Five Salem players on Classic roster

June 23, 2016 at 12:09a.m.

By Brian Dzenis

EAST PALESTINE

The Salem football class of 2016 will get a chance to engineer one last turnaround on the field.

After the Quakers won more games in 2015 than they had in the previous three years, their next task is helping to end another drought. In the Stateline Classic Football Game, an all-star contest between players from Ohio and Pennsylvania, the Keystone State has got the better of the series. Pennsylvania has won the last three in a row and has won 26 of 36 games.

“I know they’ve played really well and had some really good players in the past few years,” Salem quarterback Matt Weingart said. “We have a lot of great players and we can step up to the challenge and give them a good game and come out with the win.”

Salem has a team-high five players on the roster. After Weingart, there’s running/defensive back Kade Byland, linemen Zack Cusick and Keaton Turney and kicker Max Righetti. It’s no coincidence there’s so many Quakers since Salem coach Ron Johnson is coaching the Ohio side.

“It’s awesome. It’s a regular practice,” Byland said. “He runs it just like he would in-season. It feels good and there’s nothing different.”

The Salem five went winless as freshmen in 2012. After back-to-back 3-7 seasons, they broke through with a 10-2 campaign in 2015.

“The tough times were hard on us, but they made us tougher,” Weingart said. “They made us come closer and it made us want to pay attention and focus on winning more games the following year.”

Weingart emerged as one of the area’s better passers. He was 112 for 182 for 1,424 passing yards and 22 touchdowns to five picks. Those 22 TDs were the third-most passing scores across the Mahoning Valley.

Weingart is focusing on a pre-med path at Mount Union and will not play football. Byland will attempt to walk on to the Kent State wrestling team. He got a boost in that quest in March when he became the first Quaker wrestler to place in the state tournament in 13 years, taking fifth in 160 pounds.

“It was probably the biggest moment of my career,” Byland said. “I wasn’t expected to do it, but when you set a goal and achieve it, it’s a great feeling.”

Cusick will join Byland at Kent State, Turney is off to Washington & Jefferson and Righetti will attend Mount Union.

On June 30, Weingart will be throwing to two of the area’s top receivers. Columbiana wideouts Jacob Ward and Dalton Miller contributed to junior quarterback Mitch Davidson being named The Vindicator’s Offensive Player of the Year last fall.

“Matt is a really good quarterback, that’s for sure,” Ward said. “I’ve watched him over the season and he’s a really good dude.”

Ward, who is off to Lake Erie this fall, led the area in receptions (60), yards (1,156) and TDs (15).

“We had this bond off the field and it translated to on the field,” Ward said. “We’re fast. We took advantage of that and made due with it.”

Miller had the fifth-most receiving yards in the area with 51 catches for 734 yards and seven TDs. Miller is trying to walk on at Youngstown State.

“It’s going to show the athlete that I am. It’s big guys and a big level of play and it’s going to make me better in the long run,” Miller said. “I’ve grown up going to YSU games. I thought it would be a dream to play there and I jumped at the chance.”

Kickoff for the Classic is at 7 p.m. on June 30 at Springfield High School.

“We’re very aware of the past and I think we have a talented team this year,” Ward said. “We can make some noise at this game. I’m excited.”