Highlands really hit its stride late in 2020, beating Indiana, Armstrong and Greensburg Salem by a combined margin of 117-41 to finish with a solid 4-3 record in the rugged Class 4A Greater Allegheny Conference.
Many of the players who sparked that success, however, have moved on through graduation, leaving the Golden Rams with one of the least experienced rosters among the group they’re competing with for 2021.
And coach Domenick Girardi isn’t naive about what that means for maintaining momentum. He said that simply getting his players comfortable competing at the varsity level will have to be his top priority.
Fortunately, the schedule might help him out in that pursuit.
Not only will 2021 be a longer campaign than pandemic-shortened 2020, but the entire non-conference slate will also unfold at the beginning of the season. Highlands faces University Prep in Week 0, then Valley and Burrell after that, and the hope is that the lower stakes of those games flattens the learning curve a bit.
“I think we’re a little bit more willing to take a chance here and there in terms of giving kids looks and trying to figure stuff out early in the year in non-conference games,” Girardi said. “I think having three of those before getting into conference play will be really good for our younger guys to get that experience to learn from and also give us an extended opportunity to evaluate anybody who needs to be evaluated.”
The experience he does return should be able to help, too, starting with a pair of siblings.
Junior Chandler Thimons will provide a steady hand at the quarterback spot in his third year as a starter. Last season, he passed for 1,315 yards and 16 touchdowns while completing a solid 59% of his passes. Now Girardi is looking for a little more consistency from him to go with his proven playmaking ability.
Chandler will take the snaps from Dan Chandler, a cousin and senior who has also started on the offensive line for three years. He’ll anchor a unit that will include some new faces, but plenty of size. Identical twins Logan and Noah Leslie are expected to see time. Both are listed at 6 feet, 240 pounds and have had strong offseasons in the weight room.
Then there’s Brock White, a productive running back who piled up 654 yards at a healthy rate of 4.6 per carry in 2020. Girardi hopes his physical style can help set a tone for the offense as some of his other teammates are finding their way.
Beyond them, some new threats will have to emerge, particularly in the passing game, where leading receiver D.J. Loveland leaves a sizable void after catching nearly half of all completed passes last year.
Junior Landan Signorella has emerged as a leading candidate for targets. He caught three passes in 2020 while getting most of his work at corner. Senior Tony Jones has also impressed in workouts while providing some leadership, too.
The other side of the ball returns a bit more experience, starting up front, where senior Caliel Long and junior Tyler Bender have become mainstays along the defensive line.
Signorella will remain a key player in the secondary, while White and Jrake Burford will handle two of the linebacker spots to give the Golden Rams leaders at each level of the defense.
It’s a recipe Girardi likes, given the roster circumstances.
“Hopefully, in each one of those areas, the guys with the experience, the guys who know what it takes, can help bring along the younger guys a little bit quicker,” he said.
Adam Bittner: abittner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @fugimaster24.
Coach: Domenick Girardi
Years at school: 5
2020 record: 4-3
Returning starters: Offense 3, Defense 5
Key returners: Danny Thimons (6-0, 235, Sr., C), Chandler Thimons (6-3, 215, Jr., QB)
Keys to success: Underclassmen stepping up quickly, competitive mindset.
Schedule
Aug. 27 | University Prep* | 7 |
Sept. 3 | at Valley* | 7 |
Sept. 10 | Burrell* | 7 |
Sept. 17 | at Mars | 7 |
Sept. 24 | Hampton | 7 |
Oct. 1 | Plum | 7 |
Oct. 8 | at Indiana | 7 |
Oct. 15 | Armstrong | 7 |
Oct. 22 | at Greensburg Salem | 7 |
Oct. 29 | Knoch | 7 |
*Non-conference game
First Published: August 20, 2021, 11:00 a.m.