VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH • SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2021 • 7
PREPARATION CRUCIAL TO
KISKI AREA RESURGENCE
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SAM ALBERT
Coach: Sam Albert
2020 record: 2-4, 1-4 in
Class 5A Northeast Conference
All-time record: 304-286-7
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
8.27 Butler 7
9.3 Franklin Regional 7
9.10 at Latrobe 7
9.17 Connellsville 7
9.24 West Allegheny 7
10.1 at North Hills* 7
10.8 Fox Chapel* 7
10.15 at Shaler* 7
10.22 at Pine-Richland* 7
10.29 Penn Hills* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Logan Johnson
34-79, 506 yards, 6 TDs
Receiving Calvin Heinle
23-512 yards, 8 TDs
Rushing Brock Wilkins
50-282 yards, 7 TDs
FAST FACT
• Johnson and Lebryn Smith
combined for 843 yards
passing and 10 touchdowns in
2020.
No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt. Cl.
1 Isaiah Gonzalez WR/CB 6-1/165 So.
2 Lebryn Smith QB/S 6-3/170 Jr.
3 Calvin Heinle WR/CB 6-3/175 Sr.
4 Brayden Dunmire HB/ILB 6-3/230 Sr.
5 Carter Dilts HB/DE 6-2/230 Sr.
6 Mathew Hilty WR/S 6-1/190 Sr.
7 Brock Wilkins HB/ILB 6-1/235 Sr.
8 Deshaun McBryde HB/OLB 6-0/185 Jr.
9 Logan Johnson QB/CB 6-0/185 Sr.
10 Xavior Ford So.
11 Nicholas Boylstein Sr.
12 Holden Burkette WR/CB 5-11/150 Sr.
13 Dylan Hutcherson WR/S 5-11/165 Sr.
14 Carson Heinle Fr.
16 Noah Faber So.
17 Davien Pope WR/CB 6-0/155 Jr.
18 Benjamin Young WR/CB 5-10/140 So.
19 Harry Harshman Fr.
20 Edward Coleman TE/OLB 6-2/185 Sr.
21 Brennan Moore RB/S 5-9/150 So.
22 Dominic Dininno RB/CB 5-5/140 Jr.
23 Luke Emmerling WR/CB 5-5/150 Jr.
24 Tayquen Phelps So.
25 Landon Kucic Fr.
26 Chad Hepler Sr.
30 Donald Hall Fr.
32 Miguel Ramos Fr.
33 Connor Flemm TE/ILB 6-1/220 Jr.
41 Cody Dykes K/P 6-2/195 Sr.
46 Maxine Crosby K 5-2/140 Jr.
51 Vincent Gray So.
52 Tavian Wilson So.
53 Zavyaire Lackie Fr.
54 Braden Mika C/DE 6-0/140 Jr.
55 Johnathan Drahos T/DE 6-1/305 Sr.
56 Cameron Murphy Fr.
57 Nathan Uncapher Fr.
61 Andrew Westcoat C/ILB 6-2/210 So.
62 Mason Caldwell T/DE 6-3/210 So.
66 Jacob Bucci G/LB 5-11/240 Jr.
67 Eli Shultz Fr.
68 Michael Carrarini G/LB 5-10/195 Sr.
70 Ryan Franklin Fr.
72 Samuel Coleman T/DE 6-2/255 Sr.
73 Brandon Lawhorn-Moore T/DE 6-6/320 Sr.
74 Benjamin Pencak G/DE 6-1/215 Jr.
75 Ryder Ekas Fr.
76 Adam Large Fr.
77 Jack Crider T/DE 6-1/240 Jr.
78 James Grimm Fr.
80 Matthew Clinger Sr.
81 Matthew Vigna Fr.
84 Dalton Custer Fr.
87 Caleb Shultz WR/CB 5-8/145 Jr.
88 Connor Jordan Fr.
90 Tyler Kubisa Fr.
ROSTER
Matt Hilty is hoping this season
at Kiski Area can start and remain
normal after a 2020 fall that was
anything but.
The senior two-way starter and
second-team Class 5A Northeast
Conference all-star at linebacker
was part of a Cavaliers team
that had to make do without much
preseason preparation because of
covid issues.
The season opener against Connellsville
was delayed. Hilty said
there was a lot of learning on the
fly in games. Kiski Area beat the
Falcons in dramatic fashion and
also defeated Shaler a couple of
weeks later to finish 2-4 overall and
1-4 in the conference.
“There now is a lot more confidence
from everyone on the team,”
said Hilty, who also could play
safety on defense in addition to his
running and pass-catching abilities
on offense.
“Last year, we didn’t have heat
(acclimation) or camp, so having
that time to prepare this year is
so important. We put in a lot of our
plays earlier in the summer. That
helps so much with knowing what
to do for games.”
Kiski coach Sam Albert said
there is a lot of excitement for the
return of several offensive and
defensive starters and other top
players from last season.
“We have a number of key players
back that we hope can have
big seasons,” Albert said. “Being
in Class 5A with Penn Hills and
Pine-Richland and a number of
other really good, well-coached
teams, we know we need to stay
healthy to be able to compete at
this level.”
All-conference senior receiver
Calvin Heinle, the team’s leader
in receptions and receiving yards
last year, is recovering from a torn
meniscus. Albert said he hopes
Heinle can come back by the start
of the season.
Fellow all-conference senior
Brock Wilkins (H-back/ILB) has
recovered from a knee injury suffered
last year and was scheduled
to be cleared for full workouts
earlier this month.
“The first 11 we put on the field,
we are very confident with,” Albert
said. “We know others are ready to
step up, too.”
Also back for the Cavaliers after
earning all-conference honors is
first-team pick senior offensive
tackle Brandon Lawhorn-Moore.
A Trib HSSN preseason all-star,
Lawhorn-Moore has garnered
numerous Division I offers, and
Albert said he will be a big factor
in helping the line generate power
for the offense.
Senior guard Sam Coleman, a
second-team all-conference pick
in 2020, and junior center Braden
Mika are back to help anchor the
line.
“We’re really excited about the
offensive line,” Albert said. “They
were there every day in the summer
working hard, and we are
looking forward to seeing how
they can match physicality against
some big and physical teams.”
Albert said he hopes his offense
can be balanced.
“After camp, we should have a
pretty good idea of where we stand
on that,” Albert said. “We go in
trying to be that way every year.
Along with staying healthy, being
balanced on offense is very important
if we hope to be competitive.”
Senior Logan Johnson and junior
LeBryn Smith got starts at
quarterback last year.
“I’ve never been a
two-quarterback guy, but this
year, I see us using them both,”
Albert said. “They both are such
good athletes. If one is not under
center, hopefully he will be somewhere
else.”
Senior Brayden Dunmire led the
team in tackles last year from his
linebacker spot, and he also earned
all-conference second-team honors
at tight end.
Albert also expects big things
from senior James Pearson, an
honorable-mention running back
in 2020.
“We hope Brock gives us that
power, and James can also give
us the perimeter,” Albert said.
“We have a number of players who
are very versatile on both sides of
the ball.”
Special teams, Albert said, will
be a strength again as Cody Dykes
will handle the punting and kicking.
Dykes picked up first-team
all-conference honors.
“We were very blessed in the
offseason,” Albert said. “Our kids
have been very committed. We
averaged 40 kids in workouts all
summer, and they all worked really
hard to be ready for the season.”
by MICHAEL LOVE
KISKI AREA • NORTHEAST
LEBRYN SMITH