South Fayette coach brings winning home
Over the past five years, Joe Rossi's football teams at Riverview High School kept getting better. Now, South Fayette is hoping for a similar pattern as Rossi takes over this season as coach of the Lions.
"We built a good foundation there and we're looking to do the same here," said Rossi, who led Riverview to a 7-2 record in 2006 and a five-year mark of 26-23, which included WPIAL Class A playoff appearances the past three seasons.
At Class AA South Fayette, Rossi is close to home. He and his family live near the South Fayette School District complex in McDonald, and he has said that was the reason for his resignation at Oakmont-based Riverview.
"He's done a wonderful job, overall," former longtime Riverview football coach and athletics director Jake Cappa said.
Rossi, 32, a former running back at Chartiers Valley who went on to a successful playing career at NCAA Division II West Liberty State, spent four years as a high school assistant in Canton, Ohio, where he served as offensive coordinator and running backs coach. He said he thrives on Friday night football games.
"There's no difference at all between there and here," he said. "It's all a hotbed of high school football. The towns just shut down on Friday nights and there's huge press coverage from the newspapers and TVs. It's a great feeling and I'm glad to be a part of South Fayette."
The Lions are coming off a 5-4 season (5-3 in the Century Conference), but missed the playoffs in former coach T.J. Plack's final season.
Eight returning starters -- four each on offense and defense -- give Rossi something on which to build. Key among them is a pair of first-team all-conference performers in Dillon Sauers, a 5-foot-7, 140-pound running back, and offensive tackle Zach Patterson.
The offensive line, anchored by Patterson, features other sizeable players in center Sam Taylor, tackle Rich Kreush and tight end Derek Anderson.
Also, Rossi said kicker Drew Hareza is receiving Division I interest.
"He's putting his kickoffs through the end zone," Rossi said.
During the summer, Rossi observed his new team in a 7-on-7 tournament at Upper St. Clair against bigger schools such as North Hills and Mt. Lebanon, as well as City League power Perry Traditional Academy.
"We were able to compete quite favorably," he said. "We learned a lot about ourselves. This is the top of the mountain for me to be able to be in the district I live. The commitment for football is there for me and I know it's there for the school. It's one of the reasons I moved here."
Rossi has assembled a staff of assistants that includes former Pitt and Steelers offensive lineman Jim Sweeney, a Seton-La Salle graduate who previously served on the coaching staffs at Duquesne University and Peters Township High School.
"The biggest thing I'm going to try to install is a blue-collar attitude," Rossi said. "That's the way I played and that's the way I coach. We want to run the ball and we want to stop the run. We've had good numbers in the weight room this summer. We hope it all pays off."
Additional Information:
South Fayette Lions
Conference: Class AA - Century
Coach: Joe Rossi
Players to watch: Dillon Sauers, RB; Zach Patterson, OT; Drew Hareza, K.
Fast fact: Rossi enters his first season after leading Riverview to a 7-2 record last year.
