A month into his stint as football coach at The Kiski School, Aaron Smetanka has set two clear objectives.
First, and most importantly, he wants to help grow better men for the future, to make sure his players have a solid life path for whenever they graduate.
“The academic standards are very high here,” Smetanka said. “They’re not just here playing sports, but are getting ready to go on to college and the next chapters in their lives.
“We want to make sure they’re prepared for whatever path they choose. There’s also a maturity level from just how they go about their daily lives on campus that puts them ahead of the game, academically.”
What intrigued Smetanka most about the position was the relationship between the athletes and the faculty.
“I love it here,” Smetanka said. “The people here, the faculty and administration have all been awesome. They’ve all built up their own little community here.”
That is the type of atmosphere Smetanka wants for his football program and the second objective he’s set.
He wants his coaching staff and players to work together but, more importantly, to have trust and faith in one another.
“I want to make sure it’s a family-based environment,” said Smetanka, who was head coach at Greensburg Central Catholic for two years before taking over as head coach at Saint Vincent College from 2018-24.
It won’t be difficult for Smetanka to create that type of environment. He has seen firsthand how it already exists among his players, who hail from 11 countries.
“Coming in and seeing right off the bat the real strong bond they have with one another, you can see they’ve built that over the past few years,” Smetanka said.
That bond was strengthened during last season when the Cougars, who started 2-3, won four straight games to finish 6-3 and post a winning record for the first time since 2021.
That was due in large part to the talented players who are set to return for next season.
“There are plenty of underclassmen coming back who have had a lot of experience,” Smetanka said.
Leading the way are soon-to-be seniors Levi Porter, Hunter Richardson and Adrian Valdez, all of whom hail from Western Pennsylvania and were key contributors to the Cougars’ success.
Porter, who is from Indiana, Pa., gained 1,032 total yards of offense, had six touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Valdez, who hails form Fox Chapel, led the team with 96 tackles, had two interceptions and four sacks.
Hunter Richardson, a defensive end from Allison Park, had 22 tackles, eight tackles for loss and a sack.
“From what I’ve seen on tape, their hard work and determination, they are doing this offseason in the weight room,” Smetanka said. “Porter and Richardson have drawn some Division I interest, and Valdez is getting looks from Division III schools, and I see interest picking up once we’re in the season.”
Those three players are examples of what Smetanka ultimately wants to build with the program. He wants to build a stronger rapport with Western Pennsylvania and, hopefully, tap into the strong talent the area has to offer.
“Having those three from areas with WPIAL schools can help build a rapport in the area so more people would want to come here, not just for sports, but for the opportunity the academics here provide, where they’ll come in and be ready to go on to college,” he said.
Smetanka has had multiple meetings with his players since being hired and likes what he sees from all of them, even if they’re not in pads or helmets.
“I’ve spent some time with them, seeing how they’ve doing in the weight room and on the field,” Smetanka said. “What’s also been great is seeing our multiple-sport athletes working in the spring sports they participate in.”
Time will tell how the Cougars follow last season and training camp will come sooner this year than in past years.
The first game The Kiski School will play on its 2025 schedule will be Aug. 22 in Dublin, Ireland, against the Irish Junior Wolfhounds.
“Everyone is excited about having the opportunity to go outside the country and play,” Smetanka said. “For the kids who are from other countries, this will allow their friends and families to travel a shorter distance to watch them play.”
Featured Local Businesses
With how early the game is — plus the time needed to get acclimated to the time change as they travel — the Cougars will start camp early, but Smetanka knows he still wants to keep his players fresh.
“It’s not like it was 20 or 30 years ago where coaches would sort of beat the kids up, and it would cause the players to be tired when the first game came around,” Smetanka said. “We’re going to be smart in how we go about training these guys to where we can get the most out of them, make sure they take advantage of the rest and recovery periods. We’ll have them prepared in all facets.”
Smetanka is excited about his next coaching chapter and is looking to add more winning seasons to the history of The Kiski School.
“There’s a very storied tradition here, and we’re anxious to build on top of that starting here in 2025,” he said.