Panthers on prowl for victories
Dante Grecco is excited and optimistic about this high school football season. It’s his senior year and the Upper St. Clair two-way starter wants to go out a winner.
“I think we will be a team to watch,” said the right guard and defensive end. “I’ve never been around a team that is as close as we are and has worked as hard in the off season. This year’s group, my class of seniors is the closest and those under us are all into it. We expect big things from this team.”
The Panthers have practiced what legendary coach Jim Render has preached and they enter the season with expectations for success. “I tell them that champions usually are people who work really hard when no one else is looking,” Render said. “We have a good group. They are individuals with team goals.”
USC, like all teams in the region, aspires to win conference, WPIAL and state titles. Grecco and Render believe that journey all starts Aug. 25.
“You have to set small goals first, like beating Steubenville in the first game because you can’t accomplish the bigger goals without taking those little steps first,” Greco said.
Render respects the football tradition at Steubenville. “We scheduled Steubenville so that our people can see what a football community is really like,” said Render, who is from Ohio. “The atmosphere will be electric. First of all, we haven’t won a marquee game in a couple of years. We haven’t beaten a McKeesport or a Woodland Hills. To start the season on a high note would be marvelous. We need to win big games if we are to contend for conference championships.”
This year’s senior class compiled undefeated seasons as eighth-graders and freshmen. Yet, the group, many of whom are returning starters, managed a 6-4 record – 6-2 in the Allegheny Nine Conference – that ended with a 31-10 loss to McKeesport in the first round of the WPIAL 5A playoffs.
“We do have a lot of kids back. We have Friday Night experience,” Render said. “Whether it’s great experience is yet to be determined. We need to stay healthy and avoid bad luck.”
On the offensive line, Grecco is at right guard, Jake Slinger at right tackle and Phil Elias at center. Those three are all returning starters. Left guard Jack Burton started last year as a fullback and is a strong blocker. Because of various injuries last year, Drew Miller saw playing time and is back at left tackle. Juniors Jeremy Frank and Quinn Murray are in the offensive line mix.
On the defensive line, Grecco and Frank on the inside and Slinger and Rauch at the ends are experienced. Burton anchors the inside linebacker corps that includes James Deiuliis and Nate Ripley, who are fullbacks on offense. Sophomore Brendan Shearer will play at inside linebacker. Antonio Orsini is a returning starter at linebacker and running back, averaging 7.9 yards per carry.
Colin McLinden should dominate outside as he is a two-year starter that ranked fourth on the team in tackles last year.
“He has experience. He’s started since his freshman year as a linebacker and he has experience as a running back,” Render said. “He’s a special guy for us already.”
Jack Hansberry and Dom Cepullio will play alongside McLinden on defense. A two-year starter, Cepullio ranked No. 3 in tackles last season. On offense, he was the team’s top receiver with 27 catches for 339 yards and 5 TDs. He also punts.
“Dom is very experienced and capable of making big plays,” said Render.
Hansberry has big-play capabilities, particularly on offense as he started at quarterback last season. He passed for 960 yards and 11 TDs. The 6-2, 205-pound senior is being pushed by Jason Sweeney, a 6-1, 190-pound junior.
“In simple terms,” Render said, “Jack is our returning guy but we are asking him to play linebacker, too. He’s smart, strong and experienced.
“Jason has worked extremely hard. He’s made himself better through hard work. We feel we have two quarterbacks that can run our offense.”
USC also has plenty of additional two-way players who will make the Panthers run because of their versatility and athleticism.
“We have a good receiving corps,” Render said. “So we will have a balanced attack.”
The Panthers do not have a balanced schedule. They have just four homes games and must play perennial playoff and WPIAL championship contenders like West Allegheny, McKeesport and North Hills on the road.
“I think our schedule is the most competitive of anybody’s in the WPIAL,” Render said. “Our 5A is tougher than 6A from top to bottom and our conference has teams with winning traditions and most WPIAL titles in West-A, Woodland Hills, North Hills and McKeesport.”
And that would include USC, too. Under Render, the Panthers have won a handful of WPIAL championships and two PIAA titles. Despite the odds, they plan to add to that collection because nobody was watching while they were preparing for the 2017 season. n