dahlem along with linebacker Van Hellman and placekicker Bennett Henderson should prove additional benefits for the Panthers. The sextet played pivotal roles during last year’s 10-3 season.

Carone and Stohl anchor both sides of the line along with relative newcomer Brooke Gillespie. A senior, Carone returns to the tackle position while Stohl, a junior is a guard. Carone already has scholarship offers from Penn and the Naval Academy. Center Austin Middleton, Mason Geyer, Bobby Fleckenstein, Reese Pirain and Chase Kaczmarek have “battled” throughout camp to fill the remaining vacancies on the line.

“We are excited about the returning linemen that have a lot of experience and we look for them to be a key part of our success. By the same token, we have a lot of young kids

“All these kids to a man have all worked extremely hard and prepared for playing on the offensive and defensive lines, which are one of the most physically demanding activities. They have embraced the grind. You need guys like that and we are excited about them,” Junko said.

Successful squads need players like Ethan Hellman and Dahlem. They shared quarterback duties last season.

A sophomore Hellman completed 56 passes for 920 yards and 9 TDs. He started both the WPIAL championship and semifinal games.

“It’s rare to have a sophomore quarterback that has played in so many big games,” Junko said. “That experience on the biggest stage, you cannot simulate. We’ll draw upon that as we move through the season.”

Dahlem completed 63 aerials for 971 yards and 16 scores as well as rushed for an additional 345 yards and 3 more touchdowns.

Dahlem, however, moves to wide receiver this fall while Hellman calls the signals.

“The relationship between a quarterback and wide receiver is crucial,” Junko said. “Ethan and Julian have developed a great chemistry. They realize they need each other and their success as well as ours depends on their how well they get along and their relationship.”

In addition to Dahlem, the receiving corps includes Charlie Bywalski, Peter Engel, Bryce Jones, Marshall Howe and Brett Meinert.

Mason Chambers represents the most experience in the backfield as the Panthers look to fill the loss of 1,489 yards and 12 TDs created by Jamaal Brown’s matriculation to Richmond. Brothers Greg and Dante Coury, John Banbury and Evan Taylor will also be used as running backs.

Defensively, Van Hellman leads the linebacking corps. While he is a veteran from the standpoint that he has the most experience, the Panthers will also depend upon Cam Phillips, Banbury, Chambers, Beck Shields and Carter Stein.

Other than Dahlmen, the entire secondary is new with Jones, Bywalski, Gianna Disora, Zach Salapow and Nico D’orazio.

“Our front seven are going to be kids really focused on stopping the run. I like their physicality,” said Junko. “Although we have holes to fill, we like our linebackers and we feel it’s a position of depth. The secondary has a lot of fresh faces so that is a concern because in this conference there are a lot of good arms. You really have to be ready to defend the pass as well as the run.”

With Henderson again handling the kicking and punting duties, there is little worries for the Panthers on special teams. An All-Conference performer, he converted 10 field goals and kicked 45 extra points to ranked second in scoring for USC in 2022. Henderson is being recruited by Fordham and Junko noted how 11 players from last year’s squad are playing in college.

“It’s been a point of emphasis to get them ready to play at the next level but the goal hasn’t changed. Despite our youth, the expectations in this town is to compete for championships. We don’t run away from that. It’s something our kids are taught. It’s our duty to protect that. It’s our responsibility when we put the black helmet on,” he said.