Get ready for a history lesson, courtesy of Quaker Valley.
The Quakers set new records left and right the first week of October. Fritz Reiter became the 26th player in school history to record 100 career points. He joined teammates Franky Fernandez and brother Dom Reiter on the list, making it just the third group in school history to have three 100-point scorers on the field at the same time.
The team also registered its 100th goal of section play, marking the third time in school history that has happened. The undefeated WPIAL and PIAA champion team did it in 1996. The feat was accomplished the first time back in 1983.
A 14-0 romp against South Side Beaver Oct. 3 was the 400th section victory in the program’s history.
The men behind all of the numbers have strong ties to the school. Sewickley resident John Munizza keeps track of the historical records. Assistant coach J.J. Veshio keeps stats during the season and also handles all aspects of video. That last name is well-known to Quakers sports fans. J.J.’s father, Jerry, was the longtime football and track coach at Quaker Valley, as well as the school’s athletic director. In his final season at head football coach in 2017, he led the Quakers to WPIAL and PIAA titles.
Nowadays, J.J. is coaching and keeping tabs on the school’s soccer program. J.J. played for the Quakers and graduated in 2003. He has been on the coaching staff for 11 years.
The amount of historical resources available to the players is impressive. Want to know how good that 1996 squad was? There’s plenty of video to witness it firsthand. Midfielder Keller Chamovitz’s father, Sam, played on that team, so it makes it that much more interesting to see.
Maintaining the video library is a labor of love for Veshio. He is a health and physical education teacher at Quaker Valley, but he used to have a job in video production. He estimates that he spends at least 10 hours each week editing game film. He also puts another 40 hours into a highlight video for the end of the season. And if any players need a reel to send to colleges, they know who to see.
“I literally go to soccer, go home, start editing, then go to bed eventually,” Veshio said with a laugh. “Nobody asked me to do it. Since I played for Quaker Valley as well, I like having it and they like having it.”
It’s a good thing people are around to record it, because history always seems to be in the making at Quaker Valley (14-2, 11-0 Class 2A Section 4). Dom Reiter set a record with his 10th hat trick of the season Tuesday in a 4-2 victory against North Catholic. Franky Fernandez has 16 assists on the season and 52 for his career. He is chasing the school mark of 57 set by his close friend Landon Grant two years ago.
Quaker Valley’s record section win streak was at 43 through Tuesday. The previous streak lasted 39 games from 1998-2001, when Veshio was a player. He said he remembers walking off the field feeling dejected when that streak ended. He knows that, for the players, the well-documented history of the program is also a challenge and something to live up to, eventually resulting in those new records.
“We don’t want to put extra pressure on the kids,” said Veshio. “But they do know the history.”
Burrell
At 9-6 overall and 7-5 in Class 2A Section 2, Burrell doesn’t have the best record in the WPIAL. During a recent stretch, however, they have played as well as anyone around.
Burrell has won four in a row and five of its past six. During that run, the Bucs handed Shady Side Academy, which has played for the WPIAL championship the past three seasons, its first loss of the year.
After not putting teams away earlier this year, Burrell coach Andrew Kariotis urged his squad to finish games by putting more shots on net and upping the aggression. The Bucs have put that plan into action and are closing in on a playoff spot.
“In the second half of the season, when we get our chances we have been finding a way to get it in,” said Kariotis, who added that just once this season a team has had more possessions than Burrell.
A 14-player junior class with numerous three-year starters is rounding into form. Junior forward Jacob Guerrini leads the pack with 18 goals. Defender Ryan Wurzer and midfielders Nicholas Kariotis and Ian Smola are captains and members of that junior class as well. Another youngster, sophomore midfielder Tajean DeGore, has made an impact.
First Published: October 11, 2019, 10:00 a.m.
