It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. The Shaler Area football team had an up and down season in 2023. Sure, they experienced the highs and the lows that come with a 5-5 record, but it is rare that the highs and lows come in succession like they did this year. The Titans won their first four games of the season and lost their next five before winning their final game against Fox Chapel.
“It was really nice to be on that four-game winning streak. We had aspirations to do better than we did at the conclusion of the year, but I’m pleased with the way the boys handled the adversity,” Shaler Area Varsity Football Head Coach Jim Ryan said. “It showed the type of competitors they are. All in all, we can’t be too upset over two consecutive 5-5 seasons given where the program has come from.”
Going into the season, the Titans had high expectations. They were chasing a playoff spot in the hyper-competitive 5A Northeast Conference, which includes Fox Chapel, North Hills, Penn Hills, Pine Richland, and Woodland Hills. At the beginning of the season, that goal looked like it could become reality. The Titans begun the season with two commanding victories over Butler 38-7 and Hampton 43-8. Those wins were so dominant that the starters were pulled one drive into the third quarter and at halftime, respectively.
“Every year I’ve played (up to this one) Hampton has been a real close game, so it was nice to lay it on those guys,” senior quarterback Keegan Smetanka said.
Instead of letting those wins get to them, the team kept its mental fortitude, approaching its next two games with the same vigor and drive.
“I had 8 receptions for 157 yards and one receiving touchdown in the Hampton game, but what made that game so special for me was my kick return touchdown, which I felt crushed their chances of winning the game,” senior wide receiver Joe Desabato said. “However, I knew that I had to step up and be one of the leaders of the team the rest of this year, too.”
The next two games were closer. In a 28-14 victory over Plum, Shaler Area dealt with some red zone troubles and entered halftime tied 7-7. However, scoring 21 points in the second half allowed the Titans to pull away. And, after a long bus ride to Hempfield, the Titans outlasted the Spartans 33-17, in a game that was sealed by a Hempfield turnover on downs and a clutch 80 yard Keegan Smetanka touchdown pass to Joe Desabato.
Unfortunately for the Titans, the next two games would prove to be their worst performances of the season. A 55-7 loss to Franklin Regional and a 56-14 defeat to Woodland Hills on Homecoming would humble the team. It proved just how detrimental the injuries to Carson Pierce and Joe Rispoli were to the Titans defense, and to the team as a whole.
“Having Pierce and Rispoli injured definitely impacted the defense a great deal. There’s just an energy that those two bring to the table,” Coach Ryan said. “The defense has grown over the years and we have been able to do a lot more with them (with schemes and coverages), but when you have those high-energy guys it makes such a big difference.”
The next three games would eliminate Shaler Area’s hopes of making the playoffs. Losses to North Hills 31-8, Pine Richland 38-14, and Penn Hills 14-0 had the team’s season end in disappointment, but the team played well in those games. The Pine Richland game, particularly, was closer than the final score might indicate. The Titans frustrated the Rams, especially in the middle quarters, to make it a contest going into the 4th quarter.
“Even though we lost, my favorite game of the year was the Pine Richland game because we played well and it was fun trying to take down a powerhouse,” senior tight end Brandon London said.
In the Penn Hills game, the Titans defense had its best performance, stopping the Indians numerous times in the red zone and limiting their highly touted offense to just two touchdowns on 40 yard plays.
The Titans would finish their season on a high note, thumping Fox Chapel 47-13. It was a season determined by resounding victories and equally sound defeats. Regardless, the team was recognized for their accomplishments by the Big 56 and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It encapsulated the success the seniors brought to Shaler Area during their four years.
London and Desabato took home First Team All-Conference honors, leading the Titans in offensive production. Seniors, Keegan Smetanka, WR Kaden Orga, DE Connor Lunn, DT Dom Battaglia, and P Riley Douglas received Second Team All-Conference honors, which highlighted the fact that there were vital contributors to the Titans on both sides of the ball. Also, sophomore T Ben Yeckel and junior LB Joe Rispoli walked away with Honorable Mention awards. Finally, Senior LB Carson Pierce was selected to the All-Peer Team by the Pittsburgh Steelers for leading by example on and off the field.
The passing game was crucial to Shaler Area’s success this year and in recent years, with those aforementioned offensive seniors helping Smetanka surpass 6,000 career passing yards in the win over Fox Chapel.
“You’ve gotta win with upperclassmen. Keegan is a talented kid and he’s got a lot of talented kids around him. That was a big positive with this group,” Coach Ryan said. “With the layers we add to the program every year, we get excited about these opportunities to build off of the successes of other players; and, that’s a testament to the entire senior class.”
Next year, the Titans hope to build off of two consecutive non-losing seasons with a young, but hungry team. Seeing how many seniors were key players for the Titans, underclassmen will have to step up in 2024 and beyond.
“The program is only going to get better. When you look at our sub-varsity programs all the way down to our youth program, they all had a winning record this year. The numbers are up across the board, so it’s not that we’re rebuilding. We’re reloading,” Coach Ryan said.
Season Stats:
Individual Offense:
Smetanka: 128/198 for 1,854 passing yards and 23 TD
Rozzo: 143 carries for 705 rushing yards and 4 TD
Desabato: 45 receptions for 811 receiving yards and 8 TD
Orga: 41 receptions for 372 receiving yards and 3 TD
London: 26 receptions for 367 receiving yards and 6 TD
Individual Defense:
Rispoli: 31 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 3 forced fumbles
Desabato: 5 INT
Orga: 30 tackles, 15 pass break-ups
Team:
Total Points For: 232 (23.2 ppg)
Total Points Against: 253 (25.3 ppg)
Point Differential: -21
