South Park has sights set on playoff payoff

A 5-5 record last season put South Park in the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

For Eagles quarterback Nick Scholle, that changed everything.

“We have confidence now,” Scholle said. “Before, if we did anything well, we were like, ‘Oh, wow, that actually happened.' But already we expect to do better this year.”

Expectations are high at South Park, but the Eagles will have to navigate a brutal WPIAL Class AA Century Conference if they plan on returning to the postseason.

South Fayette, Quaker Valley and Seton-La Salle finished ahead of South Park in the Century in 2013, and Sto-Rox, the Class A runner-up, moves into the conference.

“Our expectations are always high,” said coach Tom Loughran, who's entering his 32nd year at the helm. “That's the way we approach it. That's the way the kids are approaching it.”

Guard Ryan Podgorski returns to anchor a line that is not only huge but experienced. Center Stefan Savic (6-foot-2, 260 pounds) and left tackle Kyle Durham (6-2, 260) are back. Though he will miss the first couple weeks because of an eligibility issue, guard Robbie Wolak (6-2, 295) gives South Park four returning senior starters.

Podgorski, an all-conference defensive tackle, has scholarship offers from Akron, Bowling Green, Robert Morris and Western Michigan.

“We have some big boys,” Scholle said. “They're great. They're the hardest workers at practice. They're great kids, too, and that's not even the most important part; they go 100 percent on the field.”

Scholle missed the first three games because of an injury last year and finished 20 of 42 for 269 yards and five touchdowns. He should get more opportunities this season, as South Park hopes to achieve a better run-pass balance.

There's an opening at running back that will be filled by one of the following three: senior Josh Coursey and juniors Adam Staudt and Ty Washington.

“It's nice because they all bring something different,” Loughran said. “But they also all have speed. Staudt is the biggest, a power guy. Coursey is in between. Great speed and hard runner. Not a big frame like Staudt. Ty is the smallest, but he's a slasher.”

Wide receivers Harry Zaremba and Ryan Mino return. The talent is there. Now, after last season, so is the confidence.

“We should be able to go past the first round,” Podgorski said. “We have most of our guys coming back. We lost a couple kids, but we're pretty experienced. I think we can do some damage.”