5 things to watch: Send it in, coach, we’re ready to play
Week Zero (I still don’t understand why it can’t be Week 1) of the high school football season had the usual instances occur in the opening of the season: There were many penalties, players cramping because of the hot and humid weather and teams acclimating to a new offensive system or life without a star player who graduated.
Expect several of those instances to continue tonight as Week 1 kicks off, but there shouldn’t be nearly as much turmoil, and the forecast calls for pleasant fall weather. Here are five things to watch in tonight’s action:
1. Send it in, coach: Of all the troublesome first-game issues that occurred in Week Zero, unnecessary timeouts and delay-of-game penalties were probably at the top of the list for teams. In too many games, it took too long for coaches to send in plays from the sideline and teams to get lined up correctly before the play clock expired.
Expect those mistakes to decrease tonight as coaches and players have had a week to go over what went wrong and correct those problems. Teams can practice and scrimmage but they can’t replicate Friday night under the lights.
Penalties and silly mistakes will occur because these are still kids, but that is the beauty of high school football. Those mistakes might make coaches, fans and even teammates want to pull their hair out, but it adds for unpredictability to each and every game.
2. The champs are back in action: Belle Vernon opted to have a scrimmage in Week Zero and the Class 3A state champions will visit Laurel Highlands tonight at a place that Leopards head coach Matt Humbert is very familiar with.
Humbert starred on the gridiron for the Mustangs before graduating in 2003. He has settled nicely in the Mon Valley with his first coaching gig at Ringgold and now at Belle Vernon, where he is also the athletic director, but it is always special to go home.
Since Humbert became a permanent head coach in 2010 – he was the interim coach at Ringgold for two games in 2009 – his teams have never lost to Laurel Highlands, and don’t expect that to happen tonight. The Leopards just have too much firepower and are definitely battle tested. The opening-game errors will happen, but Belle Vernon has enough talent to overcome that.
3. Aeschbacher makes his debut: It shows I’m getting older when I refer to coaches as a “kid.”
Ty Aeschbacher, who graduated from Carmichaels in 2014, will lead Charleroi in its opener tonight at California. The Cougars had a scrimmage in Week Zero.
Although he has not had a head-coaching job, Aeschbacher has plenty of experience coaching, as he started while he was in college at his high school alma mater and had stints at Illinois Wesleyan and Adams State University.
4. Greene County bowl: Jefferson-Morgan and Waynesburg pulled off what some, including this reporter, would call “upsets” in Week Zero, but the Rockets and Raiders showed what sports writers know in defeating Chartiers-Houston and Carmichaels, respectively.
Kudos to Raiders quarterback Jake Stephenson for helping his team to a 35-0 victory over the Mikes. The junior, who sat out last season after having elbow surgery prior to camp, was 13 of 17 for 175 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 102 yards on 13 attempts with one score.
The Raiders and Rockets meet tonight at Parker Field in Jefferson and one of these teams will start the season 2-0. The game should be highly competitive with a great atmosphere, but I expect Waynesburg to pull it out, 28-22.
5. Clairton comes to town: Wash High and Clairton have some of the richest history as football programs in the WPIAL, and the two powerhouse programs meet tonight at Wash High Stadium.
The Bears are 14-time WPIAL champions while the Prexies own seven district titles. Both teams had sub-par seasons, by their standards, last year but expect an exciting game tonight with plenty of offensive and defensive fireworks.