Big Red looking for 4-0 start
Steubenville hosts Pittsburgh University Prep looking for best start since 2017
STEUBENVILLE -- Coach Reno Saccoccia and his Steubenville football team will be looking for the program's first 4-0 start since 2017 when they entertain Pittsburgh University Prep Friday inside Harding Stadium.
Big Red moved to 3-0 thanks to its 45-16 victory over Wheeling Park. The Patriots were up 16-12 midway through the third quarter before Steubenville ripped off 33 unanswered points to claim the Legends Night triumph.
University Prep, which has players from University Prep, Sci-Tech and Obama Academy, will bring a 1-1 mark to town. The Panthers dropped their opener to Highland, 27-0, before rebounding with a 21-14 win at Sharon. In that contest, Prep jumped out to a 21-0 lead before holding off a late Sharon charge.
The sixth meeting between the schools (Big Red has won all five previous encounters) will kick off at 7 p.m. Prep was on Big Red's original 2020 schedule but that game was canceled because of COVID.
"They have really good speed and are very well-coached," Saccoccia said of the Panthers. "The coaching staff has been in place for several years and they have put really good schemes together, both offensively and defensively.
"Prep mixes it up pretty good between the run and the pass. This team has improved more and more every year. Their coaches do a great job and I appreciate the fact they are willing to come here to play us."
Coach Lou Berry had his Prep squad in the thick of the Pittsburgh City League hunt a season ago. Close losses to Allderdice in the regular season and playoffs, as well as a shutout loss to Westinghouse and a consolation game defeat against Brashear ultimately led to a 2-4 record.
"In our program, our goal every season is to win the City League championship," Berry said during a pre-season interview. "Nothing has changed there. Once we move into the state playoffs, it's all about believing we can make it to Hershey. We'll take it one week at a time."
Prep's speed starts with Rashan Murray, a senior wide receiver/defensive back. He has committed to play at Akron University.
"Rashan is a very skilled, tremendous athlete," Berry said. "We'll go into stadiums this season knowing we have perhaps the best player on the field. That's a bold statement, but it's what his coaches and teammates feel about him."
Murray had two catches in limited action against Sharon. He had to leave the field several times dealing with leg cramps. Rashaud Murray and Amare Gee also add speed to Prep's receiving corps.
Senior Keon Smalls is Prep's starting quarterback. He ran for 26 yards (two of his runs went for scores) and completed seven passes in the win over Sharon. Sophomore Paul Helvy and junior Terrell Allen-Tooks are the top threats at running back. Against Sharon, Helvy ran for 122 yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown.
Up front, University Prep will be anchored by junior Robert Arms, a three-year starter, as well as junior Jaeden Anderson.
Senior end Nasir Crownie and linebacker Allen-Tooks play key roles in Berry's defense.
Saccoccia expects Prep to provide a stiff challenge for his Big Red and he also sees the contest as another opportunity for his squad to keep improving.
"The teams we are going against are helping us to become better and better every week," he said. "We are facing different things every week and we have to prepare for different things our opponents do well.
"There are some areas where we have really improved. In other areas, we have to prepare for a challenge. We have been challenged in the air so far this season. Sooner or later, we are going to have to buckle down and be really good against a power running game."
Through three games, Saccoccia's squad is averaging 36 points per contest while allowing 10. Big Red's offense averages 255 yards on the ground and 188 through the air. The defense, to date, has been pretty stingy -- surrendering 59 yards rushing and 131 passing.
Big Red recovered two fumbles in the Park game, giving the defense 11 take-a-ways for the season. Junior linebacker Kyjhaun Hopkins recorded 11 tackles against Park, two resulting in yardage losses. Senior linebacker Brandon Kinney was in on nine tackles. He had four tackles for a loss and a sack. Kinney also forced a fumble.
The Park fumbles were recovered by senior defensive back Niko Suriano and junior defensive end Gavin Bozica.
Senior tailback Rodney James Jr. carried the ball 24 times against Park, compiling 192 yards and scoring four touchdowns. In three games, the hard-running James had 484 rushing yards (he's averaging 8.3 yards per trip) and eight touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Phaeton Hill has completed 33 of his 54 passing attempts for 564 yards and five TDs. He connected with senior wide receiver Brenton Jones twice in the Park game for scores of 55 and 27 yards.
Jones leads Big Red in receptions with seven for 200 yards and four scores. Sophomore Isaac Hill, who missed the Park game with an injury, has six grabs for 117 yards.
"I really do feel we have improved," Saccoccia said. "The thing is we have a lot of improving to do if want to challenge and be part of the playoffs.
"Thinking about the playoffs used to be not such a good thing. You just focused on trying to improve every week and make the playoffs. Now with 16 teams qualifying in each region, you really have to prepare. Part of your preparation every week is focused on getting better and better so when the time comes you will be ready.
"Right now, we have a lot of room for improvement. The best thing about our players is they are willing to work hard week-in and week-out in order to improve."
Following the Prep game, Big Red will make its only road trip of the regular season -- traveling to Dover in Week 5 for what should be a key matchup. Saccoccia doesn't think anyone in the program is looking ahead to that game just yet.
"We have big one in Week 4," he stressed. "That's as far as we want to go right now."