Kopachy, Yeager set on sidelines

They will coach tonight’s football all-star game

It doesn’t hurt to have the quarterback and receiver of a state championship team on your side, so that should make Mike Kopachy comfortable as coach of the Mahoning-Columbiana squad which faces the Trumbull team in the Mahoning Valley Coaches Association’s Jack Arvin Football Classic on Thursday (June 21) at Girard’s Arrowhead Stadium at 7 p.m.

P.J. Quinn and Ryan Farragher, who hooked up for the winning touchdown pass play for Cardinal Mooney in the Div. III final last December, will lead the Mahoning-Columbiana team, which has had seven practices through Monday and will have two more.

“We’ve been going two a week and will finish with three before the game,” said Kopachy, who has averaged 26-27 players per practice, but expects 34 on game night.

“There are graduation parties or this or that,” Kopachy said of reasons for no-shows.

After 2011, Kopachy stepped down after three years at Salem where the Quakers were 22-11 and made the playoffs twice.

Kopachy, who should be back on the sidelines somewhere this fall, has previous all-star coaching experience as head coach in the Penn-Ohio game in 2006 and as an assistant in the North-South game in 2010.

Kopachy said he approached the practices mindful of the all-star quality of the players.

“There’s not much skill development there; it’s just a matter of getting back in football shape and trying to learn schemes we’ll be running for the game.”

Equal emphasis is given to both sides of the ball.

“Basically, we have an offensive team and a defensive team because hardly anyone will be playing both ways.”

Kopachy said some players originally selected to the Arvin game turned it down because their colleges wouldn’t permit participation.

“But all of these guys are committed and excited to play one more high school football game,” Kopachy said of territorial rivalries that will play a part.

“They grew up playing against each other or they know each other from camps, so bragging rights are at stake because they want to be remembered as a winner.”

His players will either be walking on at a Div. I or FCS school or getting a scholarship to play Div. II, while some are headed to Div. III.

Kopachy’s staff will include Charles Peters (DBs), Charles Ellington (LBs), Jason Lude (DL), Matt Kalbfell (WRs), John Armeni (OL). Kopachy will handle RBs and QBs.

The Arvin game is Brad Yeager’s first involvement with all-stars. He completed four seasons at Niles before being replaced by Brian Shaner.

“I’m not ready to commit to anything yet,” said Yeager, who has one of his former Red Dragon players, DE/K Justin Evans, on the all-star squad.

Yeager also has four former Girard players: Dan Graziano, Ahmad Eggleston, Branden Byrd and A.J. DeVore.

With Dan Graziano being a dual threat, we’ll put the game plan in his hands,” Yeager said of his quarterback’s choice of running or throwing. “We have guys who can stretch the field, so it depends what Kopachy’s defense gives up,” Yeager said of whether the Mahoning-Columbiana team tries to contain Graziano or whether it concentrates on Trumbull’s rush.

“Our skill will match up well, but we’re a little thin up front,” he said of numbers/lack of depth. “But if we play our checkers right up front we’ll stay in the game.”

Trumbull had a Monday practice, then again Tuesday and Wednesday, all at Arrowhead.

“Coach [Nick] Cochran was generous enough to let us practice there,” Yeager said of Girard’s coach.