Mars football 2025 preview: What to watch, 3 things to know and schedule
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Mars' Jameson Garvin tracks his man during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars' Gabe Hein works on catching during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars' Ethan Kresinski takes a water break during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars offensive coordinator, Andrew Rossi, works with the offensive line during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars' Adam Budzelik competes during a drill at football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars' Colin Yurisinec passes the ball during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Luciano Cuzzocrea of Mars' tries to make a play on defense during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars' Ethan Kresinski participates in drills during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars' Ayden Yocum does footwork drills during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars' Dom DeBasi kicks a field goal during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars' Maddox Schumann catches a pass during receiver drills at football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars football head coach Eric Kasperowicz talks to a player during football practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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Mars football conducts heat acclimation practice Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Jared Todhunter/Special to the Eagle
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(L-R) Mars’ Ethan Kresinski, Ayden Yocum, and Zach Dentel during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler Eagle sport’s writer Brendan Howe talks with Mars’ assistant football coach Ed Malinowski during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Zach Dentel shoots hoops during some down time at the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Ethan Kresinski shoots hoops during some down time at the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Zach Dentel during Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Zach Dentel during Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Ethan Kresinski during Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Ethan Kresinski during Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Ayden Yocum during Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Mars’ Ayden Yocum during Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Head coach Eric Kasperowicz and Mars football have reached back-to-back WPIAL Class 4A semifinal games, but have been upended by Aliquippa and McKeesport.
There’s not a feeling of contentment around the program.
“By no means were they satisfied,” Kasperowicz said. “That was nowhere near where we wanted to be.”
The Planets retool at a few offensive spots, especially at the skill positions, but return four of five offensive linemen. They’ll aim to make it back to where they’ve been — and further — during Kasperowicz’ fourth year in charge.
Don’t expect any drop-off from Mars. If anything, Kasperowicz said, he expects even more.
“If you’re not getting better, I think at some point you need to look at yourself in the mirror and maybe it’s time to move on,” Kasperowicz said.
That mindset has trickled down to his players.
“I think we can be better than last year and just keep taking a step up,” senior linebacker/tight end Zach Dentel.
It’s all in the preparation, Planets wide receivers coach Ed Malinowski said. He said the coaching staff is “hyper-organized” and “have this process mindset.” Malinowski has a military background.
“We always used to joke, like, ‘If you went over to Eric’s house and you moved something, he would know,’” Malinowski said.
“You create a good process and then you put the pieces into the process.”
Using a quick tempo and situational drills, all while music fills the air, the Planets work through game-like experiences all week. Malinowski said they want practices to be harder than games and model it after a college practice.
The regiment allows for perfection each day, senior tailback Ayden Yocum said. Defensive end/tight end Ethan Kresinski noticed a increase in urgency.
“Just going from middle school, where we kind of did whatever — I feel like we kind of just had fun ... it’s run like a college in a way,” Kresinski said. “It’s very organized, you have the clock, you’re doing offense and defense (at the same time).”
“It was definitely a big change,” Dentel said.
1. Hein back in action: Wide receiver Gabe Hein won’t see too many one-on-one matchups. He’ll look ahead of him to see a linebacker readying to check him. A safety might tip his hand and show he’s also assigned to cover him.
“In the slot, you can get doubled pretty easy,” Malinowski said.
Mars’ coaching staff won’t make it easy for opposing defenses to slow the Sacred Heart commit.
“We’re not gonna keep him in one spot so teams can key on him,” Kasperowicz said. “He’s going to be all over for us.”
That includes sprinkling in some passes and runs for the program’s all-time leading receiver.
Junior Smyth Dunaway and sophomores Brady Brennan, Brody Spencer and Liam Corcoran are other targets for whoever plays quarterback — more on that later — to look toward.
2. Yocum steps up: Senior Ayden Yocum takes the role as Mars’ main ball carrier. He gave a reminder that Hein won’t be the only guy on the field for the attack.
“Just because Gabe is one of our star guys, it’s not just going to be him getting the ball and scoring,” Yocum said, who said he’s been best friends with Hein since second grade.
Biding his time behind Evan Wright and Eric Kasperowicz, the coach’s son, Yocum was a change-of-pace understudy in previous seasons, bringing speed and agility to the backfield.
Yocum had 71 carries for 331 yards and four touchdowns a season ago.
“We’re going to expect him to carry the load and hopefully get up to 20-plus carries a game,” Kasperowicz said. “He’s got a big job coming in front of him.”
3. Quarterback derby: Sophomores Will Dunaway, Nate Walker and Colin Yurisinec are vying for the starting spot behind center.
Last season, when senior quarterback Luke Goodworth was injured during a Week 4 loss at Aliquippa and lost for the remainder of the campaign, Walker was thrust into the starting role.
Walker, whose uncle is former Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Neil Walker, avoided mistakes and made correct decisions while running run-pass options. Malinowski said he’s noticed increased confidence from Dunaway. Yurisinec, Malinowski added, is the “most mobile of the bunch.”
“At the end of the day, the guy that makes the most plays and keeps us out of harm’s way will be the starter,” Kasperowicz said.
- Aug. 22, 7 p.m. — Mars at Beaver
- Aug. 29, 7 p.m. — Mars at Bethel Park
- Sept. 5, 7 p.m. — Mars at North Hills
- Sept. 12, 7 p.m. — Aliquippa at Mars
- Sept. 19, 7 p.m. — Mars at Montour
- Sept. 26, 7 p.m. — West Mifflin at Mars*
- Oct. 3, 7 p.m. — Knoch at Mars*
- Oct. 10, 7 p.m. — Mars at McKeesport*
- Oct. 17, 7 p.m. — Hampton at Mars*
- Oct. 24, 7 p.m. — Mars at Indiana*
*Division/section/conference game
