CRANBERRY TWP — Central Catholic's football success has a Cranberry Township flavor to it.

Special teams/defensive line coach Ron Fuchs is a Cranberry Township resident, as is head freshman football coach Virg Palumbo, freshman defensive coordinator Virgil “Toot” Palumbo and frosh assistants Ron Balog and Kyle Snyder.

Fuchs is a 1982 Central Catholic graduate.

“A lot of guys on our staff are alumni here,” Vikings head coach Terry Totten said. “Most of them are volunteers. They know we don't have a lot of money to pay assistants, but they're dedicated to the program and want to help.

“Coach Fuchs has played a big role here, especially on special teams. He works with youths all the time and he's had a major impact in our program.”

Fuchs is in his 18th year on Central's coaching staff. He coaches youth baseball and basketball in Cranberry and has worked with many of Seneca Valley's current football players.

“I know a lot of those kids,” Fuchs said. “(SV tight end-linebacker) Jake Holl umpired my son's baseball game last summer.”

The Vikings are 164-22 over the past 14 years, including six WPIAL championships and three PIAA titles. They are 53-5 over the past four seasons.

But it hasn't always been that way.

“We were 3-7 in my first year here,” Fuchs said. “We lost a game at Blackhawk, a school from a smaller division. A .500 season was considered OK.

“(Previous head coach) Art Walker and Terry Totten changed all of that. They brought a hard-work element and pride to the program.”

Fuchs added that kids “have to buy in” to Central's way of doing things, which includes “paying tuition and being held to a higher academic and behavioral standard than most schools.

“Football doesn't come first at Central Catholic. This is a high academic institution that teaches and develops young men. Football serves as a tool to do that,” Fuchs said.

Virg Palumbo, son of “Toot” Palumbo, came on board as Central's head freshman coach six years ago. The Viking frosh are 40-5 over the last five seasons.

Palumbo was an assistant coach at Seneca Valley for three years — under Ron Butschle and Don Holl — before coming to Central.

“I was looking for a freshman job. I wanted to coach at a lower level,” he said. “The Central job opened uy and my son was planning to go there. It all worked out.”

Palumbo's son, Tony, became a standout wrestler at Central and is now a sophomore wrestler at Davidson University.

“That freshman program has been a key asset in our consistent success,” Totten said. “Virg and his staff do a tremendous job of putting those teams together and finding the right roles for those kids.”

“My dad was my first hire,” Palumbo said of his father, who serves as his defensive coordinator. Virg Palumbo runs the offensive side of the ball.

“Kids come in here and we don't even know who they are until May,” Palumbo said. “We start working with them in June and we put a team together.”

Palumbo had another coach on his freshman staff — former Cranberry police officer Bob O'Neill — who relocated to Chicago at the end of the last school year.

“He was my second hire .... a great, great man,” Palumbo said.

While Central Catholic was a heavy favorite going into Friday night's game, Palumbo considered the outcome a “win-win” regardless.

He coached many of the current Raiders in midget football years back.

“I know both sets of kids and I'm thrilled that both teams are here,” he said. “You just hope everyone comes out healthy and however the game falls, it falls.

“Some of these kids are playing their last football game and I'm excited for them.”