IMPERIAL — After finishing its 2023 campaign on a three-game losing streak and falling in the f irst round of the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs, West Allegheny returns a slew of starters in 2024 and is ready to stay healthy, build depth on its roster to make a deep playoff run.
“We are excited about the group of guys that we have coming back,” West Allegheny coach Dave Schoppe said. “We have nine starters on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball that are coming back and we are just working on developing our depth and we just want to have that next guy that can step up in a long season. The past two seasons we had to call on those guys and this year we need to do a better job at getting those guys prepared for those situations.”
Two of the bigger names returning this year are the senior running and defensive back tandem of Bucknell University commit Brock Cornell and Roman Police.
Schoppe knows that those two players will be valuable assets and is looking forward to seeing what the pair can do in their final seasons.
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“Both of those guys are tremendous athletes and Brock is like another coach when he is out there on the field both offensively and defensively. His game speed and the way that he works is some of the fastest that I have ever seen. Roman played through an injury last year and continued to battle and he is healthy now and is anxious to get back out onto the field.”
After realignment, the Indians are once again matched up in the Parkway Conference with the likes of Aliquippa, Montour Blackhawk and Ambridge.
Preparedness and having his team ready to face the challenges of the conference are Schoppe’s biggest keys to finding success in a tough conference, with the Quips and Spartans returning a bulk of their roster from a season ago.
“Every team in that conference is coached well and prepared so we have to prepare every day like we are going to face that number one team in the state. You have teams like Aliquippa and Montour on the schedule who bring back a number of their starters. I am excited for the opportunities that are in front of us but we know that we have to perform well each Friday night.”
Head coach: Dave Schoppe (Fifth season, 20-18 overall)
2023 record: (6-5, 4-3 Parkway)
Top players lost: AJ Hughes, Derek Curry
Top players returning: Brock Cornell, Roman Police, Brock Stickley, Tyler Hatton, Brodie Cornell, JC Bozic, Zack Horne, Aidan Boyle
Offense: The West Allegheny offense will be firing on all cylinders with an experienced, balanced mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen. Brock Cornell and Roman Police come in as the important running back duo that will take on a majority of the workload as the offense wants to manage the clock. Along with Cornell and Police, tight end Tyler Hatton, who was an honorable mention in the Parkway Conference last season, looks to make a big splash in his sophomore campaign. The team also returns a bulk of its line, led by JC Bozic and center/long snapper Brock Stickley.
Defense: The secondary is once again loaded thanks to Cornell and Police. The team also brings back Brock’s younger brother, Brodie, who made an immediate impact as a freshman in the secondary, tallying 83 total tackles and seven tackles for a loss. The West Allegheny defense is poised for another strong season with the key pieces it has back in the secondary.
Classification: 4A
Last WPIAL playoff appearance: 2023
Last WPIAL title: 2016
WPIAL titles: 8
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Experienced West Allegheny roster ready to make noise in 2024
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