Senior lineman Aidan Milkovits, a 6-foot-2, 260-pounder, leads Marian up front.

Marian

Last season: 7-5

Head coach: Billy O’Gurek

Story by Leroy Boyer

There’s a changing of the guard on the sideline at Marian this season.

Billy O’Gurek takes over as the Colts’ head coach after Hall of Fame coach Stan Dakosty retired in November. The winningest coach in Schuylkill County and District 11 history, Dakosty compiled a career record of 326-177-3 that spanned 44 seasons. Dakosty guided the Colts to the 1990 PIAA Class A state title with a victory over Farrell in the final, the first team from Schuylkill County capture state gold. Dakosty’s squads reached the Eastern final three other times (1993, 1998, 2000), won seven District 11 titles (1985, 1989, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2007, 2015), reached the District 11 title game six other times, won four Eastern Conference crowns (1980-86, 1992, 2013) and played in 47 playoff games.

A Marian alumnus and a former player under Dakosty, O’Gurek served as an assistant coach for the Colts the past several seasons. He inherits a squad that ended a six-year streak of losing seasons last year and won its first playoff game since 2016. The Colts went 7-5 overall a year ago, reaching the District 11 Class A championship game before falling to Minersville.

Offensively, Marian returns a bevy of experience in the trenches, led by seniors Aidan Milkovits, Julian Hermany, Zach Holt and Mason Soult. Leading rusher Rory Dixon, who ran for 1,005 yards and eight TDs last year as a freshman, and leading receiver Michael Gelatko (23-381, TD) also return. Defensively, linebackers Charlie Hower and Holt, defensive end Gelatko and interior linemen Milkovits, Hermany and Soult return from a group that led the area in scoring defense by allowing just 13.8 points per game.

The keys for the Colts will be finding a quarterback to replace Bruce Hopeck, who threw for 1,364 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Senior Dylan Rodino, junior Nick Shigo and freshmen Gregory Tirpak and Matt Spino will be vying for that position during preseason camp. Marian will also have camp battles at wide receiver, where Michael Johnson, Hunter Sartori and Tyler Price will be in the mix, and at safety, where Price, Shigo, Sartori, Spino, Jah Bushati and Reece Steibler will be fighting for playing time.

“We need to establish a new quarterback and have our young skill players develop into options in our offense,” O’Gurek said. As for his keys to a winning season, O’Gurek added: “New quarterback emerges and is efficient on offense, our returning players on the line of scrimmage have a successful season, and if our new starters in the secondary continue to develop.”

Marian will be one of three teams competing in District 11 Class A this season, joining Nativity and Tri-Valley. The Colts will compete in the new Blue Division (Division III) of the Schuylkill/Colonial Football Cooperative along with Mahanoy Area, Minersville, Nativity, Panther Valley, Pine Grove, Schuylkill Haven, Shenandoah Valley, Tri-Valley and Williams Valley. Marian opens its season Friday, Aug. 23, by hosting Hanover Area.