WITH THE OPENING OF FOOTBALL CAMP, 2007 SEASON SURE TO BRING ACTION PACKED EXCITEMENT

By Chris Rossetti

Co-Editor D9Sports.com

Well folks, today marks the start of practice for another high school football season, and once again hopes are high all across the vast area we like to call District 9.

And with those hopes also come inevitable debate of who the top teams are going to be.

Will Coudersport be able to reload again and make a run at a historic third straight title, something that no Class A team has ever accomplished in the 20 years of the District 9 playoffs, not even the great Smethport teams of the 1990s?

Will the B’s reign supreme again in Class AA (either Brockway or Brookville has won every D9 Class AA title since 2002) or will Karns City with an experienced offensive line win its first title since 2001 when it won its third straight?

Will Bradford defend its Class AAA title over Clearfield, who bolted the D9 League for good this year, or will the Bisons or even St. Marys or Punxsutawney prevent the Owls from taking home their fifth title since 2000?

Speaking of the D9 League, who will win what is perhaps the last-ever D9 League title? After this season, DuBois joins Clearfield in the mainly District 6 Mountain’s Athletic Conference, while Brookville makes its return to the KSAC where it will be joined by Punxsutawney. Bradford appears headed for a District 10 league, and poor St. Marys still isn’t sure where it will go. The KSAC didn’t want the Dutch and it appears that neither does the AML. So St. Marys could be without a conference next year, which will make schedule making a major headache.

Also, what players will emerge in the hunt for the D9Sports.com District 9 Player of the Year award? Will Ridgway’s Jerico Weitzel build upon the great season he had last year (1,222 yards rushing, 15 TDs; 21 catches, 312 yards, 3 TDs; 82 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 Ints) to claim the most outstanding player award or will someone else like Moniteau junior quarterback Tyler Armagost (1,261 yards, 9 TDs, 4 Ints), Redbank Valley’s Jake Smith (1,124 yards passing, 14 TDs, 10 Ints; 587 yards rushing, 11 TDs) or Alex Bladel (1,373 yards rushing, 14 TDs,; 17 catches, 255 yards, 3 TDs), the D9 Rookie of the Year last year, Brookville senior running back Joe Galbraith (1,175 yards rushing, 10 TDs), Brookville senior QB Shane Heschke (1,246 yards passing, 14 TDs, 6 Ints; 525 yards rushing, 9 TDs), Clarion’s Ben Bevevino (931 yards passing, 13 TDs, 3 Ints; 89 yards rushing, 4 TDs), Coudersport’s Boomer Wetzel (718 yards passing, 9 TDs, 6 Ints, 2 D9 titles in 2 years) or Clearfield’s Isiah Morgan (1,130 yards rushing, 13 TDs) make a push for top dog? Or will the top dog come from someplace else like Cameron’s Jordan Crane or an unknown like last year’s co-Player of the Year Chris Cavallari of Coudersport who burst onto the scene as a senior?

Four schools will be under the direction of new head coach’s when camp opens as well.

Gary Pinkerton becomes the sixth head coach at A-C Valley in the past 10 years replacing Randy Lemon, who went 4-23 in three years at the helm.

Frank Varischetti replaces the legendary Ray Reckner at Brockway. Reckner, who retired at the end of last season, coached the Rovers for 22 seasons going 131-90-3 and winning four D9 Class AA titles. The Varischetti name, though, is well associated with Brockway football. After all, the football stadium is Frank Varischetti Field, the grandfather of the new head coach.  

Moniteau also welcomes a new boss to town, as former defensive coordinator Jeff Campbell takes over for Steve Wilson, who left after five seasons and a 27-26 overall mark. Wilson, who left the teaching profession for a job that won’t allow him time to coach football, took the Warriors to the District 9 playoffs five straight years, the first five trips to the D9 postseason for Moniteau.

Finally, John Bonavita is back in the saddle at Sheffield. Bonavita, who guided Sheffield to a 19-27 record as the head coach from 1997-2001, takes over for Scott Park, who went 10-37 in five seasons at the helm. Bonavita was the junior high coach last year.