Defending WPIAL champion Peters Township not looking past next opponent

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, August 9, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Aug. 23.

The state finals are the first weekend in December and the WPIAL championships are a couple of weeks earlier, but those dates aren’t circled on calendars in Peters Township.

At least coach T.J. Plack hopes not.

The Indians played in both championship games last year, winning their first WPIAL title before finishing as PIAA runners-up. There’s plenty of talent returning this fall to maybe make another playoff run, but Plack has stressed to his players that looking ahead won’t help them. Don’t start dreaming about a championship celebration in August.

“We harp on it, but we’ve harped on it for nine years,” said Plack, who’s in his ninth season as coach. “We’re about going 1-0 and not even worrying about a conference championship or who we’re playing on homecoming two weeks from now. ‘Who do we have Friday night?’ I know it’s a cliché but that’s all we care about.”

No doubt that can be difficult for teams in Peters Township’s position. The Indians return five starters on offense and six on defense from a lineup that went 15-1, making them preseason favorites to repeat as WPIAL 5A champions.

“Our motto is still 1-0,” Plack said. “Whether it’s the state championship or WPIAL championship or a Week Zero game, we’re just trying to win that game. What we have to do this year is get better each and every week and be there at the end.”

Peters Township’s returning starters include the WPIAL’s leading passer, three offensive linemen and some two-way talents that have Division I college offers for defense.

Junior quarterback Nolan DiLucia was a first-year starter a year ago when he led all WPIAL players with 3,131 passing yards. DiLucia completed 60% of his throws and tossed 30 touchdowns.

He showed his athleticism by rushing for nearly 500 yards, and coaches plan to also use the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder at safety.

The team’s two leading receivers graduated along with the two leading rushers. Senior wideout/cornerback Nick McCullough returns after catching 26 passes, but Plack is counting on a couple of tight ends to also boost the offense.

Senior Mickey Vaccarello and junior Reston Lehman are future college linebackers who double as tight ends for Peters Township. Vacarrello (6-3, 215) is committed to ACC newcomer Stanford. Lehman (6-3, 225) has offers from Akron, Buffalo, Central Michigan and Miami (Ohio).

Vaccarrello made nine catches a year ago and Lehman had two, but they’re in for a bigger workload this season.

“They’re pretty fast and they’re hard to tackle,” Plack said. “We can split them out. We can get the ball to them on a screen. They’re matchup problems.”

The backfield features a combination of senior running backs Nick Courie, Darius McMillon and Cole Neupaver.

All three starting linebackers return from a defense that held nine opponents to a touchdown or less. Vaccarrello had 61 solo tackles, Courtie had 54 and Lehman added 40. McCullough at cornerback, McMillon at safety and senior Franco Muscatello on the line also return as defensive starters.

He said one of the big questions is depth.

The team had the players a year ago to limit most starters to one side of the ball. That depth was key to staying healthy a year ago, Plack said, but it takes time to develop.

“We’re excited to start this year off,” Plack said. “But we did lose a lot of dudes and we do have a lot of question marks.”

Peters Township defeated Pine-Richland, 43-17, in last year’s finals to win its first WPIAL title. A couple of state playoff wins stretched their season into December, ending with a loss to Imhotep Charter, 38-13, in the PIAA finals.

Plack said turning the page on 2023 wasn’t easy.

“Obviously a state championship would’ve been incredible last year,” Plack said. “It was magical being 15-0 going into that game. We did come up a little bit short. The good thing is our blueprint, our DNA, everything we do at Peters Township is 1-0.

“We never look forward.”

Peters Township

Coach: T.J. Plack

2023 record: 15-1, 5-0 in Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference

All-time record: 283-337-16

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 at Canon-McMillan, 7

8.30 McKeesport, 7

9.6 at Mt. Lebanon, 7

9.13 Trinity, 7

9.20 at West Allegheny, 7

9.27 at Upper St. Clair*, 7

10.4 at Moon*, 7

10.11 South Fayette*, 7

10.18 Baldwin*, 7

10.25 Bethel Park*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Nolan DiLucia

229-379, 3,131 yards, 30 TDs

Rushing: Preston Blair*

117-679 yards, 8 TDs

Receiving: Carter Shanafelt*

44-814 yards, 10 TDs

* Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Returning players Franco Muscatello (G/DT), Mickey Vaccarello (TE/LB), Nolan DiLucia (QB), Nick Courie (LB) and Nick McCullough (DB) earned first-team all-conference honors last season. Zach Stromock (OT) and Reston Lehman (LB) made second team, while Alex Klein (C), McCullough (WR) and Darrius McMillon (DB) received honorable mention.

• T.J. Plack has a 69-26 record in eight seasons at Peters Township with six playoff appearances.

• Cole Neupaver is a newcomer to the football team but the senior knows about winning championships. He scored a goal for the Peters Township hockey team in the Penguins Cup finals last March. The Indians defeated Upper St. Clair, 8-1.

• Darius McMillon is the brother of Pitt senior safety Donovan McMillon. Their father, Darrin, is an assistant coach for Peters Township.

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: Peters Township