MONESSEN LOOKS TO TAKE
ANOTHER POSITIVE STEP
Qualifying for the WPIAL playoffs
is usually not something to
celebrate at Monessen. Most years,
it’s a given.
Monessen boasts one of Western
Pennsylvania’s more tradition
rich programs. A long list of
former professional players such
as Julius Dawkins, Jamie Reader
and the late Jo Jo Heath helped the
Greyhounds compile 657 victories.
So sneaking into the Class A
bracket last year as the fourthplace
team from the Tri-County
South might not have been worth
bragging about, but it was a
much-needed step for a program
that endured an unexpected rough
patch.
It was Monessen’s first playoff
appearance since 2013, and the
Greyhounds’ 3-8 record and firstround
loss to eventual state champion
Jeannette was an improvement
froma 1-9 record—the worst
in team history—in ‘16.
The Greyhounds hope to take a
few more strides this season, and
early indicators are promising.
“We’ve got more participation.
We’ve got our numbers up,” second
year coach Mike Blainefield
said. “The problem you have with
limited numbers is unlimited. We
have 31 signed up right now. Last
year, we were in the low 20s going
into camp. We didn’t have enough
to practice 11 on 11. By the end of
the season, we had 14 (players).”
Blainefield knows the history of
Monessen football, and his mission
is to restore pride in the program.
The former Georgetown player
is a Monessen grad. He was an assistant
coach for six seasons before
taking over the program.
“You could kind of see the decline
coming,” he said. “When I
first moved back, I went to a game,
and I knew I wanted to help. You
could see the participation was
down. The attitude had started to
change. It was a combination of
bad timing and poor support. It’s
heartbreaking what happened. It
really is, not just the performance
on the field but the crowd. There
were a lot of empty seats.”
Blainefield said momentum is
DWAYNE HOWE
building, and it starts with senior
middle linebacker/running back
Vaughn Taylor, who suffered a
season-ending injury in Week 3
last season.
“He’s back, and he’s healthy,”
Blainefield said. “He’s going to
help us be more balanced on offense.”
Quarterback Dwayne Howe became
the starter midway through
last season, and he threw 11 touchdowns
against four interceptions.
“He’s very, very intelligent in
the field,” Blainefield said. “He
knows when to get rid of the ball
and what to look for against the
defense. He has the confidence of
his teammates.”
Running back Elijah Davis
rushed for 748 yards and five touchdowns
last season, and he’ll complement
Taylor in the backfield.
Blainefield is confident his
offense will average more than
14.3 points it did in 2017. He also is
convinced the defense will perform
better. He singled out his defensive
line, led by junior Jalen Brice,who
earned all-conference honors as a
sophomore.
A stout defensive line is paramount
in the Tri-County South,
which features a steady diet of
run-happy teams such as Fort
Cherry, Carmichaels, Mapletown
and defending conference champion
California.
“The Tri-County South is tough
sledding,” Blainefield said. “The
teams are not only running teams,
prettymuch everybody has a grass
field, and we’re talking high grass.
You’ve got to be strong against the
run to compete in this conference.”
32 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018 • TRIBUNE-REVIEW
SCHEDULE
Coach: Mike Blainefield
2017 record: 3-8, 2-5
All-time record: 657-366-47
Date Opponent Time
8.24 Charleroi 7
8.31 at California* 7
9.7 Springdale 7
9.14 Jefferson-Morgan* 7
9.21 at West Greene* 7
9.28 Bentworth* 7
10.5 Chartiers-Houston* 7
10.12 at Mapletown* 7
10.19 Rochester 7
10.26 at Avella* 7
*CLASS A TRI-COUNTY SOUTH CONFERENCE
GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Dwayne Howe
698 yards, 11 TDs
Rushing: Elijah Davis
748 yards, 5 TDs
Receiving: Isaiah Beltram
424 yards, 2 TDs
No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt. Cl.
2 Darnel Howell WR/DB 6-2/165 Sr.
3 Devin Whitlock WR/QB/DB 5-7/145 Fr.
5 Savien Bonam RB/DL 6-1/265 Sr.
6 Dawayne Howell QB 6-2/170 Jr.
7 Steve Holmes RB/DB 5-6/145 So.
11 Gage Hayden LB 5-8/155 Jr.
13 Marquel Smith WR/DB 6-4/155 Jr.
15 Darius Stevenson LB/DB 5-10/155 Jr.
17 Isaiah Beltram WR/QB/DB 5-7/155 So.
20 Atwon Tucker DB 5-6/145 Fr.
22 Vaughn Taylor RB/LB 5-10/190 Sr.
23 Justin Towler RB/DB 5-9/170 Sr.
24 Dom Tineri RB/LB 5-8/145 Jr.
26 Greg Adams RB/DB 5-7/145 Fr.
32 Elijiah Davis RB/LB 5-11/190 So.
33 Demetrius Carter RB/DL 6-2/205 Jr.
40 Alontay Carter OL/DL 5-10/190 Sr.
52 Jalen Brice OL/DL 5-10/195 Jr.
55 Taki Frezzell OL/DL 5-11/210 So.
56 Zairkik Anderson OL/DL 5-10/185 Sr.
61 Aitan Bittinger OL/DL 5-10/235 Fr.
63 Jay Bonacci OL/DL 6-0/200 Sr.
66 Jermain Majors OL/DL 5-11/250 Sr.
70 Mark Mizerak Jr. OL/DL 6-3/275 So.
72 Kiantae Robinson OL/DL 5-6/150 Fr.
81 Thaddues King WR/DB 5-8/165 Sr.
99 Charles Mrlack K 5-10/190 So.
ROSTER
by MIKE KOVAK
TRI-COUNTY SOUTH
ELIJAH DAVIS