Mt. Lebanon looks within for improvement
MT. LEBANON – A looking glass could be the most powerful tool Mt. Lebanon utilizes to prepare for the season because a mirror reflects the Blue Devils’ true opponent.
“We try to impress upon them the idea that no matter who the opponent is for us, it is about execution and preparation. That will determine the outcome of the game,” said Mike Melnyk, who enters his fourth season as head coach. “The wins and losses will take care of themselves if we stay within the moment and do our own job. It really is more about us and what we do and how well we execute than the opponent we are playing.”
The Blue Devils must prepare to play some of the best teams in Class AAAA. The consensus is Woodland Hills will repeat as Southeastern Conference champions and contend for the WPIAL title because of roster size and seniors who are getting Division I attention, including Penn State commit Miles Sanders.
“They have to be the preseason favorite,” said Melnyk. “Penn Hills has a lot of athletes and a JV team that was outstanding. They have a lot of good athletes.”
Penn Hills tied Woodland Hills for the conference title last year and Mt. Lebanon finished tied for fourth, one game behind third-place Bethel Park.
“Upper St. Clair is always in the thick of things,” said Melnyk. “They are always a challenge and Bethel Park is up there because they return (Levi) Metheny.”
The Blue Devils have their own seasoned veterans. Eddie Jenkins rivals Metheny in endurance. He is a three-year starter at quarterback and the focus of Mt. Lebanon’s hurry-up offense. A dual threat, Jenkins passed for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 614 yards and eight scores. The 5-11, 165-pound senior also starts at free safety on defense.
“Eddie will be the field general back there,” said Melnyk. “He runs the engine (on offense), We ask a lot out of our quarterback. We ask him to make a lot of decisions but Eddie’s a smart kid, a 4.0 student, an Ivy League-type. He is everything you want in a quarterback: competitive, a three-sport athlete and confident with all the bells and whistles of our offense. He is able to audible at the line of scrimmage and call off a play for another if he sees something isn’t going to work.”
Melnyk is excited to see how Mt. Lebanon’s top targets play with Jenkins again under center. Nick Tommasi returns for his senior season. He led the Blue Devils in receiving last year with 47 grabs for 611 yards and five scores. He averaged 6.4 yards when asked to run. Tommasi also starts at linebacker and returns kicks.
“We need to find creative ways to get him the ball,” Melnyk said.
Jenkins will want to get the ball to Jack Young and Patrick Kimball, the latter a standout hurdler on the track team. Both are veterans and will be joined in the receiving corps by Aidan Cain, a sophomore, Patrick Moeller and Nate Baer. A baseball player, Baer is back on the field after a one-year hiatus.
“Nate has nice size. He’s a good target. Jack and Patrick are two big, outstanding receivers and we expect Aidan to explode onto the scene,” Melnyk said.
Last year, David Harvey matured as a running back. The 6-1, 200-pound junior had a breakout game in a win against Bethel Park. He ran for 339 yards and three TDs.
Melnyk also is excited about a pair of talented tailbacks, Edgar Parilla and Emmanuel Komolafe.
“We talk all the time that with our up-tempo offense, you need to be ready when you get in there,” Melnyk said. “You’ve got to make the most of your opportunity. It’s a team effort and we like to spread the wealth.”
The skill players cannot produce without the aid of their linemen. Mt. Lebanon returns a plethora of talent and experience up front. Paul Grattan leads the list of veterans. The 6-4, 295-pound senior recently committed to Villanova.
“Paul will be our anchor and we want him to dominate but there are five guys out there,” Melnyk said. “Paul has always been a good player but he has gotten stronger and more aggressive. He’s a cerebral player and understands what we are trying to do. He has good size and a good motor.”
Grattan will have plenty of help on the line. Ken Schrader joins him at the other tackle slot. Chris Lippert is ready to go after coming off an injury last season, and Ian Walsh played center in 2014 as a sophomore. Ryan Gaughan, Nathan Houghl and, Hunter Cazin and Ben Ohrman add depth to the line. Cazin is a two-year starter on the defensive line.
“To stay at the tempo we want to play, those big guys need to be rested,” Melnyk said. “We need to do a better job of keeping those guys fresh, ready to play and not worn down. Last year, we didn’t do a good job of that and we ran out of gas.”
Staying fresh on the opposite side of the ball also is critical to Lebo’s success. Cazin, Gratton and Cam Haley, a starter last year as a sophomore, anchor the defensive line. Tommasi and Harvey along with Tucker Donati will stabilize the linebacker corps.
“Our linebackers are basically all new so we are counting on Harvey to hold the group together,” Melnyk said.
Melnyk anticipates the juniors will help the Blue Devils on the inside as well.
“On offense, we have a lot of strengths. Experienced quarterback, tailback, wide receivers and a good offensive line,” said Melnyk. “There’s a little bit of concern regarding depth and getting young guys experience, particularly on defense. We have a lot of players who we do not know how they’ll react under the lights.”
While Garrett Montilla and Joey Lowen will handle the placekicking and Kimball the punting chores, the Blue Devils need to be better prepared on special teams. It wasn’t a plus for them last year. “We gave up a lot of big plays and had too many turnovers,” Melnyk said. “On a positive note though, in some instances, it did help us win some games.”
Winning games and improving on a 5-5 record will be determined by Lebo’s ability to play at its best on a weekly basis. “We don’t look at all nine games. We look at performing the best we can week to week. We want to be competitive for a conference championship. You do that by getting better. There are no days off, no bad practices. Just improve each week,” Melnyk said.