When visiting football teams arrive for road games on Friday nights, many coaches prefer to send their biggest players off the bus first as an old-school intimidation tactic.
Not at Elizabeth Forward.
Of course, Warriors coach John DeMarco has plenty of towering linemen he could send off the bus to send a message to the opposing team, including Buffalo recruit Chris Climes. But while Charlie Nigut is often the smallest player on the field, nobody strikes more fear into the hearts of his foes than the 5-foot-6, 160-pound senior wearing No. 1 in red and black.
“Teams have to take notice of where No. 1 is on the field,” DeMarco said. “Naturally, they look for Chris and [quarterback] Ryan [Messina]. Ryan is pretty imposing when you see him in person. And then they all look for Charlie.
“We all go out to warm up first, and I try to look at the other team, and they all check Charlie out.”
It wasn’t always this way, of course. For as long as he can remember, Nigut has had to prove himself at every turn in every sport he has played — especially football. He still has vivid memories of getting singled out by opposing coaches and players while playing varsity cornerback as a diminutive freshman for one of the top teams in Class 3A, back before anybody knew who he was.
In the end, though, it’s usually Nigut who gets the last laugh.
“Freshman year, I played corner, and I would always get picked on by the other coaches, because they see me out there,” Nigut said. “I feel like people still say stuff about my height and stuff like that. But I obviously show them what I can do and prove them all wrong.”
An elite all-purpose weapon with blistering speed, underrated strength and outstanding football instincts, Nigut put his jaw-dropping talents on full display during the Warriors’ 56-14 win at Derry last Friday. He only carried the ball five times, but Nigut still managed to rush for 162 yards and three touchdowns — including a pair of 65-yard scores — while adding an 8-yard touchdown catch for good measure.
Through the team’s first seven games, Nigut has 778 yards rushing and 11 TDs on 107 carries to go with a team-leading 19 receptions for 328 yards and seven TDs. Of course, he’s also an electrifying return specialist, but he rarely gets the chance to show it, since opposing teams typically avoid kicking the ball to him at all costs. Oh, and did we mention he punts, too?
And just in case that weren’t enough, Nigut is also capable of lining up as a Wildcat quarterback — and so far, he has been perfect as a passer in his career, completing 4-of-4 attempts for 93 yards and two TDs.
“I bet he’s only had three or four kickoff returns, because nobody kicks him the ball. Everybody knows who he is,” DeMarco said. “And defenses are trying to stack the line, because he’s such a threat to carry the ball. … I think he’s the best offensive player in the WPIAL, in any class. Every time he touches the ball, he can score.”
In addition to his offensive exploits, Nigut also shines as a shutdown cornerback, with some of his most memorable highlights coming on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, he intercepted a pass in the end zone while guarding Belle Vernon star Quinton Martin, now a freshman running back at Penn State. Taking it back even further to the 2021 WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals against Freeport, Nigut broke up a deep ball late in the fourth quarter to seal a 14-6 victory, helping send Elizabeth Forward to the WPIAL semifinals as a 5-foot-4 freshman.
Although he tends to fly under the radar compared to some of the area’s biggest names and brightest stars, Nigut has quietly assembled one of the most prolific careers in school history while upholding the winning tradition the Warriors have established in recent years. He is now over 2,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving for his career with 51 total TDs, and since Nigut arrived in 2021, Elizabeth Forward has an overall record of 32-10.
“Charlie is one of the most unselfish people you’ll ever meet,” DeMarco said. “Charlie just wants to win. He doesn’t care if he carries the ball five times or 35 times. Whatever you need from him, Charlie is going to do it.”
Things have been a bit different this season, with the Warriors stumbling to a 1-3 start after losing only four regular-season games combined in the previous three seasons. Still, two of their losses came by just one point apiece, including a thrilling triple-overtime affair against Highlands in Week 1. There’s also no shame in a 38-19 defeat against South Fayette, a leading title contender in Class 5A.
After bouncing back with three lopsided wins against Baldwin, Greensburg Salem and Derry, Elizabeth Forward is neck-and-neck with Mount Pleasant and Southmoreland atop the Interstate Conference standings — and the familiar foes will settle the score on the field over the final three weeks of the season. The Vikings and Scotties go head-to-head this Friday, with the Warriors then hosting Southmoreland on Oct. 18 before traveling to Mount Pleasant for the season finale Oct. 25.
“In previous years, we haven’t had those tough games at the start,” Nigut said. “Having those games this year are going to help us in the long run.”
As for Nigut’s future, it’s still a mystery where he’ll end up and what sport he’ll be playing next year. He’s also a talented center fielder for Elizabeth Forward, and he seemed to be intent on focusing on baseball in college, at least until recently.
“I’ve always told myself that I want to go play baseball somewhere, but I never gave up football,” Nigut said. “Now, I feel like I’m starting to lean toward football more. I think I can go play somewhere and make an impact.”
Despite Nigut’s lack of scholarship offers, DeMarco believes it’s only a matter of time before the right football program comes calling — and he keeps pleading for his star senior not to give up hope on playing college football just yet.
“It’s a shame. People are really missing out on this kid. The kid can play football, man,” DeMarco said. “I’m hoping he’s starting to switch gears here and think about football in college. We’re going to pound some doors down here as soon as this season starts to wind down.”
As hard it is for DeMarco to see him get overlooked, he remains in awe of the way Nigut keeps himself composed and goes about his business day after day, always outworking everybody around him while staying as humble and down to earth as anybody on the team. And as a former assistant coach at Clairton during the Bears’ state-record 66-game win streak, he doesn’t hesitate to mention Nigut’s name in the same breath as former Clairton legend Tyler Boyd when it comes to the best players he’s ever coached.
“It’s frustrating for me, but at times, I think that’s what makes him go. Charlie wants to prove everybody wrong,” DeMarco said. “I’m going to do everything I can, and if that’s what he wants to do is play college football, we’re going to find a place that’s willing to open their arms to Charlie. I’ve played at the next level, and what he has, you can’t teach.
“I’m going to miss him. I love coaching this kid. I’m just enjoying the time I have with him and watching him play.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
