THIS WEEK’S Q&A

Matt Altomare has been at the helm of the Leetonia football program for five years, but his impact has lasted much longer. His father, Artie — now the mayor of the town, was the head coach from 1976 until 2006. Football has been in Matt’s blood for his entire life growing up as the coach’s son, then playing for him while he was in school. Now, the younger Altomare is leaving his mark, not only on the football team but on the town

Q. What was it like growing up surrounded by football?

A. Ever since I could walk I knew I wanted to play football. Living and working in a small town, really shows how important its team is to the people. There was a lot of pressure being the coach’s son, so there was some good and some bad. But being able to play for my dad, then take over where he left off, has been one of the most rewarding things in my life.

Q. You’ve learned a lot working with your father, but what area coaches do you admire for their philosophies?

A. Well, two of our toughest opponents, so far, have great coaches. At Columbiana, Bob Spaite has gotten a lot of kids involved and a lot of kids contributing. When you have kids that are excited to play, it’s a great thing. And for Western Reserve, the offense that Andy Hake has installed; the kids buy into it. They’ll run the ball 20 times, and they won’t get bored with it, because they’ll easily come out and throw. They just enjoy running it. So, that’s the main thing that every team needs; just getting kids excited to play.

Q. The Bears have a veteran lineup with seven starters on both sides of the ball. Did that help when preparing for this season?

A. Our team actually has a different identity this year. We lost two great all-county RBs that kind of left a hole in the backfield. But we’ve moved some kids around. We have smaller guys that we switch in from WR to RB and its paid off. Switching different athletes to new positions has given them some more experience and they’ve accepted that challenge. Plus, having a solid QB [Cody Stokes] has really helped. He’s really connected with the offense and knows how to throw the ball.

Q. What role has special teams played in your team’s three wins?

A. We’ve kicked 17-of-17 extra points and we haven’t had a punt blocked, so the kicking game has been solid. We don’t have many explosive guys that can take a kickoff the length of the field, but we consistently can make 30-yard returns. Solid special teams can really put your team in a position to win.

Q. What’s been the most satisfying part of coaching this year’s team?

A. We’ve made the most of our opportunities and we’ve taken advantage of our opponents’ miscues. In wins, we don’t turn the ball over, so we’ve had that control that shows that we want to win.

Interview by Matthew Peaslee.