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Pyrex Bowl a big hit with area football teams

By Bill Hughes for The 4 min read
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The third annual Pyrex Bowl took place at James Weir Stadium in Rostraver Township, and the 7-on-7 football event was considered a success by those who participated.

“I thought it went really smooth and the key was to take a little more realistic goal for each school to play at least five games,” said Belle Vernon football coach and athletic director, Matt Humbert. “The tempo of the event was pretty fast-paced.

“We wanted it to be as competitive as possible, for each team to play competitive contests, and we would be doing a disservice if we didn’t make it a game simulation of Friday nights.

“At the end of the day, the kids have fun and we get to play football in July.”

Games were 30 minutes long and teams started at their opponents 40-yard line.

First downs were gained at the 25-yard line and 10-yard line with touchdowns being worth six points, interceptions worth four points, defensive stops were worth two points, and two-point conversions from the five were worth one point and two-point conversions from the 10 were worth two points.

Charleroi coach Donnie Militzer’s team finished 3-1 in pool play, was seeded first for the playoffs and advanced to the semifinals.

“I was really pleased with our competitive level and the way our kids responded,” Militzer said. “Our timing has improved and we spread the ball around really well.

“Defensively, I was really impressed with our communication, we worked very well as a unit, and it is a great building block heading into next season.”

Yough coach Scott Wood is in the midst of a rebuild and he will use yesterday as a teaching tool.

“We will gauge how the players are grasping our offense and defense once we watch the film,” he said. “We had some guys surprise us but we still have a lot of work to do.”

After his team went 3-1 in pool play before losing in the tournament, Frazier coach Mike Steeber talked about the event and how his team has improved because of events similar to it.

“Coach Humbert did a great job hosting the well-organized event and it capped off our 7-on-7 work,” he said. “It was an excellent community event giving local teams the opportunity to compete against each other and prepare for the season while giving our staff a chance to see our kids steadily improve throughout the summer thanks to local events like the Pyrex Bowl.”

Elizabeth Forward coach Mike Collodi’s team went 3-1 in pool play before falling in the tournament.

“I thought we played well, the kids played fast and are getting better each time we do a 7-on-7,” Collodi said. “Overall, I was pleased with their effort and they competed in every game.”

Belle Vernon won the playoff tournament championship in overtime when it downed Albert Gallatin, 28-22, after finishing fourth in the pool standings.

Albert Gallatin wide receiver Nate Bricker was the offensive MVP.

Colonials coach Shawn Liotta was pleased with his team’s showing, especially Bricker, who returned to the football team this year after playing soccer for AG last year.

“We’re certainly glad to have him back,” said Liotta, who marveled at Bricker’s performance along with quarterback Patten Fabryki. “Nate made some big plays. He’s a big target at 6-3. We have an option route we run and he must have had eight-10 touchdowns just on that play alone.

“I was happy with the event. It was a good day, overall, for everyone.”

Belle Vernon has won all three Pyrex Bowls.

“The number one thing I always say is that competition is key and we are competing and being aggressive,” Humbert said. “We want to win, but we want to look at the players as we have a lot of kids who can play a lot of different places.

“The paradigm for coaches is that we need to get kids reps at different positions while being successful.”

Belle Vernon inside linebacker Derek Thomas was the defensive MVP for the second straight year.

Thomas, who won the award last year as an outside linebacker, finished with two interceptions and had several pass breakups.

Other teams who competed included Connellsville and Ringgold.

Rob Burchianti contributed to this story.

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