Maintaining focus could hold key for Madonna

WEIRTON - On Saturday night, the Weirton Madonna football team will take the field at Wheeling Island Stadium attempting to take that final step in order to stamp its name in the annals of football immortality, as the Blue Dons will face Man in the West Virginia Class A state championship game at 7 p.m.

However, Wednesday night at the Dube Dome, the players, coaches, fans and past legends flooded the gymnasium for a pep rally that brought home the importance and gravity of Saturday's contest to the school's illustrious history.

The honored guests at Wednesday's event included former head football coaches John T. Grossi and Walter "Woody" Miller.

Grossi is distinguished as the school's first football coach. He began his career in 1956 and finished in 1961, amassing a record of 24-23 along the way.

His message to the team was to continue to keep its collective eyes on the task at hand.

"They have to continue to stay focused," he said. "I've watched them in a lot of games and they appear to know their assignments very well and they are well coached. If they continue to follow the coach's advice, I think that they will continue to win.

"I've seen most of the home games. I'm very impressed with their quickness and their determination."

Miller echoed those sentiments, commenting on the tremendous preparation that the team has had over the course of the season en route to its 13-0 record.

"They have achieved a great deal and have worked really hard to get to where they are," he explained. "They just have to stay focused and take care of the football and the score will take care of itself.

"The coaches have done an extraordinary job. They seem to be in perfect position. They know where to be and what to do when they get there. It is really a pleasure to watch them. I said that, politically, you are not supposed to have team meetings, but this team seems to meet wherever the football is."

Miller began his coaching career at Madonna in 1969 and continued for nine seasons, accumulating a record of 55-38-1. He compared his teams and players to those of today, noting their similarities and differences.

"It has been such a long time and some of the characteristics probably have slipped by, but the dedication they have, the parental influence and the discipline that is provided by the school is the same," Miller said. "The educational background that these kids have really allows you to do a lot more things than you might normally do.

"I don't want that to sound like a putdown to any public education, but the parental work that is done and the work that is done by the administration and the teaching faculty are pretty evident."

Grossi - who also served as vice principal and principal at Weir High during the course of his 34 years in Hancock County Schools - explained that high school players today have advantages over their predecessors.

"These kids today are much more talented, because they are involved in so many more activities," he said. "Back in our day, if a kid played football, they probably wouldn't play anything else. These kids have much greater opportunities. They have weight rooms and we never had any of that back then."

With several hundred people on hand and the crowd celebrating wildly, the pep rally was an impressive show. Miller explained why it is important the community to get behind the team and show it what is on the line.

"It is very important, because it lets the kids know that they have a responsibility, even at this age, to someone other than themselves," he said. "That responsibility issue can be a problem when you are growing up. Here at Madonna, you get it kind of early and, in football, you get it really early.

"They called and asked if we would like to stop by. Certainly, it was a pleasure and honor to do that."

Wednesday night marked the first time that Grossi had met current Madonna head coach Bob Kramer, but he has been impressed by the Blue Dons this year.

"I had never met him prior to this evening," Grossi said. "It is obvious that he and his coaching staff have done a tremendous job. They have those kids prepared every game and it has been obvious in the way that they have performed."

Former Madonna athletic director and graduate Mike Arlia was excited to see so many former players and coaches on hand.

"I think it is neat," he said. "It is neater for the fans, because some of us played for them or know them. The kids all spoke very briefly, but honestly and I think that the kids really see that these guys care. To get dressed up and come here just to talk to them tells the kids how much they care.

"The support is unbelievable with the whole Madonna family. It makes you proud to be a part of it and I think that the kids are seeing that. People really do respect and care about the effort that they are giving. We are so thankful that everyone keeps coming out and supporting them.

"Now, we just want to win one. We want to get over the top. The boys are really excited, including my own son (Connor Arlia.) We just want to win one now.

"It is a long week," Arlia continued. "They are practicing over at Big Red and doing a lot of dinners. These guys have dinners together every night. The support that they've gotten this week has been unbelievable."

Kramer believes that having so many past coaches, players and fans wishing the team well is an important aspect to championship week.

"It is always important for that, because it is a continuity. This is a family thing and once you become part of the Madonna family, you are always a part of the Madonna family. It shows a lot that (the former coaches) are willing to come back, have a good time and root us on.

"The community has really been behind us all year long. It is a small school and to get this many people to come out and support us is really a blessing. It is great to see these people and the way that they cheer us on and root for us.

"I couldn't be more pleased and I hope that we can bring it home for them."

While the night included plenty of reflection on the past and nostalgia-inducing moments, the main focus was still on the 2009 Blue Dons, who have been practicing at Steubenville's Harding Stadium in preparation for their first game on artificial turf.

"It give us some place where we are not knee deep in mud this time of year," Kramer said. "It helps a lot in getting the kids used to the difference between a turf field and a grass field. It has been a blessing and I can't say enough for the people over at Big Red for letting us do it.

"We really appreciate it. Things are going good. It has been a little cold and wet out there, but the kids have gone out and have gotten some good practice time in. Things are going well."

Kramer noted that he expects Man to try and establish the run, something that no team has done successfully against Madonna this season.

"They are a very good football team," he said. "They play smash-mouth, drive the ball down your throat kind of football. They like to run it and we've been pretty good against the run this year. So, it will be our defense against their offense.

"Their defense isn't bad, but there are some things that we think that we can take advantage of. Most of our kids were starters last year when we went down there (to Wheeling Island.) We feel confident that we belong, that we deserve to be there and that we will get the job done."

If Madonna completes the mission and earns its second state title in school history, expect the community to join together once more in celebration.

The wait is almost over.

There are 11 seniors on the Man roster, and coach Harvey Arms points to last year's 21-16 second-round playoff loss to eventual champion Williamstown as a turning point in the program.

"(Senior leadership) has been outstanding for us, because we had so much experience coming back from last year," said Arms. "We thought we ended the season strong last year and played really well at Williamstown even though we didn't win the game. Our kids thought this would be a good year for us and they were dedicated, practiced hard, and it has happened for us."

Despite a newfound level of success, the Hillbillies (12-1) have relied on what has always been an offensive staple under Arms' eight-year tenure - the running game.

Brandon Plymale, who has racked up 1,047 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns on the season, leads the Man ground attack, but the Hillbillies distribute the football to several backs, as four other players have over 400 yards on the ground this season. In fact, Man has accumulated 51 rushing touchdowns so far this year.

The Hillbillies have never won a state championship in any boys sport despite having several solid teams over the years, including a runner-up in baseball last season, beating Madonna in the semifinals. In fact, Man has been a runner-up in football three times (1977, 1980, 1984), all in Class AA.

(Newman can be contacted at anewman@heraldstaronline.com)