Growing up on the playgrounds or streets of Fayette County, or anywhere in the United States, how many times did a playmate throw down the gauntlet with the infamous "I dare you?"
Probably more times than you would care to remember. And how many times did you take that dare⢠Probably more times than you would like to remember.
When a neighbor uttered that famous "I dare you" to Laurel Highlands senior Jon Tobal several years ago, Tobal took him up.
Having played soccer since he was 4 years old, Tobal was challenged by neighbor and friend Lawrence Cellurale to play football for the Mustangs.
"Lawrence had played football all his life and I played soccer," Tobal said, "and he dared me to play football. 'You play football,' he said, 'and I will play soccer.' Well, I kept up my part of the bargain, but he didn't. And I still tease him about it."
So sincere was Cellurale in his dare that his father built a goal post in his back yard, just for Tobal.
"It's still there," Tobal said. "That's how I got started and I still practice there."
For the last three years Tobal has been the Mustangs placekicking and punting specialist, while earning All-Fayette County honors in soccer in the same fall sports season.
But even though playing two sports in the same season has limited Tobal's social life in the fall, he has encountered no problem playing both sports.
"It's a matter of time management," he said. "I communicate with both coaches and stick to a schedule and I made sure I was able to get to both practices. But I owe (football) coach (Jack) Buehner a lot for scheduling practices when he does. He has been very flexible. If I had soccer practice, he would arrange for me to come to the football field to practice my kicks, then I could go to soccer practice. He has set special teams practice around my schedule."
Once Tobal accepted the dare to play football, Buehner entered the picture.
"Being a physical education teacher and fan of fall sports, I knew he was a good soccer player, and I was looking for someone with a strong leg, especially a good athlete with a strong leg," Buehner said. "I talked to him about coming out for football and he came out the summer before his sophomore year, giving us an early chance to see him kick. We had a kicker for extra points at the time and Jon did the long kicking. Having never played football, we're not sure he knew how good he could be as a kicker, but once he had some initial success he kept working. Jon does what he can to make team better. We can count on him being at practice every day, then he went to soccer."
Tobal's longest field goal was a 37-yarder against Peters Township, but the one he remembers most "sealed the deal" against local rival Uniontown last year.
"It was a 30-yard field goal with less than five minutes remaining in the game," Tobal said. "Uniontown was coming back and the field goal put the game out of reach."
Assistant soccer coach Jerry Rogers, who focuses on the team's defense where Tobal plays sweeper, credits Tobal with being a major factor in the team's five shutouts last season.
"We had a good goalie, but Jon helped keep pressure off him," Rogers said, noting that Tobal has been one of the team's captains the past two seasons and, as a senior, received the most votes (for captain) from his teammates. "He has matured as a player and other players respect him. You want someone who can handle any situation on the field and that's Jon. He has always been a leader. He is very good at soccer and loves to play the game. He has a strong leg but his feel for the game is his biggest asset. He is tall, quick, and has lots of speed, and good at moving and kicking.
"He has good foot skills and easily clears the ball from our defensive end. Jon does whatever it takes to be successful on the field, starting as fullback, but moved to sweeper and ranks with the best sweepers LH has had. He is an all-around well-adjusted kid with a good attitude, on and off the field."
This past summer Tobal received the coach's award as Most Valuable Player at the Bethany Soccer Camp, for which more than 300 players were in attendance.
"There were so many good soccer players there I was surprised I received the award," he said.
LH finished its soccer season tied for second in Section 4-AAA with a 7-4-1 record, 11-6-2 overall. A first-round 2-1 loss to Moon in the WPIAL playoffs ended the Mustangs' season.
Prior to the Bethany soccer camp last summer, Tobal attended a football camp at the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked one-on-one with Pitt placekicker Conor Lee.
"They videotaped my kicks, then we would go over them in super slow motion and they would point out what was right and wrong," Tobal said. "That enabled me to develop more consistency with my kicks, in addition to developing more power and leg drive. In kicking a football and soccer ball you use the same motion. It's all about muscle memory. I have to swing my leg through the ball the same way."
While Tobal is being recruited by Virginia Military Institute, he does not rule out playing football for Pitt.
"I have a meeting scheduled with VMI and they want me to see the campus," he said, "but I would love to try out at Pitt, even as a walk-on."
In addition to working out with Lee at Pitt, Tobal has also worked with former University of California placekicker Mike Palm.
"Before the camp and before working with Mike, my kickoffs would reach the 5- or 10- yard line," he said, "but now they go to the end zone. Their instruction had paid off."
Tobal has converted on 25 of 28 extra-point attempts.
If dividing his time between two sports isn't enough to keep his plate full, Tobal, who has achieved perfect attendance in high school, manages his time well enough to maintain a 3.6 grade average, and is involved in the National Honor Society, Junior Achievement, Mock Trial, Student Forum, Interact, PA Crew, SADD, Peer Mentoring, Ski Club, and the community service Hopwood Village Project, which sponsors Light-Up Night and helps organize National Pike Day.
Tobal is also president of the Spanish Club and is studying Advanced Placement Spanish and is proficient enough in the language that "If I was trapped in a Spanish-speaking country, I could get myself out," he said, laughing.
Tobal is also a member of the Mustangs' track team, where he participates in the 110-meter high hurdles, 300-meter intermediate hurdles, and 400 relay.
