Fit to be tied after missing playoffs, Upper St. Clair poised for big season
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Friday, August 9, 2024 | 6:01 AM
Upper St. Clair quarterback Ethan Hellmann throws a pass during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Upper St. Clair.
Upper St. Clair receiver Charlie Bywalski catches a pass during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Upper St. Clair.
Upper St. Clair’s Nate Stohl works out during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Upper St. Clair.
Upper St. Clair’s Julian Dahlem watches practice on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Upper St. Clair.
Upper St. Clair head coach Mike Junko talks with quarterback Ethan Hellmann during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Upper St. Clair.
Upper St. Clair receiver Charlie Bywalski catches a pass during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Upper St. Clair.
Upper St. Clair quarterback Ethan Hellmann cools off Nico D’Orazio during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Upper St. Clair.
Forget about tiebreakers or wild cards, Upper St. Clair’s mission this fall is to win enough conference games to clinch a playoff spot without any help.
They got no help last year.
The Panthers were excluded from the playoffs despite an eight-win record that was among the best in WPIAL Class 5A. They finished in a three-way tie for second in their conference and only two of the three could move on.
USC was left out on tiebreakers.
“We knew the rules going in,” coach Mike Junko said. “We knew that while we were 8-2, we didn’t win enough conference games. While everyone was searching for someone to blame — they wanted to blame the WPIAL, they wanted to blame the format — internally we sort of blamed ourselves. So, this offseason has been about not putting ourselves in that position again.”
The team was young a year ago, so Junko brings back almost everyone from last year’s lineup. There are nine returning starters on each side of the ball, which has the Panthers thinking about the playoffs.
Among the returning starters are junior quarterback Ethan Hellmann, his two leading receivers and four linemen from an offense that averaged close to 300 yards from scrimmage.
Hellmann, a third-year starter, passed for 1,058 yards and 11 touchdowns. His top receiving targets were Julian Dahlem (27 catches) and Charlie Bywalski (21), who are both seniors. The versatile Dahlem, who lines up in the slot or out wide, has also played some running back and quarterback, too.
Two-way lineman Nate Stohl (6-3, 265), a Princeton recruit, anchors the O-line with returning starters Mason Geyer (6-2, 250), Brock Gillespie (6-2, 260) and Robert Fleckenstein (6-4, 210).
With so many starters returning, the disappointment felt from missing the playoffs still pushes this year’s team.
“It crushed us,” Stohl said. “We really started to turn it up toward the end of the season. And for them to tell us we can’t compete in the playoffs, it really hurt us. But we’ve used it as motivation for now.”
At running back, junior Dante Coury and sophomore John Banbury will shoulder carries, replacing leading rusher and scorer Mason Chambers, who graduated. Chambers rushed for 898 yards and scored 12 touchdowns
The strength of the defense is a talented group of linebackers led by Banbury and senior Van Hellmann (6-2, 215). They’re bolstered by junior Nico D’Orazio, an aggressive safety.
USC played a large number of underclassmen last year. Another returning junior, defensive end/tight end Michael Albert (6-3, 245), is also a Princeton recruit.
“The greatest frustration for us was we were playing some of our best football late in the year,” Junko said. “We were starting to find out who we were. … We really felt our kids were playing like Friday night veterans by the end of the season.”
Upper St. Clair won four of its last five games, including a double-overtime victory against Moon. But USC had lost to Bethel Park, leaving those three teams tied at 3-2 in the conference.
WPIAL 5A had only an eight-team playoff bracket last season, and USC didn’t make the cut. Qualifying this season will be a little easier since the 5A bracket has increased to 12 teams.
USC plans to be among those teams.
“We’d made the playoffs something like 23 years in a row,” Junko said. “It was a tough pill to swallow for our program and our community because this place cares about football.”
Upper St. Clair
Coach: Mike Junko
2023 record: 8-2, 3-2 in Class 5A Allegheny Six
All-time record: 494-198-9
SCHEDULE
Date, Opponent, Time
8.23 Mt. Lebanon, 7
8.30 at Canon-McMillan, 7
9.6 Franklin Regional, 7
9.13 at Hampton, 7
9.20 at McKeesport, 7
9.27 Peters Township*, 7
10.4 at South Fayette*, 7
10.11 at Bethel Park*, 7
10.18 Moon*, 7
10.25 Baldwin*, 7
* Conference game
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Ethan Hellmann
100-156, 1,058 yards, 11 TDs
Rushing: Mason Chambers*
142-898 yards, 12 TDs
Receiving: Julian Dahlem
27-284 yards, 2 TDs
* Graduated
FAST FACTS
• Returning players Nate Stohl (G/DE), Julian Dahlem (WR) and Van Hellmann (LB) earned first-team all-conference honors last season. Dahlem (DB) and Michael Albert (TE) made the second team, while Albert (DT), Brock Gillespie (G), Bobby Fleckenstein (OT), Charlie Bywalski (WR), John Banbury (LB), Nico D’Orazio (DB) and Jacobo Escheverria (P) received honorable mention.
• Mike Junko begins his sixth season as coach at Upper St. Clair. His record is 36-18 with four playoff appearances.
• USC has won seven WPIAL football titles and two state championships.
• Van Hellmann lists college offers from Army, Navy, Merrimack, Richmond, Sacred Heart and VMI.
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Upper St. Clair
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