Published Thursday, Nov. 26, 1998
BACK TO HERALD...
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Undefeated United on tap for Sharon
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TIGERS ENJOYING BEING ALIVE AT THANKSGIVING
Herald Sports Writer
SHARON, UNITED AT A GLANCE Starting lineups SHARON Offense No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 89 Bear Shimrack TE 6-4 235 12 76 Jim Nelson T 6-3 290 12 54 Russell Porterfiel G 5-6 180 11 68 Ashten Beach C 6-0 220 12 55 Jon Anderson G 6-0 220 12 75 Robbie Martell T 6-1 260 12 16 Jeff Valentino QB 6-4 195 12 6 Chris Anderson FB 5-9 175 12 4 T.J. Phillips RB 6-2 215 12 2 Jon Murray SE 6-1 185 12 3 Marlin Jackson SE 6-2 170 10 8 Jesse Coon SE 6-2 170 12 22 Ralph Odem FL 6-0 180 12 Defense No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 89 Bear Shimrack DE 6-4 235 12 55 Jon Anderson DT 6-0 220 12 54 Russell Porterfield DT 5-6 180 11 9 Mike Roberson DE 6-0 195 12 4 T.J. Phillips LB 6-2 215 12 5 Terrence Phillips LB 6-1 180 12 6 Chris Anderson LB 5-9 175 12 3 Marlin Jackson DB 6-2 170 10 1 Carmone Parchman DB 5-10 160 10 8 Jesse Coon DB 6-2 170 12 16 Jeff Valentino DB 6-4 195 12 |
Even though the holidays are rapidly approaching, you'll have to excuse your husband if he seems a bit preoccupied. Instead of savoring Thanksgiving Day turkey, he'll be relishing his role as a head football coach whose team is still among a gradually dwindling number of eight in Class AA still playing in late-November.
The Sharon Tigers, winners of 11 consecutive contests since a season-opening setback to Quad-A Woodland Hills, have advanced to the state quarterfinals and will meet District 6 titlist United (12-0) 7 p.m. Friday at Erie Veterans Stadium.
Although in his 22nd year at the helm, Wildman -- The Herald coverage-area's all-time winningest grid coach (176-68-6) -- said the embers still burn brightly when the calendar turns to November and the playoffs begin.
"It's nerve-wracking, but like I've said before, it beats raking leaves and cleaning out the gutters,'' Wildman quipped. "My wife asked me the other day, 'What about Christmas lights? What about a Christmas tree?' And I just told her, 'Don't event mention it. You shop, you buy the tree.' She just rolled her eyes."
Wildman and his staff spent the better part of nine hours on Sunday breaking down film on United.
This evening, while most of us are attempting to digest our dinner or consider a second helping of pumpkin pie, Wildman, et all, will be prowling Tiger Stadium in preparation for a game approximately 24 hours away.
"It'll be nice standing on the field there around 7 p.m.,'' Wildman admitted, "and when I look across to Pearl St., I hope some of those folks have their Christimas lights up, that they're more organized than I am. You know, when you're standing there in August and it's about 90 degrees and thinking, 'Geez, isn't it time to get out of this racket, I should be playing golf,' you can't really think of how great it can be when, 3 1/2 months later, it's November and people are getting ready for Christmas and we're still playing.''
Do not be deceived however, by Wildman's seemingly festive mood.
His game face will be on Friday evening for United, which knocked off unbeaten Forest Hills in the district title game.
"Everytime you thought someone was gonna throw dirt on United, they came back. They match up very comparably, quickness-wise, to our kids. They're an outstanding team. Offensively, there are a lot of ways they can hurt you. They have a good fullback, a good tailback, the quarterback can run and throw, and they have some wide-outs who can go get it. And defensively they're not big -- they have good, not great size -- but they have good quickness and swarm to the football. They're a very well-prepared team.
"This will be our toughest test since the fourth of September,'' Wildman, referring to Woodland Hills, said. "But that's what you should expect now; it's not supposed to get any easier, and this one sure won't.''
First-year United head coach Chris Matava was equally effusive in his praise of Sharon.
"Their quickness. They're very fast,'' Matava immediately replied via telephone earlier this week when asked to pinpoint Sharon's strength. "They have a top-notch tailback, a very good quarterback, their line gets off the football very well, and their team speed on defense is amazing. They get to the ball very quickly; they get people to the ball. But I didn't expect anything less at this point in the season.
"We knew they had a nice tradition, but we didn't know what to expect until seeing them (against Brookville). We expected to see a quality ballclub, and we did.''
Matava took turns as the school's offensive and defensive coordinator for the past seven seasons before being promoted this year.
"One of the reasons why we've been so successful is we don't have any superstars, we just have a lot of talented athletes who play together well," Matava said. "It's been a total team effort, both offensively and defensively. Every week, somebody else has gotten the job done.''
According to Matava, his club runs a trap-option offense out of an I formation.
"We like to run the ball, that's our top priority, but we also have a very skilled quarterback (Keith Respet) who throws the ball well, so we try to keep it balanced. We like to throw when we want to, not when we have to, to keep (defenses) off balance, and so far we have been able to do that."
Matava made no pretense, however: Sharon's speed scares him, particularly on turf, and in spite of his club playing at Altoona's Mansion Park last week and practicing at Indiana University of Pa.
"Overall, their team speed is probably the best we've seen, especially on the defensive side," Matava said. "Their defense is very, very quick."
Coach-speak aside, Matava and Wildman mutally agreed that execution will be key to the outcome.
"We're going to continue doing what got us here, both offensively and defensively,'' Matava said. "But we'll have to adapt, prepare for their speed. That's a concern. Looking at their tendencies, we may have to change our blocking schemes. We haven't seen their type of defense, that's a little new. But the big thing is preparing and having the kids believe in what you're doing and going out and executing it."
"We've played pretty well in recent weeks,'' Wildman acknowledged. "I think our preparation during the week has something to do with it. Our coaches get a plan together, and our kids, their response to the weekly plan and their practice habits and how they carry out the game plan has been good this far.''
Another Sharon strong suit has not manifested itself as physical, celebral or emotional, but as an intangible.
"An intrinsic thing with our team is more of the quiet leadership of T.J. (Phillips), Ralph (Odem) and Jefferey (Valentino),'' Wildman related. "It's like, remember the old commercial, for E.F. Hutton? 'When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen'? Well, our kids respond to them, and I'd much rather have them do the talking than me -- it means more that way. That's been a big part of our chemistry.''
Wildman fondly cited a piece of Americana, in which almost everyone at one time or another has played some form of Thanksgiving Day football game, a "Turkey Bowl,'' if you will. He and his club has their's. Now if only he was a little better about those household chores, like the Christmas lights.
Notes: Wildman said both center Ashten Beach (sprained ankle) and defensive end Mike Roberson (stinger) are prepared to play Friday night. ... United has a winning tradition of its own dating back to the '80s, although the program experienced a lapse earlier this decade, Matava said. However, this year's seniors have posted an aggregate 31-3 record and been to the playoffs each of the last three years.
