For the 18 seniors on Northern Cambria's football team, the program's latest coaching swap has done something different than the past two changes did not.
Bring familiarity.
Paul Taranto, the Colts' third varsity coach in as many years, was the current senior class's junior high coach and the offensive coordinator of the varsity team during their sophomore year.
''Having [Taranto] helps,'' senior running back Andy Paronish said. ''The offense we're doing is pretty much the same offense we ran a couple years ago, and we should be pretty comfortable with it.''
For a team that was as inconsistent as its coaching position has been the past few years in 2007, Northern Cambria's seniors will have to play a major role if the team is to have any kind of success in 2008.
''The seniors are the nucleus of the team,'' Taranto said. ''The linemen, the backs and the skill players are full of seniors. Without the senior class, we'd be lost.
''They are a good group of kids that are hard-nosed football players.''
Taranto hopes the combination of the familiarity of his system and the leadership of the senior class will help make Northern Cambria's latest transition a positive one.
''You can't tell whether the changes bother them or not by the way they act,'' Taranto said. ''I'm sure it bothers them somewhat, but they roll with the punches.
''They know the game, so if I bring in a new defense or a new offense they pick it up in no time at all.''
The Colts began 2007 with a 4-2 record, including an opening-night loss to District 6 Class A runner-up Purchase Line by just six points and a one-point loss at Penns Manor. But rather than build off the solid start, Northern Cambria lost its last three games, including falling by 30 at home against Laurel Valley and a season-ending 42-6 loss to Ligonier Valley.
''We need to improve our attitude overall,'' Taranto said. ''We need to get excited about things. We just go through the motions sometimes and don't get too excited about things.
''We need to get that pride, because athletically, they're big and they're strong so all they need is that attitude, a little swagger.''
