Blogger's note: The following if the fifth in a short series based on Observer-Reporter sports writer Mike Kovak's travels to various local high school football camps.
A warm summer breeze swept across the football field just above Avella High School. As a custodian ran a tractor, one lonely jug of water sat along an equipment shed. A few tackling pads and sleds sat idle while players and coaches sat inside the cafeteria eating lunch.
Even when camp is running, there isn't much more noise at Avella. With 19 players on its roster heading into the second week of training camp, the Eagles are a small but proud group. And when they suit back up to head toward the practice field, that unmistakable click-clack sound of spikes can barely be heard over the wind.
They don't get to run scrimmages against teammates. Instead, Avella works on drills and conditioning.
At Avella, that's just how it is.
"We're so much smaller than the other teams in the Black Hills Conference," second-year Avella coach Frank Gray said. "It makes it tough just to compete."
Avella hopes the 2009 season proves more competitive than 2008, when the Eagles drew national headlines for fielding a football team with 11 healthy players - one being female.
"No girls this year," Gray added.
Once one of the WPIAL's proudest football traditions - with multiple championship game appearances to back that up - Avella struggles to field a full team.
"We're always walking the halls trying to get guys to play," said senior Jesse Noble, an athletic wingback who can play quarterback when pressed.
Next year, Avella hopes to be playing in a different conference.
Losers of 27 straight and 51 of its past 52, Avella and coach Frank Gray plan to petition the WPIAL to join the Tri-County South Conference.
The Eagles, a WPIAL small-school power in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, used to compete in the Tri-County South. Currently, the conference is comprised of Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Geibel Catholic, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, Monessen and West Greene.
"Those schools are closer to us in numbers. I feel that's where we belong," Gray said.
Listen, I applaud avella for last season. But if they are moved to the tcs that probably means that monessen gets moved to the black hills. That means you would have a conference with avella, mapletown, geibel, west greene, charmichaels and jefferson morgan. Do you realize two of those teams would have to go to the playoffs? That would be the worst, most uncompetitive conference ever assembled.
ReplyDeleteOh...and msa released their top 10 in quad a few days ago. Hey PT what happened? You mean you guys didn't crack the top 10 with all that speed?
What is wrong with the boys in Avella? No pride? Certainly there are 10 or so guys that can help this team. Until they can find someone to get the kids out I am afraid its more of the same at Avella.
ReplyDeleteThe ghost of Steve Arnold
MSA's rankings are annually the joke of the WPIAL for KNOWLEDGABLE football fans, you obviously fall outside of that catagory.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, there has been a horrible conference in AAA for the past 7 years all 4 temas that made the playoffs lost, its called the Keystone Conference.
I wish they had an IQ meter that people would have to at least score in double digits before they posted on here.
wWy would Monessen be the team that moved to the Black Hills conferene if Avella came to Tri-County South?
ReplyDeleteThe TCS is already the worst conference in the state. the o-line average for the TCS is around 6'0 205, the average 40 time for the skill positions is 4.95 and the quarterbacks are small and can't pass. last year lapawitz was an exception.
ReplyDeleteBurgettstown should play in that conference.
ReplyDelete"why would monessen get moved to the tcs"
ReplyDeleteAre you familiar with Western PA? Look at the geography of the area...they are the closest team to the core of that conference...they are in the same relative area as clairton, serra, chartiers houston, frasier, and bentworth. Seems pretty logical to me...
sorry...the quote was supposed to be "why would monessen get moved to the black hills".
ReplyDeletesorry...
Who does the blackhills conference consist of?
ReplyDeletethe quarterbacks are small and can't pass.
ReplyDeleteLet's see, the QB at Monessen is at least 6-5, the quarterback at California probably passed for 1,000 yards last year, the Moore kid at B-C was a pretty good passer and Lapkowicz threw for about a 1,000 in five games. Nothing like not knowing the facts before you make a statement.
They should do everyone at Avella a favor and drop the program. It's a joke. Laughingstock of the WPIAL. If a school can't find 22 boys, and in Avella's case boys and girls, with enough guts to put on a uniform then the school is better suited for a sports like checkers, bowling, cow-tipping and whittling.
he quarterbacks are small and can't pass.
ReplyDeleteLet's see, the QB at Monessen is at least 6-5, the quarterback at California probably passed for 1,000 yards last year, the Moore kid at B-C was a pretty good passer and Lapkowicz threw for about a 1,000 in five games. Nothing like not knowing the facts before you make a statement.
Wow thats a bold statement! Your telling us the kid from B.C was a qb? C'mon I'm sure he was a nice kid but to say he was a good passer is a little stretch. Maybe for that conference he was . With out question it is the weakest conference.
Very true about BC "quarterback". Got the job because of Grandpa.
ReplyDeleteAvella, keep your head up it will work out eventually. It just goes in cycles.
ReplyDeleteVery true about BC "quarterback". Got the job because of Grandpa.
ReplyDeleteAre you serious?
The Black Hills Conference:
ReplyDeleteClairton
Serra
Fort Cherry
Chartiers Houston
Burgettstown
Bentworth
Frasier
Avella
The Tri County South Conference:
Beth Center
Monessen
California
Jefferson Morgan
Geible
Mapletown
West Greene
Charmichaels
If you take Avella out of the Black Hills and put them in the TCS you would have to remove either Monessen or California out of the TCS and put them in the Black Hills. Those are the only two schools that would make sense to move. If you do that you make a good (not great) conference in the Black Hills better and you make the TCS worse than what it already is. Hypothetically, lets say you take Monessen out and put them in the Black Hills and put Avella in the TCS. That leaves Beth Center and California in the TCS. Out of the reamaining teams...all terrible teams and not very good football programs by the way...you would have to come up with 2 more playoff teams. It would be a very uncompetitive conference (similar to the Keystone Conference) that would probably be 1 and done every playoff year.
I'm not sure why Avella wants to be put in the TCS. I mean Avella is a 10 min drive away from Burgettstown, Char Houston, Fort Cherry. Those 4 have been the core of the conference throughout the years.
ReplyDeleteOk put Avella in the Tri County south. Us Clairton fans would love to see Monessen as a conference rival.
I don't think we should assassinating the character of Avella kids, calling them gutless, because they have so few coming out for football. The fact is that Avella Area School District lost about 90 students between 2000 and 2007, leaving the district with a TOTAL of 661 kids in grades K through 12. And the enrollment is projected to drop to 581 by 2017. Is it any wonder that the high school has problems getting enough kids for a football team? The answer here is consolidation. That doesn't mean the Avella school buildings have to be abandoned, just that programs such as extracurricular activities can be combined. It also would most likely lead to better offerings in the classrooms and a savings for taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteThere is this little school in Iowa that has 123 boys from 9-12. You know how many football players they have? They have 95 freaking football players on their team. 95! There are no excuses. Non what so ever.
ReplyDeleteWhere's Charmichaels? Never heard of the place.
ReplyDeleteThey have to do what Turkeyfoot and Rockwood did a few years ago in D-5. Turkeyfoot couldnt field a team so they merged the football programs together so that the Turkeyfoot kids could play football at Rockwood. But I agree that a merger should probable be considered between Avella and a nearby school.
ReplyDeleteAll the parents that complain about coaches should move to Avella. Your kid might be able to play out there.
ReplyDeleteAt least the Avella administration and board have the decency to try to keep the program alive. Most districts around here are quick to threaten pull the plug on programs if numbers are low. Avella seems to actually care about their kids. Hats off to them.
ReplyDelete...yeah but there comes a point where you need to consider the benefit that you are really providing your kids. Its one thing to have a good, determined coach and a proud school district...its another to put 11 or 12 kids on a field week after week and get subjected to a pounding. At some point the kids' health and saftey need to be thought about.
ReplyDeleteSaw the asinine post about the QB from Beth Center, his grandfather had nothing to do with it and I bet by years end you'll be sorry he's not with the team this year
ReplyDeleteWhat anonymous (ignoramus) said about the boys being a laughing stock. Those kids have heart, spirit and determination to go out there every Friday night win or lose.That was a terrible thing to say. These are just kids remember? I used to know the coach when I went there he always conveyed a great attitude to all of us.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your work in progress. That first win will be a great celebration! And it will happen this season I'm sure.
No offense to the Avella kids but if they dont win their opener against Geible they arent going to win a game this season. That is probably their only chance. There isnt a team in the black hills they can beat.
ReplyDeletetrue that..true that
ReplyDeleteThe QB from Geibel that year was one of the better ones in the conference in response to the no QB's in the TCS. He had no line and still made plays and I think finished over 1000 yards and had 12+ TD's. He has to be in consideration
ReplyDeleteThe QB from Geibel that year was one of the better ones in the conference in response to the no QB's in the TCS. He had no line and still made plays and I think finished over 1000 yards and had 12+ TD's. He has to be in consideration
ReplyDelete