Monessen is back, ready to compete
Monessen's Kiante Robinson laeds the way in a drill at practice.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Shane Swope has resigned after one season as head coach of the Monessen High School football team.
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Monessen’s Randy Hines makes a catch as Nigier Foster watches.
Holly Tonini / For the Observer-Reporter
Citing a shortage of healthy players, Monessen has forfeited its Tri-County South Conference game Friday against undefeated Carmichaels.
Monessen's Super Swope, right, hands the ball to to Nigier Foster.
By John Sacco
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
Those who left Memorial Stadium in Monessen last Oct. 25 after the Greyhounds defeated Avella, 48-14, wondered if that would be the last football game played there by the high school team.
Monessen dressed only 14 players for the game, a majority (eight) of which were seniors. The district didn’t field a middle school team.
The outlook and prospects for fielding a team in 2020, were not good and, in some ways, not realistic.
Coach Mike Blainefield resigned.
Monessen pushed forward in a search for a coach, who could help save the program. It settled on Shane Swope, a longtime assistant at Yough.
It is his charge to stabilize the program that in 2018 qualified for the playoffs and nearly stunned heavily-favored Jeannette in the first-round of the WPIAL playoffs before slipping to 4-6 overall in 2019. The Greyhounds did finish 4-3 in the Tri-County South Conference.
“I didn’t look at it (negatively),” Swope said. “I was eager to be given the opportunity to be the head coach and get to work.”
He did just that in the short time he had with players, and built a coaching staff, until the pandemic took hold in mid-March.
“It wasn’t ideal (timing),” Swope said. “In the month-and-half we did have, we were all just trying to establish a rapport with one another. At least during that time, we did build and develop some relationships.”
Monessen does not have many players who have made a mark at the high school level. The roster is made up of unproven, inexperienced underclass talent.
Gina Naccarato, Monessen’s athletic director, said simply allowing the program to die wasn’t an option.
“We looked at the kids in ninth, 10th and 11th grade,” she said. “We felt there was enough in that group to have a team. It just came down to getting them to come out, making it an environment that they want to play in. Shane did a good job of recruiting within the school. He knew coming in that was going to be a part of it.”
Swope said he had been “pleasantly surprised” by the turnout early on and the “overall enthusiasm of the players and their willingness to work hard.”
As the season drew closer, some kids disappeared from the roster. However, Swope is confident the Greyhounds might have at bit more than 20 players on the roster.
In addition to roster issues, Swope is trying to install a disciplined approach to practice and performance. The Greyhounds were undermined by untimely and costly penalties the past few years.
“It starts with discipline as a whole,” Swope said. “Everyone must learn to control their emotions. In addition to that, I think the kids have a grasp of the staff and what will or will not be tolerated.”
One sophomore who could be a presence is sophomore running back/receiver and defensive back Nigier Foster. Others with some experience are junior linebacker Greg Adams, senior lineman Taki Frezzell, senior kicker/receiver Charles Mrlack and junior linebacker Kiante Robinson.
Monessen will open its season at Memorial Stadium Sept. 11 against Avella. Four of the Greyhounds’ first five games are at home before ending the season on the road at West Greene and California.
Monessen was to play a brutal non-conference schedule that included its three opening games – all on the road – at Washington, Charleroi (both Class AA) and Imani Christian.
The pandemic forced adjustments and the non-conference games were eliminated and Monessen was spared playing what would likely have been difficult challenges.
In addition to Avella, West Greene and California, Monessen will face Carmichaels – back in Class A after playing in the Class AA Century Conference the past two seasons – Bentworth, Jefferson-Morgan, and Mapletown.
Four players were vying for the starting quarterback nod, which is expected to go to freshman Shane (Super) Swope Jr.
“I am absolutely not big on moral victories,” the elder Swope said. “Ultimately, we will be judged by our wins and losses.
“I’m getting more comfortable even though we have a young team. The kids we have are buying in.
“We didn’t come in here to be a doormat. We came here to compete.”