From 2000 to 2017, Baldwin football went 53-118.
The Fighting Highlanders finished above .500 just once over that span, a 6-4 finish in 2003, and are coming off a 1-8 season.
This year, though, Baldwin’s out to a 3-1 start, the team’s best start since 2011, and has its eyes on the postseason.
“We’re definitely changing it around,” junior dual-threat quarterback Mason Stahl said of the school’s football culture. “Things around here are different.”
The biggest reason for the change of pace?
Some talented pieces coming together, and Loran Cooley settling in as coach. Cooley was hired at Baldwin in March of 2017, and didn’t have a full offseason for things to jell, inheriting a freshman- and sophomore-heavy team that returned eight starters total.
“We basically didn’t get started until the end of April, early May,” Cooley said. “Get all your clearances and all that good stuff. So the biggest difference is, this was our first official whole offseason, to understand what we’re trying to do, to buy in completely to the program and things like that. So we had a full year. Last year, they were kind of figuring me out, trying to adjust to the things that I was trying to do. This year, we talked about it and they knew what the expectation was, and we’ve been putting it together each Friday night.”
The Highlanders face Woodland Hills (0-4, 0-3) and an improved Chartiers Valley team (3-1, 0-1) before the grueling part of their schedule begins, facing West Allegheny, Bethel Park, Penn Hills and Peters Township to close out the season.
Playing a good Upper St. Clair (4-0, 3-0) team close, losing 28-21, is a solid sign of progress, though. Last year, Baldwin lost to Upper St. Clair, 42-12.
The Highlanders have set their sight on a conference title, quite the difficult task in the WPIAL Class 5A Allegheny Eight Conference, especially for a team that went winless in the Class 5A Allegheny Nine Conference last year.
But Baldwin believes the program’s tide is turning, with preparation one of the biggest factors.
“The kids worked extremely hard in the weight room,” Cooley said. “We have some talent, obviously. Those guys were young last year, so it was kind of baptism by fire, and the game is slowing down for a lot of those younger players. The coaches are doing an amazing job with these guys, coaching them up. And I think that’s part of our success early in the season.”
That talent includes Stahl, who leads an offense that scores 40.3 points per game and has completed 31 of 69 passes for 691 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for another 145 yards. There’s also junior wide receivers Jarren Kelly and Naseer Penn, and running back Angelo Priore, who has rushed for 413 yards on 44 carries.
“It all starts with [No.] 6, our quarterback, Mason Stahl,” Cooley said. “He’s a leader, he’s kind of another coach out there on the football field, and he’s doing extremely well with that. He feels totally comfortable going into his second year starting. The guys are rallying up behind him, and that’s a huge part of it.”
Sarah K. Spencer: sspencer@post-gazette.com and Twitter @sarah_k_spence.
STANDINGS: WPIAL | City League
Team Pages | Sortable Statistics
First Published: September 20, 2018, 11:00 a.m.