Sports

UNICO Football Classic

By John Erzar jerzar@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
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GAR coach Tony Khalife and Meyers coach Mike Namey both ended their high school playing careers in the UNICO Football Classic.

And now both will end their high school coaching careers the same way.

Khalife and Namey, both of whom are stepping down, will coach the East team when it takes on the West starting at 7 p.m. at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium.

Khalife and Namey took administrative positions in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, which prohibits administrators from coaching. The duo, though, is enjoying the preparation leading up to the game.

“You don’t get to appreciate these young men if you’re either coaching against them or if you see them from afar if you’re in a different classification,” Namey said. “There are some fine quality kids with great minds and great athletic abilities.”

Lake-Lehman coach Carl Kern is seeing the same with his West squad. He is using the same terminology he uses at Lehman and has been extremely pleased how quickly the players have adapted.

“They’re a great bunch of kids,” Kern said. ‘They’re all representing their schools well. We’re having a lot of fun with them.”

Kern’s Lehman offense is known for its passing game. However, the West team is built for a power running game, and he plans to use it.

That means a heavy dose of Berwick running backs Lou Hampton and Alec Ladonis and Pittston Area’s Chris Price.

Plus, the East has four Wyoming Valley West linemen – Dave Davidson, Shawn Mahon, A.J. McGowan and Kyle Wallace – among others to block.

“I have Berwick’s running backs and Valley West’s line,” Kern said. “We’re going to try to run the ball. But you know my passing game; we throw the ball all over.

“We’ll run our screens, we’ll run our slants. But that’s the hardest thing, getting our timing down with three quarterbacks.”

The West does have pass catchers. Wyoming Area’s Sam Eramo led the entire Wyoming Valley Conference in receptions with 39. Dallas’ Cody Plesnar paced all tight ends with 25 catches during the regular season.

The East plans to be diversified as well.

“We have some Wildcat in,” Namey said. “We have a good mixture of open sets and very tight-oriented sets to run the ball. And the offensive line is a tremendous grouping of some very good players from Coughlin and GAR.”

Hazleton Area’s Chad Nicholas leads the receiving corps, but did quarterback the Cougars’ Wildcat offense. Crestwood wideouts Matt Krupa and John Lasko were among the WVC’s top receivers. The West also has some tough running backs in Hazleton Area’s A.J. Petrone, Hanover Area’s Mike Redick and Coughlin’s Matt Shimshock.

Northwest will be the only area team not represented. Receiver Steve Merth was selected to the West team, but won’t play since the Rangers are participating in the PIAA Class A playoffs. A few other players from both rosters have been scratched due to injuries.