MONACA – After spending the past two seasons playing up in Class 4A in the Parkway Conference, Central Valley enters into the 2024 season back in Class 3A where it found a plethora of postseason success both at the district and state levels.
Even though the team is moving back down a classification and into the Western Hills Conference, Warriors head coach Mark Lyons believes that the move won’t be that big of an adjustment with how his non-conference schedule has been constructed for the 2024 season.
“When you look at our exhibition schedule this year we are taking on the top 4A schools ranking in the preseason with Montour, Thomas Jefferson and Belle Vernon so we have to get through that grind at the beginning of the year," Lyons said to the Beaver County Times. "This schedule is a stern test for us and it will only be beneficial if we grow from this. We will be sharper from this, tougher mentally and physically, and it will hopefully help as we head into our conference schedule.”
Even though the Warriors did not have the same level of championship success from the last two seasons, the program still brings a ton of momentum into the year after the season that the team put together in 2023.
With the success that the team showed in 2023, Lyons has seen a number of his seniors step up and be more vocal as leaders which in turn will help this team build the chemistry it needs to have throughout the season.
“The guys that have been here and have played a lot of football have become more vocal early during camp,” Lyons said. “These players are a lot more comfortable and seem to be playing a lot faster than they were before as sophomores and juniors. You have to have strong leaders on a team and I tell these guys that sometimes mental is more important than physical and we need to know how to balance all of the ebbs and flows of a season.”
More: Beaver County Times' 2024 High School football preview
The Central Valley offense is once again going to be a force to be reckoned with after it returns almost all of its starters from a season ago and also has several Division I prospects on its offensive unit, including running back Jance Henry and lineman Brendan Alexander.
Along with the Division I prospects, the Warrior's offensive line is once again looking to be a very tight-knit unit with the number of returners that it has.
“Michael Bendekovic is a two-year starter, Tyler Ondrusek is a three-year starter, Brendan Alexander is a two-year starter so we do have experience there on the line but that group knows that they need to find two more guys that they can bring up to their level," Lyons said. "It is not about just them and they realize that they need to get other guys involved and they are finding and pushing them. Those guys are great leaders.”
With several returners on the offensive side of the ball, consistency will be key for the group as it heads into the regular season.
For Lyons, he hopes that the players that returned on the offensive side of the ball will in turn play at a quicker pace than what they played at in years past.
“I think that Steven Rutherford is a lot more comfortable now on the offensive side of the ball and he knows how to manage things and has more freedom in the playbook. From the way I look at things on the offensive side, I want to see our team play faster than we did in years past and get more snaps in during the period of a game.”
Head coach: Mark Lyons (15th season, 154-35)
2023 record: (8-4, 5-2 Parkway Conference)
Top players lost: JJ Work
Top players returning: Jance Henry, B.J. Nastick, T. Mason Dixon, Michael Bendekovic, Tyler Ondrusek, Steven Rutherford, Domenic Pratt, Brendan Alexander
Offense: Offensively the Warriors are loaded in all facets from the quarterback position to the offensive line Central Valley has it. The Warriors return three of its key starters on the offensive line with Tyler Ondrusek, Michael Bendekovic and Brendan Alexander who all have multiple years of varsity experience. Along with the offensive line, Central Valley returns its two big backs in sophomore Jance Henry and senior Mason Dixon who ran all over opposing defenses last season. Lyons believes that Henry “got stronger and has worked on his breakaway speed coming into the season.” With the offensive weapons that it brings back and in a new conference, the Warriors should find success with the group that it has.
Defense: On the defensive side of the ball Lyons believes that this is an area that the team might not be up to speed on where they need to be at the moment as the team is navigating where everyone will fit in on the roster. The Warriors return all-conference defensive back BJ Nastick who put together a pretty impressive season last year forcing two fumbles, recording three interceptions and breaking up three passes.
Classification: 3A
Last WPIAL playoff appearance: 2023
Last WPIAL title: 2021
WPIAL titles: 5
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Central Valley looking to return to championship form in 2024
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