93.7 The Fan High School Football Preview 2016 Class 2A: North Catholic
North Catholic
Midwestern Conference
The Trojans finished 11-1 last season but saw their season come to a heartbreaking end in a 22-14 WPIAL Class A Semifinal loss to Jeannette.
They are again talented and should be in the playoffs but they may find it a bit more difficult to get there because they are moving up in class.
Last season they competed in the Black Hills Conference but they have moved to the Midwestern Conference and they will play teams like South Side Beaver, New Brighton, Neshannock and Laurel.
But beyond a tougher conference, the Trojans will also have to figure out how to replace the production of quarterback Eric Taylor, who graduated.
Taylor threw for 1,808 yards and 19 touchdowns so the Trojans will need their next quarterback - they began camp with a three-way competition for the starting job - to step up and become a factor again.
One thing that will help the new quarterback settle in is that he can hand the ball off to one of the better running backs in Class 2-A in 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior Mario Latronica.
The Trojans are coached by former Steelers linebacker Jason Gildon, so it is no surprise that they have a strong defense built around an All-Conference linebacker, Tyler Ellwood (5-10, 185).