The results, on the scoreboard at least, will have to wait another year.
As the Bradford High football team traversed through the 2022 season, however, some of its bright spots resembled those of a season ago.
New leaders stepped up for the Owls in an 0-10 campaign, one that saw a mix of old District 9 and Allegheny Mountain League opponents. There is still much work to be done in turning the program’s recent fortunes around, but head coach Jeff Puglio’s staff was pleased with some of the progress their young team made this season.
Lucas Laktash became the team’s senior leader, reflected by his selection as the team’s lone District 9 Region 1 All-Star. He headlined a receiving group that was again the team’s biggest offensive asset, as the Owls continued their transition to a pass-heavy offensive scheme.
“(Laktash) meant everything for us because we asked him to do so much,” Puglio said. “We found a need to get him the ball in different ways so he played some ‘H’ and some ‘F’ for us, and defensively, he played at all levels. He’s a very versatile kid and was the best player on the field no matter where we had him.”
Laktash was named one of five Region 1 All-Stars at the wide receiver/slot back position. He amassed 53 receptions for 689 yards and five touchdowns, providing the downfield threat that the Owls lost when Dalton Dixon graduated last year.
For as potent as the speedy Laktash was on offense, he may have been a better defender, finishing with 84 tackles — 11 of which resulted in negative yardage. After missing portions of the last two seasons due to injury, the Owls were finally able to see what a full season of Laktash looked like.
Bradford featured other outside threats in its pass-heavy offense, including seniors Isaiah Fitton and Troy Adkins.
Fitton finished with 41 receptions for 521 yards and two touchdowns, while Adkins made 48 catches for 411 yards and two scores. Adkins also served as the team’s primary running back, rushing 49 times for 103 yards and five TDs.
“I thought (Adkins) stepped up big time to get us some offense in different ways,” Puglio said. “He excelled at both receiver and running back, and he kind of fit into where we needed him. (Fitton) on the outside also had some explosive plays for us. The downside of that is that all of those guys are seniors, so they brought things we’ll need to replace.”
Sophomore QB Talan Reese had the keys to the offense this year after splitting time at the position as a freshman. He completed 183-of-323 pass attempts (57%) for 2,068 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Nate Girdlestone ran the ball with some success for Bradford, rushing 19 times for 108 yards and a score, while AJ Gleason made 13 catches for 186 yards and Matt Perry had 11 catches for 107 yards and a TD.
“We have an abundance of skill guys and I think we have guys that can make plays for us,” Puglio said. “We have to get better, we have to get stronger and we need to be tougher up front. We showed it in pockets but to get a consistent group of five guys every week… can we be consistent up front on both sides of the ball and really give (Reese) and the skill guys the time they need to be effective?”
Like they did a year ago, the Owls defense struggled to stop the run, resulting in over 40 points allowed per game. When they did make big stops, it was often via Laktash.
Sophomore linebacker Evan Whitmore broke onto the scene with 74 tackles, trailing only Laktash.
“(Whitmore) grew leaps and bounds this year,” Puglio said. “There was a point in the year where his footwork wasn’t where we wanted it to be, so we challenged him by going with someone else for a game. Evan did everything you want as a coach; he proved me wrong. He grinded in practice and hit everyone he saw in practice.
“Without saying it, he showed us on film what you’re supposed to do, and that’s everything you want in a player. It’s exciting that he’s a sophomore and that he’s already in the weight room.”
Gleason made 70 tackles from the safety position, while Carter Morey turned in a quality senior season at defensive tackle with 41 stops.
“I thought (Morey) had an outstanding season up front,” Puglio said. “He really put some pressure on other teams’ interior line on a consistent basis. He always had his motor running and was always a problem for opposing offenses. We need to get better at stopping the run, obviously, but continuing to do what we’re doing and getting comfortable with the system should pay dividends next fall.”
Other top contributors to the Bradford defense included Jordy Thompson (39 tackles), Adkins (39), Alex Gangloff (36), Girdlestone (32), Fitton (31) and Jake Abers (28). Fitton also recorded two interceptions.
After a third consecutive winless campaign, the Owls will turn to a busy offseason to continue their rebuild. With what was an unquestionably young team in 2022, they’ll hope to use this season’s building blocks as a catalyst for future success.
“You can look at the records and say it was unsuccessful, and I get that,” Puglio said. “But the growth we showed from Week 1 to Week 10 is very important. I think looking only at the record and scores on the scoreboard is a disservice to how much work these kids have put in.
“They all want to win. They all play to win and work really, really hard. I’m really proud of the effort they put in every day and, hopefully, next year we’re not the youngest team on the field or out-sized every week like we were this year. There is obviously some work to be done with where we’re at, but there is some optimism among the group and I think they’re excited.”
