Forgive them if they dress a little retro. They're heading 'back to the 90's!'
The respect is there. Respect that has been earned after nearly a decade of being shut out at the top of the podium in the chase for the AAA boys cross country state team title.
Actually, it has been eight long years since a WPIAL (District 7) team has won the boys' crown. That was 1999, and it wasn't even North Allegheny - this year's pre-season PA #1 team in the PennTrackXC.com coaches poll. It was WPIAL rival Mount Lebanon.
(Left to Right) - The 2007 squad: Jake Holdcroft 4, Patrick Morgan 3, Dan O'Brien 4, Justin Taylor 4, Eric Balaban 2, Matt Jacob 4, Will Appman 3, Chase Broussard 3, Doug Healy 3
You have to go a year earlier to find North Allegheny's time to shine. 1997 was a long time ago. Especially for cross country programs with the tradition and pride of the WPIAL squads.
Yep, the respect is there. On the tally sheet, it says six times that District 1 teams have taken the title, and twice, the same District 3 team has accomplished the feat.
Head Coach Jim LeDonne has been running
the program since 2002. Assistants Liz Bollens
(eighth year) and John Neff (3rd year)
help manage the 127 athletes on this year's teams.
But no WPIAL team. Still, the North Allegheny guys respect the success, and what it takes to accomplish such excellence.
You can sense though, that the drought and the pride have been bubbling just beneath the surface for a long time. But turnarounds don't happen overnight, and this year's top-ranked team in PA knows that they are reaping the benefits of a coach and runners who came before them - reset the bar - re-established the standard - and took direct aim on the top of the podium once again.
This year's theme actually was born a few years ago - "Back to the 90's."
And it makes perfect sense.
From 1990 to 1997, North Allegheny reeled off eight straight WPIAL titles, culminating in their 1997 state title. In their proud PIAA history, they have captured ten state titles, and have been runner-up on two occasions.
Nope, this particular drought just won't do.
Current head coach Jim LeDonne credits team leaders from the past few years for re-establishing the pride and the work ethic of those championship years. "E.J. Robertson. Jesse Snyder. Max Brown. Patrick Baxter. Those guys showed these guys the way. Taught them what to expect" says LeDonne.
With fewer than five head coaches in 4 decades, LeDonne is in a select group at North Allegheny. He has coached for over 25 years, mostly in middle school. But he says his calling to take over the varsity six years ago was the best coaching decision he has ever made.
"Those team leaders made my job easy when I came in," LeDonne admits.
Sure, he wanted to raise the level of expectations around the program. But LeDonne knew his standards were only part of the process. "I can do it, (raise the standards) but it's shallow if the kids don't buy it. Actually, it's the kids who have probably raised my level of expectations. They know it's not a matter of us having ten good runners. It's a matter of us having 5-7 really good runners."
2006 WPIAL Champs.
The turnaround started with E.J.and Jesse.
LeDonne took over the program in 2002, The year before, the team had struggled in their section with a 4-3 record. But LeDonne says he was blessed with two remarkable captains over his first two years, E.J. Robertson and Jesse Snider in 2002 and 2003. In his senior year, E.J. placed 18th at States. "They were the key to our turning point through their leadership and example." LeDonne says both guys were mentors to the younger athletes on the team, and went "above and beyond" to improve the team's attitude and work ethic. (Robertson is a 5th year senior running varsity XC at Duquesne University).
The turnaround had begun. "It took us two years and we finally won back sections."
After they graduated, LeDonne invited both of them as honored guests to their end of the season banquet after the boys' team captured the WPIAL Championship in 2005. "They were truly symbols of what our program has been over the past 40 years."
Captains are great. But obscenely yellow jackets have to help.
Two years ago, North Allegheny assistant Lz Bollens and Morgan's mom Heather, dug out the "old school" warm-ups from the 1990's and gave them to the teams going to WPIALs and states. She and the boys still wear them with pride as they have climbed back to the top of the WPIAL, winning in 2005 and 2006.
In 2005, the top runner was state medalist Patrick Morgan. A former soccer player who had been recruited (i.e. badgered relentlessly) by Bollens and another assistant coach, came out for track in 8th grade and only lost a single race. Hit with tendonitis his freshman year of cross, he was part of the team that was 19th out of 24 at states. "We weren't happy", understates Morgan. But he had good role models in Brown and his fellow senior teammate, Patrick Baxter. There were some positive lessons from the year.
But instead of getting ready for another season, Morgan was off to Germany as part of a long-held dream of participating in the Foreign Student Exchange program. "The coach wasn't happy, but he respected my decision." Morgan spent the year in an isolated German town and was able to train, but mostly alone. He says the local track club had four people, him included, and the other three were sprinters. "So I did a couple of 5Ks, and mostly ran alone. It was tough and mentally, very challenging."
He wouldn't return until this past July.
While Morgan was gone, then junior Matt Jacobs became the #1 guy. A former hockey player who ran to get in shape for banging the boards (and after his mom had run a marathon to show the way), Jacobs steadily gained confidence as he found himself further and further up the team chart. Jacobs says the teams wasn't sure what would happen with Morgan gone from the team, but when they started the 2006 season with a win at the Red, White & Blue Classic, they had newfound confidence. The team repeated as WPIAL champs and went on to take 5th at states.
Coach LeDonne could sense that a turnaround was underway. "We started to realize we could run with anybody else in the state, and now, I think the boys have the confidence that they can carry through on it."
And Jacobs? He won a medal at states.
Matt Jacobs at 8/29 scrimmage
Together again.
Enter 2007, and Matt Jacobs and Patrick Morgan are on the same team again. And this time they have a deeper team. Twice defending WPIAL champs with experience, strength and focus.
Morgan returned to the fold in the middle of July. Arriving home on a Sunday night, he could do nothing else but sleep. But first thing in the morning, he hit the park where he knew the guys would be working out and just went for a run. Not alone, but with his team. "The one thing I missed the most," Morgan says, "is the commraderie of a cross country team. Oh, and having other runners to run with. That was something I sorely missed."
Joining Jacobs in the strong senior class are Justin Taylor, Jake Holdcroft and Dan O'Brien. And Morgan's junior teammates are pretty strong as well, including Will Appman, Chase Broussard and Doug Healy. Add top soph Eric Balaban, and you have the makings of a potential "back to the '90's" kind of squad. Not just for this year, but for the next, as well. "This isn't the be-all-end-all of seasons," says Morgan, "but I want to go out there and do the best I can for the seniors, because they've been working for this for four years."
Morgan says it has been a maturing of the team as individuals and as runners. "The attitude toward training is just so serious now."
They're taking nothing for granted.
Like other teams that have that look that says 'we're not here to play," this North Allegheny squad is all business. For the seniors, this is it. "This has the potential to be our year," says Jacobs. "We just have to work hard and see what happens. Just kept training and building our miles. We just have to do what the coaches tell us to do and trust them."
Morgan brings the perspective of a year in another country, training alone, and dreaming of the day he'd return to his home and his team. "Staying dedicated was the most valuable thing I learned. That giving up just isn't worth it, because when you give up, you'll always ask yourself 'what if I tried harder', and 'what if I did put the effort in'. How good would I have been?."
As for LeDonne... he says he's just aiming this team for states and a return to the top of the podium. "We're only #1 on paper. That's all it is. Paper."
If all goes to the plan laid out by coaches Jim LeDonne, Liz Bollens and John Neff, don't be surprised to see this North Allegheny team do a little time traveling... "back to the 90's."
The respect is there alright. This time, it's self-respect.