The black and gold experience: the Steelers and Geneva
A special offseason for both the Golden Tornadoes and the Steelers has come to an end and football is back. Both teams experienced a change in leadership with their longtime head coaches taking a step back and dealt with the uncertainty of whether their high-caliber quarterbacks would return for one last year. The answers for both teams ended up being strikingly similar. For the Golden Tornadoes who also root for the Steelers, you may find two very similar seasons in store.
Tobey Brown- Staff Reporter
Geneva College- Flickr
Steelers
The Steelers underwent one of the most turbulent offseasons in franchise history. Just days after being eliminated from the playoffs by the Houston Texans, Mike Tomlin, the Steelers head coach of nineteen years, announced he was resigning. His speedy replacement, Mike McCarthy, is a Pittsburgh native and super bowl winning head coach. Since 1969, McCarthy is only the 4th head coach for the Steelers.
The uncertainty continues for the Steelers with quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP announced that he had planned to retire after the 2025 season, but a few cryptic comments led some to believe he would be willing to make a return for one last season. This was all speculation until May 22, when he signed a one-year deal with the Steelers.
Beyond these offseason challenges, the Steelers navigated the draft and freeagency well, not making any huge splashes, beyond trading for Wide Receiver Micheal Pittman Jr. and signing him to a three-year extension.
Looking at the Steelers roster this season leaves a lot of questions: is this a playoff team? Can this team compete in a division that includes two of the current best quarterbacks in the league; Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson? Will Rodgers stay healthy? How will Coach McCarthy change the team? And was he the right hire?
Geneva
Geno DeMarco coached the Geneva Golden Tornadoes for 33 years and has had a significant impact on both the program and the community; his retirement leaves big shoes to fill. New Brighton-local, Tom Contenta, is who has stepped up to the challenge. Contenta has been with the program in varying capacities since 2007, serving as assistant coach, switching between offensive and defensive coordinator, as well as the recruiting coordinator. His experience is invaluable in leading the Golden Tornadoes to a victory this season and many to come.
Another offseason plight was that of Quarterback Caleb Romano and the transfer portal. Romano, who led the PAC in completions, yards, and touchdowns last season, announced that he would be heading to the transfer portal at the end of last season, coinciding with the retirement of Coach DeMarco, who recruited him. However, the gunslinger quickly withdrew from the portal, announcing a return to the blackand-gold.
These similarities between the Steelers and Golden Tornado teams are uncanny.
Fortunately, the offseason is not all that Geneva football has to talk about. The team won their season opener at home, a 21-14 victory over Widener University. The game was not off to a pretty start, with both teams struggling to put together an offense. The second half of the game turned things around, where Geneva buckled down, and outscored the Pride 21-7, taking the win, and an important lesson. This team has a second gear. The yips can be expected with a new coach and a new season, but they did not last long, and the Golden Tornadoes played an almost flawless second half. The defense played phenomenally throughout the game, only allowing 7 points.
The second half against Widener needs to be the blueprint for Geneva football under the new head, Coach Conenta. Scoring two touchdowns on the ground, while also passing for 335 yards is a two-pronged attack that opponents will fear.
Last year, Geneva finished 6-2 in conference play, ending in 4th place in the PAC. Although the team underwent significant changes, their future is bright. Going 6-1 does not seem impossible (Geneva only plays seven conference games this year). Don’t be surprised if Coach Conenta leads the Golden Tornadoes to top-3.
TOBEY BROWN
