In a season of firsts, Quakers remain confident in abilities
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Quaker Valley is about to play for its first PIAA championship in school history with the confidence of a team that has been there before.
In a season full of firsts, the Quakers have stared down the odds and never flinched. With one game between them and the ultimate goal, there’s no jitters to be found.
“It’s not going to affect them one bit,” said coach Jerry Veshio. “Every game in the last seven or eight weeks it’s been a situation where we’ve never been here before.”
Just to recap, Veshio stepped up when the former coach stepped down in early August, right before the start of the season. The Quakers proceeded to go on a season-long tear and won the first WPIAL title in school history. They made history yet again by collecting a PIAA playoff win for the first time against Sharon last week.
Now, Quaker Valley (131) will face District 3 champion Middletown at noon Saturday for a shot at one last first: A Class 3A state championship.
“We’re going to beat this team,” said Veshio. “As a coaching staff, you try to instill confidence in your team. There’s a difference between confidence and bragging. When you study the game tape and are physically and mentally prepared, you don’t think anybody is going to beat you.”
After a wild 2-0 win against Beaver Valley Conference-rival Aliquippa in the WPIAL final, the Quakers had a bye week before taking on Sharon last week. It was during that week of practice that the confidence began to grow and the new goal of taking home PIAA gold came into focus.
“We got right back at it the week prior to playing Sharon,” said Veshio, who led his team to a 43-23 win. “When I saw how tenacious they were, I knew there was no hangover.”
Middletown (14-0) will try to cause some headaches, though. It is back in the state title game for a second consecutive season. However, the Blue Raiders graduated 24 seniors from a team that instilled a culture of excellence.
“We have a belief that if you practice and play to the best of your ability, it will pay off,” said Middletown coach Brett Myers. “We kind of rode that philosophy and now we’re here. We’re excited to compete against a team of this quality.”
The Blue Raiders have a ground game that features running back Brady Fox, the school’s all-time leading rusher, who ran for 161 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-7 rout of Conwell-Egan in the semifinals. Fox and Jose Lopez form a potent 1-2 punch that has combined to rush for more than 3,000 yards and 50 touchdowns this season.
“They’re going to be a formidable football team with the run,” Veshio said. “We’re going to focus on stopping the run, that’s the big priority this week. They like to put the ball in the hands of those backs. That’s who they rely on.”
While the Blue Raiders utilize a standard base defense, the offense is a little more tricky. The running attack doesn’t plow forward. It zigs and zags like a sleek sports car.
“This team uses a lot of motion,” said Veshio. “They want to disguise what they do.”
Middletown lost in the final to Beaver Falls last seas o n . That experience doesn’t mean much to Veshio and his squad.
“These young men don’t blink,” said Veshio. “There’s only one team left. That isn’t going to thwart their ultimate goal.”