New-look OLSH roster ready to compete in 2024

CLINTON — It might be Donnie Militzer’s third season as head coach at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, but this season, there is a different feeling surrounding the OLSH program because the school has agreed to a co-op with Eden Christian Academy and the Propel Montour School District.

For Militzer, coordinating and coaching players from three different schools spread out across Western Pa. has not been an easy adjustment for the third-year head coach, but the players on his roster have made it a lot easier of a time.

“It has been challenging,” Militzer said after the team’s practice at Youthtowne on Wednesday. “This is not what I expected in terms of the work that has needed to be put into it, and I have been extremely excited for this from all three schools. If it wasn’t for a great coaching staff, we wouldn’t have been able to pull this off.”

With the addition of Eden Christian Academy and Propel Montour, Militzer's squad seems like a brand-new football program, and the head coach has treated it as such with some players not having played football since the 2020 season.

But because of the added number of players on the roster for Militzer, his team can be more competitive in practices, which in turn will help them be more prepared for when the team hits the gridiron and the lights are on them Friday night.

“The compete level is much higher than in years past,” Militzer said. “Last season when we would scrimmage in practice, we would get a scout team lined up on the defensive side of the ball, and they would run and get 30 yards each play. This year, we can’t do that. The scout team that we have now has starters on defense and young guys that are hungry, and it makes it hard to move the ball sometimes.”

One of the main reasons for OLSH’s push for the cooperative agreement between the three schools was the issue with players' health throughout the season.

Last year, the Chargers suffered an immense amount of injuries during the season, including starting quarterback Vann Kavals and receiver Colby Zwigart. At one point in the season, OLSH was playing with just three starters on its roster that it had at the beginning of the year.

This year, it is a different story for the Chargers as the team has over 40 players on its roster with several young players that can make an impact not just this season but in seasons to come.

“When we have all 40 guys here, the compete level is off the charts, and it is different than what we had, and the practice environment is almost game-like, and we couldn’t create that in past years.”

Head coach: Donnie Militzer (Third season, 12-9 overall)

2023 record: (4-6, 3-4 Class A Black Hills)

Top players lost: Brandon Brazell, Brady Brazell, Dylan Matlock, Luke Vittorino, Joe Haterly, Demarre Brough, Cam Branch, Dorrien Tate, Dereon Greer

Top players returning: Vann Kavals, Ethan “Speedy” Davis Iseia Fields-Schulz, Tristan Vojtecky, Owen Toney, Talen Ellis

Offense: Akron commit Vann Kavals will lead the Charger's offense under center this season and will look to stay healthy after a lower-body injury sidelined him for the season three weeks into the regular season, and Militzer believes that he can get the job done with his legs and his arm this season. The rapport that he and Militzer have built over the past three years is key for the success of the offense this season. Along with Kavals, OLSH has several receiving threats including Ethan Davis and Iseia Fields-Schulz, who can all make an impact along with Colby Zwigart. The only concern for the Chargers at the moment is its offensive line, which only returns one starter in Tristan Vojtecky.

Defense: Even though OLSH’s offense has a variety of different weapons at its disposal, Militzer believes that his defensive unit will be stronger than his offensive unit to begin the season. Militzer pointed out that safety Owen Nestor, who comes from Eden Christian Academy, is a huge playmaker on the defensive side of the ball. Along with Nestor, Owen Tunnery and Chris Harris are strong options at the linebacker positions. The Chargers' defense is a fast unit that can make plays up front with Vann Kavals on the defense line all the way back in the secondary.

Classification: 2A

Last WPIAL playoff appearance: 2022

Last WPIAL title: 2018

WPIAL titles: 1

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: New-look OLSH roster ready to compete in 2024