A WORD WITH ANTWUAN REED

Antwuan Reed returned to coach at his alma mater when Greater Johnstown was at its lowest point.

In the three seasons prior to his arrival in 2021, the Trojans had compiled a 1-29 record. When he took over in 2021, Johnstown had lost 11 in a row, and it was time for a change.

To look at just wins and losses, things have remained the same in Reed’s two full seasons in Johnstown. The Trojans went winless in his first season and duplicated that record last year, meaning they still haven’t won a football game since October 18, 2019.

However, Reed’s football goals extend beyond the product on display for 2 hours on 10 Fridays in the fall. He truly is building a program from the ground up, and he believes that begins with building better young men. That has been a major focus for him during his first two seasons, and by that measure, his teams have been undeniably successful.

Leaps forward on the gridiron, he knows, will come with time. How could they not with a coach like Reed, who is one of the best high school players to emerge from Western Pennsylvania in the 21st Century?

Reed graduated from Greater Johnstown in 2008 after back-to-back seasons as a first team All-State running back, gaining more than 4,200 yards in his career. His team won a District 6 championship, and he was named to the Big 33 game. He went on to play at Pitt, where he became a regular in the Panthers’ secondary in his freshman season. Reed eventually started for two seasons and lettered in all four. His success got him an invitation to training camp with the Cleveland Browns, but a knee and quad injury effectively ended his playing career.

Reed took some time in the days leading up to the Trojans’ game against Tyrone at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field on Friday to speak to Orange and Black and discuss his program’s progress, how he measures success, and how his team stacks up against Tyrone.

ORGANGE AND BLACK: What are some takeaway you had from your game last week against Forest Hills (a 47-0 loss)? That’s a tough team and a difficult way to start the season.

REED: The little things. Take care of the little things. We can’t take plays off. We have to take advantage of every snap. We’ve got to be able to push through everything. It was a hot, humid day, and you have to be able to fight through that. We also need a sense of urgency in everything.