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WPIAL football preview: Avella

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With the Observer-Reporter’s football tab in the works and high school football season just over a month away, I’m going to take a quick look at all 21 local schools throughout the month of August. I’ll include players to watch, who will be missed and overall outlook on the upcoming season.

Avella

2014: 5-5 (4-4 in TCS)

Avella’s Cinderella Story looked destined to be over last fall when the Eagles lost three of their first five games.

It seemed unlikely that they could reach the WPIAL playoffs for the second consecutive season. Well, they won three of their final four games to snap the Tri-County South’s final playoff spot. The leadership of a strong senior class made a major difference.

Quarterback Santino Paris, running back Nick Kusich and tight end C.J. Norman played brilliantly down the stretch and punctuated their careers with another unlikely postseason berth.

It came to an end with a 69-13 loss to North Catholic in the first round of the playoffs, but a statement was made. The program’s success in 2013 was not a fluke and they should always be considered a threat in the TCS.

Coming off those back-to-back playoff appearances, the Eagles may take a step back in 2015. The program lost its 10 seniors and will only have two this fall (Luke Lloyd and Tyler Fraysier). Lloyd is moving over from wide receiver to quarterback – a position he was capable of playing, but he was shifted to wide receiver with Paris leading the offense. Any regression for Avella will not come because of a lack of talent.

It was experience that helped the Eagles in their playoff run a year ago and they simply lack that quality in 2015. I have been told by a source that Avella has fared well in 7-on-7 passing camps, but a return to prominence is unlikely until a strong eighth grade class joins the program in 2016.

The schedule certainly doesn’t help. The Eagles open with Frazier, followed by California, Jefferson-Morgan, Bentworth and Mapletown. Those teams all return key players and are being discussed as contenders for a conference title.

Few people I’ve spoken to have mentioned Avella, but head coach Ryan Cecchini wouldn’t have it any other way.

Players to watch: Luke Lloyd, Tyler Frasier, Mitch Macik, Dalton Simonelli and Shawn Willard.

Biggest game: In a conference as wide open as the TCS, it’s almost impossible to pinpoint one game in particular for Avella. The Eagles need to win early if they want to reach the postseason again. A slow start with an inexperienced team could make for a long season.

Stat to think about: Since a 0-9 finish in his first year with the program, Cecchini has led the Eagles to a 17-12 record. That’s pretty impressive for barely having enough players to field an intrasquad scrimmage.

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