Expectations running very high for Sharon

By Ed Farrell
Herald Assistant Sports Editor

All the pieces are in place; now all that remains is for the Sharon High football team to go out each of the next 15 Fridays and produce the way in which it is expected.

Coming off a somewhat surprising 10-win season that included a District 10 championship, the Tigers are being touted as the preseason pick to proceed to the PIAA pedestal at Hershey Stadium come December. Defending titlist Tyrone notwithstanding, some feel Sharon's only obstacle will be the unpredictable unforeseen injury or infamous psychological letdown. And although the former is a coach's worst fear, the latter seems unlikely.

"The folks we'll be playing in September are good football teams, so I don't think it will be difficult to maintain a focus,'' succinctly summarized Sharon head coach Jim Wildman.

Boasting four NCAA Division I recruits, Sharon seems poised for greatness the likes of which only a handful of Herald coverage-area teams have enjoyed. And Wildman, a master motivator, seems determined to prevent any unexpected, untangible missteps.

"We've talked about (preseason expectations) to our kids, that it's a distraction only if they let it be,'' began Wildman (186-72-6), Mercer County's all-time winningest grid mentor. "So we try to stress the fact that the people who care about our football program moreso than anybody else -- the people who sit in the team meeting room six days a week -- we feel, as coaches, we know what the heartbeat of our football team is; we know what the bloodflow is. A lot of people outside are waiting for us to stumble, offering advice, filling our kids' heads with opinions they don't need to hear, so we just have to take a businesslike approach.''

And if the business is winning football games, the 2000 Tigers could boast a Wharton School pedigree.

Led by the quartet of Marlin Jackson (Michigan), Terrance Phillips (Penn State), Kevin Harris (Pittsburgh) and Carmone Parchman (as yet undecided), Sharon boasts more D-1 caliber talent than most schools twice its size. And its role players -- quarterback Mike Schneider is a prime example -- have improved immeasurably after gaining valuable experience, spiced with success, last season when Sharon outgained (288.5-196.4) and outscored (27.6-11.6) opponents.

Jackson is regarded as one of the country's top cornerback recruits -- he picked off seven passes last year -- and he'll double with Phillips to provide Schneider (52 of 100, 930 yards, 12 TDs, 7 interceptions) with offensive bookends that feature speed in the 4.4-to-4.5 range. Phillips and Jackson hauled in 23 and 22 receptions, respectively, last season for 331 (14.4 yards/catch) and 404 yards (18.4). Meanwhile, the prolific Parchman produced 1,927 yards rushing (148.2 yards/game and 6.7 yards/carry) and 28 TDs from his tailback slot. His blocking back will be Justin Schweiss.

Armed with this plethora of skill-position talent, Wildman's greatest concern is his interior.

"I think we can be pretty good if our offensive line decides to get a mind-set,'' Wildman said. "We have to find a leader along the offensive front, during both practices and games, who has a nasty streak in them that the others will respond to. We have a kid who can throw it; we have a couple kids who can run with it; we've certainly got kids capable of catching the ball and then doing something with it after they've made the catch, but the key from the offensive side of the ball is the continuing maturation process of our offensive front.

"I think it will improve. The kids playing up front are good kids who are all 3.0 students or better -- three of them are National Honor Society kids -- and the fact Bill Sham and Dan Schneider and Bo Reichard are good teachers, and good teachers make excellent coaches. ... They've done it in the past and they'll get it done again. It might be a marathon and not a sprint, but when we get to the games that count, I'll bet your house payment and mine that they'll have them ready.''

Jim Morocco, Ryan Rodemoyer, Jeremy Jewell and Wade Vogan gained valuable playing time as underclassmen last season, and will join the humongous Harris and James Barnett to provide pass protection and running lanes.

"They're still somewhat young (chronologically), but they're certainly not 'football young' by any means,'' Wildman noted. "I think we're fairly solid but, again, our question right now is the coming together of the offensive line. Last year they were young -- three, four sopshomores, and that was a valid excuse; this year, it's not. I just think our resolve has to be a mentally-tougher football team this year, and it's gonna start up front in the trenches.''

The other key, to which Wildman alluded, is the early-season schedule that features Youngstown perennial powers Ursuline and Cardinal Mooney, Mercer County Athletic Conference AAA Grove City, and newcomer Columbus, Ohio Bishop Watterson. The good news is that Sharon will spend September in Tiger Stadium.

"It beats getting on that yellow bus,'' Wildman said, before assessing more seriously. "(The first four games) will not dictate our season, but they're certainly going to prepare us. People talk about preseason rankings, which, as I've said, are nice and a compliment to our program and the kids and staff and, as much as some might not want to agree, even to our community, too. But we're more concerned with where we're ranked at the end of the year and we're concentrating on winning that last one we play, not that we're not trying to win the first few. I saw Ursuline and they're awfully good. I saw Mooney and they're awfully good.''

But so is Sharon, and Wildman can sense it, too. During the past spring and summer, Wildman and his coaches attended a clinic at the University of Michigan (where former Sharon standout Teryl Austin serves as an assistant), numerous players attended camps at Penn State and Pittsburgh and some partook of Berwick coach George Curry's highly-regarded quarterbacks camp. There were weight-training and conditioning workouts and 7-on-7 passing scrimmages. After two weeks of two-a-days and scrimmages against Shenango and Beaver Falls, Wildman reported his club as healthy.

"Football-wise, we got a lot accomplished. And it was not all business; we have some fun along the way,'' he said referring to his squad's Kangaroo Court. But beginning Friday night, Sharon will be scrutinized like few, if any, of its Mercer County predecessors, because so much is expected.

"This is a nice group of kids -- they get along -- and they also have some pretty good role-models (coaches and upperclassmen) and the younger kids seem to be learning who to follow,'' Wildman related. "But I told them this, too: What happens if somebody throws an obstacle in our way? What if? Do we trip and fail, or are we strong enough to regroup before the end of October comes around?''

Only time -- approximately 15 weeks worth -- will tell, when Indian Summer nights turn cooler, with a hint of autumn in the air, ultimately giving way to wicked weather, even snow, in venues such as Erie and Altoona and, perhaps, Hershey.

So stay tuned in Tiger-town. The first season of the new century could be remembered as one for the ages.