Franklin Regional senior quarterback Roman Sarnic doesn’t miss a practice or a play, he makes good decisions on the field, and he doesn’t turn the ball over.
“Roman and I really have a great relationship,” Franklin Regional coach Lance Getsy said. “He trusts me and I trust him, whatever decision he makes out there. If he sees something and he wants to take off, I have no doubt that he is going to do everything in his power to make the play for us.”
In nine games, Sarnic has completed 57 of 109 passes (52%) for 1,081 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also has 160 carries for 972 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“I just love that kid and what he brings to the table every day. He is a fighter,” Getsy said. “I think that is what people don’t really see from the stands. … He can be banged up, it doesn’t matter. Whenever we need something, he says, ‘Coach, give me the ball. I’ll get it done.’”
Sarnic will lead the third-seeded Panthers (6-3) into the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs Friday when they host Woodland Hills (5-5), the sixth seed, at 7 p.m.
“They are physical,” Getsy said of Woodland Hills. “Their defense really does a great job of flying around. The way they rally to the ball is really impressive, their team speed is impressive, and they are a very physical team. We are going to have to match that physicality and try to limit their offensive big plays. If we can do that, control the ball and not turn the ball over, I think we can have a lot of success.”
Sarnic’s top target, junior wideout Ayden Hudock, has had a tremendous season, providing the one-two punch the Panthers need with Sarnic. The do-it-all junior has 1,415 all-purpose yards, 13 offensive touchdowns, a kick return touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown. The two have a chemistry that goes beyond the field. They grew up together and have been playing football together as long as they can remember.
Chemistry is crucial in football, and the Panthers’ offensive firepower can also be attributed to another group with great chemistry: the offensive line.
With three seniors on the line and another at tight end, the group has experience and camaraderie, which has allowed them to flourish this year. But, it didn’t click right away for the line.
“I think they started off slow and weren’t performing at the level I thought they could be at early in the year,” Getsy said. “They just kept grinding and working it and really are working as one unit and I think getting more familiar with each other with every rep.”
Two seniors anchor the right side of the line in tackle Max Leven and guard Nicholas Petrucci. Junior Owen Sinclair is the man in the middle, and senior guard Eric Hutsko and sophomore tackle Andrew Devola round out what has become a top unit under line coach Tom Irvine.
“The guys just got comfortable with each other and are feeding off of each other,” Getsy said. “It has really helped our run game as far as being able to run zones, or if we need to pull somebody. They just are really jelling, and we are able to get more creative with our formations, so that helps get teams out of position.”
Senior tight end Nate Chiarizio is another key piece to the blocking scheme, with his ability to line up all over the field for the Panthers.
“I really liked today’s practice and how they were coming off the ball,” Getsy said. “They are gaining ground with each step and not going backwards. That is big. Not allowing a push against them.”
The ups and downs of 5A football this year for Franklin Regional have prepared them for the playoffs. In just his second year at the helm, Getsy, whose brother Luke is the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, has his team poised to keep playing November football.
“Our kids are relaxed and excited,” Getsy said. “I think we learned a lot from our first game of the year. We played Latrobe the very first game. Our kids were so juiced up and ready to go, and I was trying to calm them down, but you don’t want to calm them down too much. You want them to have that energy. But they had so much energy that they came out and made a lot of mistakes and overthrows and overran plays. They just made a lot of mistakes that they learned from. The next week they came out a little bit more composed. I think we got that out of the way, and they go into every game knowing what it takes.”
All three of Franklin Regional’s losses came in overtime — something that has left a sour taste in the Panthers’ mouths. It has also shown the team how important each play is.
“I think in 5A football, all season long, knowing that they only took eight teams into the playoffs, we felt that pressure every single week,” Getsy said. “I always tell the kids, ‘This is high school football, you only get 10 games, so go out and enjoy yourselves. Have fun with it, but realize that you never know if you are going to get another down. Make sure that you make every play count.’”
Saul works in sports for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Reach him at saulbt2009@gmail.com.