Planet power
ADAMS TWP — Mars' football team has set a pace that most teams simply fail to match.
This season, the Planets will be in search of their ninth straight WPIAL playoff berth.
Returning a 1,600-yard running back and a two-year starting quarterback certainly will not hurt their chances.
Josh Schultheis is the workhorse in the backfield, while taking the snaps once again will be senior Owen Nearhoof.
As a junior, Nearhoof passed for 728 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for four more scores as Mars reached the district's Class AAA quarterfinals.
“Owen is a great kid, a leader and a motivator,” said Mars coach Scott Heinauer. “He is so competitive. There's a fire in his eyes. We wish every kid had his attitude.”
Two other starters will take their place in the Planets' Wing-T offense, seniors Jason Lozzi at wingback and John King at right guard.
Lozzi rushed for 330 yards and added 141 receiving yards as a junior while scoring five touchdowns.
With just one starter back on the offensive line, opponents may see the unit as a weakness.
Not so fast, says King.
“We're young, but we've got some big guys up there,” he related. “I think we'll do well.”
Heinauer knows his ground gainers can do their part until the front gets its feet wet against varsity opponents.
“We've got some new faces on the line and they are learning,” he said. “It's not a seasoned bunch of kids and we'll make mistakes, but we will also get better as the year goes on. The running backs need to be patient.”
Junior Ori Rinaman (172 rushing yards last year), who stars in hurdle events for the Planets' track and field team in the spring, will play opposite of Lozzi at wingback while Nolan Skirtich and John Castello are vying for the tight end spot.The defense, which tallied 36 sacks and forced 18 turnovers last year, has returning starters King at inside linebacker, Lozzi at outside linebacker, Skirtich at cornerback and Nearhoof at free safety.Lozzi made 53 tackles in 2012, including three sacks, while Skirtich made 43 stops and intercepted a pair of passes.“Other than those (four) guys, we are also young on defense,” said Heinauer. “Hopefully, we will jell.“Right now, I'd say we are better at stopping the run,” he added, “but with Nolan and Owen in the defensive backfield, they won't make many mistakes back there.”One area that often gets overlooked is special teams, but the Planets know that both the kicking and punting duties are in good hands with senior Matthew White. He averaged over 35 yards per punt as a junior, but has raised the bar, thanks to hard work in the offseason.“He is consistently punting the ball 40 yards in practice and has made tremendous improvement in that area,” said Heinauer. “He is one of the top five kickers in all of Pennsylvania. His kickoffs go five to six yards deep in the end zone.“We've had a lot of good kickers come through here,” he added. “We're very fortunate and very confident in Matt.”
