HS football preview: Jefferson-Morgan
Rockets ready to battle in search of TCS championship repeat
In Shane Ziats’ first three seasons at Jefferson-Morgan, the team has improved in wins each year, and finished last season undefeated in the regular season at 10-0, as the Rockets won the Tri-County South Conference championship.
Jefferson-Morgan also capped its first undefeated regular season since 1989 before a 39-30 loss to South Side ended the Rockets’ campaign in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs.
The conference title and undefeated regular season were quite an accomplishment, but Ziats and his team know a repeat will be a much stiffer challenge, as J-M has gone from the hunter to the hunted.
“There are going to be expectations the next season when you win a conference championship, and we are aware of that,” Ziats said. “You never know what is going to happen week-in-and-week-out in conference play.”
Jefferson-Morgan also must replace quarterback Houston Guesman, who with Deakyn DeHoet, formed one of the best 1-2 punches in the WPIAL.
DeHoet will return for his senior season after pulling in 52 receptions for 1,038 yards and scoring 21 touchdowns. DeHoet returned three kickoffs and one punt for scores.
DeHoet, who also plays baseball, worked on his speed this offseason in participating in track & field.
Despite having to compete for Beth-Center as part of a co-op, and not having a track & field facility to regularly work out at, DeHoet placed fifth in the 100-meter dash in the Class 2A boys at the PIAA Track & Field Championship after running 11.17 in the final. He has a personal record of 10.95 in the event.
DoHeot is still penciled in at wide receiver, but Ziats and his staff plan on doing whatever is necessary to get the talented athlete the ball.
“We are going to try and get Deakyn involved as much as we can,” Ziats said. “It could be inside or outside. We just don’t know yet, but we will see what puzzle pieces fit best.”
DeHoet is not a rah-rah guy, but his work ethic is noted.
“Deakyn is more of a lead-by-example type of guy, but he is getting better at being more vocal,” Ziats said.
In addition to Guesman, the Rockets will be looking to find replacements for four other key cogs that were seniors a year ago in Ryan Baker, Jase Bedilion, Ethan Crowe and Johnny Gilbert.
“Those seniors that we lost are going to be hard to replace,” Ziats said. “Hopefully, we got guys that are going to fill those shoes. We had 30 kids at our first day of practice. We will see how many stick around, but so far, so good.”
Junior Triton Farabee has been getting reps at quarterback, and will have a tall order in replacing Guesman, but Ziats is confident in his signal caller.
“I am pretty pleased with what he has done so far,” Ziats said. “He has been here all summer, and is learning what he has to do on offense.”
Senior John Woodward is back at running back, but as a former lineman himself, Ziats knows that the line drives the vehicle.
Twins Landon and Levi Heath and Eli Hill are four-year starters on the offensive and defensive lines. Fellow senior Remington Broadwater will also get the nod. Sophomore Jeremiah Rodriguez rounds out the line.
“If the line doesn’t go, the offense doesn’t,” Ziats said. “It’s as simple as that. We have our three four-year starters, and Remington has had a little bit of an injury bug for a couple of years, but he is back and ready to go.”
Jefferson-Morgan will bring a simplistic approach when it’s on defense, but playing solid, fundamental football will be key.
“We want the kids to learn the technique and fundamentals and to do their job,” Ziats said. “We don’t want them to do anything that we don’t ask them to do. Just do what is required.
“Stopping is always key, and in this conference, probably more so with the amount of running that teams do. We must warp up and be a solid tackling team.”
J-M defeated California, 28-27, in the regular-season finale to win the TCS, and the Trojans are looking for someone to try and fill the shoes of Lee Qualk, but Ziats expects another solid team in Coal Center under veteran head coach Ed Woods.
“He (Woods) always has a solid team,” Ziats said. “They are a tough team with a great coaching staff, but I don’t want to overlook any team. As a team, we have promise, but when it comes down to it, all that matters is what happens on Friday night.”
Ziats is assisted by Tom Corazzi, Ron Gallagher, Jacob Nace, William Rogers, Tony Ruscitto, Jake Rush and Alan Yanak.
Corazzi and Ruscitto come over from Beth-Center, where Ruscitto was the head coach last season. As a former Bulldogs, Ziats is eager to have both coaches on his staff.
“Coach Tony has a lot of experience and tutelage, and Coach Corazzi is also from Beth-Center,” Ziats said. “We are bringing in a mix of old school with the new.”