With accountability, wins will come for C-H
By Kaci Alderson
For the Observer-Rporter.com
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
HOUSTON – The Chartiers-Houston football team has undergone several changes in the past few months staff-wise, personnel-wise and preparation-wise.
Following an 0-10 2023 season, Chartiers-Houston made a change and hired five-year Buccaneer varsity assistant Dan Lis as its new head coach. Lis is a 2012 graduate of Chartiers-Houston and a 2016 graduate of Washington & Jefferson College. He played football at both places.
Lis noted the offseason preparation as a key change and factor in fostering success, especially after losing starting pieces to graduation.
“The work we put in during the offseason will really help us this year,” said Lis. “We lost a lot of the offensive line last year so some of the biggest strengths that we have this year are returners being able to play in a similar role as last year and leading the new guys.”
The key returners for the Buccaneers are senior offensive and defensive lineman Paul Williamson, senior wide receiver and defensive back Nate Brezinski and junior quarterback Aaron Walsh.
“Those are the guys that have been here all offseason. Even with the other sports they play, guys like Aaron and Paul were able to make it to a majority of our offseason meetings and practices.”
Leaning on the veteran experience and buying into a new program has been a change, but one that was embraced with open arms by players in the program.
Two new offseason programs implemented by Lis were the Ultimate Buccaneer Accountability Program and the Leadership Academy Program. The Ultimate Buccaneer Accountability Program was put in place to track the other sports players are participating in, the community service players complete, the number of workouts players come to and whether or not players are achieving passing grades.
“About half of our team was in the passing side of our accountability program which is huge for our first year. We are hoping to get to 100 percent at some point, but this was a great start,” noted Lis.
The Leadership Academy Program was started in February and included 10 weeks of meetings designed to teach players leadership skills.
“We are trying to build leadership skills in the football program that transition into other sports kids do and ultimately, when they leave Chartiers-Houston, they can take some of those qualities they learned and apply it to whatever they might do.”
Lis is looking to turn the discipline in the offseason into season results.
“Cliché, but, we just want to compete,” said Lis. “I think if we could become competitors on Friday nights and be very well-prepared throughout the week for our opponent, we will inherently have a much better season.”
The Buccaneers last made the WPIAL Playoffs in Class 2A during the 2021 season, but Lis’ ultimate goal is to get over the hump of last season and get the group of six seniors a win.
“This group of six seniors has not won a game since October of 2022,” said Lis. “I want this group to win in the worst way, probably more than I want to win my first game as a head coach just because at the end of the day, we do this for the memories and nostalgia, and we want them to remember being the first group turning around the program.”
The Buccaneers kick off the season Friday at home in a nonconference game against Jefferson-Morgan.
C-H will play again in the Class A Black Hills Conference, which includes, among others, defending WPIAL champion Fort Cherry, Bishop Canevin, Serra Catholic and Monessen, the latter two conference newcomers.