Hedrick glad to be back coaching at high school level
Andy Hedrick has a lengthy list of stops on his coaching resume, including several seasons leading the men’s team at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, but he is excited to be back at Connellsville.
Hedrick has also coached at Everett and Blackhawk. He won a WPIAL with the Cougars in 2008 before his first stint with the Falcons ran from 2014-2021.
With his ties to Connellsville, Hedrick is eager about the transition back to coaching high school.
“I like the transition back to high school because I have known this group of kids since they were little,” Hedrick said. “They are enthusiastic and have a lot of energy, so it is a fun atmosphere to be coaching in.”
The Falcons will compete in Section 2-6A with Canon-McMillan, Central Catholic, Hempfield, Imani Christian, Mount Lebanon, Norwin and Upper St. Clair.
The Panthers won the WPIAL championship and advanced to the state semifinals. The Blue Devils and Vikings also qualified for the state tournament.
“In addition to being in Class 6A, the schools in our section are top Class 6A schools,” Hedrick said. “Upper St. Clair, Mount Lebanon, Central Catholic, Imani Christian, Norwin, Hempfield and Canon-McMillan would be a tough section no matter where you play in the state.
“I think Mount Lebanon, Central Catholic, Imani Christian and Upper St. Clair are all great programs. Anyone of them is a threat to win the section. Beyond those teams, the rest of the section is formidable, so there are no easy games.”
The Falcons have struggled to maintain success in recent seasons, but Hedrick appreciates the chemistry of his team.
“I think the camaraderie of the team is an asset,” Hedrick said. “It is a close group that likes each other from top to bottom. We work hard and we have some depth where we can sub without a drop off.”
Connellsville will be at a disadvantage when it comes to size, as Darius Prinkey at 6-3 is the tallest player on the roster.
“We are not big and we do not come from a mindset of winning,” Hedrick said. “If we want to improve, we have to work hard enough to gain the confidence that we can compete. We would like to get back to where people know that when they play us, it will be a battle.”
The Falcons have a senior class of seven with several two and three-sport athletes that include Geno Farrell, Mecaih Hamborsky, Xavier John, Jayden Mickens, Prinkey, Christian Thomas and Matthew Urie.
Connellsville’s junior class consists of Tyler Burkus, Rocco Farrell, Darius Grooms, Lucas Harwood, Brett Hedrick, Linkon Keller, Daniel Long and Noah Zawislan.
The Falcons have five sophomores in Brian Caldwell, Kaden Firestone, George Jones, Dan Langgle and Jake Pritts.
Freshman Tucker Beaman made the squad.
Hedrick will be assisted by Caleb Miller and Hudson Novak.