Participation in youth sports is declining across the country, and District 9 schools have felt the impact. Co-ops between programs have become more and more common in recent years in a variety of sports, and the 2018-19 school year will be no different with the merger of the Port Allegany and Smethport soccer programs.
Two of the most bitter rivals in the North Tier have joined forces on the pitch this season in response to dwindling numbers on Smethport’s soccer teams.
The early returns have looked good for Port A boys coach Aaron Clark so far: after losing a heartbreaker to Olean in a penalty shootout to start the season on Friday, the Gators rebounded with a 2-0 win over Portville on Saturday followed by a 7-1 thumping of Ridgway on Tuesday.
But for Clark, now in his 13th season at the helm for Port Allegany, the biggest challenges this year haven’t been about passing or shooting: they’ve been about making sure bus schedules line up and that his own players get along with each other.
While the rivalry in soccer between the Gators and Hubbers doesn’t always reach a fever pitch like in other sports like football or basketball, Clark notes that he had his concerns about bringing former rivals together.
What he’s seen so far has left him deeply impressed.
“I tip my hat to them,” Clark said of his players. “The kids on both sides have been extremely mature handling the transition. Some of the Port Allegany players lost minutes to the Smethport players coming in.
“We have a motto about competition breeding excellence. (Smethport) had really good players, but they just didn’t have enough. They’ve pushed the Port A boys to be better soccer players.”
They’ve also provided needed depth and experience to a program that was losing many key pieces from the group that won the 2016 D-9 Class A title and made it to last year’s Championship Game.
“We had lost a lot of players to graduation; we had no seniors from Port Allegany, so we basically imported an entire senior class,” Clark said. “They’ve helped maintain the high standard for what we’re trying to do.”
Key among those newcomers were seniors Noah Costa and Caleb Lutz, who scored a combined 20 goals for the Hubbers last year. Costa has already scored five times this year, including a hat trick against Ridgway on Tuesday.
While Clark has experience from going up against the Smethport kids in recent years, he noted that it’s an entirely different experience when you’re the one coaching them every day.
“Until you see them day in and day out you don’t know what their skill sets are,” he explained. “That’s something you learn from a kid over the course of a few years.”
With co-ops in football like Ridgway/Johnsonburg (back-to-back D-9 titles) and Otto-Eldred/Oswayo Valley (two-straight AML North crowns) bearing fruit, Clark hopes that other schools and programs looking to stay relevant — and alive — embrace the co-op model moving forward.
“I think if a lot of the small schools want to see some of their programs survive, in some capacity they’re going to have to look forward and accept it,” Clark said. “People in small towns have to get over school rivalries if they want their programs to exist or to at least be relevant.”
One other team to keep an eye on in the boys ranks is Northern Potter.
Coming off of a disappointing 2-16 campaign in 2017, the Panthers have started 2018 1-1 after splitting their two games at last weekend’s Galeton Tournament. NoPo fell to the Tigers 3-0 on Friday but came back on Saturday to trounce Sayre 7-3.
Head coach Bill Moon returns 10 starters and 15 letterwinners to this year’s squad.
On the girls side, second year coach Anthony Edgell and the Lady Gators opened their 2018 season on Tuesday with a 3-1 loss to St. Marys. The Port A girls hope their own co-op will help them improve on 2017’s 8-9-1 record.
The following is a capsule look at the boys and girls Pennsylvania teams in the Big 30:
BOYS
Bradford
League: District 10 Region 5/District 9
Coach: Wes Lohrman (14th season, 147-91-7)
2017 record: 11-8-1
Coach’s comments: This year’s roster will see the return of 23 goals out of 54 scored from last season. The Owls will look to Colton Swanson (11 goals, 15 assists), Ian Grady (7 goals, 6 assists), and Cadyn Sutherland (5 goals, 3 assists) to spearhead a new look attack in the hopes of surpassing the 54 goals scored last year. Support on this front will be provided by Colin Haskins, Ryan Miller, Isaiah Pingie, Rob Jimmerson, and newcomer Owen Kane. Central midfield support will be provided by Brennan Grady, Drew Auteri, and Ayron Hart. Junior goalkeeper Evan Schmidt and sophomore Gavin Piscitelli will mind the net this year for the Owls, looking to keep the number of goals allowed this year below the 40 goals allowed last year. The keepers will be supported by a fast and flexible defense in front of them consisting of Jason French, Brett Degolier, Matt Franz, Jake Maley, and Mike Bosworth. The Owls ended last season with a loss in the District 9 final in a penalty shootout. This year’s team will look to earn the program’s first D-9 Class AAA title.
Port Allegany
League: UAVSL-North
Coach: Aaron Clark (131-89-8)
2017 record: 14-7-1
Coach’s comments: There are eight members of the team that have come from Smethport including all five of our seniors. Our team, while lacking returning starters from last year, brings in a huge amount of experience between Port Allegany and Smethport. Our junior class is very deep which gives us a multitude of options. Players to watch this year include Noah Costa, Caleb Lutz, Howie Stuckey, and Kylar Carpenter. They’ve worked very well with each other on the attack and have quite a bit of potential to confound opposing defenses. The team has a goal of winning our league and challenging for a District 9 title.
Northern Potter
League: Northern Tier League
Coach: Bill Moon (14-35-2)
2017 record: 2-16
Coach’s comments: The team has a strong core of players returning this season. We have a mix of size and speed and look to be competitive on the pitch. The NTL is a tough league and always has been. I expect the powerhouse teams of the past to remain strong competitors and those are the teams that we have our sights on to be able to compete with.
Coudersport
League: UAVSL
Coach: Erich Zaun (7th year)
Coach’s comments: We look to stay competitive in our league and district with some new faces on the team.
GIRLS
Bradford
League: District 9
Coach: Warren Shaw (1st year)
2017 record: 9-9
Coach’s comments: This team is extremely hardworking and a coachable group. They want to succeed and are putting in the effort to get there. There is talent in the group and leadership has stepped up throughout the beginning of the year. We are building depth and will count on each other. Many girls will see meaningful minutes this year. The girls will make the games and seasons worth watching. Jimmy Warnick is a valuable addition to the coaching staff as an assistant coach joining A.J. Lucas, who brings a ton of experience to the field. Captains: Liz Miller, Mikayla Bond, Regan Johnson, and Amaya Gonzalez were picked by their teammates.
Port Allegany
League: District 9
Coach: Anthony Edgell (2nd year, 8-9-1)
2017: 8-9-1
Coach’s comments: This is the first year of the Port Allegany and Smethport soccer programs co-op. We expect to do extremely well. The girls are mixing well and seem to be looking forward to this season.
