Morning Journal / Michael Burich The 2024 Leetonia football team.

LEETONIA — “There’s no place like home” is a famous phrase from the classic movie “Wizard of Oz.” For Leetonia’s head coach Matt Altomare, that phrase speaks volumes to his return to the Bears sideline in 2024.

After resigning from the Leetonia Bears head coaching position nine years ago, Altomare returns this fall to the sidelines that he literally grew up on. Altomare played and graduated from Leetonia, served as an assistant coach under his father Artie, and then eventually took over the Bears program following his father stepping down after the 2006 season.

“I have a lot of good memories watching games in the stands when I was young, being a water boy, and playing under these lights,” Altomare said. “Coaching at this stadium as both an assistant and as a head coach. There have been a lot of good times.

“It was a pretty quick process. I talked it over with my family because that is the most important thing first, and it came together quickly. It was very difficult to leave there (Lisbon). If you are going to give your time, effort and energy to this sport and these kids, you have to coach them as if they are your own. You have to invest in them. It wasn’t an easy decision.”

Now with his children in middle school at Leetonia, he is looking for an opportunity to be closer to his family. Coaching at Leetonia will allow him to spend more time with his family every day.

“I would hope no one would ever fault anyone for making decisions based upon their family. But that is what it is,” Altomare said. “My children both go to school here in fifth and sixth grade and my son is playing football this year. It’s a family decision and I think it is where we need to be.”

Even though Altomare continued to work as a teacher in the Leetonia School District, he did not go near the football facility for the past nine years. It wasn’t until this past February that he returned to the locker room and his former coaching office.

“Now when I was at Lisbon, I was in the away locker room, but I wasn’t allowed anywhere else. It’s crazy because everything is different, but then everything kind of rushed back to me,” Altomare said. “I’m not saying anything bad about the previous three or four coaches, but I still found some of my old stuff there.”

With Altomare being a teacher in the district, he has the advantage of the students and players on the Bears’ team knowing him. He is a mentor that they have had around them for many years, just not as their head coach on the football field.

“Just on the team currently, my Godson is on the team, a cousin is on the team, and I have taught all of these kids for six years since I’m the elementary physical education teacher K through sixth grade,” Altomare said. “And a lot of these kids I have taught their parents, and I played with a lot of these kids’ dads. So, there is a lot of familiarity there.”

“I had him (Altomare) in elementary school, and he was always fun with teaching us. Now that he is our football coach it is nice to have a familiar face as the coach,” senior receiver/linebacker Ralph Spotleson said.

With the internal hiring of Altomare as the Bears head coach, the program has already had a positive reaction. Students have a greater level of comfort in knowing the coach, resulting in some additional players trying out for football this summer.

“We have had the most students try out for football this year than in probably the past 10 years. Of course, not all have stayed, but that is okay,” Altomare said. “A number of kids came out and tried, and that is all I can ask of them. This is the greatest sport in the world, and I love doing this. But football isn’t for everybody. We lost a few, but we also picked up a lot. We are sitting at about 33 or 34 kids. We have always been the smallest school in the county. It is what it is. I tell the kids, ‘Nobody cares, just work harder’.”

“We had 11 seniors last year that graduated. So, to see at least 27, we will need a lot of people to help us this year,” Spotleson said. “We still have a couple that we need to come out for the team, but we are happy with the people we have on the team now.”

Altomare is focused not only on the Bears high school program, but also on the program for youth up to the high school level. Something that will benefit the Bears in the long run.

“Our numbers are healthy at the high school level. We are struggling a little bit at the junior high level right now, but our youth league program, we kind of took that over and increased those numbers immensely. We are trying to build it all the way through,” Altomare said. “We are trying to put our money where our mouth is. My goal is to have a few more players come out after the start of the season rather than see a few quit.”

For the senior players on the Bears team, this year will mark the fourth consecutive season that they have been led by a different head coach. Paul Hulea their freshman year, John Protopapa their sophomore season and then Scott Fredericks last season.

“We came in as a staff and said that we were going to start from ground zero. It’s not a knock on our kids, but we needed to get even simpler yet. It’s not that our kids can’t handle it, it’s just the fact that they have had four different coaches, four different terminologies and cadences. So, everything has been different every year. The only constant that these kids have had is change,” Altomare said. “And we have had to change as a coaching staff to adapt to the kids. It’s a lot to handle.”

Altomare pointed out that Spotleson is an excellent example of what a senior player should be on a team, from being the first one on and the last one off the practice field. He also helps the coaching staff in any way he can. As an example of his commitment to the program, he brought in a ladder from home to help Altomare hang a banner in the locker room recently.

“We have had to learn a new offense every year,” Spotleson said. “My freshman year, everyone above me knew the playbook, so it was kind of nerve-racking for me to learn it. But with coach coming in, we all have to learn it from senior to freshman. We’re learning together.”

No matter what success the Bears enjoy this year, the program will return to its roots of having an Altomare roaming the sideline once again.

OFFENSE

The Bears return a good core of starters with experience; however, they don’t have much-experienced depth. The Bears’ offense averaged less than 10 points per game last year, so they are looking to reach the end zone more this year.

Senior Carson Brock (1,418 yards, 6 TDs) returns as a three-year starting quarterback with sophomore Dylan Johns and freshman Gray Henderson serving as backups. In the backfield with Brock will be senior running back Cam Roller and junior Ethan Mathias. Johns (149 rushing, 288 passing yards) will also help out in the backfield along with sophomore Jason King.

With the graduation of the Bears’ leading rusher/receiver Tatum Finley, they will need to have players like sophomores Mason Cibula, Devon Randolph and Brayden Gainey, along with seniors Draven Huston and Ralph Spotleson step up to fill the void. Newcomer Will Henderson could see some action too. Also in the mix is senior tight end Brayden Earl. Freshmen Brock Temple and Morgan Bauman will provide depth behind Earl.

The Bears’ linemen will be the most experienced unit on offense as they return senior Jacob Eichler along with juniors Jacob Riffee, Jaden Rivers and Michael Mango. Also in the mix will be sophomores Dylan Bennett, Dominis Lewis and Ryan Spotleson.

DEFENSE

The Bears’ defense last year surrendered over 35 points per game. That is something that the Bears will try to concentrate on lower this season. Much like the offense, defensively they have experienced starters and will need to stay healthy in order to be successful.

The linebacking corps should be the strength of the Bears’ defense both in experience and depth with Roller (110 tackles, a school record) leading the way following an outstanding 2023 season. Also returning are Mathias (31 tackles) Eichler, Earl, Cibula, Ralph Spotleson and King. Henderson will also look to see some playing time at linebacker.

In the trenches, Riffee, Rivers and Mango provide them with a solid trio of anchors up front. Add in Bennett, Lewis, and Ryan Spotleson, and the Bears will be able to rotate their linemen in games.

The defensive backfield will feature Brock at free safety along with Johns, Randolph Gainey, and Huston at cornerback. Sophomore Dylan Brown may also provide some depth.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Finley was not only the top offensive weapon for the Bears last year, but he also was their kicker. Coach Altomare will be searching for someone to step up and help with kicking duties. Cibula split time with Finley last year with punting, so he should have the role full-time this season. Johns and Earl are the only two returning punt/kickoff returners, so Altomare will be evaluating who can help out in the return game in preseason scrimmages.

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