Even for Baldwin football, this has been a tough season.
The team is 0-5 and quarterback Noah Mickolay transferred to Seton LaSalle in the middle of the season. Then this week, Baldwin Athletic Director Tony Cherico asked the team’s section opponents to shorten quarters and to play more of their junior varsity players earlier in the game.
“I was trying to find a way to help the kids out and make sure everyone comes back next year,” he said. Baldwin only has about 30 football players and some have been injured.
But the other athletic directors said that if they played more JV players in the varsity game, they would want to drop the JV game against Baldwin, he said.
Cherico does not want to give up the JV game. So the quarters will not be shortened and opposing teams will not make a specific effort to play more JV players in the varsity game, he said.
Cherico said that he emailed the other athletic directors after discussing the issue with Head Coach Dana Brown and Supt. Dr. Randal Lutz.
“Dane did not love the idea for obvious reasons, but he also wants what is best for the kids,” Cherico said.
Lutz, in an email to the school district community, said the purpose of Cherico’s email to the other athletic directors had been misrepresented in online reports and social media.
“The request was about avoiding forfeits, which other schools in the WPIAL have already had to do this season, and about protecting our kids from unnecessary risk,” Lutz wrote. “The intent of the email had a clear and singular focus: safety first.”
Meanwhile, the loss of Mickolay has been tough for Baldwin, with sophomore Max Galentine having to take over as quarterback.
Before this season, Galentine had no varsity experience at quarterback. He played the position last year on JV.
Galentine says he is hopeful for the rest of the season, given their offensive changes.
“With me being the quarterback now, I’m thinking that it will show people that we’re able to step up and do a little more than what’s expected of us,” he said.
Baldwin has been working hard to make this major adjustment. Galentine said that they have put much more time into watching game film and studying the playbook.
Galentine found out he would be starting quarterback just a few days before last week’s game. He said his lack of preparation has hurt the offense, but he is trying to adjust quickly.
“Knowing where everybody has to be can be really hard,” he said. “It’s a big responsibility.”
Senior Josh Staudt thinks that Mickolay leaving will not affect the team.
“We have a new quarterback. He knows the plays – he plays offense,” Staudt said. ”We just need to throw the ball, and hopefully Max can do that.”
The Highlanders’ five losses have not been very close games so far. Last week, Baldwin lost to Elizabeth-Forward 57-0.
The Highlanders open section play at 7 p.m. Friday against South Fayette at home for the homecoming game.
Sophomore Dylan Kluczkowski talked about what the team needs to do to win.
“In the second half of the season, we have got to work on finishing the drive,” Kluczkowski said. “There have been too many times where we get in the red zone and somehow give up the ball.”
Staudt said the Highlanders need to throw the ball better if they want to win.
“We haven’t been throwing the ball well,” Staudt said. “If we want to win games, we have to throw the ball more and do it better.”
