Sam Brackney – 2025 – Offensive Line – Pittsburgh Central Catholic - @Sam_Brackney
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
- I’d like to say hardworking and relentless.
What makes you a good player? What are the strengthens in your game?
- I feel like I do a good job absorbing the information given by the staff throughout the week and using it to play well on Friday nights.
What are your hobbies or interest outside of sports?
- I like spending time with my family and my friends.
What is the toughest class in your school and who is the teacher?
- I have AP Biology with Mr Krotec. It is the hardest class I have ever taken.
Is there a coach that you look up to as a role model and why?
- I look up to my offensive line coach, Coach Sasson. He always brings energy no matter the circumstance and always shows up no matter what.
Who is a young player on your team that we don’t know about that will become a big name?
- Angelo Pugliano. No one knows about him yet, and I can’t wait until he blows up on the scene next year after a great off-season.
Rank the top 5 priorities currently in your life?
- Faith, Family, School, Football, Fitness
Do you have any secret talent?
- I am really good at random trivia.
What does your daily routine look like?
- I wake up, drive to school with Elijah Faulkner, go to my classes, work hard in the weight room, go to practice, go home, do my homework, and eat as much food as possible before I go to bed.
What are your preferred pre-game routines?
- I say a prayer with Bradley Gompers before every game and walk out with Elijah Faulkner.
What is your favorite song or musician to listen before games?
- I like listening to a variety of music, but mostly Coldplay because it is relaxing.
Who has the best Pizza in Western, PA?
- Monte Cellos, hands down.
Who has the best Chicken Wings in Western, PA?
- The best chicken wings are Goodfellas.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- I hope to see myself using the tools and materials provided to me by my parents and Central towards my success.
Mike Pastirik – 2025 – Quarterback – Seton LaSalle - @Mike_Pastirik2
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
- Someone who shows up every day to work and is very coachable. Someone that they can trust to lead.
What makes you a good player? What are the strengthens in your game?
- My strengths that make me a good player are my arm strength, IQ, and accuracy. My arm strength helps me get my receivers the ball in many different places on the field consistently, my IQ helps me to learn the offense and make the right decisions, and my accuracy helps me put the ball in the exact place my receivers need it to be to catch the ball.
What are your hobbies or interest outside of sports?
- Hanging out with friends and working out.
What is the toughest class in your school and who is the teacher?
- Honors Physics with Mr. Norman.
Is there a coach that you look up to as a role model and why?
- My quarterback coach, Joe Ranft, he’s a good role model because he is always calm and has a great coaching style when it comes to in game. He is also just a great dude in general and is someone I want to model myself after.
Who is a young player on your team that we don’t know about that will become a big name?
- Legend Williams is someone you will definitely know, he brings it every practice and game and wants to learn the game of football since he is a newer player.
Rank the top 5 priorities currently in your life?
- Family, Faith, School, Football, and Friends.
Do you have any secret talent?
- I’m a dog at chess.
What does your daily routine look like?
- Wakeup, hit the Tropical Smoothie , go to school, practice/lift, homework, bed, repeat.
What are your preferred pre-game routines?
- I feel like I play my best when the football boosters make us chicken with barbecue sauce on the side. My other pregame routines are to do my shoulder banded exercises and go to chapel to pray pregame.
What is your favorite song or musician to listen before games?
- Either Cold Shoulder by Moneybagg Yo or To The Bank by lil Wayne
Who has the best Pizza in Western, PA?
- Fiori’s
Who has the best Chicken Wings in Western, PA?
- Quaker Steak and Lube
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- Hopefully making bank as CEO or VP of Prestige WorldWide.
Carson Pierce – 2024 – Athlete – Shaler - @CarsonPierce
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
- I would think they would describe me as a smart, disciplined, and humble leader
What makes you a good player? What are the strengthens in your game?
- What makes me good is my game IQ. I think I am able to read plays really well and fast due to the amount of film that I watch every week.
What are your hobbies or interest outside of sports?
- Outside of sports I really enjoy hanging out with my friends and going to support other Shaler programs and cheering them on
What is the toughest class in your school and who is the teacher?
- The toughest class I take is Honors Calculus and it is taught by Mr. Stadelman who is a phenomenal teacher.
Is there a coach that you look up to as a role model and why?
- I look up to our head coach James Ryan because not about how good of a coach he is but outside of football he is an amazing human being and a teacher who is always willing to help you out.
Who is a young player on your team that we don’t know about that will become a big name?
- Sami Tapu is a freshman linebacker that I knew since he was in middle school he is going to be a great ball player. Joe rispoli is another name that you might already know because he is a junior linebacker as well but after both me and Rispoli got hurt Sami Tapu filled in as a freshman and showed flashes of the great player he is to be.
Rank the top 5 priorities currently in your life?
Family – Health – Education – Friends - Future college
Do you have any secret talent?
- I am double jointed in my fingers and I can bend them very far
What does your daily routine look like?
- Wake up early in the morning to get a good breakfast before school. After school I have football practice till six o’clock, then right after practice sometimes I stay to help coach my younger brothers football team. I get home around Seven then due my homework and study till 9 then I try to get to bed pretty early
What are your preferred pre-game routines?
- I like to walk around the field and visualize what I need to do in order to have success during the game. Then I go into the locker room and lay down quietly until it's time to go out to the field.
What is your favorite song or musician to listen before games?
- I don’t like listening to music before games
Who has the best Pizza in Western, PA?
- Franks
Who has the best Chicken Wings in Western, PA?
- Buffalo Wild Wings
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- I see myself graduated from a college with a doctorate in Physical therapy starting up my career.
Nick McCullough – 2025 – Athlete – Peters - @NMcCullough23
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
- Coaches and Teammates describe me as fun to be around, hardworking and a team first player.
What makes you a good player? What are the strengthens in your game?
- I think what makes me a good player is my speed, elusiveness and my mental approach to each game. My biggest strength is my playmaking abilities. I will say though, I am surrounded by great teammates and a good coaching staff, which helps me to be a better player.
What are your hobbies or interest outside of sports?
- Hobbies outside of sports are hanging out with my friends, playing video games and hunting.
Is there a coach that you look up to as a role model and why?
- A coach that I look up to is my dad. He doesn’t coach my position but, he played division I football and his knowledge of the game helps me tremendously
Who is a young player on your team that we don’t know about that will become a big name?
- Lucas Shanafelt is a name to watch because he is a big bodied receiver
Rank the top 5 priorities currently in your life?
- Faith – Family - Being a good person – Academics - Football
Do you have any secret talent?
- I can have 1 eye looking straight and the other looking cross eyed
What does your daily routine look like?
- Typical school day: Wake up, shower, eat, brush my teeth, pick up friends and go to school, practice, come home, eat, study and the rest of the time afterward is my free time before I go to bed.
What are your preferred pre-game routines?
- After school I always try to take a quick nap and get some food 3 hours prior to the game. On the way to the game I always have my playlist going and constantly hydrating.
What is your favorite song or musician to listen before games?
- One of my favorite musicians is Drake.
Who has the best Pizza in Western, PA?
- Fioris
Who has the best Chicken Wings in Western, PA?
- Best chicken wings hands down - my dad’s homemade wings
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- I see myself as an Engineer living in Pittsburgh.