A long hard look: Fayette County high school football update
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Connellsville players attempt to corral Kiski Area蘑菇视频 Kenneth Blake during a game at Falcon Stadium on Sept. 21 last season.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Albert Gallatin蘑菇视频 Dylan Shea (6) runs behind a block by Brian Andrews (60) against Uniontown during a game on Oct. 9 last season in York Run.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Brownsville running back Eric Allen (2) looks for an opening against West Greene during a game at Kennedy Field on Oct. 16 last season.
In December 2018 I wrote an article detailing the depths that High School football in Fayette County had fallen. I followed that up with another article in January 2020. The numbers were depressing and I advocated that leaving the WPIAL and forming a Fayette County football conference might be the best way to get football back on track in the county.
Albert Gallatin was the first to think outside the box and leave the WPIAL and play an independent schedule. They have played an independent schedule for two seasons.
鈥淚t was a tough decision, but it was necessary for the betterment of our kids and program,鈥� Albert Gallatin Athletic Director Duane Dupont said at the time.
Uniontown has also left the WPIAL for football announcing that decision in January of 2021.
The Red Raiders have lost 34 consecutive games, a losing streak that started in 2016.
鈥淭his decision will allow the football program to have a restart,鈥� said Daniel Bosnic, assistant to the superintendent, 鈥渁nd hopefully create some excitement within the program and for our students.鈥�
The football numbers in Fayette County are dismal.
For the 10-year period from 2009 to 2018 Albert Gallatin played 91 games and the Colonials went 9-82 and surrendered 3,624 points which is No. 2 in the WPIAL for that period.
Connellsville played 95 games and had a record of 20-75 and the Falcons gave up 3,631 points. That is No. 1 in the WPIAL for that period of time.
Laurel Highlands played 99 games and had a record of 28-71. The Mustangs allowed 3,616 points which ranked third in the WPIAL.
Brownsville played 94 games and was 10-84. The Falcons allowed 3,362 points which ranked seventh in the WPIAL.
Uniontown played 95 games and was 20-75. The Red Raiders gave up 3,504 points which ranks fourth in the WPIAL for that 10-year stretch.
Frazier was the only Fayette County high school with a winning record from 2009 to 2018. The Commodores posted a mark of 59-43. Frazier outscored opponents 2,475 to 1,972. In 2019 the Commodores were 3-7 and they went 4-3 in 2020.
Here are some recent football numbers:
Prior to their departure two seasons back, Albert Gallatin蘑菇视频 last winning season was in 1983. Since then, Albert Gallatin had won only 53 games and that includes the years as Tri-Valley. Since 1983, Albert Gallatin had 11 winless seasons. Since leaving the WPIAL the Colonials football fortunes are on the rise. They have posted seasons of 5-3 in 2019 and 5-1 in 2020.
Brownsville plays in the Class AAA Interstate Conference. The Falcons have their fifth different coach in Brian Gates since 2015. Brownsville has not won more than two games in a season since 2005, has not been to the playoffs since 2000 and not won a playoff game since a 25-13 victory against Steel Valley in 1999.
Just two years ago, the Falcons finished with an 0-10 campaign, something that has become the norm rather than the exception for the once-proud Falcons.
In 2019 Brownsville went 2-8 and they were 0-7 in 2020.
Connellsville was 2-8 in 2019 and 0-7 in 2020. The Falcons are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. Last season they surrendered 366 points while scoring 166.
Laurel Highlands posted records of 2-8 in 2019 and 2-5 in 2020, including a 32-0 loss to Albert Gallatin which has been out of the WPIAL for two seasons.
We didn鈥檛 include Frazier in this discussion because then-AD Zach Keefer indicated the Commodores are not looking to address any change, they are happy with where they are in the WPIAL.
Albert Gallatin蘑菇视频 modest success is a good template for other Fayette County school蘑菇视频 who may consider leaving the WPIAL for football.
鈥淲e are seeing real good signs,鈥� Dupont said. 鈥淥ur numbers for participation are up, even with the problems with Covid-19 they have remained respectable. Progress has been made. We had a nice year last year. Our attendance went up the first year and sparked interest. Because of the pandemic attendance suffered. We hope we can get back to having good crowds this next season.鈥�
Laurel Highlands, Brownsville and Connellsville are locked into WPIAL schedules for next season. AG and Uniontown have independent schedules in place.
Uniontown reported that it will play three WPIAL schools: Laurel Highlands, Ringgold and Washington.
Tony Mercadante and I have met with Laurel Highlands school board and we will meet with Brownsville on May 17. There is some interest in forming a Fayette County football conference.
So far the Connellsville school board has stonewalled me about coming to a meeting to discuss this. Repeated emails and several phone calls to the athletic director have been ignored. That bothers me since I am a Connellsville resident and pay taxes.
History doesn鈥檛 lie for Connellsville. Since the very contentious firing of coach Dan Spanish in April of 2003 by a 5-4 vote, the Falcons have had eight different head coaches, including new coach Bill Maczko. In 29 years, Spanish compiled a record of 190-111-8 with 16 playoff appearances, 10 conference championships and four undefeated seasons. He captured one WPIAL title.
The combined coaching record of the coaches that followed Spanish is 38-131, with four WPIAL playoff appearances, the last coming in 2014. The school board refusing to address the competitive problem is burying your head in the sand. The problem is not going to go away.
Since Albert Gallatin bolted from the WPIAL for football in 2018 another school followed. In January 2020 Butler decided to leave the WPIAL and play an independent schedule despite playing in Class 6A and having the third-highest enrollment in the WPIAL.
Albert Gallatin wasn鈥檛 the first school to leave the WPIAL and play an independent schedule. Moon, Franklin Regional and Churchill did it for two years (1980-81) when Class 4A was formed. All three were back in the WPIAL by 1982.
It should be noted that other schools are considering leaving the WPIAL. I met in February with all of the Greene County superintendents and athletic directors. Forming a Greene County football conference was being discussed at that time but for now those schools have decided to remain in the WPIAL. The consensus was their problems are much different from those Fayette County schools are facing.
鈥淲e are keeping an eye on things,鈥� Dupont said. 鈥淲e are concerned about our program. They have to do what they think is best for their programs. I鈥檓 not advocating anybody do what we did. We are watching and we would love to play the other Fayette County schools.鈥�
A Fayette County football conference is worth further discussion and action. It maybe is an idea whose time has come.
George Von Benko蘑菇视频 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in the Sunday editions of the 蘑菇视频. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.