Fort LeBoeuf names Justin Blose as football head coach; 2 vacancies remain in District 10
Aaron Lichtinger was among the dozen Fort LeBoeuf football players who attended the school district's board meeting on Thursday.
It was during that session the board voted whether or not to remove the interim tag from Justin Blose's coaching title. He was in charge of the Bison last season while Jeff Nichols was on medical leave.
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Now, thanks to a vote of yes, Lichtinger and the rest of his Bison teammates will remain under Blose's watch as head coach.
“I'm excited because I thought he did a great job last year,” said Lichtinger, a junior. “(The underclassmen) are all very happy.”
Blose couldn't be reached for comment after Thursday's vote.
Lichtinger primarily played defense for the Bison, who qualified for District 10's Class 3A playoffs and finished 7-4 overall.
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“I think we're going to have a lot of changes this (season) with stuff that coach Blose is going to put into (the playbook),” Lichtinger said. “I know I'm motivated about what I think he's going to do.”
Blose is now in charge of two athletic programs at LeBoeuf. As coach of its track and field program, he watched Penn State recruit Audrey Friedman win the Class 2A girls javelin competition during last May's PIAA meet at Shippensburg University.
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Northwestern and Warren still seek coaches
Blose's hire reduced District 10's number of football coaching vacancies to two.
Northwestern seeks a replacement for Mark Brooks, who resigned after six seasons. Brooks recently returned to the staff at Cathedral Prep, where he assisted former coach Mike Mischler.
Six seasons also was the length of Mark Morelli's tenure as Warren's football coach at the time of his resignation. He formerly held that same role at District 9 Ridgway for 11 years.
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Erie County players comprise 3 in Big 33
Jyree Roberts and Christian Santiago were on opposite sidelines for recent rivalry games between the Cathedral Prep and McDowell football teams.
That won't be the case come Memorial Day weekend.
Roberts and Santiago, plus Harbor Creek's Nick Krahe, will be teammates when they represent Pennsylvania during the Big 33 Classic. Some of the state's best players from this past season will face some of Maryland's best in the 67th annual game, which is scheduled May 28 at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg.
It's also the 11th straight year those states will meet.
Roberts, is listed as a 6-foot, 235-pound inside linebacker on Pennsylvania's roster. He'll resume his football career at the University of Massachusetts upon graduation from Prep.
Santiago (6-2, 243) is one of Pennsylvania's two tight ends. He's committed to St. Francis University in Loretto.
Krahe (6-5, 295) also will join Santiago along Pennsylvania's line of scrimmage. The former offensive lineman for Harbor Creek plans to compete in the trenches for West Virginia University.
Mike Farr of Schuylkill Haven will be Pennsylvania's coach. The state's all-stars seek their fourth straight Classic victory vs. Maryland, not counting 2020 when the game was cancelled because of COVID-19.
Maryland last won 9-6 in 2018.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
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This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Fort LeBoeuf hires Justin Blose as fulltime football head coach
