Note: Tuesday, July 30 marked the official start of the local high school football season as players and coaches from across the Lackawanna Football Conference gathered at the Regal Room for Media Day 2024. This is the fifth in a series of stories covering that event and previewing the upcoming campaign.
OLYPHANT — Football has played a huge part in Al McElroy's life almost since the very beginning.
A standout player at Valley View who continued his career at Bloomsburg University, McElroy went on to anchor the Scranton Eagles' offensive line en route to three semipro national championships during the 1980s and 90s.
After his playing days were over, McElroy embarked on a long and successful coaching career and is now in his 20 th season as an assistant at Delaware Valley.
On Tuesday, July 30 McElroy made his annual appearance at the Regal Room in Olyphant for the 2024 Lackawanna Football Conference Media Day.
The Warriors went 10-4 last fall, winning another District 2 championship and advancing to the PIAA state tournament. On the heels of that performance, longtime head coach Keith Olsommer went looking for even more challenges.
As a result, DV is facing one of the most ambitious and challenging schedules in program history featuring road trips to Florida and Long Island.
“We definitely pumped up our schedule this year,” McElroy said. “When you combine our non-league games with all the Division 1 games, there aren't any off-weeks for us. We don't have a lot of starters coming back, but we definitely have bunch of kids with varsity experience.”
Looking for leaders
Pasquale Venetucci and Logan Olsommer accompanied McElroy to this year's Media Day.
Both are battle-tested seniors and each brings an unique skill set to the table.
“These guys have really grown with the program,” McElroy said. “They're hard working kids who put in a ton of time during the off-season. Pasquale and Logan are both becoming good leaders and I'm really looking forward to see what they can do this season.”
Venetucci will once again anchor the defensive line from his spot at nose tackle. He's a talented, versatile athlete who also excels in track & field.
Last fall, Venetucci did a solid job clogging up the middle and wreaking havoc on opposition ball carriers. He finished the season with 40 solo tackles and a pair of sacks.
“Personally, my biggest goal is to become the best player at my position,” said Venetucci who hopes to play college football and one day become a state trooper.
“I want to be physical and dominate the line of scrimmage. I want everyone to know my name. As far as the team goes, I want us go out there, have fun and become the best football team we can be.”
Olsommer is coming off a junior campaign in which he passed for nearly 1,300 yards. He completed 58 percent of his passes, including 11 touchdowns against just four picks. He also rushed for 366 yards and three more scores.
Another multi-sport standout, Olsommer also stars for DV's basketball and track teams.
“As a quarterback, I just want to be the best leader I can for our offense,” said Olsommer, who's post graduation plans include playing collegiately.
“I'm very excited for my senior season. As a team, I think our goals are pretty much the same as every year. We want to win the district championship, go to states and hopefully play for a state title.”
On the schedule
Delaware Valley will kick-off the regular season with a trip to Orlando for a non-league showdown with Lincoln High School on Friday, August 23.
The Trojans are based in Tallahassee and classified as 5A in the state of Florida. Lincoln posted a record of 9-3 last fall under the direction of head coach Jimmie Tyson. The Trojans have won a total of three state titles and been runner-up five times.
Other non-league games on DV's slate this fall include Jersey Shore (Aug. 30), Central York (Sept. 6) and Long Island Lutheran (Oct. 5).
Homecoming is set for Sept. 14 versus Scranton Prep, while Senior Night will be Oct. 25 against Scranton High School.
Keys to success
Delaware Valley will once again be competing in the LFC's always-rugged Division 1 against the likes of Valley View, Abington Heights, North Pocono, Wallenpaupack Area, Scranton High and Scranton Prep.
The Warriors opened lsat year's campaign with three straight losses before reeling off 10 consecutive wins. The season finally came to a close in the state playoffs with a 31-7 loss at the hands of perennial PIAA powerhouse Imhotep Charter.
If the Warriors want to make another deep run this fall, the veterans will have to provide leadership and the youngsters will need to grow up in a hurry.
“We only have three or four starters back on each side of the ball, so we're a little young,” McElroy said. “Our expectations are always high, though, so we're going to keep them that way and do everything we can to meet those expectations.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Delaware Valley faces its most challenging football schedule in program history
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