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Struthers product Muntean nation’s top D-III passer
Struthers product
Muntean nation’s top D-III passer
By JOHN HARRIS
Gary Muntean is the kind of quarterback who was made for College of Wooster coach Frank Colaprete.
Muntean, who starred at Struthers, is a product of northeast Ohio high school football. In Colaprete’s coaching book, that counts for a lot.
Colaprete is a native of Youngstown who played at Cardinal Mooney. He not only understands just how tightly football is woven into the fabric of the Mahoning Country high school sports community, he lived it personally. Simply put, Muntean is Colaprete’s kind of player.
A 6-foot, 180-pound junior from Poland, Muntean currently leads Division III in passing and ranks No. 10 nationally in total offense. He completed 29 of 40 passes for 419 yards and a touchdown in a 49-40 win over Allegheny College on Sept. 12.
Entering today’s home game against Wittenberg (2 p.m. kickoff), Muntean has completed 105 of 173 passes (60.7 percent) for 1,364 yards and five touchdowns.
As long as Muntean is able to provide what Colaprete calls “maturity and leadership,” Wooster’s offense will be in good hands.
“Being from the area, I knew a lot of about Gary,” said Colaprete, who graduated from Mooney in 1992. “ At the time, my Dad (Dominic) was teaching at Struthers. I had tape on Gary. He had a great senior year. I loved his [passing] release. It was a nice fit.”
So is Muntean’s Mahoning Country connection.
“Every year, we’ve gotten someone from Mahoning County. It’s an important area for us,” said Colaprete, who’s in his fourth year at Wooster. “Growing up there, football is king. It’s something instilled in you. There’s a rich tradition we’re all so proud of. Guys embrace and love it.”
“It’s where the competitiveness comes from,” Muntean said. “That’s where Coach Colaprete wants guys from. They want to go out and play.”
Struthers coach Curt Kuntz said that competitiveness resulted in Muntean, who also was recruited by Waynesburg coach Rick Shepas, the former Mooney standout and star receiver under Jim Tressel at Youngstown State, selecting Wooster.
“Rick recruited him really hard. Told Gary you’re going to be my guy after your freshman year. Wooster promised him he could compete for the job right away. That pushed it over the top for him. He wanted to compete from Day One,” Kuntz said. “He’s not a second place kind of guy.”
Muntean won the starting job outright toward the end of last season. Appearing in eight games with three starts, he passed for 1,192 yards and 10 touchdowns over the final three games.
This year has been more of the same — and then some — as Wooster has incorporated a spread (passing) offense.
“Coach Colaprete puts me in position to throw the ball. He did a good job of getting me to trust the system,” Muntean said. “We have a father-son relationship. Whenever I need help, I go to him. He’s a Youngstown guy. That’s a big plus.”
“Gary was in and out as a freshman and sophomore. He’s evolved and understands the offense now,” Colaprete said. “He does a much better job reading defenses. He’s one of those gym rats who wants to get better. I’m really excited about what he’ll be able to accomplish here.”