Mapletown coach
Messich knows how injuries can wipe out a good season MAPLETOWN – Mapletown enjoyed one of the finest seasons in school history last year when it finished second in the Tri-County South Conference with a 7-1 record. Mapletown ended up 8-2 overall after losing to Riverview, 21-7, in the WPIAL playoffs.
After three consecutive losing seasons, the 2001 campaign appeared to be a breakthrough of sorts for the program, but that wasn’t necessarily the view from the top.
“People thought we really improved from the year before,” said coach George Messich. “But when that senior group was in its junior season, we had a ton of injuries. We could’ve had two good seasons.”
Mapletown opened the 2000 season with a 4-2 record, but a series of injuries doomed the team to a 4-6 final record.
“Everyone thought we made such a big improvement, but injuries cost us two very good years instead of one,” Messich said before turning to this year, a year in which four of eight all-conference players return.
“We did have a great year last year, but it’s time for some other people to stand up and take a leadership role. That’s what I’m looking for,” he said.
Gone are four-year starters Joe Kavlick, T.J. Hartley, Justin Craig and Tim Horvwalt. Another veteran, Bob St. Clair, was an all-conference running back. St. Clair and Kavlick combined to rush for 1,889 yards while quarterback Drew Denham passed for 544 yards and receiver Gerod Buckhalter had 23 receptions last year.
Both Denham, a senior, and Buckhalter, a junior, return and are looking for back-to-back all-conference seasons. So are right tackle Matt Messich and tight end Jayce Donley.
“Our tailback, Andy Latusek, would’ve been on everybody’s all-conference list, but he had a bad string of injuries,” Messich said. “He adds to the nice nucleus we have right now. The question for the team is how soon the other five or six starters will play at that top level. They’re working very hard but there are a lot of new faces. Still, we expect them to rise to the occasion.”
As Messich found out two years ago, a top Tri-County South Conference contender can fall to the second division in a matter of four or five injuries.
“That’s Class A football for you,” Messich said. “This year, I think you’re going to see a lot of close football games in this conference. Carmichaels and Monessen hold the edge right now, but I think three teams – California, Jefferson-Morgan and West Greene – are quality teams. Frazier has a lot of kids back. So, week in and week out there will be very close games, which makes for a good conference. You never want to win 60-0 and you never want to lose 60-0.
“When it’s competitive and close, it’s good for the kids and good for the fans. That’s how I see the conference this year. The four teams that stay healthy will be the four teams in the playoffs.”
It’s a lesson Mapletown doesn’t want to learn again.