HS football preview: Mount Pleasant
Vikings banking on strong line play
For the 2025 Mount Pleasant football team it is all on the line.
The line of scrimmage.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 pretty clear for us,鈥� said Vikings鈥� coach Jason Fazekas. 鈥淟ast year, we graduated a small senior class. It was only six kids. It蘑菇视频 small for us. We鈥檙e usually more than 12 out of a senior class, none of the graduating seniors were linemen. We are returning every starter and every backup that we had on the offensive and defensive lines. So, as I always say, it蘑菇视频 going start upfront. That蘑菇视频 where you must look first. That蘑菇视频 going to be a group that we鈥檙e going to think is the strength of our team to start the season off.鈥�
The Class 3A Interstate Conference will again consist of Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg Salem, Southmoreland, Yough, Derry and the Vikings.
Last season, Elizabeth Forward won the conference championship. Mount Pleasant tied for second with Greensburg Salem and Southmoreland.
The Vikings, who went 5-6 overall in 2024, were 3-2 in the conference and lost to Freeport in the opening round of the WPIAL playoffs.
Mount Pleasant has qualified for the playoffs six consecutive seasons.
鈥淲e have to take care of ourselves, number one, and number two we have to make sure that our front is going to be as good as what we think,鈥� Fazekas said. 鈥淚t can be and then we must be able to find the kids that we can get the ball to who will score some touchdowns. I think those are just some of the key items for us right there.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 predict but I do know that (making the playoffs) is something we talk about in this program. We鈥檝e put ourselves in a position to have that chance in the past. I don鈥檛 think any of our expectations have changed. We want to be in the conversation for those spots at the end of the year. We also recognize that you don鈥檛 just show up and have it happen. We鈥檙e trying to formulate that plan right now and, hopefully, we鈥檙e going to be in the spot at the end of the year to get into the playoffs.鈥�
Returning starters for the Vikings are senior two-way linemen Payton Schaum (6-0, 275) and Carter Strayer (6-5, 250), senior offensive linemen Caleb Pease (5-10, 290), Charles
Stader (5-9, 215) and Alex Ferencz 6-4, 300), senior receiver Jonah Townsend (5-10, 150), junior two-way lineman Christian Brodak (5-11, 255), senior running back-linebacker Rage Suchar (6-0, 215), senior running back-defensive back Richard Shawley (6-2, 175), senior quarterback-defensive back Dane Firmstone (5-9, 205) and junior linebacker Stephen Predajna.
Fazekas listed the following players as 鈥減romising newcomers:鈥� sophomore quarterback Cole Hart (6-0, 155), sophomore wide receiver-defensive backs sophomore Lukas Gonzales (6-0, 155) and senior Robert Hixson (5-11,170, senior tight end-linebacker Gage Valone (6-0, 185), running back-defensive backs sophomore Brady Brooks (5-11, 155) and Tristan Workiewicz (5-8,145), tight end-defensive lineman Andrew Brodak (6-1, 185), linebacker Mike Reese, sophomore two-way linemen Dane Smitley (6-1, 255) and sophomore John Klejka (6-0, 295).
The Class 3A playoff system includes12 playoff spots, based on team records using conference games with the top three teams in each conference qualifying for a playoff spot plus three at-large bids determined by the football committee.
The top four seeded teams in the tournament will receive a 鈥渂ye鈥� in the first round. The conference champion will host its opponent in its opening round of the playoffs. In all other opening games, the higher-seeded team will host its opponent.
Fazekas, in his ninth season at the school, is assisted by Luke Liprando, Dylan McElfresh, Dave Greene, Jake Fazekas and Tom Sandala.
鈥淓very year, our expectations start off and pretty much focus on ourselves and to make sure that we鈥檙e getting ourselves ready to start the year,鈥� Jason Fazekas said. 鈥淭hen you look at the kids you graduated and see where you must fill those gaps. We come up with the best plan to do that especially early in the year. That will be our approach 鈥� to focus on getting ourselves better.鈥�