2021 PFN Team Preview: The Charleroi Cougars @athletics_sd @shannon_brennen @PABackyard

Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 7, News

Nate Grella | July 23, 2021

Charleroi Cougars PFN PAGE

PIAA District 7 – Class AA
League: Century

Head Coach Brady Barbero

@athletics_sd

2020 Season Record 2-5

2021 Schedule

DATE	OPPONENT	LOCATION	TIME/SCORE
08-21	@ California (SCR)		10:00 am
08-27	vs. Steel Valley (SCR)		6:00 pm
09-03	vs. Carmichaels (0-0)		7:00 pm
09-10	@ Monessen (0-0)		7:00 pm
09-17	@ McGuffey (0-0) *		7:00 pm
09-24	vs. Waynesburg Central (0-0) *		7:00 pm
10-01	@ Chartiers-Houston (0-0) *		7:00 pm
10-08	vs. Bethlehem-Center (0-0) *		7:00 pm
10-15	@ Washington (0-0) *		7:00 pm
10-22	vs. Albert Gallatin (0-0)		7:00 pm
10-29	vs. Frazier (0-0) *		7:00 pm

* – denotes league game
(SCR) – denotes scrimmage

2020 RECAP

Charleroi was a young team in 2020 and it showed at times. Replacing nearly every position from the year prior, the Cougars took 2020 as a trial run. In 5 games, the Cougars didn’t score more than a touchdown, however, the seeds may have been planted in order to continue improving and possibly look to have a winning season this year.

OFFENSE

NIKKO PELLEGRINI and GIANNI PELLEGRINI are continuing the Charleroi reign of Pellegrini brothers that have showed up on the highlights reels. Look for the two brothers to become one of the top backfield tandems in the conference. BRENDAN HARPS returns at QB and will need to take the next step for the offense to click. BRENNEN SHANNON and TERRANCE WOODS return as wideouts. The weapons are there, but will they click?

DEFENSE 

The defense was a liability against nearly every team on the schedule not named Waynesburg or Beth Center. The Defensive line lost two college level players and if someone doesn’t step up, it could be a similar looking slate in 2021.

OVERVIEW

Brady Barbero enters his second season as the head coach of the Charleroi Cougars, and much like teams of Cougars past, he’ll have the weapons to use. The Pellegrini brothers, HARPS, SHANNON, and WOODS will all contribute, but Harps will need to have time up front in order for the offense to run. Defensively it’s a toss-up. The Cougars will only have 4 road games, one of which is a de facto home game against Monessen. The Cougars won’t beat the Wash Highs or McGuffey’s, however if the trenches improve enough, the third spot in the Century is wide open for that taking. A home finale against Frazier might be the game to clinch it . 

Key Starters Lost
Dyelan Edwards
Mario Celaschi

Offensive Starters Returning
Brendan Harps
Nikko Pellegrini
Gianni Pellegrini
Brennen Shannon
Terrance Woods
Jake King
Matthew Alton
Donnie Boyd

Defensive Starters Returning
Jake King
Joshua Blatnik
Brendan Harps
Brennen Shannon
Terrance Woods

Key Newcomers
Joshua Rodabaugh
Daniel Hudock

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews