South Allegheny looks to make impact in Class 2A with veteran lineup

By: Antonio Rossetti
Friday, August 16, 2024 | 6:01 AM

Brian Hanson enters his second season at South Allegheny, eager to see improvement.

Last season, the Gladiators went 1-9 and have won two games in the past two seasons. Hanson said the team improved drastically over the offseason and returns nine seniors and seven juniors to lead the way after being battle tested a year ago.

“One of our biggest goals is that we want to finish the season stronger than we started,” said Hanson, who was 24-16 in four previous seasons at West Greene. “We preach that we want to continue to take this next step forward. We want to make the playoffs.”

Hanson, a former walk-on at Pitt, is the first coach this senior group has had return for back-to-back seasons.

“I think he’s the best coach we’ve had so far,” senior running back Cam Epps said. “You can tell he loves football. He lives and breathes football. You can feel the energy coming off him, and he brought in the staff we had around here. He just continuously puts us in a position to succeed.”

Epps, who ran for 1,269 yards with 15 touchdowns, will lead the Gladiators, who dropped down from Class 3A to the Class 2A Allegheny Conference. He also caught 14 passes for 200 yards.

“He’s a dynamic player,” Hanson said. “I think he’s a very underappreciated player in a lot of regards, but I think he only scratched the surface. I think he just gave people a piece of what he could do last year. The parts around him have gotten better, so it’s going to make him even better.”

Epps wants to improve on last season and has an experienced offensive line returning and Camden Lewis back at fullback.

“Our O-line has been working very hard, everyone has been working very hard, and I’ve been working very hard,” he said, “so I think that’s put us in a great position for me to even do better than last year.”

Lewis, who missed the majority of last season because of injury, has been a starter since his freshman season, which was South Allegheny’s last playoff appearance.

“Camden is a really good football player,” Hanson said. “He’s a big, physical kid. There’s not going to be many teams, I don’t care what class you’re playing, that are going to line up with a 6-3, 240-pound fullback who’s an athlete.”

Lewis will be essential for the offense, Epps added.

“He can mostly do it all,” Epps said. “He’s huge. He is one of the best athletes I know. As far as the run game goes, he’s probably the best blocker on our team, too, so having that is just unstoppable.”

Hanson said the Gladiators will try to control the clock and win the battle in time of possession, something that was a hallmark in his success at West Greene.

“We can create some explosive plays in the process,” Hanson said. “A lot of teams get worn down. You see a 5-yard run turn into 50 yards, or that 5-yard pass turns into a 60-yard pass, because guys don’t want to tackle anymore.”

With an older and experienced team, he hopes to use that as an advantage, but said they can do more than play smash mouth football.

Skill position players return at wide receiver and quarterback.

“Camden, Cam Epps and Ryan Cortes, those guys compliment each other very well in creating those opportunities to say,” Hanson said. “We want to always have the ability to play smash mouth style football, but we also want the ability to, if you want to put nine or 10 in the box, we’re not going to be intimidated by it. We can go through it, or we can go over top of it.”

Senior Ryan Cortes and sophomore Malakai Myers were the quarterbacks last season. Cortes threw for 359 yards and four touchdowns, while Myers threw for 204 yards and one touchdown.

Hanson has been impressed with both and expects Myers to be a threat at wide receiver and defensive back, while Cortes has become a senior leader at quarterback.

“Ryan started the majority of our games last year at quarterback, and he’s made a lot of improvements over the summer,” Hanson said. “I’m pleased with where he’s at. He’s a smart player. He’s doing a good job. We really need a point guard at the quarterback position. He’s really starting to grasp that philosophy, so I’m excited to see what he can do.”

As for his targets, Lewis said to look out for Drew Cook, who played for Elizabeth Forward last season.

“I think he’s going to be really good this year, and he’s going to turn a lot of heads,” Lewis said. “He’s athletic, he can go get the ball and he’s very fast.”

Hanson has confidence in the skill of the Gladiators.

“(Cook) is a very athletic and skillful kid,” Hanson said. “I think he’s going to add a nice dimension to our offense. We have a senior by the name of Tyreeke Chatman. Tyreeke was an all second team, all-conference defensive back last year. Athletic senior and a very strong kid for his size. I think we feel really good about our skill and talent. We think our skill talent can match up with just about all your teams we play.”

Another skilled player back is Austin Schane, who caught 15 passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for 55 yards last season.

Schane also helped anchor the defense last year with Lewis’ injury.

“He’s a really good player,” Hanson said. “He’ll get a chance now to get teamed up with Camden. Camden is a potential Division I prospect, so we’re excited to see how they do. I feel like the heart of any defense starts at the inside linebacker position, and we need those guys to play well.”

Both Schane and Lewis will help lead the defense. Lewis doesn’t take his senior leadership role lightly. He knows he needs to lead as a four-year starter.

“I like to take charge because I think the linebacker is the QB of the defense,” Lewis said. “Everyone relies on you. You have to tell what everyone’s doing.”

Hanson said that Island Russell-Akkoyun (6-5, 290) will make an impact on the defensive line, along with Jake Uher.

“(Making the playoffs) would be everything,” Lewis said. “It would be so good to make the playoffs after two terrible years just to show everyone what we can really do.”

South Allegheny

Coach: Brian Hanson

2023 record: 1-9, 0-5 in Class 3A Interstate Conference

All-time record: 190-368-6

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.23 at Ringgold, 7

8.30 at Brentwood, 7

9.6 Carlynton, 7

9.13 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart*, 7

9.20 South Park*, 7

9.27 at Ligonier Valley*, 7

10.4 Shady Side Academy*, 7

10.11 at Apollo-Ridge*, 7

10.18 at Sto-Rox, 7

10.25 at Steel Valley*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Ryan Cortes

35-94, 359 yards, 4 TDs

Rushing: Cam Epps

211-1,269 yards, 15 TDs

Receiving: Epps

14-200 yards

FAST FACTS

• Cam Epps’ older brother, Antonio Epps, was a four-time all-conference selection and two-time all-state defensive back. He set the Gladiators’ career rushing record and now plays for Duquesne.

• Jesse James, Dave Opfar, Ron Crosby and Jim Cope all played at South Allegheny and made the NFL. James was the most recent playing from 2015-22.

• South Allegheny’s only WPIAL title came in 1977.

• South Allegheny plays at Glassport Memorial Stadium.

Tags: South Allegheny