Big Reds hope 1998 success is a sign of things to come

By Jeff Greenburg
Herald Sports Editor

The 1998 season was certainly a memorable one for the West Middlesex Big Reds, who finished 6-4 overall.

Coach Rick Resatar, with an 8-12 mark in two seasons, guided his squad to a 3-0 start and eventually what proved to be the most victories for the program since the 1985 team finished 8-2.

"These kids here, since they've been watching football at West Middlesex, had been used to people losing," Resatar said. "But they feel confident now. They see that it's not just because it's West Middlesex; that we can go out there and we can play."

As successful as the season was, however, the Big Reds and Resatar are well aware they were still a long way off from the top. League losses to Sharpsville and Kennedy Christian by a combined 80-0 and a defeat at the hands of WPIAL power Monaca showed just how far.

"It goes to the weight room," Resatar said. "Sharpsville and Kennedy were big losses, but we got our eyes opened when we went down to Monaca. We were running all over people the first three games, but at Monaca we got beat 50-0. We watched the film and we told the younger kids, 'That's what the weight room does for you.' They physically beat us. Sharpsville physically beat us. Kennedy, they lined up two tight ends in a power-I formation and just smashed the ball down our throats. There was nothing we could do to stop them."

Resatar hopes that will change this year as he has seen a lot more dedication from his players to off-season weightlifting.

"The weight room has really helped us out," he said. "I think we've got six or seven boys benching 250 or higher, when the last two years we didn't even have one kid who could do that."

While the strength area has seen improvement, the Big Reds, Resatar said, are lacking in another area -- speed. Guys like Clint Doolin (8 TDs, 410 yards rushing and 668 passing in eight games) and Walt Novosel (215 yards passing in two games, 202 yards receiving on 9 catches, 4 TDs), both Heralded 22 picks, were among the "speed guys" who graduated.

"It's just hard to come back from losing that many kids. And, gosh, those were all starters for me my first year here when they were juniors," Resatar said. "We lost our whole secondary, all of our linebackers, our first replacement at linebacker, our first replacement at secondary, our whole backfield, receivers -- everybody."

The only returning starters on a squad that goes 48 strong in grades 9-12 and features a 17-man junior class and 17 returning lettermen, are: 6-foot-2, 230-pound junior center Justin Barnes, senior Vince Davano (OG/DE) and senior Coy Collins (RB/SS).

Vying for playing time at quarterback are junior Chad Fette, who played a little a year ago when Doolin went down for a few games with an injury, and sophomore Jeremy Baker, who Resatar said will start at receiver if he doesn't earn the nod as signal-caller.

As for size, 5-11, 300-pound tackle Ben Buzard, 5-10, 230-pound guard Clint O'Brien and Barnes will anchor one side of the offensive line, Resatar noted, while 200-pounders Davano and senior Mike Wilson appear to be the starters on the opposite side.

Assisting Resatar on the sidelines this season are: Rick Fox, Ron Fox, Brian Hoffman, Matt Karlovic and Brian Daytner, Doug Fette and Jack Wozniewski.