TRIBUNE-REVIEW • SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2022 • 31
Coach: Ben Hoffer
2021 record: 1-9, 1-5 in Class
3A Interstate Conference
All-time record: 159-333-11
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
8.26 South Allegheny 7
9.2 at Mt. Pleasant 7
9.9 Charleroi 7
9.16 Derry* 7
9.23 at Burrell* 7
9.30 Ligonier Valley* 7
10.7 at Serra Catholic* 7
10.14 Apollo-Ridge* 7
10.21 at Steel Valley* 7
10.28 Imani Christian* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Gavin Roebuck
45-96, 304 yards, 0 TDs
Rushing: Tristan Waldier*
50-231, 2 TDs
Receiving: Waldier*
26-183, 0 TD
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Hoffer was the all-time
leading rusher at Yough until
Dustin Shoaf broke his mark a
few years ago.
• Yough’s lone win last year
came in Week 9 against
Brownsville, 49-26.
• Joe Korpar, 66, an assistant
when Gary Dongilli coached
Yough, takes over the coaching
coordinator.
BEHIND HOFFER, YOUGH AIMS
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ROSTER
Watching the Yough football
program fall into disrepair was a
cringe-worthy endeavor for proud
alum Ben Hoffer, who used to shed
tacklers and score touchdowns
with ease when he played on Cougar
Mountain.
The new coach has big plans for
his alma mater — “big” being a
relative term.
He has to pump the brakes sometimes
when he talks about the
season starting.
“We have to get that first win
first,” Hoffer said. “We have to
compete. We need to be down by
four in the fourth quarter and
score a touchdown late to win.
We’re a young team, but if we can
get a win early, our kids can start
believing it can happen.”
Yough finished 1-9 last season
and has not won more than three
games in a season since 2016. It
has not appeared in a playoff game
since 2013. Blah, blah, blah, say the
Cougars who are tired of hearing
about the past and want to forge
ahead into the future.
“I hope I am here for a long time
and can turn it around,” Hoffer
said. “Moving to 2A will be a big
help for us.”
Down from Class 3A, Yough will
compete in the Allegheny Conference
with Apollo-Ridge, Burrell,
Derry, Imani Christian, Ligonier
Valley, Serra Catholic and Steel
Valley.
A more experienced line could
be a strong suit for the Cougars,
who have several potential ball
carriers behind sophomore quarterback
Raidon Kuroda.
Kuroda saw limited time last
year but, “he started the game we
won last year,” Hoffer said.
Senior Gavin Roebuck, who also
played quarterback in the past,
will move to running back and also
catch passes as a receiver.
Senior JJ Waller and junior Terek
Crosby are others in the backfield
stable.
Freshman Nate Bell will back
up Kuroda.
To the line: sophomores Aidan
Humenik and Colin Casper will
be key cogs, along with seniors
Dustin Fitzgibbons and Tanner
Jarmon, junior Deandre Harvey,
freshmen Corbin Reinstadtler and
RJ Salazar, and sophomores Lukas
Waltonbaugh and Bryce Harvey.
“We should be about 60-40 run to
pass,” Hoffer said. “We have some
versatility with guys like Roebuck,
Sarver and JJ. And Raidon can run
the ball, too.
“They can play multiple positions,
which should help with our
play-calling.
Sophomore Beau Yuhas and junior
Julian Varrenti are H-back/
tight end types, while freshman
Ryan Sarver is another pass-catching
threat.
Defensively, the Cougars have
Varrenti, Kuroda, Ian Sarver, Reinstadtler,
junior Colby Fender
and sophomores Aidan Thornton,
Justin Carlheim and Kiron Yates
at linebacker.
Junior Mikey Nogy will be at
corner, joining defensive backs in
Roebuck, Waller and sophomores
Joey Weinhoffer and Collin McGill
in the secondary.
Blake Ulander (RB/LB) and
Hunter Fallecker (OL) also will
compete for spots.
“If we go with an odd front with
five guys, that might work better
against some teams in our section,”
Hoffer said. “A lot of them
like to run.”
Hoffer was an assistant at East
Allegheny for nine years so the
Cougars might show some spread
formations like the Wildcats used,
while working out of a 3-5 set on
defense.
“I might call the defense,” Hoffer
said. “We’ll be multiple. I want to
keep it simple.”
by BILL BECKNER JR.
RAIDON KURODA
BEN HOFFER
No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt. Cl.
2 Brendon Converso RB/DB 5-7/135 Sr.
3 Cole Keller WR/DB 5-11/160 Sr.
4 Ryan Sarver WR/Db 5-9/150 Fr.
5 Raidon Kuroda QB/LB 5-10/175 So.
6 Beau Yuhas TE/DE 6-3/200 So.
7 Blake Ulander RB/LB 5-11/170 Sr.
9 Nathaniel Bell QB/DB 6-1/165 Fr.
10 Gavin Roebuck WR/DB 5-10/190 Sr.
11 JJ Waller WR/DB 5-10/170 Sr.
12 James Shoman WR/DB 6-0/160 Sr.
13 Colin Magill WR/DB 5-11/155 So.
15 Joey Weinhofer WR/DB 5-10/160 So.
17 Aidan Thornton WR/DB 5-8/140 So.
18 Aidan Werner K 5-10/150 Sr.
20 Michael DeBernardo WR/DB 5-8/130 So.
21 Dylan Gebadlo WR/DB 5-9/160 So.
22 Antonio Marra WR/DB 5-10/140 Jr.
24 Sam Smalich RB/LB 5-7/170 So.
25 Mikey Nogy WR/DB 5-11/160 Jr.
29 Ian Sarver RB/LB 6-1/185 Sr.
34 Julian Varrenti RB/LB 6-2/200 Jr.
51 Tanner Jarmon OL/DL 6-0/280 Sr.
53 Collin Kasper OL/DL 5-8/240 So.
55 Evan Kenders OL/DL 5-11/200 Fr.
58 Brett Suehr OL/DL 6-3/220 Sr.
59 Colby Fender OL/DL 5-10/200 Jr.
60 Jose Salazar OL/DL 5-9/220 Fr.
61 Lukas Waltonbaugh OL/DL 5-9/300 So.
64 Bryce Harvey OL/DL 5-11/190 So.
66 Corbin Reinstadtler OL/DL 6-0/220 Fr.
68 Hunter Fallecker OL/DL 6-0/210 Jr.
71 D’Andre Harding OL/DL 6-4/345 Jr.
73 Chris Blair OL/DL 5-11/260 Fr.
74 Dustin Fitzgibbons OL/DL 6-0/230 Sr.
75 Aiden Humenik OL/DL 5-11/220 So.
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