Published Wednesday, Oct. 1, 1997
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Sharpsville's 5-foot-7, 150-pound nose tackle Tom McMath gets some advice during a break in the action from assistant coach Scott Sigworth. (Clem Marion/Herald)
SHARPSVILLE
Blue Devil nose tackle McMath a `Little Giant'
By Jeff Greenburg
Herald Assistant Sports Editor
Perhaps nobody epitomizes the heart of the undersized Sharpsville Blue Devils football team more than 150-pound nose tackle Tom McMath. That's right, a 150-pound nose tackle.
The 5-foot-7 senior has been playing on the nose since coaches first discovered the havoc he could wreak on opposing offenses.
``When I was up at Mercer (as an assistant), when he was a freshman he played against us,'' Second-year coach Paul Piccirilli recalled. ``I'll never forget telling coach (Frank Makarevich), `We can't have our splits that big because he's too quick.' Last year in practice we couldn't keep normal splits with anybody because he would always break the split and you'd have to double-team him.''
And although many opponents are now double-teaming one of the leaders of the ``Little Giants'' this season, Piccirilli has continued to use McMath in a similar fashion and hasn't been disappointed in the results, despite the fact McMath regularly goes up against players more than 100 pounds his superior.
``He's a gutsy kid and he's amazing,'' Piccirilli said. ``He's one of our team captains and a team leader. He's more outspoken than the other people we have on the team and when he gets in the huddle he does what he has to do to get everybody fired up.
``And we're very fortunate that everybody probably does feed off of him. They see this little guy on the line and say, `If he can do it, then we can,' so it builds up the guys who are a little bigger on the line. It's amazing, his ability.''
So amazing, in fact, that Piccirilli plans to start moving McMath around, from nose to end, because opposing teams are beginning to double him up too often at the nose.
``We've got to free him up,'' Piccirilli said. ``He's so quick off the ball and has an uncanny ability that if he gets blocked out he spins out and gets through the line and still makes the tackle, which is something to say for a kid that goes only 150 pounds.
``He's a heckuva wrestler, so he knows his leverage and he knows how to move his body to positions that maybe other guys can't do when he's going through the line.''
McMath, the 1996-97 District 10 AA and Northwest Region 125-pound mat champion who eventually placed third at the state tournament, agrees.
``Wrestling makes you quick and I'm always lifting, trying to stay strong, which helps out for football,'' Tom said. ``The only thing is you want to gain weight for football and then lose it for wrestling.
While most players his size might seek out a defensive backfield position, McMath enjoys getting down and dirty with the big boys.
His mother, Tina McMath, doesn't.
``When I come home sometimes all bruised up and stuff, my mom just shakes her head,'' Tom said. ``When I was a freshman and sophomore (she had some second thoughts about me playing there), but not now since I'm bigger.''
At least he is relatively speaking.
There is a downside, although not enough to temper McMath's desire or enthusiasm to play the position.
``You don't get the credit like the running backs, but that really doesn't bother me because your team knows the game's won up front,'' Tom said. ``I don't have any regrets.''
Many times opposing defenders have laughed after eyeing up the diminutive McMath as he lined up over the ball.
His performance has been no joke, however, and most times McMath has had the last laugh.
