UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Champions aren’t built in a day or even a year.
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They are built over a number of years with hard work, dedication to one’s craft, and some luck.
They are built because parents are willing to put in the time and spend the money.
They are built because the kids care about one another and a greater cause than one’s self.
The newest PIAA champion from District 9 is no exception.
Clarion’s PIAA Class 1A title wasn’t built in June 2023. It wasn’t built in March, April, and May 2023. It wasn’t even built over the winter of 2022 and 2023.
It was built on the fields of Paul A. Weaver Park in 2015, 2016, 2017. It was built on weekend trips with the Marianne Marauders – an unbelievable eight of the nine regulars are all from basically from the same neighborhood.
“Eight, nine, 10,” Derek Smail said when asked when he realized this was a special group of baseball players.
Clarion manager Rob Jewett said his team embraced the high expectations placed on it from a young age.
“From day one of practice, we said this is the first step to the state championship,” Jewett said. “They might have been ok coach, but I think they all believed it. We worked our butts off. Now, they handle pressure really well. There were some serious situations there that they just kind of buckled down and made some play. I don’t think pressure really bothers them.”
Dawson Smail, the Bobcats’ junior shortstop who is already committed to Xavier, said the team doesn’t really think about the stakes.
“Not really,” Dawson Smail said. “We just play our game. We don’t really care who we play, we are just going to give our best every day.”
Jewett knew he had something special brewing this year, and in fact, made sure his wife didn’t schedule a vacation for early June.
“My wife and I were planning a vacation,” Jewett said. “She wanted to go in early June. I’m like you might want to hold off on that. And she was like why? I’m like these boys can make a run. Thank God we didn’t schedule it. We were worried. We were going to schedule it June 5 or something. I was like, no, no, no. Lee (assistant coach Lee Weber) both thought these guys can put it together. They played as a team.”
Playing as a team was something that the squad’s lone senior, Gary Matus, enjoyed.
Being a year or two older than most of his teammates, Matus didn’t experience the success at the younger levels as much. But was soaking in the state title.
“It feels amazing,” Matus said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before in any of my sports in any way. The team we put together has been good since Little League, always winning. They definitely don’t want to lose, and joining them for this year has been amazing.”
Even though Matus is heading to IUP next year to major in communications and won’t be around, he believes the Bobcats have what it takes to continue this amazing run.
“I just can’t wait to see those guys keep on playing and keep on competing,” Matus said. “I know they can win”
Clarion’s lone senior, Gary Matus. Photo by Chris Rossetti
Repeating won’t be easy. DCC found that out Thursday, and Halifax found that out in 2022 when DCC beat the then-defending state champions. There is a reason only one team has ever won back-to-back 1A titles since the PIAA started a 1A tournament in 1999.
“Coach Jewett really keeps us in check,” Dawson Smail said. “Coach Weber, too. Our coaching staff, they are humble. They push us.”
But next year can wait for a while. Right now, the Bobcats are champions of the PIAA, a championship forged through the years.
