As far as beginnings of new seasons go -- to say nothing of the beginning of a new era -- the Pine-Richland football team couldn't have asked for much worse, at least during the first half of its game against Montour Aug. 30.

In their first official appearance as a Class AAAA program, the Rams trailed Montour, 35-14, at halftime. Worse than the score -- indeed, perhaps part of what caused that score -- was the fact Pine-Richland had lost its starting quarterback, Vinny Nittoli, with an injury.

A senior who passed for 1,476 yards and 17 touchdowns during his first season as a starter last season, Nittoli sustained an apparently serious leg injury during the first offensive series of the season.

"It was tough in the beginning because that's your leader," Rams coach Clair Altemus said. "He goes down, and the kids kind of went down with him. We kind of went flat in the first and second quarter, and that's when [Montour] built up that big lead.

"We were down, 35-14, but in the second half the kids came back and regained a little composure. They realized that we have to do a little better than we were doing. I was proud of the way we came back. We could have packed it in that night and it could have been a drubbing, but we pulled back to within eight. We lost the first half, but we won the second half, which was a good momentum-builder."

Citing the privacy law, Altemus said the school district's policy forbade him from divulging any details about the injury or Nittoli's condition or prognosis.

According to reports immediately after the game, Nittoli sustained a leg injury that could keep him out for the season.

The Rams certainly seem to be talking about Nittoli's playing time in the past tense.

"He led the huddle well in games," said offensive and defensive lineman Mike Felker, another member of the team's senior core of leaders. "He was definitely a good role model to follow. Everyone respected him as a leader of our team."

Nittoli was a dual threat who also rushed for 244 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, second-most on the team. Altemus said college programs were recruiting him. Nittoli, 6 feet 1, 205 pounds, also was a standout linebacker.

"He's one of our leaders whom kids look to and follow," Altemus said. "He was an all-state level linebacker last year. You're talking about taking a double-shot now, losing two people there."

Altemus said Nittoli has remained supportive of his team and teammates through what was a trying week physically and emotionally for him. Altemus added that he expects Nittoli, who could not be reached for comment, to be a regular at practices, games and other team functions through the end of the season.

"We're family, and they're his brothers," Altemus said. "He's been a motivational person for this team for the past four years, so I don't expect that to change now."

But he apparently will not play in a game for the Rams again. Yet life for Pine-Richland must go on. The team played host to Upper St. Clair Friday night without Nittoli and will play at Highlands this Friday. Six more regular-season games follow, all presumably without Nittoli.

Still, as Altemus alluded to, after the initial shock, his team seems intent on pushing forward.

"I think we're actually practicing harder than we have since I can remember," Felker said.

Part of that is due to other senior leaders such as Ian Hennessy, who is one of the WPIAL's top running backs; Felker, linebacker Mike Schuff, lineman Matt Roadarmel and Matt Yoklic, who was the team's second-string quarterback.

"We've got good leadership," Altemus said. "There are 26 seniors on the team, and that helps, kids who have gone through the system."

But replacing Nittoli's senior leadership is only part of the problem; replacing his production on the field is another.

Yoklic, an athletic 6-3, 195-pounder, also sustained an injury against Montour and might be relegated to contributing in other roles indefinitely. He actually caught a touchdown pass from junior Eric Kordenbrock late in that game.

At 6 feet 4, 205 pounds, Kordenbrock obviously is talented, so much so that Altemus said he "reminds [him] a lot of Kevin McCabe," the former Pine-Richland quarterback who played at the University of Virginia and now is at California of Pennsylvania.

"I have all the confidence in the world in Matt Yoklic," Felker said. "He's been playing with our grade all the way coming up, and even when Vinny was playing, he was stepping in [at times]. And Eric is a really athletic kid. I think he'll be able to handle himself, too."

"We had a great week of practice," Altemus said. "The kids showed their dedication. Vinny's not going to be here, but we'll rally around Eric Kordenbrock. All it takes is somebody to step up be a leader, and Eric can do that."