WPIAL & City League Football Player Preview: All Eyes on South Fayette's Joey Audia

South Fayette football player Joey Audia stands for a picture while at the Evolve camp on Aug. 2,2020.

SOURCE: (TWITTER, @JoeyAudia)

One in a series on motivated high school football players in the WPIAL and City League.

Just a couple of years ago, in 2018, South Fayette's baseball team won the WPIAL 5A Boys Baseball championship. Joey Audia, a rising senior at South Fayette High School, was not on the team. When Audia was a little kid, many of his friends might have thought that he would play high school baseball since he played the sport for nine years before deciding not to play anymore when he got to his freshman year of high school in 2017.

However, for Audia, instead of being part of South Fayette's WPIAL championship baseball team in 2018, he decided to train hard in the gym and on the football field that would result in him being a part of South Fayette's 2018 WPIAL 4A Football championship team. That day on Nov. 17, 2018, when South Fayette defeated Thomas Jefferson in the WPIAL 4A Football championship game by a score of 31-24 was Audia's favorite moment in high school up to this point. You could say that he didn't mind giving up baseball since he has a WPIAL football championship ring on his finger.

"So far, my favorite moment of high school was winning the WPIAL Championship at Heinz Field my sophomore year. That team had such a close bond and it was my first year starting varsity. Nothing like holding up the trophy on the field you dream playing at since a kid," said Audia, who also is on South Fayette's Track & Field team. "I know football is my main sport, and I didn’t have time for baseball because of Track & Field in the spring. I’m always excited to get the glove back out though when a few of my baseball friends want to go play."

Audia, who is a kick returner, defensive back, and wide receiver for the Lions, stepped up his game in his junior year this past season. In 2019, on offense, Audia recorded 57 receptions for 738 yards while scoring eight touchdowns. On defense, he recorded two interceptions and 45 tackles. Even as a kick returner, Audia recorded 543 return yards. Yes, Audia is making plays everywhere on the field; he even blocked a field goal this past season. That's how explosive he is.

Audia's head football coach Joe Rossi describes him as a great route runner and explosive with the ball in his hands. Audia knowing that Joe Rossi is his head coach makes him feel comfortable as a player.

"It’s great playing for Coach Rossi. Obviously, he has a lot of knowledge, wins, and great players under his belt. It feels good to know we can just go out and play without having to worry about the right plays or schemes being called," said Audia.

Audia was one of the three wide receivers for the Lions that recorded over 700+ receiving yards in 2019. Last season, the leader in receiving yards for the Lions was Charley Rossi, who recorded 820 receiving yards. The relationship that Audia has with his teammate Charley, who is also a rising senior, is so strong that their friends know more than anyone else would.

"Charley and I have been close friends since going to youth camps together at eight years old. We basically are with each other every day whether, it is football related or just chilling together with some friends. It’s awesome to take the field with him and make some defenses worried about our duo," said Audia, who has a 3.9 grade point average in school.

Audia's South Fayette Lions lost to Belle Vernon in the WPIAL 4A Football semifinals in 2019 by a score of 41-30. After that loss, he basically learned that his team needs to play all four quarters and not feel comfortable until the clock hits 0:00.

"Last year after the playoff loss to Belle Vernon, I think my team learned to never be satisfied and that the only team that can beat us is ourselves. The team as a whole made mistakes and we got a little too comfortable being up 17-0 after the first quarter. It just make us hungrier to do big things this coming season," said Audia.

Since that loss, he personally has been trying to improve his game and he is even part of Evolve, which is an organization that provides opportunities to young men in the Pittsburgh Area utilizing training and football as a tool to engage youth academically. Just back on Sunday, Audia was at an Evolve camp in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania as he was working with a lot of other WPIAL football players.

"It was awesome getting invited to compete with some of the best players around the area. I’ve got to know a lot of those kids down at the camp from training with D Brown at 2/10ths for a few years now. Always fun having great competition," said Audia, who works at Snapology in South Fayette.

Audia got into the football at the age of five years old and would always watch the Steelers. A player that he loved back in the day was Willie Parker. He wanted to be like Parker, and when his parents signed him up to play football at a young age, they made sure Audia would wear the number 39. He has loved the game ever since, and now, close to 13 years later, he sees himself playing in his last year of high school football. He is even excited to see his Lions move up to 5A after playing in 4A for multiple years.

"I am very excited for my senior year of high school football. I just can’t wait to strap up the pads with my brothers again even with all the restrictions going on right now. A goal for me is obviously to win a championship, but also to continue to perfect my craft and build on the success that came my way last season," said Audia. "The team and I can’t wait to move up to 5A this season. We’re looking forward to playing some more competition with schools very close to us."

Anyone that watches Audia plays can see the quickness that he has, the passion for the game of football that he has, and the hard hitting and tackling that he brings on the field. With this being Audia's last season of football, he knows that he has to be even better to receive more college offers. That's why all Audia has been doing since the COVID-19 pandemic is just working out and getting better at football.

"I have a small school offer from Occidental College, an NCAA Division III football school, out on the west coast. Other than that, I’ve been having many conversations with Ivy League and DI-FCS schools," said Audia. "I’m pretty much working out every day whether it’s conditioning, route running, or lifting weights. I like to eat pretty healthy with a lot of protein. My friends are always messing with me about drinking my protein shake or bringing an apple everywhere I go, but I’m just used to it by now."

For Audia, he is one of the many rising football seniors from the WPIAL and PIAA that want to end their high school football career with a happy ending. For him, winning a PIAA football title would be a happy ending to his high school football career. Will him and his fellow senior teammates that include players such as Naman Alemada, Charley Rossi, Ryan O'Hair, Ryan McGuire, Bryce Spolnik, Shay Aitken and Haiden Litwinovich be able to end their high school football careers on top? Well, go to their games in the 2020 season and you'll find your answer.

Brentaro Yamane: bkyamane@gmail.com and Twitter/Instagram @BYHilton13