"Mr. High School Sports" - Friday Night Spotlights: Ray Reitz on Latrobe Football, Terrelle Pryor
By Matt Popchock
It's been another trying season on--and off--the gridiron for Latrobe, but head football coach Ray Reitz is no stranger to success when it comes to grooming individuals to play at the next level.
First Team All-Foothills Conference defensive lineman Dylan Colucci has played with a heavy heart since younger brother Zach, a freshman football player, was killed in a car accident last month. Dylan has been a bright spot for the fledgling Wildcats (0-3, 3-3), and he has generated serious interest from Division I-AA (FCS) Youngstown State, as well as interest from Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Michigan State, and Wisconsin.
Running back Jordan Hall starred at Jeannette when Reitz led that team to back-to-back WPIAL titles and a PIAA crown in 2007, and now Hall is holding his own in Ohio State's backfield. Hall, now in his junior season, has 265 rushing yards and one touchdown on 67 carries for the Buckeyes.
But of course, the bigger headline this week has been the lifting of Terrelle Pryor's suspension, marking the essential beginning of his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders. As a Jayhawk, Pryor was Reitz's most prized D-1 prospect and widely regarded as one of the best players in WPIAL history before starting under center at OSU for three seasons.
Latrobe faces a very tough test at home against conference leader Penn-Trafford (4-0, 6-0) this Friday at 7:30, a game the Wildcats need to win to climb out of the basement and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Reitz talked to "Mr. High School Sports" on Wednesday about the keys to victory in Week 7, the college attention Dylan Colucci is receiving, how the death of Dylan's brother affected him, and what it will take for Pryor to be successful in the NFL:
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