Bosnic up to the task at Carmichaels
CARMICHAELS – He only graduated from college 15 months ago, and he’s following a legend who retired after his best season, but if there’s a young coach who’s up to the task of starting a new football era at Carmichaels, it’s Mike Bosnic. “It hasn’t been difficult,” said Bosnic. “John Menhart has really done a lot for this program. The kids are used to doing things the right way. It’s actually been easier to come in and coach since it’s an established program.”
Menhart resigned after leading Carmichaels to an 11-1 record last season. His 14-year cumulative record was 81-59-2.
Bosnic? Well, he’s played major college football, and he knows the area, and since he was an assistant last year he knows the system.
Is that enough?
“I’m sure there are great expectations because they set the standards so high,” he said. “It was a terrific year last year with a great group of seniors and they established a legacy themselves. Every year they were there they were in the playoffs, and last year they went to the semifinals. They won their whole career here.”
It will certainly be a tough act to follow for Bosnic, an Albert Gallatin graduate who lettered four years as a guard, defensive tackle, tight end and offensive tackle at Pitt. His career ended after the 2001 season and he took his degree in history and entered grad school and is hoping to make a name for himself in the coaching profession. But why Carmichaels?
“They needed an assistant last year and I was looking and it just kind of happened,” he said.
In the team’s first scrimmage this season, Carmichaels struggled against Beth-Center, but Bosnic expected as much, particularly since it was the first real action the players have seen after a week of practice.
“I knew we’d struggle in the first scrimmage because we couldn’t get a look all week” Bosnic said. “For some of our guys, that was the first time they ever played. In a single-A school, that’s the first look on offense and defense because you can’t scrimmage. It was the first time we went live.
“Besides, we’re also running a little different offense and I figured we’d struggle with some of the plays, particularly our running backs, and sure enough we did. Some plays I wouldn’t have run against that defense but I wanted to look at everything.”
To be sure, Carmichaels lost plenty of talent from last year’s team. Of course, Menhart’s gone, but so is his son, Jono, who played quarterback. Also gone are all-conference running backs Bobby Hathaway and Colby Giles. Three more all-conference players – Justin Zielensky, Josh Novotny and Gary Johnson – left, and the latter two were linemen.
All-conference lineman Stephen Penich (6-4, 270) is the building block for the new era. Twins Jeff and Jared Lapkowicz are the main playmakers. Jeff will play quarterback and Jared will play wide receiver and running back.
“Yeah, we lost a lot but we have a couple of key guys back, too,” Bosnic said. “It’s just that a lot of them are very inexperienced. Now they have to take more prominent roles and it will take time to get a feel.
“I think in some ways we’re behind in where we were, but it’s a different team. I think we learned a lot in the scrimmage. We’ll continue to progress, learn more and develop our own identity. We’re different. I think we can throw better than last year. I don’t know if we’ll run as well, but we’ll see.”