Aliquippa prepares for upcoming football season at PennWest Clarion
While teams across the country prepare for football season at their home stadiums, Aliquippa spends a week preparing at PennWest Clarion.
MOON TOWNSHIP – After a rough 2022 season, Moon Area made a comeback season last year, earning a ticket to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. Now this season, the Tigers look to build on the momentum they had at the end of the 2023 season.
Moon Area head coach Ryan Linn is entering his eighth year at the helm of the Tigers and has noticed a difference in his kids’ behavior this year in camp compared to last season.
“The most important thing for us right now is the confidence the kids have in our offensive and defensive systems,” Linn said. “Last summer during camp there was a lot of second guessing and uncertainty, and that’s over now. The kids are playing faster and they’re grasping things more easily than last season, and now there are a lot more positive results coming out of it.”
This season, several of the Tigers’ core players return on both offense and defense, including starting quarterback Andrew Cross and senior starting running back Nazir Brookins.
Linn is excited to have so many of his core players back in his program because he can draw on his team’s experience this week in training camp rather than having to start from scratch to teach his group the things they need to succeed on the field.
“When you have to replace kids, you have to start from scratch,” Linn said. “Having these guys back who already have a year or two of experience is very positive for us because it allows us to expand our work and use our players better in certain situations.”
More: Beaver County Times preview of 2024 high school football season
Headlining the returnees for Moon Area this season will be junior quarterback Andrew Cross.
Last season, Cross had a respectable season as a sophomore, throwing for five touchdowns and 495 yards.
Linn believes Cross can build on his sophomore season this season as the junior is now producing better results, an area where he was not particularly successful last season.
“He (Andrew Cross) understands the scrum very well and things are starting to slow down for him. He’s starting to make some good decisions and that’s a big plus for us because he’s shown that we can trust him to go out there and throw the ball down the field.”
Head Coach: Ryan Linn (Eighth season, 39-35 overall)
2023 record: (6-6, 3-3 Allegheny Six)
Departures of the best players: Brian Crawford, Josh Bladel, Mitch Parisi, Ryan Lubitx, Rocco Sinatra, Hayden Poland, Noah Bauer
Returning top players: Andrew Cross, Tavis Lindsay, Nick Prozzoly, Jared Moyer, Nick Clemens, Jake D’Aniello, Nick Page, Paul Bronaugh, Braeden Stuart, Nazir Brookins
Offense: The Tigers return several starters on offense, including Braeden Stuart, Andrew Cross, Nazir Brookins and Jake D’Aniello. With the return of these players, the running game will once again be the focus in 2024, with Moon Area once again implementing a Wing-T style of offense. With the number of returning players on offense, the Tigers should once again have success on offense.
Defense: Not much has changed on defense for the Tigers, as they return one of their most valuable players from last year’s defensive unit, senior Tavis Lindsay. Lindsay was a force last season, posting 52 tackles. Combined with strong support from Jared Moyer, Nick Clemens and Nick Prozzoly, Moon Area’s defense should be successful in 2024.
Classification: 5A
Last WPIAL playoff appearance: 2023
Last WPIAL title: 1998
WPIAL Title: 1
