Jeff Puglio has seen plenty of talent during his 10 seasons as the head coach at Bradford High School.
But it pales in comparison to the abundance of skill that will grace the Pennsylvania sidelines when Puglio leads that squad for the 46th installment of the Big 30 Charities Classic next Friday.
Puglio, along with his Bradford coaching staff of Tom Reid, Davis Reddington, Jerry Pattison and Andy Reid, boast a roster of 41 of the top seniors from Pennsylvania.
For Puglio, who has led the Bradford Owls since taking over as a 24-year-old in 2009, it’s his first time leading a team during an all-star game.
Being around Bradford and football in the area for so long, Puglio understands the game’s importance to the community and what it means to be named head coach.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved in it,” he said. “I didn’t get the chance to play in the game as a player and it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. To be a part of it in this capacity, I’ve always wanted to do it and was happy to get the call.”
Making the experience all that more memorable to Puglio and his staff is that they’ll get to coach six former Owls one last time: Jaron Ambrose, Nate Blauser, Patrick Caskey, Nate Gehm, Donny Pattison and Kevin Ackerman will all line up one last time on their home Parkway Field.
Those six players were part of 24 Bradford seniors that helped lead the team to a 6-4 regular season record as well as an appearance in the first round of the playoffs.
“They are a special group,” Puglio remarked. “Worked with them a lot since they were in seventh grade, so one more game with them on our field is special. It’s special for them and it’s special for us.”
Ambrose, Gehm and Pattison each played with each other in last month’s Varischetti game in Brockway.
And while nearly a third of Pennsy’s roster has experience playing in a charity game, Puglio has offered advice to most of the members of his team that will be embarking on a new endeavor.
“I think (the key) is for them to stay focused,” he said. “It’s going to be different for them because they are used to playing both ways and they don’t have to do that now. Just learn their positions, learn their roles and mostly have fun. It’s an all-star game, it’s a charity game and we are here for that. Stay healthy and have fun; that’s what I’m looking to do.”
Puglio said that he is looking forward to getting to know his team over two-week practice period, though he also remarked that the new District 9 league format afforded him the luxury to have a bit more familiarity with some players than previous coaching staffs did.
“In years past doing this was hard for the Bradford staff because we really didn’t play with many of these kids,” Puglio remarked. “We knew what we had coming in and what we were going to have to work with. That made it really easy.”
Puglio’s relationships that he’s fostered over the last 10 seasons will be helpful as he attempts to put together a depth chart as well as attempt to find the right players to fill some of the specialist roles.
“Just (Monday), I was able to call one coach and ask him about a player to see if he could punt,” Puglio said. “Just having that relationship with the coaches and the league and everybody working together is really great.”
As for the opponent on Aug. 3, Puglio is confident that his staff will be well-prepared for a New York side that is being led by the Southwestern coaching staff and former Michigan State star and NFLer Jehuu Caulcrick.
“We’ve exchanged some film,” Puglio said. “We kind of have an idea of what they’re going to do, we just have to figure out how that conforms to the rules of the game. The game is designed for points, we know that, we understand that going in.”
Of course, that recipe has worked out well for Pennsylavnia of late, as the Keystone State has won the past three matchups.
“It’s mostly about getting guys into the right spots,” Puglio said. “Just go play, and go do what you’ve done over the past four years. We don’t really have to reinvent the wheel.”
