Aug 13, 2015 3 min read

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Chartiers-Houston: 5-5 overall (4-3 in Class A Black Hills Conference) in 2014

Chartiers-Houston’s offense did not wow anyone last fall. The Bucs averaged just 15.1 points per game and needed Mike Cushma to make 10 of 13 field goals to help them win key football games late in the season. They lost to Avonworth and North Catholic before winning four straight, and eventually clinched a playoff spot with a win over Fort Cherry.

Settling for field goals in the Black Hills Conference is a tough proposition. Avonworth is loaded in 2015, North Catholic is a sleeper in Class A and look out for Fort Cherry this fall. Those teams will score points.

C-H losing three linemen won’t help. Neither will the departure of quarterback Alec Ferrari. But there are a few things to be excited about in Houston. How about junior wide receiver/defensive back A.J. Myers? Myers caught 24 passes for 396 yards and six touchdowns last season. He also had 40 solo tackles and 12 pass break ups.

Junior running back Spencer Terling is also back afte rushing for 569 yards and five touchdowns before suffering a knee injury. Senior running back/linebacker Dylan Briggs will lead a defense that held opponents to less than 15 points four times. He led the Bucs with 100 tackles, 10 for a loss and three sacks as a junior. The defense allowed 30.1 points per game in 2014, but that number is inflated because of big losses to Avonworth, North Catholic and Clairton.

Junior T.J. Johnston takes over for Ferrari at quarterback and will lead head coach Terry Fetsko. The problem: he has only attempted done pass in a varsity game. The bigger problem is a lack of numbers. Chartiers-Houston only has 33 players – the lowest number since Fetsko took over the program nine years ago.

It’s tough to compete that conference with those numbers. Luckily, the Bucs can lean on Cushma if the offense scuffles again.

He made three field goals over 30 yards and 12 of 15 extra points. That is a gamble though because they would have to rely on the defense to replicate its success from 2014. Johnston will have Myers, but the next leading receiver back is Ethan Shober, who caught 10 passes for 93 yards and no touchdowns. That means the running game will have to flourish to take pressure of the first-year quarterback and his young weapons.

Players to watch: A.J. Myers, Spencer Terling, Dylan Briggs, T.J. Johnston, Mike Cushma.

Biggest game: When was the last time Chartiers-Houston’s rivalry game against Fort Cherry did not have playoff implications? Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Jim Garry Stadium on Fri., Oct. 30. Circle that one.

Stat to think about: The Bucs have reached the playoffs sevn times in Fetsko’s tenure as head coach. Fort Cherry could be the biggest obstacle, but I also like Brentwood’s running game with Pat Carr.