Onuschak's bright future already on full display for Marauders
11/7/2019 3:30:00 PM | Football, Features
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Sometimes it takes time to find the best fit.
For Millersville's Isaiah Onuschak, the PSAC's leading tackler, it took a year off and a new environment to thrive on the field. After finishing high school, the redshirt freshman spent a month at Lackawanna College before leaving school.
"I didn't think that I wanted to continue playing when I was there," explained Onuschak. "I lost the urge for it, I guess...It was a bad decision on my end to stop playing--an immature decision. But now that I'm back, ever since I got here...it has been a good environment."
After making the decision to return to football, Onuschak's high school coach reached out to Millersville. Millersville's defensive coordinator Matt Sutjak, a native of Slatington, Pa., and plenty familiar with football in the Lehigh Valley, had previously looked into Onuschak when he played for Bethlehem Catholic.
"It ended up being a good fit for him and a good fit for us," Sutjak said. The coaches got Onuschak involved beginning in last January and worked with him throughout the spring season along with summer and winter workouts.
Onuschak has excelled at Millersville and is currently ranked first in the PSAC in tackles with a total of 93 (10.3 per game). He is also tied for fourth in the PSAC in sacks (6).
"As we have progressed through this season we have changed a lot to get him in a position to make plays because he shows us he can do it. He can rush the quarterback, he can cover down running backs, he can do a lot for us and he is a very good tackler," Sutjak said. "A lot of our packages are developed around him because he showed he can rush the quarterback and get there and make some splash plays which a lot of people have seen."
The 6-foot-1 weak side linebacker not only leads in tackles and sacks, as Sutjak said, he makes plays that pop and has a knack for finding the ball with a team-leading four forced fumbles. His fourth quarter sack in the season opener at Pace, pushed Pace to the outer-limits of field goal range, and the subsequent miss sealed the win for Millersville.
"He is having a great year statistically but he also knows football really well," Sutjak continued. "We are able to adjust to put him in these positions and he understands why we are doing it and what he needs to do when he gets into those positions."
Onuschak does more than lead the team in numbers. He takes initiative by asking questions in the meeting room and studying the game.
"That is great to have as a coach, a guy that is always going to bring it, regardless of the circumstances," Sutjak said. "He wants to get out there and learn it. He doesn't want to be standing on the sideline watching his teammates play."
Onuschak has proved himself a vital member of the team's defense since the first game of the season.
"To be honest with you, I'm really excited about where he is going to go from here," Sutjak said. "He's having a great season but he's got three more with us. To see him progress each year is what is going to be really special and I hope that right now we have the worst version of Isaiah we are going to have. Because three years from now he will be twice the football player he is and I definitely think he has that ability."
For Millersville's Isaiah Onuschak, the PSAC's leading tackler, it took a year off and a new environment to thrive on the field. After finishing high school, the redshirt freshman spent a month at Lackawanna College before leaving school.
"I didn't think that I wanted to continue playing when I was there," explained Onuschak. "I lost the urge for it, I guess...It was a bad decision on my end to stop playing--an immature decision. But now that I'm back, ever since I got here...it has been a good environment."
After making the decision to return to football, Onuschak's high school coach reached out to Millersville. Millersville's defensive coordinator Matt Sutjak, a native of Slatington, Pa., and plenty familiar with football in the Lehigh Valley, had previously looked into Onuschak when he played for Bethlehem Catholic.
"It ended up being a good fit for him and a good fit for us," Sutjak said. The coaches got Onuschak involved beginning in last January and worked with him throughout the spring season along with summer and winter workouts.
Onuschak has excelled at Millersville and is currently ranked first in the PSAC in tackles with a total of 93 (10.3 per game). He is also tied for fourth in the PSAC in sacks (6).
"As we have progressed through this season we have changed a lot to get him in a position to make plays because he shows us he can do it. He can rush the quarterback, he can cover down running backs, he can do a lot for us and he is a very good tackler," Sutjak said. "A lot of our packages are developed around him because he showed he can rush the quarterback and get there and make some splash plays which a lot of people have seen."
The 6-foot-1 weak side linebacker not only leads in tackles and sacks, as Sutjak said, he makes plays that pop and has a knack for finding the ball with a team-leading four forced fumbles. His fourth quarter sack in the season opener at Pace, pushed Pace to the outer-limits of field goal range, and the subsequent miss sealed the win for Millersville.
"He is having a great year statistically but he also knows football really well," Sutjak continued. "We are able to adjust to put him in these positions and he understands why we are doing it and what he needs to do when he gets into those positions."
Onuschak does more than lead the team in numbers. He takes initiative by asking questions in the meeting room and studying the game.
"That is great to have as a coach, a guy that is always going to bring it, regardless of the circumstances," Sutjak said. "He wants to get out there and learn it. He doesn't want to be standing on the sideline watching his teammates play."
Onuschak has proved himself a vital member of the team's defense since the first game of the season.
"To be honest with you, I'm really excited about where he is going to go from here," Sutjak said. "He's having a great season but he's got three more with us. To see him progress each year is what is going to be really special and I hope that right now we have the worst version of Isaiah we are going to have. Because three years from now he will be twice the football player he is and I definitely think he has that ability."
Players Mentioned
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