How Mars’ offensive line bonded, grew stronger at Primanti Bros. this season: ‘They eat together’
ADAMS TWP — Last week it was Montour.
This one, McKeesport.
Soon after, hopefully Primanti Bros.
If all goes to plan during Friday night’s WPIAL Class 4A semifinal matchup with McKeesport (7-4), the Mars offensive line will celebrate at the popular Pittsburgh sandwich chain.
“We’ve gone after every win so far this year,” said the Planets’ Sean Franklin, a junior left tackle.
“The whole weekend, it was celebrating, and now it’s back to focusing,” he said of his team’s attitude after last Friday’s WPIAL football playoff upset of the No. 2 Spartans. “It’s all McKeesport, McKeesport, McKeesport, McKeesport. We put Montour behind us. ... It’s a whole new focus.”
The tradition of going to the Cranberry Township establishment stretches back to last season, sticking even after the teammate who had the idea graduated.
“It shows the tight-knit family that they are,” Mars coach Eric Kasperowicz said. “They eat together, they break bread together and go out and kick butt on Friday nights together. ... That’s a good bond they’re building there.”
Franklin’s order, The Capone, doesn’t change. The towering sandwich is served complete with three different deli meats, provolone cheese, french fries, tomatoes stuffed between Italian bread. He adds an egg and removes the coleslaw.
Sophomore right guard Jonnie Maestra gets the same, as is. As the youngest of the bunch, he’s saddled with getting cheesy fries for the table, too. Jameson Astarb, a senior right tackle, asks for an upgraded sirloin steak and cheese sandwich topped with an egg.
“Just going out with the boys, hanging out after a big win,” said junior center Adam Budzelik, who prefers a Buffalo chicken sandwich. “You can’t beat it.”
“I think it’s important because we all stay together and keep that bond,” Astarb said. “We can work some things out, like if we had a bad play, we can talk that over. You can’t really talk that over in the heat of a game.”
Senior left guard Josh Blanco stepped in after junior Colton Ewing injured his leg against Hampton last month. Blanco initially thought of not playing football this year.
“Ultimately, I felt that my brothers, they came first,” Blanco said. “I couldn’t let them down, so I eventually made the decision to come back. ... I eventually decided to put my team over myself and we’re seeing the fruit of that in the results.”
“He was that next guy in, he just couldn’t quite crack the starting lineup, but that’s a great life lesson for him,” Kasperowicz said. “A lot of kids would quit. But, he’s that next guy in and, sure enough, you don’t know when your time is going to come.”
Blanco hasn’t accompanied his teammates to the restaurant yet. He typically goes to bed after games, but a win this week would change that.
“I think I’ll join them this time,” Blanco said. “I’ve never been to one, but I do want to see what the atmosphere is like, especially after a big win.”
Mars (6-5) fell to the Tigers 28-7 at home on Oct. 11. Kasperowicz said that the offense left a lot of points on the table in that clash, including a pair of missed field goals and two interceptions thrown. The Planets have scored 41.6 points per game in the three since.
Mars assistant coach Jake Kradel, a Butler graduate and former Pitt offensive lineman, might just pay the check if the team advances to the WPIAL title game.
“I promised them that if they got 15 pancakes (earlier this season against Knoch), I’d take them to Primanti’s,” Kradel said. “They got it, so now I owe them.”
Kradel hasn’t attended one of the post-game meals yet. One of the linemen quipped he’s too cool to tag along before Kradel joked it was “the under-18 club.”
The coach recognizes the importance of the team-building activity.
“As an offensive line, you’ve got to do everything together,” Kradel said. “At Butler, at Pitt, that’s all we would do is just do everything as groups. We’d go to Ichiban, we’d go to all these places. What’s that (called)? Fortune Star? These guys going to Primanti’s is awesome. It’s exciting to see them come together and jell.
“I think they’re playing their best football in Week 12 now.”
If that trend continues, they’ll end up at a different restaurant.
“I don’t care about pancakes, all I care about is wins,” Kradel said. “If we win, I’ll double that. Honestly, we’ll go wherever you guys want. If you want to go to Ichiban, we’ll go to Ichiban.”
