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SHARPSVILLE BLUE DEVILS 2021 FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Head Coach: Paul Piccirilli, 26th year (213-84)
Last Year: 3-5 overall

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SHARPSVILLE -- Paul Piccirilli has dealt with numerous challenges since taking over as Sharpsville's head football coach in 1996. When he took over, he inherited a program that had more head coaches (five) than winning seasons (one) in the previous 13 years. Last season, COVID-19 affected nearly every aspect of life, including high school football.

Now, Piccirilli and his veteran coaching staff tackle a new scenario: bringing together a team comprised of two longtime archrivals.

West Middlesex did not have enough players to field a team this fall. Sharpsville's roster, like the school's enrollment, has also shrunk. Earlier this month, the two schools agreed to a three-year co-op agreement in which West Middlesex players would play for Sharpsville at the varsity, junior varsity and junior high levels.

Thus, approximately one dozen West Middlesex players have joined the Sharpsville roster. West Middlesex head coach Mark Means and a number of his assistant coaches are also on the Blue Devils' coaching staff.

"Kids are resilient. They have no problems," Piccirilli said of the new arrangement. "It's been like we played together for the last 10 years. It's been a great transition for both. I love the enthusiasm and intensity that the West Middlesex kids have brought. Now, we're one team and it's been fantastic.

"Mark Means has done a tremendous job in helping us combine the teams," Piccirilli continued. "He and the other coaches that have come along have really made things a lot easier. The kids respect everybody. It's probably been the smoothest transition I could ask for under the circumstances."

While the roster features a new arrangement, the Blue Devils will turn back the clock on offense. Sharpsville will return to using the Delaware Wing-T as its base offense after a hiatus. According to Piccirilli, the influx of West Middlesex players greatly boosted the Blue Devils' backfield depth.

"It's going to be back to the way that we used to do things on offense," Piccirilli said.

Sophomore Caullin Summers took over as Sharpsville's starting quarterback at midseason last year. As a rookie, Summers completed 17 of 36 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an interception. Piccirilli noted that Summers has grown four inches and added a considerable amount of muscle to his frame.

"Caullin Summers is going to be a good one," Piccirilli said. "Under the circumstances of playing Farrell twice and Wilmington twice last year, he did a tremendous job. He throws the ball and understands things as well as anyone we've had."

Sharpsville returns its second-leading rusher from last year, senior Chris Roth. An All-Region honoree, Roth ran for 430 yards in 2020 after amassing 341 yards as a sophomore in 2019.

The Blue Devils also welcome senior Ian Smith to the backfield. Smith led West Middlesex with 409 rushing yards and four scores last year. He earned All-Region honors on both sides of the ball last year. "He'll be a big, solid addition," Piccirilli said.

Several players are battling for the third backfield spot, including junior Colby Johnson, who ran for 201 yards and caught 14 passes last year at West Middlesex.

Sharpsville also has a wide-open battle at split end with junior Garen Levis and senior Zack Tedrow among the front-runners. Junior Blaze Knight, Gavin Rose and sophomore Killian Whalen are also in contention.

"We have more than enough guys," Piccirilli said. "When we go to our 'Smurf' package, we'll have four of them out there."

Senior Ethan Cusick and junior Andrew Frye will man the tight end spot. They will support a veteran offensive line that returns junior center Braden Scarvel, senior guards Jacob Rust and Josh McCurry, along with senior tackle Dominic Alfredo. Rust earned All-Region recognition in 2020.

"They took a beating the last two years," Piccirilli said. "They've been playing a lot. Now it's their turn."

Defensively, Sharpsville will use a four-man front as its base. Whether the Blue Devils use a 4-3 or a 4-2-5 is still to be determined.

"I can't begin to tell you what we're going to settle on. It's probably going to take us a couple of weeks," Piccirilli said.

Alfredo, Frye, McCurry, Scarvel and Terry Grimwood are expected to handle the front four positions. Alfred, Frye, McCurry and Scarvel all earned All-Region recognition in 2020 while Grimwood saw extensive action on West Middlesex's defensive line.

Cusick could play end or move back to linebacker. Smith, Roth and Christian Snyder are the leading candidates at linebacker.

Levis, Whalen and Brandon Flanigan will fight for the starting cornerback spots. Johnson, Knight and Rose are in the mix at safety. Johnson earned All-Region last season.

"We want to play as many guys as we can one-way," Piccirilli said.

Junior Liam Campbell returns to handle the kicking and punting duties for Sharpsville. Campbell earned All-Region at kicker after going 13 of 14 on extra points and 1 for 2 on field goals last year. He converted 9 of 12 extra points in 2019.

Regarding Region 1, Piccirilli pointed to Farrell as the favorite. "Without a doubt, Farrell is the head of the class."

Sharpsville's original schedule featured the Blue Devils hosting West Middlesex in the season opener. The co-op created an open date, which Sharpsville filled with Loudonville, Ohio. "They're comparable to us in size and numbers," Piccirilli said. "We're thankful that they were willing to come to Sharpsville."

The co-op moves Sharpsville from Class 2A to Class 3A this year. Because the change happened in the middle of a two-year cycle, Sharpsville will not be able to qualify for postseason play this year. The Blue Devils will be eligible in the next two years of the agreement, however.