For the first season since 2002, a Clairton team will take the field without Marcel Washington or James Brody anchoring the offensive line and the defensive end positions.

Those losses along with the loss of star quarterback LeRoy George sound like a lot to overcome for the defending WPIAL Class A champions.

But with the rest of the offense and defense largely intact from a team last season that made a run to within one game of the state championship, coach Tom Nola might have an easier time replacing those stars.

Clairton returns seven offensive starters and eight on defense including all five linebackers who will play a prominent role in Nola's 3-5 scheme. Division 1-A recruits lining up at linebacker for Clairton will be Toledo recruit Kurtis Rassan (6-2, 215), Pitt recruit Manny Williams (6-1, 195) and Jeff Thompson (6-2, 220) who has Pitt and West Virginia on his list.

That defense shut out five of Clairton's nine regular-season opponents last year. Seniors Quintin Brody (5-11, 240) and Tyler Melvin (6-1, 200) round out the linebacking corps.

Thompson and Rassan will also help anchor the offensive line and junior David Spence (6-2, 235) will provide Clairton with three returning linemen. Nola is still finding it tough trying to replace Washington and Brody at the tackle positions.

It is between juniors Troy Webb and Andrew Currington to replace George's incredible playmaking ability from last season.

"LeRoy made a lot of plays for us. He was more of a spontaneous quarterback when he made things happen. We will miss LeRoy's spontaneity and elusiveness," Nola said.

Currington (6-0, 170) fits more in the mold of George with his running ability while Webb (5-8, 170) is the better thrower, according to Nola.

Whoever the quarterback is, he will have a major weapon in sophomore wide receiver Kevin Weatherspoon (5-11, 155). Weatherspoon holds down the go-to receiver spot while many others compete to be the No. 2 guy.

In the WPIAL championship game against Rochester last year it was Weatherspoon who hauled in a 22-yard game-deciding touchdown pass on a third-and-20 play.

Even with all those weapons it will probably be senior running back Zaire Washington (5-11, 205) who has the biggest impact on the team. After eclipsing 1,700 yards rushing last season Washington has set a goal for himself of breaking Dana Brown's three-year-old Clairton single-season record of 2,135 yards. Washington was a freshman on that year's team.

Washington is not the only one putting a lot of pressure on himself.

"There are a lot of expectations on us. From the coaches to the players, from the community and from the school, they expect us to do what we did last year. It is going to be tough but we have the players who can do it as long as we avoid injury," Nola said.

Serra Catholic

In his third year implementing the spread offense, coach Rich Bowen has not only spread out the field but also his roster.

Players have bought into the offense and more and more are coming out for the team.

Before Bowen arrived, a typical Serra Catholic preseason camp would feature about 20 to 25 players showing up. This season, Bowen welcomed 49.

Bowen will have to break in a new starting quarterback again, with highly productive Marc Rozanski having graduated. He ran and passed for 2,183 yards combined, leading the Eagles to an 8-2 record, 5-1 and runner-up to Beth-Center in the Black Hills Conference. Junior T.J. Hetherington, Rozanski's backup last season, will run the show.

"It is going to be tough, but T.J. is ready. This is his third year in our system and he saw a lot of time last year."

Last year as a sophomore Heatherington started on defense as a free safety and was Rozanski's backup.

Also on the offensive side, Serra will rely on senior Chris Loving, a slot receiver/running back who can also return kicks and as Bowen described "really do some damage."

Defensively Serra can count on a strong front seven with the glue being standout running back and middle linebacker Isaiah Jackson.

A strong powerful runner Jackson (6-1, 230) is expected to be the top running back in the Black Hills Conference.

This is Bowen's second stint at his alma mater after leaving in 1993. That year coincidentally was the last time Serra Catholic had a winning record before he took over once again.

While he was at Elizabeth Forward and Yough in between, Serra won only 15 games in that 12-year span.

Bishop Canevin

A 4-5 mark was good enough to get Bishop Canevin into the WPIAL playoffs last season where the Crusaders advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Beth-Center.

Crusaders coach Bob Jacoby, entering his 35th year at the school (201-146-7), hopes four wins will be all he needs again to stretch the school's playoff streak to a sixth season.

All-time school leading rusher and touchdown scorer Matt Walter along with all-conference two-way lineman Tony Lutz have graduated and Bishop Canevin returns only three starters on offense and three on defense.

"Hopefully the inexperience will be overcome by the talent that these kids have," Jacoby said.

Senior Stephen Dukes will get the call at quarterback where he started three games last season. The Crusaders offense will rely on two sophomores playing at skill positions, running back Jeff Dobbins and wide receiver Steven Frost.

After losing his top three receivers, Jacoby will be looking for senior wide receiver Greg Jones to step up.

Jacoby believes the line is his team's strength. It will be anchored by returning starters senior Andy Tomcik and junior Nick Bianco.

On defense two defensive linemen return, seniors Matt Walko and Andy Tintori and starting junior linebacker Danny Hrapla will return but the rest of the linebackers and the secondary will have to be new.

Senior Dan Sullivan will handle the kicking duties and Jacoby expects a solid season from him.