Brett Byers’ name has appeared in Legends of the Fall on a weekly basis for most of the past three seasons.

Byers has been among the area leaders in tackles since he started at middle linebacker as a sophomore at Conemaugh Township.

Now a senior, the versatile Byers continues to impress on defense while also producing big chunks of yardage and numerous points on offense.

“He’s one of those guys who has got plenty of athleticism,” Conemaugh Township coach Sam Zambanini said. “Brett is naturally strong plus he works hard in the weight room. He’s got some natural size. He’s

190 pounds.”

Byers ranks second in the area with 861 rushing yards on 142 carries, a 6.1 average per run.

He’s also caught eight passes for 175 yards out of his tailback spot. Byers has 15 touchdowns and 90 points.

“He’s got a great combination of a lot of things,” Zambanini said. “He runs very well. We’ve had him in the 4.6 range in the 40 (yard dash) this summer. At 190 pounds he can run with some power and break tackles.

“He’s got great vision. He finds holes. He knows when it’s time to cut back and when it’s time to stay on track.”

Patience also is one of Byers’ virtues. Last season he moved from his natural tailback spot to fullback so that Township could utilize Seth Zaman as the feature back. Zaman finished second in the area with

2,006 rushing yards and had

31 touchdowns before graduating.

“Brett’s a team-oriented guy.

“He’s been a tailback his whole career,” Zambanini said.

“Last year, Seth Zaman was our guy, but Brett was too athletic, too big and too strong of a football player to have him standing on the sideline. We asked him to be a fullback. He embraced the role and did a fine job of it.”

But there’s more to Byers than his offensive output.

On defense, he has an area-best 78 tackles, including

57 solo stops. The veteran middle linebacker has five sacks and an interception.

“Really this is three years in a row,” Zambanini said of Byers’ defensive prowess. “He was up there pretty good (in the statistics) as a sophomore. He’s got great instinct and a nose for the football. He’s very good at reading keys. That takes mental discipline. He’s always around the ball.”

Last season Byers was second in the area with 163 tackles, including 103 solo stops. He was 17 behind area leader Marcus Shippey of Bedford, though Byers played two fewer games.

As a sophomore in 2008, Byers ranked third in the Tribune-Democrat coverage area with 139 tackles.

So far, Byers has 380 career tackles.

Despite all of that success, Byers remains a level-headed student-athlete.

“He’s soft-spoken and a quiet kid around the hallways at school, but he knows how to play the game,” said Zambanini, whose Indians are 5-1. “He’s a football player.”



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City series: The series between Bishop McCort (formerly Johnstown Catholic) and Greater Johnstown is a tale of two eras. The teams renew their rivalry at Point Stadium on Friday.

From 1933 to 1973 the teams played 14 times, with Johnstown winning every game. The Trojans’ cumulative scoring advantage during that stretch was 447-37.

Johnstown outscored Johnstown Catholic 158-0 in the first six games.

The series was discontinued for a period in the 1960s because it wasn’t competitive. It was shut down again after the 1973 meeting.

But since the two city rivals resumed playing – initially in 1989 and regularly since

2001 – McCort has ruled.

The Crushers are 10-1-1 since 1989 with a combined 315-146 scoring advantage.

The Trojans’ lone victory in the recent stretch came in 2003, when future Pitt and NFL player LaRod Stephens-Howling was part of a 14-9 win.

The 14-all tie came in 1991.

McCort has won six straight by posting 100 more points than Johnstown during those games (177-77).

Johnstown is undefeated and McCort, 4-2, this season.



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Brotherly connection: North Star brothers Max and Tony Strasiser have provided the Cougars with a potent combination in the passing game.

Quarterback Max Strasiser ranks third in the area with

977 passing yards (55 of 88).

Tony Strasiser has 27 catches for 546 yards, both ranking second in the area.

The Strasiser brothers are each underclassmen.

Max is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior. Tony, 6-5, 190, is only a sophomore who provides a big target.



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Passing fancy: Two quarterbacks have more than

1,000 passing yards through six weeks.

Cambria Heights senior Caleb Vescovi continues to lead the area with 1,412 passing yards (83 of 162), while Greater Johnstown junior Gervon Simon has 1,171 passing yards (60 of 105).

Vescovi’s Highlanders still are searching for their first victory as they host 5-1 Bishop Carroll on Friday. Simon’s Trojans are undefeated heading into the McCort game.



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New at the top: Forest Hills running back Nick Dudukovich moved into the rushing yardage lead after six weeks. Dudukovich has 922 rushing yards on 89 carries, an average of 10.4 yards a carry.

Dudukovich also has the top spot in overall scoring, with

16 touchdowns and 98 points.



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Worthy cause: The Westmont Hilltop cheerleaders and cheerleading boosters helped in the effort to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer research during Week 6’s game against city rival Bishop McCort.

The cheerleaders wore pink ribbon pins on their uniforms and pink ribbons on their shoes. The junior high cheerleaders went into the crowd during the Saturday afternoon contest and collected donations of $316.58 from fans of both teams. All donations were presented to the Windber Research Institute.



Mike Mastovich is a sports writer for The Tribune-Democrat.