Neshannock continues quest for elusive WPIAL championship

By: Jonathan Bombulie
Friday, August 18, 2023 | 7:01 PM

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If traffic is light, a trip from Neshannock to Cleveland takes less than 90 minutes, so maybe it makes sense for the Lancers to take on a motto catcher Jake Taylor made famous in the movie “Major League.” (Albeit with one word left out in polite company.)

I guess there’s only one thing left to do. Win the whole thing.

Neshannock has been on a steady climb over the past three seasons, going from 4-3 in the shortened 2020 season to 7-4 in 2021 to 11-2 with a WPIAL semifinals appearance last year.

The only place left to climb is the top of the WPIAL heap.

“Our expectations are always to win our conference, win a WPIAL championship and win a state championship,” coach Fred Mozzocio said. “If we don’t do that, it doesn’t mean we’ve had a bad season or we failed. We enjoy the journey.

“We’re trying to get to a certain place. We’ve yet to win a WPIAL championship, and that’s one of the top things on our mind right now.”

The Lancers have some graduation losses to overcome to get there. Dynamic quarterback Jonny Huff and running back Matt Ionilli, for example, combined for 44 touchdowns last season. They obviously won’t be easy to replace.

But Neshannock is hardly starting from scratch.

“I don’t feel like we’re in a rebuild at all,” Mozzocio said. “Guys graduate and it’s our job, when they’re younger, to develop them, and when it’s their turn, they’re ready to step in and perform and replace the guys that graduated. That’s where we’re at right now.”

Sophomore Jino Mozzocio is back under center after seeing some playing time, including one start, as Huff’s understudy last season. Freshman Lucas Minenok is also a promising quarterback.

Senior Patrick Argiro will lead the backfield committee, with sophomore Anthony Eakin also getting his shot.

Junior Dom Cubellis is a speedy slot receiver who can also play some quarterback. Junior Braden Montgomery and sophomore Ashton Allison are top tight ends.

The line looks strong, especially on the right side with 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior guard Michael Ponziani and senior tackle Aidan Shaffer. Fred Mozzoccio called Ponziani one of the WPIAL’s best linemen.

The left side is also stout with senior tackle Jaxon Mozzocio and junior guard Tony Perrotto.

On defense, Shaffer on the line and Cubellis in the backfield are returning all-conference players.

Fred Mozzocio loves the way Argiro plays sideline to sideline as an inside linebacker. The coach thinks he’ll be one of the top linebackers in Class 2A.

Senior Braden Huff, Jonny’s brother, is a player to watch in the secondary and Jaxon Mozzocio and Ponziani are both forces to reckon with in the trenches.

“We feel pretty confident with the group we have back,” Fred Mozzocio said. “We have some youngbloods stepping in here that received some good playing time last year and learned a lot from those seniors. We feel, and they feel, that they’re ready to step up in front of a senior-laden line.”

Neshannock

Coach: Fred Mozzocio

2022 record: 11-2, 6-1 in Class 2A Midwestern Athletic Conference

All-time record: 296-331-15

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.26 at Sharon, 7

9.1 at Laurel, 7

9.8 Ambridge, 7

9.15 Western Beaver*, 7

9.22 at Beaver Falls*, 7

9.29 at New Brighton*, 7

10.6 Freedom*, 7

10.13 at Riverside*, 7

10.20 at Ellwood City*, 7

10.27 Mohawk*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Jonny Huff*

85-173, 1,002 yards, 10 TDs

Rushing: Huff*

174-1,751 yards, 25 TDs

Receiving: Luciano DeLillo*

37-479 yards, 7 TDs

FAST FACTS

• QB Jonny Huff, the MAC offensive player of the year last season, is playing his college ball at Slippery Rock, where he is expected to move to defense and play safety.

• QB Jino Mozzocio and lineman Jaxon Mozzocio are the sons of the first cousin of coach Fred Mozzocio.

• Neshannock (37.5) was one of five WPIAL Class 2A teams to average more than 35 points per game last season. The others were Washington (41.2), Steel Valley (41.2), Sto-Rox (39.2) and Beaver Falls (37.2).

• Neshannock is the sixth-smallest school in Class 2A in WPIAL football with 138 boys in grades 10-12.

Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.

Tags: Neshannock