6 • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 • VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
DEFENSE, RUNNING GAME
SET TO LEAD KISKI AREA
Teams are always in search of their identity,
and it took the Kiski Area Cavaliers a little
longer than expected to find theirs in 2019.
But as the Cavaliers get ready for the 2020
season, they have a better idea of what that
identity is going to be, and they are excited
to be able to take advantage of it this season.
“We felt that after our third year here, the
kids were starting to buy into the program so
we are hoping that continues to grow,” Kiski
Area coach Sam Albert said.
At the beginning of last year, Kenny Blake
was lining up at wide receiver but, after three
games, Albert moved Blake into the backfield.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound running back went on
to carry the ball 168 times for 980 yards and 11
touchdowns in seven games.
Throughout the second half of the season,
Blake was the cog that made the Cavaliers’ offense
go. He helped them capture back-to-back
wins over Mars and Armstrong at the end of
the season to secure a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.
Between those two games, he carried the
ball 70 times for 407 yards and four touchdowns.
Now, the talented two-way senior, who has Division
I offers from Albany and Army, is ready
to capitalize on a full season in the backfield.
“It’s cool, because if I would’ve started
back there from the beginning, we probably
would’ve started 3-0 or 2-1,” Blake said. “So, it
will be good to start with a set offense this year,
and I think it will help us out a lot throughout
the season.”
The Cavaliers also will feature a strong defense
that returns two of its top three tacklers
and a solid secondary. Senior defensive end
Jack Dilts, who has several Division I offers,
is one of those returning along the line after
tallying two sacks and 43 tackles last season,
and he believes the whole defense is going to
be a backbone for the team.
“Our whole defense is solid,” Dilts said. “Our
defensive line, our linebackers, our secondary,
I think we’re really strong there.”
Last season, Kiski Area showed promise with
a team that included only a few seniors in key
positions across the field. The Cavaliers started
a freshman at quarterback and had five underclassmen
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LEBRYN SMITH
Coach: Sam Albert
2019 record: 5-6, 4-3 in
Class 5A Northern
All-time record: 302-280-7
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 at Penn Hills* 7
9.18 at Connellsville 7
9.25 at West Allegheny 7
10.2 North Hills* 7
10.9 at Fox Chapel* 7
10.16 Shaler* 7
10.23 Pine-Richland* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Lebryn Smith
20-40, 230 yards
Receiving: Kenny Blake
14-144 yards
Rushing: Blake
168-980 yards, 11 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• The Cavaliers have made the
playoffs for the past two years.
• In Blake’s first start at running
back against North Hills in
Week 2, he ran for 104 yards
and one touchdown.
No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt. Cl.
1 Kenny Blake WR/DB 6-2/180 Sr.
4 Brayden Dunmire HB/LB 6-2/195 Jr.
7 Brock Wilkins HB/LB 6-0/200 Jr.
8 Jack Dilts TE/DE 6-6/230 Sr.
9 Logan Johnson QB/LB 5-10/185 Jr.
11 Mathew Hilty WR/LB 6-0/180 Jr.
12 Brayden Miller QB/FS 6-0/170 So.
13 Dylan Hutcherson WR/FS 5-10/170 Jr.
15 Lebryn Smith QB/FS 6-2/160 So.
16 Francis DiNinno WR/OLB 5-11/175 Sr.
17 Thomas Burke QB/FS 5-11/160 Jr.
20 Deshaun McBryde TE/DE 5-11/170 So.
21 Carter Dilts TE/DE 6-1/200 Jr.
22 Isaac Fitch QB/OLB 5-10/170 So.
24 Zachary Horwatt RB/OLB 5-8/180 Sr.
25 Austin Abell-Swarmer RB/LB 5-10/175 Sr.
26 Preston Lee WR/FS 6-0/160 Sr.
27 Jake Karns WR/DB 6-0/160 Sr.
28 Donovan Barsczewski WR/DB 5-8/150 Sr.
30 Connor Flemm TE/LB 6-0/205 So.
31 Holden Burkette WR/DB 5-9/150 Jr.
32 Dominic Dininno RB/DB 5-5/140 So.
41 Cody Dykes K/P 6-0/180 Jr.
46 Maxine Crosby K 5-1/140 So.
53 Eliam Booker C/LB 6-0/205 Sr.
54 Braden Mika C/DT 6-0/200 So.
55 Johnathan Drahos OT/DT 6-0/280 Jr.
56 Adam Ferraccio C/DT 5-10/205 Sr.
60 Cody Arenth OT/DT 6-0/240 Sr.
65 Kendall Held OT/DT 6-3/215 Sr.
66 Jacob Bucci OG/LB 5-11/200 So.
68 Michael Carrarini OG/LB 5-11/180 Jr.
71 Donovan Gibbon OT/DE 5-11/160 Jr.
72 Samuel Coleman OT/LB 6-0/220 Jr.
73 Brandon Lawhorn-Moore OT/DT 6-5/300 Jr.
74 Benjamin Pencak OG/DT 5-11/180 So.
77 Jack Crider OG/DT 5-11/200 Jr.
78 Ryan Alexander OT/DT 6-2/250 So.
81 Caleb Shultz WR/DB 5-8/130 So.
82 Nathan Pastor WR/DB 6-0/160 Sr.
83 Edward Coleman WR/DB 6-0/155 Jr.
84 David Sames WR/DB 6-1/170 Sr.
85 Luke Emmerling WR/DB 5-8/150 So.
87 Michael Ferraccio WR/DB 5-7/140 Jr.
88 Calvin Heinle TE/LB 6-1/170 Jr.
Tyler Burke So.
Mason Caldwell Fr.
Jason Flemm Fr.
Garrett Fryar Jr.
Isiah Gonzalez Fr.
Joe Harbison-Wallace Fr.
Kevin Hrobak Fr.
Terry Martin Fr.
Joseph Miller Jr.
Brennan Moore Fr.
Joseph Morlacci II Sr.
James Pearson Jr.
Owen Pearson Fr.
Davien Pope So.
Deashaun Rhine Jr.
Andrew Westcoat Fr.
Benjamin Young Fr.
ROSTER
in the receiving corps, but they also
had several underclassmen on the defensive side.
With that young roster, the Cavaliers went on
to lose to defending PIAA Class 5A champion
Penn Hills by three points and also defeated
a strong Mars team in order to punch their
ticket to the playoffs. Blake said gaining that
experience last year will be a big piece of this
season’s success.
“Last year, we were young, so there wasn’t
that experience really, so we were kind of
experimenting,” Blake said. “But now, since
we have that experience, we’ll know what to
do when the lights come on, so we’ll be good.”
The Cavaliers will have a new opponent this
year. Through PIAA realignment, Pine-Richland
dropped down a class and into the Class 5A
Northeast Conference. The Cavaliers are looking
forward to the challenge of taking on the
2018 WPIAL Class 6A champions.
“Any time you get to play a team like
Pine-Richland, it’s a win-win.” Albert said.“If they win, you say OK we were supposed to
lose. But if you win that sets the tone for you.”
by GREG MACAFEE
NORTHEAST • KISKI AREA
KENNY BLAKE