Fox Chapel coach Dave Leasure is clear about what it will take for the Foxes to continue their progression as a program. If Fox Chapel wants to challenge for a WPIAL Class 5A playoff spot out of the Northeast Conference, they will have to be better defensively.
"Fox Chapel has had a history of giving up more than 30 points a game," Leasure said. "I think we've only been below that mark in six of the past 20 seasons."
That will be easier said than done in Fox Chapel's conference. The Foxes allowed 38.7 points per game last season and finished 2-7 overall and 0-5 in conference last season.
Fox Chapel will have to contend with one of the most explosive offenses in the area when it plays defending conference and WPIAL champion Pine-Richland. The Rams got more dangerous when Khalil Taylor, a highly recruited junior wide receiver, transferred into the program from Seton LaSalle.
Pine-Richland already had plenty of playmakers returning on offense. Rams quarterback Aaron "Oobi" Strader passed for more than 1,000 yards last season. Pine-Richland also has Jay Timmons, son of former Steelers standout Lawrence, at wide receiver.
Penn Hills, another conference opponent, has highly touted receiver Carter Bonner returning and an experienced quarterback in Devin Harris.
Leasure said he is excited about what Fox Chapel has coming back. Linebackers Max Melocchi, Sam Resek, Thomas Billings and Joe Geller provide experience.
Melocchi, a Carnegie Mellon commit, spent much of this offseason focusing on bulking up to handle the grind of playing on both sides of the ball.
During his training this year, he tried to do a better job with nutrition and consume the right amount of calories.
"I was 220 (pounds), but with running and cardio, you start to lose it," Melocchi said. "I just track my calories throughout the day. In the summer, we have lifting three days a week, then three days of conditioning."
Aidan Elwood, Colin Neff and Jeremy Hnatow will be on the defensive line for the Foxes. Nathan Johnson, Caleb Portis, Owen Wilson, Joe Yoshikawa, Brady Givens and Gianni Fusaro will also fill in important roles in the secondary.
For Fox Chapel to improve on last year's two-win season, the Foxes will need to find a way to slow down opposing offenses.
Fox Chapel has started to build up depth beyond the program. Leasure hopes that will translate to having a stronger defense.
"We have 62 kids. We would like to be in the 80s," Leasure said. "A lot of really good 5A programs have that. We aren't there. We've created an expectation that you have to be at football functions. We have 60 committed kids."