What have you been doing as of late with your workouts?
“I began to hit the PR weight room starting in January for three days a week before Phase I started in February. It was delayed a bit this year due to championship. I’ve continued to hit the weight room with great team participation as a part of Phase II. Also, I have worked with a trainer who monitors strength and stamina improvement and nutrition. I also participated in ETHIC’s OL February training program for speed, agility and technique development.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“Upper body strength has been my most significant improvement. When starting two years ago as a 15-year-old kid going against some of the best DI players coming out of the WPIAL like Thorpe, Hinish, Adams, Kradel, and Gmiter to name a few, I knew I had to get stronger. As a result of my commitment, I’ve improved my strength and I’ve also been able to improve my agility and quickness.”
What are your areas of focus going forward?
“Coming into the season as the three-year starting center, I’ll need to work with PR QBs to ensure snap timing. In the past, I’ve done all of the 7-on-7s with our QBs to simply snap the ball in order to get the snap relationship perfected to become as precise and consistent as possible during games. I’ll need to put in that same level of work with our QBs this spring and summer as we prepare for defending our WPIAL and PIAA Championships.”
How do you believe your team will be next season?
“Although we had fantastic playmakers in our 2018 graduating class like Jurkovec, Falcone, Crawford, Camino, DeFrancisis, White, Burns, Boyd and Lemirade on the o-line and Byrd and Marfisi on defense, we still have 6 three-year starters returning on both sides of the ball. Kristofic, Katic, Meckler, King, Cerminara and me. We also have guys with a good depth of varsity play experience like Cafardi, Eckenrode, Miller, Hetzel and Stenson. We’ve also got some younger guys stepping up to fill big shoes, but they are hyped about the opportunity to step up. Our coaches will ask more of us, but we are prepared to go hard again this coming season.”
What is the toughest game on your schedule for 2018?
“Every week will be a real challenge in the highest classification in the state. We have several teams new to us with the change from Northern 7. We always respect every team and we will get a great test to kick off the season with the week zero opponent planned to be IMG from Florida. But clearly, North Allegheny and PGH Central Catholic are our key rivalry games.”
Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Absolutely. I want to continue playing the game of football after high school into college and I’m working toward that goal.”
What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’ve been in contact with many college recruiters, from all levels at DI, DII, and DIII.”
What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“I currently have an Ivy League offer from Cornell. Many of the coaches I’ve talked to want to see me at their camps this summer to monitor my physical development as I am a very young incoming senior.
Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, I’ve been invited to all of the Ivy League schools for junior days and visited all but two of them this March and April. Many of the Patriot League schools have also invited me to campus to see their facilities and meet their coaches. I’ve visited Fordham, Holy Cross & Bucknell. Additionally, one of the most impressive visits was to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.”
What camps are you going to this summer?
“Yes, I’ll be attending several camps including Pitt’s camp, where many of these other college coaches have communicated to me that they will be there to see me work.”
Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Of course growing up in Pittsburgh and having both parents and two grandparents graduate from Pitt, I’ve loved going to Pitt games. One of the best experiences growing up was attending Pitt vs. Notre Dame in South Bend during a season when ND was undefeated and Pitt tied the game to go to overtime. Ultimately Pitt lost that game, but it was a great showing by the Panthers and a really good day to be a Pitt Panther fan.”
“I began to hit the PR weight room starting in January for three days a week before Phase I started in February. It was delayed a bit this year due to championship. I’ve continued to hit the weight room with great team participation as a part of Phase II. Also, I have worked with a trainer who monitors strength and stamina improvement and nutrition. I also participated in ETHIC’s OL February training program for speed, agility and technique development.”
What do you feel you have improved on the most since football ended?
“Upper body strength has been my most significant improvement. When starting two years ago as a 15-year-old kid going against some of the best DI players coming out of the WPIAL like Thorpe, Hinish, Adams, Kradel, and Gmiter to name a few, I knew I had to get stronger. As a result of my commitment, I’ve improved my strength and I’ve also been able to improve my agility and quickness.”
What are your areas of focus going forward?
“Coming into the season as the three-year starting center, I’ll need to work with PR QBs to ensure snap timing. In the past, I’ve done all of the 7-on-7s with our QBs to simply snap the ball in order to get the snap relationship perfected to become as precise and consistent as possible during games. I’ll need to put in that same level of work with our QBs this spring and summer as we prepare for defending our WPIAL and PIAA Championships.”
How do you believe your team will be next season?
“Although we had fantastic playmakers in our 2018 graduating class like Jurkovec, Falcone, Crawford, Camino, DeFrancisis, White, Burns, Boyd and Lemirade on the o-line and Byrd and Marfisi on defense, we still have 6 three-year starters returning on both sides of the ball. Kristofic, Katic, Meckler, King, Cerminara and me. We also have guys with a good depth of varsity play experience like Cafardi, Eckenrode, Miller, Hetzel and Stenson. We’ve also got some younger guys stepping up to fill big shoes, but they are hyped about the opportunity to step up. Our coaches will ask more of us, but we are prepared to go hard again this coming season.”
What is the toughest game on your schedule for 2018?
“Every week will be a real challenge in the highest classification in the state. We have several teams new to us with the change from Northern 7. We always respect every team and we will get a great test to kick off the season with the week zero opponent planned to be IMG from Florida. But clearly, North Allegheny and PGH Central Catholic are our key rivalry games.”
Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Absolutely. I want to continue playing the game of football after high school into college and I’m working toward that goal.”
What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’ve been in contact with many college recruiters, from all levels at DI, DII, and DIII.”
What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“I currently have an Ivy League offer from Cornell. Many of the coaches I’ve talked to want to see me at their camps this summer to monitor my physical development as I am a very young incoming senior.
Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, I’ve been invited to all of the Ivy League schools for junior days and visited all but two of them this March and April. Many of the Patriot League schools have also invited me to campus to see their facilities and meet their coaches. I’ve visited Fordham, Holy Cross & Bucknell. Additionally, one of the most impressive visits was to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.”
What camps are you going to this summer?
“Yes, I’ll be attending several camps including Pitt’s camp, where many of these other college coaches have communicated to me that they will be there to see me work.”
Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Of course growing up in Pittsburgh and having both parents and two grandparents graduate from Pitt, I’ve loved going to Pitt games. One of the best experiences growing up was attending Pitt vs. Notre Dame in South Bend during a season when ND was undefeated and Pitt tied the game to go to overtime. Ultimately Pitt lost that game, but it was a great showing by the Panthers and a really good day to be a Pitt Panther fan.”