Hempfield football hopes to keep momentum from big win over Penn-Trafford
Photo by Ken Reabe
Throughout the first four games of the football season, Hempfield went undefeated.
Despite having scored at least 48 points in each of the first four games, the Spartans’ schedule made some question if they were as good as their record stated because the wins all came against teams that did not make the WPIAL playoffs last season in Greensburg Salem, Connellsville, Latrobe and Shaler.
Then last Friday, Hempfield improved to 5-0 by defeating the defending WPIAL/PIAA 5A football champions Penn-Trafford 28-17. With that win, Hempfield is considered a serious contender.
“Going into that game, I know there were a lot of doubters in the stands that did not think we had a chance with Penn-Trafford,” senior Tyson Gregory said. “After the great win, I think a lot of people, even some guys on our team, started to realize the true potential of our team. Although the win was great, we are not satisfied. Winning has only motivated us more as a team to continue proving everyone wrong and to take over the conference.”
The Spartans run an up-tempo type of offense as they try to catch opposing defenses off guard and move the ball quickly.
Quarterback Jake Phillips has had quite the senior year so far, throwing for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns. During the offseason, Phillips grew an inch and now stands at 6-foot-2. He also added 30 pounds to get himself up to 200 pounds.
“I think we have started off strong from a mixture of offseason preparation through strength and speed training and realizing our team’s true potential,” Phillips said. “I also think one of the biggest things that has contributed to our success is our offensive line, they have really stepped up from last year and turned into one of the most dominant lines in the WPIAL. Those dudes have done a fantastic job protecting me and creating opportunities for my teammates.”
Phillips has been able to spread the ball effectively this season as five Spartans (Ian Tuffs, Daniel Katonka, Anthony Vallano, Keiran Lippmann and Gino Caesar) have at least 100 receiving yards while Caesar anchors the run game with 484 rushing yards.
“It’s awesome to have Jake start so well,” Tuffs said. “Last year, we struggled putting points up on the board and this year we have big splash plays happening where we are scoring big touchdowns. It just feels great to be 5-0. We have always been doubted as a program and now that we are winning, we are starting to see heads turn.”
Hempfield hasn’t started 6-0 since 1971, which is the school record for the most wins without a loss to open a season. This year’s team can break records and make history as no Hempfield football team has ever won a WPIAL or PIAA championship.
“Honestly, we do not put much thought into it,” Tuffs said. “We are more focused on winning one game at a time, but it would definitely be cool to be able to break the record.”
The whole community is excited as they are supporting the team every step of the way.
“The environment at school and in the community has been really cool,” Phillips said. “Everyone has shown tons of support and the turnout at the games has been awesome. Our team is doing a great job keeping our heads on straight and treating every opponent the same.”
Head coach Mike Brown is in his second season at Hempfield, and he is trying to get his team back in the playoffs as the Spartans haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2016 and have not won a playoff game since 1997. One of the youngest coaches in the WPIAL, Brown shows energy and enthusiasm in order to try to bring Hempfield to the top.
“I love having coach Brown as a coach,” Lippmann said. “He always brings a great attitude and enthusiasm to practice and games and always strives to get the best from his players. He knows a lot about the game and I’m always trying to learn a thing or two from him.
“The practices are very competitive and that’s what we wanted. We’ll set up a game plan for the week and we’ll work on it until we perfect it.”
One thing Brown does is focus on the immediate future instead of thinking about things that are further down the road.
“Coach emphasizes that you have to take everything a day at a time,” Caesar said. “He says ‘win every day and get better every day, it doesn’t matter what happened last week, we have a new challenge every week.’”
Hempfield will begin the second half of the regular season looking to extend its winning streak on Friday night when they host Gateway. The Spartans play at home in four of its final five games and that’s a good sign when it comes to hunting for a playoff spot.
“Having home field advantage is a huge deal,” Gregory said. “With the Hempfield community getting more excited about what the team has been doing, our stadium has been getting more packed. The atmosphere of the stadium is electric and gives us that extra motivation to come out and show everybody how we play.”
