Big Red football banquet held

By MIKE MATHISON, Sports editor
STEUBENVILLE — Football coach Reno Saccoccia, the coaching staff and fans said goodbye to 13 seniors at the 69th-annual Steubenville Big Red Football Banquet Sunday night in the high school commons area. “We appreciate all you have done and all you have meant to the Big Red football program,” Saccoccia said, “but, more importantly than the wins, we want you to go out and be good citizens, great parents and God-fearing people.” This group of seniors — Jordan Banks, Sage Cutri, Caleb Westlake, Trey Wiggins, Jamey DeVaul, John Elder, Dwight Macon, Chad Fuller, Trey Terry, Dorond Watts, Jonathan Littlejohn, Alvin Taylor and Isiah WIllis — finished their careers winning 90 percent of their games, going 38-4. They met nemesis Youngstown Cardinal Mooney the last three years, losing twice and winning once. But, that win was the first in school history against the Cardinals. That victory opened the doors last year to a place in the Division IV state championship game. “Someone sent me a note and said we are the winningest public school program in Ohio since 1980,” said the coach. “I don’t want to be the winningest public school program, I want to be the winningest program in Ohio — public or private.” That’s not a far-fetched idea considering what Big Red has done since the start of the 2003 season, going 92-6, with two state championships, one state championship runner-up and two state semifinal appearances. Big Red finished a 12-2 season in what has to have been its most rugged schedule ever. The two losses were to a state champion (Mooney) and a state runner-up (Inkster, Mich.). Along the way Steubvenville also defeated a WPIAL Class AAAA champion and state quarterfinalist (Woodland Hills), a state runner-up (Division I Massillon Washington) and a regional finalist (Poland Seminary). Steubenville had eight head coaches from 1954 to 1982. Saccoccia has been on the sidelines for the past 27 years and has gone 284-49. “If you are going to be successful, it is going to take a lot of time and effort,” Saccoccia said while addressing parents the coaches wives. “I know how much time and effort your children and your husbands put in. I am appreciative of that. “I am also appreciative of our band, the cheerleaders and the student section.” Success on the varsity level just does not happen without hard work and dedication from those on the lower levels — junior high, freshmen and reserve teams. “I am proud of our junior high program and what the coaches do to help our kids achieve,” said Saccoccia. And, as the case each year, each coach challenged the players on all levels to step it up for next year. “Football is not about you, it’s about the guy next to you,” said Saccoccia. “Football doesn’t start in July and August. Football starts over the Christmas vacation.” Eight awards were handed out: ? Doctors Press/Macedonia Award: Westlake. ? Dan Keenan Leadership Award: DeVaul. ? Calvin Jones Award: DeVaul. ? Abe Bryan/Punque Cartledge Award: Banks, Cutri and Willis. ? Big Red Hustle Award: Elder. ? Special Teams Award: Westlake. ? Legends/Student Athlete Award: Wiggins. ? MVP Award: Macon. (Mathison can be contacted at mmathison@heraldstaronline.com)