Monessen’s Mizerak Jr. returns from ‘frustrating’ setback

Mark Mizerak Jr. was the quintessential big fish in a small pond. To his Class A opponents, Mizerak, at 6-foot-4 and near 300 pounds, must have looked like an eclipse in shoulder pads.

Regardless of whom he was facing, Mizerak, who attended Monessen before graduating from Greensburg Central Catholic, was attracting college attention. After all, players of his size — and who still haven’t fully matured physically — aren’t exactly a dime a dozen.

Mizerak would wind up at Division II Clarion, where coach Raymond Monica hoped he could become a key part of the offensive line. Coach and player got their wish as Mizerak, after taking a redshirt, worked his way into the Golden Eagles’ starting lineup and appeared in all 11 games in his first full season.

But just as Mizerak was establishing himself as a long-term contributor in the trenches, he was slowed by an injury. A bum ankle limited him to three games last season.

“It was a very frustrating setback,” Mizerak said. “I know injuries are part of the game, and it’s just unfortunate that I had to deal with it. I thought I had a pretty good freshman season and was really ready to amp it up and get after it.”

It might have taken longer than he would have liked, but Mizerak is back in his regular spot on the Clarion offensive line, and he helped the Golden Eagles get off to a surprising 2-0 start.

Clarion was picked to finish last in the seven-team PSAC West after winning two games in 2023, but, heading into its game at Shippensburg on Saturday, it was looking like a team that could be a nuisance to its divisional foes. Mizerak and the offense were a big part of that.

The Golden Eagles defeated Millersville, 36-7, and Lincoln, 20-9, behind efficient ball movement and stingy defense. Mizerak helped pave the way for a running game that averaged 4.6 yards per carry over the two wins.

He plays what he called “quick tackle,” because he will switch sides on the line depending on the formation. But the ankle injury robbed him of any quickness for a while.

The injury occurred in the first game of 2023 against Lincoln when someone rolled up on his ankle. Mizerak admitted he might have tried to rush back too quickly and ended up making the injury worse, hence being limited to three games.

“I had to take the long road and just do recovery and get back to where I am now,” he said.

The rehab involved stretching and mobility exercises, but, mostly, it involved rest. Mizerak said he still was trying to get back into the swing of things in the spring, but, once summer hit, he started to feel like his old self.

Of course, not only did the injury rob him of playing time, it hampered his overall growth as a college offensive lineman. While it’s true that 6-5, 300 pounds can’t be taught — those are the measurements ascribed to Mizerak on Clarion’s roster — using that size requires extensive schooling and refinement.

“I played (Class) 1-A football. It was night-and-day difference,” Mizerak said about the jump to Division II. “I came up here, and I’m used to just me being twice the size of guys and being able to just lean on them and put them in the dirt.”

The toughest part, Mizerak said, was learning pass protection.

“In high school, it’s just kind of get on that guy and just stick with him,” he said. “But in college, it’s way different. There’s different angles for your sets, different ways to use your hands: punching with one hand, punching with both. There’s a lot more that goes into it.

“I definitely feel a lot better pass-protection wise compared to where I was a year or two ago.”

Mizerak’s progress isn’t lost on Monica, who complimented the redshirt junior on his technique.

“His size helps him a great deal with a lot of stuff that he’s doing,” said Monica, in his third season at Clarion after head coaching stints at Kutztown (2006-12) and Division II Arkansas Tech (2013-18). “But to me, his technique and fundamentals have gotten better over the course of the last few years.”

Getting better is something Clarion hopes to do as the 2024 season continues to unfold. The Golden Eagles haven’t won more than three games since 2018 and haven’t had a winning season since 2015.

A young offensive line could be one of the big keys. There are no seniors among the group, which also comprises sophomore guard Devin Webb (Seneca Valley), junior center Jacob Domer (Pine-Richland), sophomore tackle Ruric Douglas and redshirt sophomore guard Josh Steele.

Mizerak said the linemen have developed a strong connection off the field as well as on.

And as the elder statesman of the group, Mizerak takes responsibility for being the leader. He said he tells the younger players to make sure they are doing the little things in practice and mastering the playbook.

“You could be the best player in the world,” he said, “but if you don’t know the plays, what you’re supposed to be doing, what good are you to us?”

Through two games, all of the Golden Eagles seemed to be on the same page. Bigger challenges, of course, must be overcome if the team hopes to gain some respectability in the tough PSAC West.

Mizerak said Clarion is focused on the “going 1-0 each week” approach, but, when the dust settles in mid-November, he believes the Golden Eagles will have made a strong impression.

“I feel very confident in this group,” he said. “We’ve all been working really hard since last season ended. … I think we’re ready to get after it.”