PR Rams Get Ready for Fourth Year of Quad-A Football

Pine-Richland’s winning football legacy has been bumped and bruised  the past three seasons after its move to the WPIAL’s top notch of Quad-A competition.

The path never veered off course. The focus always has been a steady drive to the playoffs since 37-year veteran head coach Clair Altemus took over at Pine-Richland 15 seasons ago.

Although the Rams went to the playoffs two of the past three years with sub-par records (3-6, 3-7), that doesn’t cut it for a coach such as Altemus, who has won seven conference titles and a WPIAL Class AAA title at Pine-Richland.

“OK, this is the fourth year here in Quad-A, and now our kids have a sense of urgency,” Altemus said. “At Pine-Richland, we’re used to 11-1s and 10-1s.”

The next test will arrive when Pine-Richland plays its home opener against highly ranked Mt. Lebanon in one of the WPIAL’s premier non-conference matchups at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

New quarterback Austin Whipple, who will wear No. 3, will lead Pine-Richland. He’s a former Florida resident from highly regarded St. Thomas Aquinas Academy. He moved into the district during the off-season.

Austin’s older brother, Spencer, led the Rams to their only 11-1 season, in 2006. Austin’s father, Mark, is the quarterback coach for the Cleveland Browns and was the Steelers quarterback coach when Ben Roethlisberger broke into the NFL.

“Austin has really grasped onto the offense, and it’s a lot of fun,” Altemus said. “It’s a no-huddle, high-octane offense. He’s been a bright spot for us at quarterback, and he’s a big kid at 6-foot-2, about 200 pounds, and he throws the ball really well.

"So he’s going to be an offensive weapon for us, not only when he throws the ball but when he has to break contain and run and lower the boom on some people.”

The Rams finished 3-7-0 overall and 3-3-0 in conference play last season.

Despite all the focus on football, Altemus said opening night also is a big deal for the Pine-Richland community.

“In this community, the fans really also support the band and the cheerleaders as well as the football team,” he said. “I look for a big crowd here, although school hasn’t started yet. Everybody is back from vacation and ready to go.

“The band has a new routine, the cheerleaders have their new thing going, so it’s going to be a pretty festive occasion, and everybody wants to see them. We expect a good turnout from the fans.”

Mt. Lebanon has its share of promising players, starting with running back and defensive back Luke Hagy, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior leader who has the rare ability to inspire the players around him. Hagy burned Pine-Richland on a punt return last season in an opening 34-22 victory over the Rams at Mt. Lebanon.

“It’s a high level of competition, and Mt. Lebanon has two or three Division I players, but I think we have an opportunity here to prove to the WPIAL, which isn’t really giving us much of a chance, that we’re a team to be dealt with,” Altemus said.

The last time Hagy stepped out of Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association competition, he was standing on the floor five months ago at Giant Center in Hershey after the Blue Devils lost to West Chester in the state Quad-A basketball final.

“There’s no cake walk here, and two years ago when I had the chance to schedule Mt. Lebanon, I jumped at the chance,” Altemus said. “I felt this was a team you could really use as a barometer of where you are with the program.”

Six-foot-4-inch, 270-pound senior Arthur Goldberg, another college prospect, anchors both Mt. Lebanon lines.

The Blue Devils finished 10-1 last season, including a 5-0 mark in the Great Southern Conference. After a 35-14 victory over Plum in the first round of last year’s playoffs, Mt. Lebanon lost to Woodland Hills, 29-22, at a neutral site at Baldwin High School.

Pine-Richland will compete in the Northern Seven Conference this season. After another exhibition home game against former Class AAA rival Mars on Sept. 9, the Rams will open section play Sept. 16 at North Hills.

While Pine-Richland lost most of its veteran offensive starters last season, 10 starters return on defense.

“What everybody forgets is the defense,” Altemus said. “With that kind of experience, we expect them to take a lot of pride in the fact they are returning lettermen in Quad-A football. So we’re very  excited about our defense. They’re not big, but they’re quick and understand our defense.

“If they can do what I think they’re capable of doing, we’re going to make a nice run here.”

Pine-Richland Patch will be reporting Friday's game live on Facebook and on Pine-Richland.Patch.com. Be sure to tune in.