Keefer, Scotties look to build on WPIAL playoff appearance
Southmoreland quarterback Zach Cernuto (10) finds running room against McGuffey during a game last season at Russ Grimm Field. Cernuto returns for his senior year in 2020 after helping guide the Scotties to their first playoff berth since 1979 last year.
Southmoreland蘑菇视频 J.J. Bloom (25) pounces on a fumble forced by the Scotties鈥� Zach Cernuto (10) during a game at Beth-Center last year. Bloom returns for his junior year while Cernuto will be a senior in 2020.
Southmoreland's Isaac Trout (22) pulls in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Zach Cernuto against Beth-Center during a game at Beth-Center Stadium last season. Trout returns to the Scotties for his junior year in 2020.
Southmoreland蘑菇视频 football team made the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in 40 seasons in 2019.
So what does head coach Dave Keefer and the team plan on doing for an encore?
鈥淲e want to win the conference this year, make the playoffs and take it to the next level by winning a playoff game,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hose are our goals.鈥�
The Scotties have moved up to Class AAA from AA, and lot of their opponents in the Interstate conference will be new to them.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know what to expect because it is a new conference,鈥� Keefer said. 鈥淲e are familiar with Mount Pleasant because we played them the last two years, but we don鈥檛 know too much about the others.
鈥淲e play South Park in the opener and it is going to be a different ball game (in AAA).鈥�
With the move up in class and the loss of a lot of production, it may appear on paper that Southmoreland may have a down year, but the Scotties do not feel that way.
鈥淲e have seven starters back on offense and six on defense,鈥� Keefer said. 鈥淲e were fairly young last year and lost some productive players, but everyone else was mostly sophomores and juniors.鈥�
Gone are Colt Harper, the program蘑菇视频 all-time leading rusher, and Riley Comforti, the Scotties鈥� all-time receiving leader.
鈥淲e have kids capable of replacing the players who graduated,鈥� Keefer said. 鈥淭he postseason experience has motivated these guys and getting a taste of it has been good because the kids are hungry.
鈥淲e had so many young players last year and they want more.鈥�
Leading the way is senior quarterback Zach Cernuto, a three-year starter who has already shattered the school record for passing yards with 3,731.
Even with the limited schedule this season, he has an outside chance of reaching 5,000 yards.
鈥淗e is a quality kid who has high football intelligence and is aggressive when it comes to competitiveness,鈥� complimented Keefer. 鈥淗e knows the offense inside and out, and is spinning the ball well.鈥�
Junior Isaac Trout looks to be the front runner to be the top receiver, while Keefer said teams will have to keep an eye on junior H-back Anthony Govern.
鈥淗e is diverse and will open some eyes,鈥� Keefer said. 鈥淗e is like a Swiss army knife because he can play all over and teams will have to know where he is at all times.鈥�
Another key for Southmoreland is that it returns four starters on the offensive line.
Center JP Poole and right tackle Kameron Ambrisco are seniors, while 6-3, 280-pound left guard Kory Ansell and left tackle Matthew Rodriguez are juniors.
Returning defensive starters include Ansell (defensive tackle), Govern (middle linebacker), Cernuto (outside linebacker), and junior Colt Firmstone (defensive end), as well as Trout and junior JJ Bloom at cornerback.
When all activities were shut down in March, Keefer and his staff kept in touch with the players.
鈥淲e stayed in contact with the kids entirely throughout,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ome of the kids worked out on their own and took it upon themselves to do so.
鈥淲e started back the last week of June and are further ahead than we have been the last two years because the kids know the system.鈥�
The staff has been happy with the number of players who have been showing up since conditioning started back up.
鈥淲ith so much time off, we are having such an unbelievable turnout,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey were tired of being isolated and quarantined, and were ready to come back.鈥�
Keefer also reminded the team that the bar has been set higher now.
鈥淲e told them just making the playoffs is no longer acceptable,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have to do something else.鈥�