The 2009 Lowellville Rockets Football Team is getting ready to do battle this Fall.  Always small in quantity, Lowellville can boast about the quality of a team member, both on and off of the field.  Mike Palumbo has been the Head Coach at Lowellville for the past two seasons.  Going into his third year, Palumbo is still enjoying what he is doing and says he won’t go anywhere unless Joe Paterno steps down at Penn State and he is offered that job.  Chuckling, and knowing that probably won’t happen soon, he stated that he does not want to use Lowellville as a springboard to move to another school.

Palumbo, now 25, was hired at the age of 22.  “I think I was the youngest head coach in the country,” said Palumbo, “My first year here we had an issue with seven players getting caught doing something they shouldn’t have been doing.  It allowed the players to see that I would not tolerate those sorts of things and that I would enforce discipline when I had to.  The situation was hard to deal with, but it proved to people that I could handle that kind of thing.”

With seven or eight of this year’s players starting on both sides of the ball and playing special teams, Palumbo knows that an injury can be devastating.  There are people in place to step in if needed, but when you lose one of those eight guys, essentially you are losing four positions.  “If we stay healthy, we are going to surprise some people.  Our strength is our D line, even though we are young there.  We have two Sophomores who will rotate in”.

Palumbo says that the recent division of the Inter-County League into a Tier I and smaller school Tier II has its advantages as well as disadvantages.  ” I don’t like it because I would rather played teams like South Range and Springfield every year.  As a coach I would rather play better competition.  For example, Sebring has been down the last couple of seasons.  You blow them out and you don’t take away much from it as a team.  I would rather play close games against better teams.  There are teams in Tier II who are very good.  Wellsville, Western Reserve, and McDonald should all be good.  McDonald has something like 68 kids out for football.”

This years Rocket team will be led by skill position players.  Ryan Whinery (RB/OLB) is a playmaker that Palumbo thinks can do some damage with the ball in the open field.  Patrick Collins (QB/MLB) will be the quarterback and he will have three senior wide receivers to look for in Jimmy Perry, Pat Minnie, and Dennis Davis.  Evan Phillip, just a Sophomore, is one of the fastest players on the team and will be used on offense.  Tony Schialdone will be an impact-maker at safety and will also see time in the offensive backfield.  Bill Burrows (6’7″, 340), is the only big offensive lineman on the team.  “We have veteran skill-position guys who can make plays,” remarked Palumbo.

Palumbo likes his coaching staff and says that they know what to expect from each other.  Tom Collins will serve as defensive coordinator.  Collins has been a coach for Lowellville for 15+ seasons.  “Coach Collins is our motivator.  He is always positive and knows how to get the most out of the kids,” said Palumbo.  Bill Schiraldi, Andrew Mamula, Bill Wharry, and Brian Wharry, have been attached to Lowellville football as players and also as multiple-year coaches as well.  “We don’t get mad at each other if we argue about things.  We know that it isn’t personal and are friends at the end of the day.”

Lowellville starts out with Malvern, a team that went 13-1 last season, narrowly missing a State Championship bid.  They then host Tuscarawas C. C., a team with 18 Seniors.  Their final non-conference game is at Springfield, as the old rivalry is renewed.  None of the three non-conference games are against cupcakes, but Palumbo welcomes the challenge and says that these games will help this team gauge its capabilities before heading into league play.

Call me a homer,  but I am thrilled watching this guy coach.  He is only scratching the surface of what can be a long and healthy career of coaching.  Mike Palumbo is as bright and articulate as people double his age who still are trying to figure out secrets to success in this pressure-filled sport.  Surrounded by a good staff, and the support of family and friends, the sky is the limit.  Ohio is a high school football mecca and nothing comes easy.  I wish this year’s Rocket team and the entire coaching staff the very best of luck staying healthy and winning football games. 

You never know,  Penn State hired Paterno when he was young. 

2009 Lowellville Schedule

Aug. 28    Malvern

Sept. 4    Tuscarawas C.C.

Sept. 11   @Springfield

Sept. 18    McDonald

Sept. 25   @ Jackson-Milton

Oct. 2     @ Sebring

Oct. 9     Southern Local

Oct. 16   @ Leetonia

Oct. 23   Wellsville

Oct. 30   @ Western Reserve

*** All games are on Fridays and start at 7 PM.

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