Laurel will try to stay unbeaten against Riverside
Written: Sep 08, 2016
  By Ron Poniewasz Jr.
New Castle News
The Laurel High football team is looking to remain perfect Friday.
Standing in the Spartans' way, though, is an old foe — Riverside.
Laurel is bidding for its first 3-0 start since 2009 and it will attempt to reach that mark at 7 p.m. Friday when the Panthers visit for a Midwestern Conference clash. The Spartans began the 2009 campaign 4-0.
"Riverside has big guys up front and they have a strong running game," Spartans coach Brian Cooper said. "I'm sure they'll be fired up and ready."
Laurel (1-0 conference, 2-0 overall) opened the season with an 18-8 win over Union in non-conference action before downing Mohawk last week in the conference opener, 22-14.
"They're a big and strong football team," Riverside coach Ron Sciarro said of Laurel. "They like to play power football; they have some good athletes in the backfield and they have some nice receivers.
"Offensively, they'll be a handful."
Sciarro is in his first season at the helm during his second stint with the program. He coached the Panthers for eight years before resigning in 1994.
Riverside (0-0, 0-1) played two scrimmages and began the year by dropping a 41-7 home decision to Steel Valley last week. Steel Valley is ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL in Class 2A by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Last year, the Panthers threw the ball all over the lot with quarterback Jason Dambach. But Dambach graduated and is competing at Gannon.
Dambach set a school record with 5,339 career passing yards, along with setting WPIAL and school marks with 551 passing yards in a single game against Neshannock.
"We're just trying to be multiple as far as the offense goes this year," Sciarro said. "Really the two teams are a lot alike.
"They both run the ball and hopefully we can start executing the passing game. We'll throw it. We don't have a problem throwing it."
Woodrow Hughes is the new quarterback for the Panthers.
"They are a ground-oriented team," Cooper said of Riverside. "Their quarterback isn't afraid to throw it down the field. But they seem like a running team."
Laurel's Spencer Jones, a 5-foot-10 170-pound running back/linebacker paces the county in rushing. Jones, a senior, has 203 rushing yards on 50 carries. He has a pair of touchdowns as well.
The Spartans utilized three quarterbacks in the season opener. Phillip Telesz started, while Will Shaffer and Lance Hill also saw time under center.
Telesz, though, has since moved to tight end, leaving Shaffer and Hill to split the quarterbacking duties.
"I think we're throwing the ball better since the Union game," Cooper said. "We've become more consistent that way.
"We're still making some mistakes here and there. Those type of things will cost you drives. But we're playing well as a team and we're getting better."
Cooper noted Riverside's defensive unit operates mainly out of a 4-4 alignment.
"They'll do a little bit of different things defensively," Cooper said. "They play very sound defense.
"We're hoping to control their up-front pressure."
This will be the first meeting between the schools since a 19-8 Laurel victory in 2011.
"We're trying not to take anyone for granted and just get better every week," Cooper said. "Riverside has strong players and a good attack.
"We will have to control the line of scrimmage against them."
(Email: rponiewasz@ncnewsonline.com)
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