P.J. Pisano (5) returns at quarterback for the Patriots.
Sunday Dispatch file photo
The combination of an inexperienced roster and a disrupted offseason routine sends the Pittston Area football team into the season with a high level of uncertainty.
Precautions related to the coronavirus eliminated a large portion of the voluntary offseason workout time and pushed back both the start of official practice and the regular season.
“Like everyone else, we’re way behind,” Patriots coach Nick Barbieri said. “Our school’s guidance was that we could start working out after July 4th. We had four works where we didn’t even touch footballs. We were just conditioning and lifting.
“We’ve really only been doing football stuff for about five weeks or so. We’re behind. In any other year where we had a lot of guys coming back, that really wouldn’t be too bad, but we’re pretty inexperienced.”
There could be many young players on the field at times.
“We are going to play a lot of sophomores and maybe a couple of freshmen,” Barbieri said, “and even our juniors and seniors, who are going to be playing, aren’t very experienced.”
The Patriots, who went 4-7 last season, open Saturday afternoon at Holy Redeemer.
Senior P.J. Pisano is the quarterback. His one start last season, in a win over Crestwood, makes him one of the team’s veteran players.
Sophomore Jimmy Spindler will back him up.
Senior center Teagan Reboli and junior tackle Brandon Farrell are both returning starters. Steven Yanchis, the other tackle, started two years ago as a sophomore, but missed last season with a knee injury.
Bryheem Patterson, a senior, has some experience at tailback where sophomore Harry Pugliese is also working.
Sophomore David Sudo and senior John Morris are the top candidates at fullback.
The wide receiver positions will be filled by some combination or rotation from among seniors Anthony Thomas and David Behm, juniors Gino Triboski and David Girman and sophomore Rob Barbieri.
John Symons, a senior, is the tight end.
Junior Joe Galonis will take over at one guard position while senior Noah Lyons, junior Jack Albert and sophomore Jake Mills are vying for the other.
Symons returns at one inside linebacker spot where he will be joined by Spindler, who started at outside linebacker as a freshman.
Galonis returns at one tackle spot. Yanchis gained some experience at the other tackle position two years ago.
The rest of the defense will be new.
Sudo is at nose guard.
Lyons and sophomore Charles Sciandra provide depth in the line.
Behm and Reboli take over at outside linebacker.
Triboski and senior Sein McCracken are corners with Patterson and Thomas working at safety in the secondary, which is starting from scratch. Girman and sophomore Kevin Lockett, as cornerbacks, along with Pugliese and Barbieri, as safeties, are other possibilities.
Senior Matt Soy returns to handle extra points and field goals.
Thomas will kick off again. Last season, he was strictly a kicking specialist while also playing soccer, but now he is a full-time football player and figuring to see regular action on offense and defense, along with possibly helping in the return game.
Behm has some experience punting.
Patterson and Treboski are other candidates to return kicks.
Other seniors on the team are: wide receiver/defensive backs Devin Adkins and Bruce Rydzy; kicker Caeden Messner; running back/linebacker Ethan Menichini; and two-way lineman Tyler Brody.
Quarterback/defensive back Kahleb Murray and fullback/linebacker Adam Lazar are other juniors trying to land playing time.
The other sophomores are: wide receiver/defensive backs Kyle Pietrzak, Shane Connolly and A.J. Grieco; running back/linebackers Jaidin Morgans and Drew Menendez; running back/defensive back John Barchi-Crich; fullback/linebacker Kyle Breymeier; two-way linemen Nick Sciandra and Logan Bryan; and tight end/linebacker Ryan Hintze.
The freshmen on the roster are quarterback/defensive back Drew DeLucca, wide receiver/defensive backs Ciran Bilbow, Jake Carden, Bryan Antigua, Alec Kapacs, Bobby Davidson and David Eymer; running back/linebacker A.J. Scialpi; and tight end/linebacker Adam Shovlin.
