VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH • SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2021 • 17
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BURRELL TO HAVE LOOK
OF YOUNG BUCS THIS YEAR
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Coach: Shawn Liotta
2020 record: 3-5, 2-3 in
Class 3A Allegheny Conference
All-time record: 290-261-9
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
8.27 at Mt. Pleasant 7
9.3 Indiana 7
9.10 at Highlands 7
9.17 East Allegheny* 7
9.24 Apollo-Ridge 7
10.1 North Catholic* 7
10.8 at Deer Lakes* 7:30
10.15 Freeport* 7
10.22 at Derry* 7
10.29 Valley* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Alex Arledge*
83-166, 1,259 yards, 11 TDs
Rushing Caden DiCaprio
125-510 yards, 5 TDs
Receiving AJ Corrado*
40-686 yards, 4 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• The Bucs are hoping to end
a nine-year playoff drought,
the second-longest in school
history. They once went
13 years without a postseason
berth from 1969-81.
• Against Deer Lakes last year,
Corrado caught 11 passes, one
short of the school record for
receptions in a game set by
Brian Huet on Sept. 19, 1981,
against East Allegheny.
• Liotta is also an author. His
book, “No Huddle No Mercy”
is a guide to recognizing
defensive alignments and a
fast-paced offense.
• When Burrell plays Indiana,
it will be the 77th school it
has faced in its 57 seasons.
No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt. Cl.
1 Antonio Cook RB/LB 5-9/180 Jr.
2 Cooper Hornack WR/DB 5-9/135 So.
3 Mason Jones RB/DB 5-9/175 Fr.
4 Maliq Buchak WR/DB 6-0/135 So.
5 Tyler Maglisco WR/DB 5-9/150 So.
6 Stephen Hasson QB/DB 5-8/155 Fr.
8 Nico Zanella RB/DB 6-0/168 So.
9 Nijere Floyd RB/DB 5-7/150 Jr.
10 Christian Brancato WR/DB 6-2/150 So.
11 Devin Beattie QB/RB/DB 6-1/170 So.
12 Kamden Marmo TE/DL 5-10/205 Sr.
19 Chase Fenner QB/TE/LB 6-1/180 Jr.
20 Caden Garner RB/LB 5-10/180 So.
21 Caden DiCaprio RB/LB 6-2/200 Sr.
22 Connor Wojcik WR/LB 6-2/220 Sr.
24 Mike White RB/LB 5-10/200 Sr.
25 Lucas Gratzmiller WR/DB 5-5/105 Fr.
26 Esau King-Buchak WR/LB 6-1/170 So.
30 Tristian Brothers RB/LB 5-10/150 So.
33 Jacob Wilson RB/LB 5-10/160 Fr.
34 Aaralynn O’Shell WR/DB 5-1/110 Fr.
35 Liam Kuczinski WR/DB 5-10/175 So.
37 Steve Fleming TE/LB 5-11/180 Fr.
42 Andrew Gratzmiller WR/DB 5-10/150 Jr.
50 Jacob Terranova OL/DL 5-5/155 So.
52 Aaron Mele OL/DL 6-0/265 Jr.
56 Julian Beard OL/DL 5-6/150 Fr.
58 Joey Guerrini OL/DL 6-2/190 So.
61 Damien Febbraio OL/DL 5-9/245 So.
64 Zachery Klaus OL/DL 6-1/200 Sr.
66 Ian Quinn OL/DL 6-0/245 Jr.
69 Landon Cable OL/DL 5-10/220 So.
72 Brayden Vickers OL/DL 5-10/210 Fr.
73 Connor Coleman OL/DL 6-1/275 Sr.
75 Gavynn Thompson OL/DL 6-3/225 Sr.
76 Noah Love OL/DL 5-10/220 So.
77 Ryan Neville OL/DL 6-2/270 Sr.
80 Dylan Ridley TE/LB 5-10/160 Fr.
81 Nick Ciuffoletti WR/DB 5-8/150 So.
82 Charles Shinko WR/DB 5-11/150 Jr.
84 Landon Whitlinger WR/DL 6-1/150 Fr.
88 Ben Wofford WR/LB 6-1/170 So.
99 Ethan Croushore K 6-1/170 Sr.
ROSTER
Burrell will have a decidedly
youthful look this season as the
Bucs try to overcome the graduation
of a number of solid players
such as quarterback Alex Arledge.
In just two seasons, Arledge rewrote
the Burrell record book,
passing for 3,619 yards, including
2,462 in his junior season.
But the Bucs are set to move on
with a team composed mostly of
youngsters who were in their primary
grades the last time Burrell
won a conference title in 2012.
“Our roster is in the mid-40s. We
have 31 that are sophomores and
freshmen, so we’re very young,”
coach Shawn Liotta said. “We have
a lot of inexperience. We have to replace
a lot of starters, but we have
some capable kids that are going to
have some growing pains.”
As for Arledge, there are four
players vying to replace the 2019
Valley News Dispatch Offensive
Player of the Year. In the competition
are junior Chase Fenner,
sophomores Devin Beattie and Dakota
Miller and freshman Steve
Hassett.
“We’ll certainly play to their
strengths and let them battle
it out,” Liotta said. “Maybe I’ll
play multiple quarterbacks. Who
knows? We’ll see who rises out of
there.”
That not all. The Bucs have to
replace AJ Corrado, who caught
40 passes last season for 683 yards.
The line could be Burrell’s
strength. Three-year starter
Gavynn Thompson is back at
center, and all-conference tackle
Ian Quinn has returned, along
with Aaron Mele.
“We’ve got a lot of guys out who
are putting in the work,” said
Thompson, who also will play defensive
end. “I think we’re going
to shock some people. Our goal is to
make the playoffs, obviously. We’ve
got a real shot at doing that if we
come out and compete every game.”
Leading the way in the Burrell
backfield will be senior Caden Di-
Caprio, who ran for 510 yards last
season and scored five touchdowns.
DiCaprio and his offensive crew
know Liotta likes to install a considerable
number of unusual plays
and intricate formations.
“It’s pretty cool to learn this
because coach Liotta knows what
he’s doing,” DiCaprio said. “He
knows how to scout, and it’s fun
learning this new offense.”
Burrell got artificial turf at Buccaneer
Stadium last season but
only had a chance to play one home
game, a 44-6 victory over Deer
Lakes. The turf installation was
delayed because of the covid-19
virus. A home game against Derry
was called off because of covid
concerns.
Burrell finished the season with
a 26-20 victory over Ringgold in a
game that was played at Valley
Memorial Stadium.
Said Thompson: “It was weird
going everywhere every game but
one. That means we get more home
games this year.”
Indeed, the Bucs will have five
home games, including the season
opener against Indiana, a firsttime
opponent.
by GEORGE GUIDO
SHAWN LIOTTA
BURRELL • ALLEGHENY 7