Laurel, Rochester to collide for conference lead
Written: Oct 01, 2009
  By JOE SAGER
ncsports@ncnewsonline.com
Friday marks the halfway point in the football season for most teams.
Yet, Laurel High may be playing for a championship already.
You won’t hear Spartans coach Jerry Holzhauser mention that, but the Big Seven Conference championship pecking order will be established when his troops pay a 7:30 p.m. visit to Rochester.
The Rams (2-0 conference, 4-0 overall) and Laurel (2-0, 4-0) are on a collision course. Rochester is ranked first in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s WPIAL Class A rankings, while the Spartans are second.
“Both teams have done well,” Holzhauser said. “We’ll just have to line ’em up on Friday and see who the better team is.”
This is a crucial game in the competitive Big Seven Conference as both teams sit atop the standings. However, the victor does not have an easy journey through the rest of the conference, which had four teams win at least one playoff game a year ago.
“Your focus has to be there every week. On any given night, all the teams that we play in this conference are capable of winning,” Holzhauser said. “I think the kids recognize this is a big game. Not all kids get to play a game like this. In that regard, it’s a good thing, as long as it doesn’t create nervousness. If they just go out and play with greater intensity, that’s a plus. If that intensity creates lack of focus and turnovers, that’ll hurt us.”
Rams coach Gene Matsook, a 1981 Shenango graduate and former multi-sport star for the Wildcats, has experienced plenty of big games. He has guided Rochester to four WPIAL titles, two state crowns and a pair of PIAA runner-up finishes. Last year, the Rams fell in the WPIAL semifinals.
“This is what it’s all about,” he said. “Our kids have been through the big games and they understand it. They are excited. It’s good to have this situation with both teams doing so well in the conference. That’s how it used to be — there would be big games every week.”
Both teams enter the game with explosive offenses. Rochester averages 38 points per game, while Laurel checks in at 28 ppg. There will be a bounty of playmakers on the field, too, in Rams running backs Trey Johnson and Derek Gallagher, quarterback Jason Adamson and tight end Terry Gettings.
“They do a lot of things. They have a great running back. They have a quarterback who is a good runner and passer. They have talented receivers and an outstanding tight end. They have a real aggressive front line, offensively,” Holzhauser said. “It’s a typical Rochester team. They are confident, too. Those are the things that win games. They have all those things going for them. They are definitely a formidable opponent. They are an exceptionally well-coached team. They have great discipline. If you are out of position, they will take advantage of it for sure.”
The Spartans counter with offensive weapons in quarterback Tyler Forbes, running backs Dylan Jones and Caleb Weisenstein and receivers Jake Dando, Kevin Zubasic and Eric Wallas, among others.
“They are good. They have Dando and some really good receivers. They do a good job with what they do,” Matsook said. “Their quarterback does a nice job. They are a very balanced team. Jerry and his coaches do a good job up there. It’s a typical Laurel team. You can see they are playing together and see they are in this situation because of the kids they have.”
There’s only one problem to potential offensive fireworks — both teams possess the WPIAL’s best defenses. Rochester ranks first with 14 points against (3.5 ppg) — including none in conference play. Laurel is tied for second in the district (with Clairton) with 22 points allowed (5.5 ppg).
“We’re not surprised at all at what Laurel’s done so far,” Matsook said. “We know what Laurel is all about. That’s a good team and the kids understand that. It should be a good one. We can’t make any mental mistakes. We’re just worried about what we do. That’s the bottom line there.”
The Spartans want to be the first team to break through the Rams’ defense, but the way to do that isn’t exactly clear.
“There are no weaknesses that we can see. They play a number of defenses and they are solid in whatever front and coverages they are in. They don’t make mistakes that way,” Holzhauser said. “They have a talented group in the secondary. They just play sound defense. They don’t do things that would put themselves in a position for teams to obviously take advantage of something.
“We’ll do what we’ve been doing. There’s not going to be any major changes. We certainly can’t go into the game altering what we do. That’d be a real mistake. We know it’ll be a tough matchup. It’s going to come down to the team that prepares the best and executes the best.”
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