Avella hopes conditioning overcomes lack of numbers
AVELLA – One thing Ryan Cecchini is certain of as he enters his 14th season as head coach at Avella: His team will be in shape.
In any contact sport, it is imperative to be in shape, but for the Eagles, it is a necessity that every single player can go four quarters without taking a play off.
“Every year, one of our goals is to be in great shape,” Cecchini said. “We don’t do a lot of hitting in practice because we can’t afford to lose people in practice with such low numbers, but make up for it with a lot of running and conditioning.”
Despite the low numbers, Avella went 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the Class A Black Hills Conference last season.
“I think our conditioning was evident last year because we were able to win four games, and in two of those, we finished with 13 guys on the field.”
Avella will move back to the Tri-County South Conference, which Cecchini says has boosted interest.
Cecchini said Jefferson-Morgan appears to be the early favorite, but he knows every game will be a battle and the emotions will be higher than playing in the Black Hills.
“When you are going against the Bishop Canevins, Fort Cherrys and other teams like that, who are a threat to win the WPIAL title every year, it’s hard for a small school like us walking out with 14-15 players to go against a team with 50-plus guys on the roster,” Cecchini said. “I think being in the Tri-County South has contributed to part of the uptick in the interest for our kids.”
In addition to J-M, the Eagles will play Bentworth, Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Mapletown and West Greene in conference action.
Despite battling the numbers game, Cecchini said the goal this, and every season, is to make the playoffs. Avella had not made the playoffs in 35 years when Cecchini took over, but it has qualified for the postseason four times in the last 13 years.
Cecchini is fully aware that just being well conditioned won’t get the Eagles in the playoffs, but he is confident in the skill players and linemen who will be returning, which starts at quarterback with sophomore Chas Rush.
“Chas has always been a quarterback coming through our system, but last year we had a really good senior quarterback in Cole Jaworowski, so Chas was able to sit back, play as our wingback and learn under Cole. He did get a few reps here and there at quarterback, but he is ready to take the reins and run with it this year.”
Replacing Jaworowski will be a chore, as he was not only the quarterback but a first-team, all-conference linebacker.
Senior Broden Hamm will start at fullback and wingback. He is expected to get the majority of the carries.
Avella will run the Wing-T offense, which is a rarity in football at the present time, but Cecchini is eager to see what Hamm and Rush can do running what has become an archaic offense.
“I think running the Wing-T is an advantage for us because people have to adjust to us and prepare for us special because they don’t usually see it any other time during the year,” Cecchini said. “We want to establish the run, and Broden and Chas will be a part of that.”
Helping to pave the way for Hamm and Rush will be senior Hayden Gatewood and junior Sawyer Cramer, who are set to start on the offensive and defensive lines, while Cramer could see time at linebacker.
Cody Day will start at tight end. With the Eagles running the Wing-T, the junior will be counted on as another lineman. Day is penciled in at defensive end.
“It all comes down to blocking, tackling and running, even with all these complex schemes,” Cecchini said. “We have to focus on the fundamentals. The linemen are the ones that make the engine go.”