5 things we learned in high school football Week 10: Wildcat formation works for WPIAL teams

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, November 4, 2023 | 9:41 PM

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The wildcat formation is almost as old as WPIAL football itself, but the run-oriented offense is proving hard to stop.

What makes it work?

“It’s the mentality of our line and our team in general,” said Moon running back Josh Bladel, who’s becoming a wildcat expert. “We want to play a physical game of football. I think other teams don’t really want to do that.”

There isn’t much mystery to the offense. A running back takes a direct snap and barrels ahead, but it’s proven to be a winning strategy here in the WPIAL playoffs.

Moon and Pine-Richland are among the teams that lean heavily on the wildcat, and both advanced to the Class 5A semifinals with run-heavy wins Friday night. Others will use it for a series here or there, but it’s Plan A for many teams.

Moon took the opening kickoff Friday and moved 80 yards in 20 plays — all wildcat runs. The drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown by Bladel, who carried 32 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-31 win over Gateway.

“People stop it, but it’s all about having great pad level and defeating blocks,” Gateway coach Don Holl said.

As a team, Moon rushed 69 times for 295 yards — mostly from a wildcat formation — while the team’s traditional quarterback attempted only six passes. Their longest run was a 36-yarder and only four carries went for more than nine, but they always kept pushing forward.

“It’s a ‘want to’ on our guys’ end to go get it done,” Moon coach Ryan Linn said. “We try to watch how they’re lined up to us and keep adjusting as we go.”

Linn said he tries to revamp the formation from week to week so it doesn’t look the same on film. Against Gateway, the Tigers took their three H-backs and added them all to one side of the line.

“We made it basically 10 (blockers) across the front,” Linn said. “It’s like, ‘Hey, defend a side,’ and we’re going to go the other way. It’s unique to us.”

In another quarterfinal Friday, Pine-Richland got three touchdowns from wildcat quarterback Ethan Pillar in a 51-6 victory over Bethel Park.

Pine-Richland at times uses a traditional quarterback, but the wildcat was the Rams’ key to winning WPIAL and PIAA titles a year ago. They’re hoping it will be again. Pillar had a WPIAL-record 56 carries in a game earlier this season.

2. A historic guarantee

One playoff matchup was destined to be historic no matter which team won.

Neither Deer Lakes nor Southmoreland had won a WPIAL football playoff game before the teams met Friday. Deer Lakes won 48-18. It was a milestone for a high school that was formed in 1969, when West Deer and East Deer-Frazer merged.

Now only two active football teams — Southmoreland and Summit Academy — never have won a WPIAL playoff game.

Southmoreland has been around since 1964 merger of Scottdale and East Huntingdon. Summit Academy, a private school in Butler County for court-adjudicated youth, joined the WPIAL in 1998.

3. Big night for Big 7s

The two conference names are spelled slightly differently, but both the Big 7 and the Big Seven had big nights. Combined, their teams went 6-1 in opening-round games.

The Big 7, a Class A conference, got wins from No. 1 seed South Side, No. 5 Union and No. 10 Rochester, which edged No. 7 Cornell, 20-19, in overtime. The conference’s only loss was by No. 13 Laurel to No. 4 Clairton.

The Big Seven, a Class 4A conference, went 3-0 on Friday. Arguably the biggest victory was by No. 10 Trinity, which upset No. 7 North Catholic, 49-0. Also winning were No. 6 Thomas Jefferson and No. 9 Latrobe, which upset No. 8 West Allegheny, 39-7. Big Seven champion McKeesport drew a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed.

The Class 3A Western Hills (3-0) and Class 2A Midwestern (3-1) also had good starts.

4. Better luck next year

Not every conference had reason to celebrate.

In fact, the Big East became the first conference eliminated from the WPIAL playoffs when Gateway, Franklin Regional and Penn-Trafford lost in Class 5A.

The Tri-County South also had a rough start with three of its four qualifiers losing. However, conference champion California (10-1) celebrated a win. The Trojans defeated Jeannette, 44-6, to keep the Tri-County South’s hopes alive in Class A.

5. Two is better than one

Thomas Jefferson began the season with a two-quarterback rotation that now has lasted all year.

In Friday’s playoff win over Kiski Area, senior Brody Evans passed for 218 yards and three touchdowns, and junior Luke Kosko had 114 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, they alternated TD passes, with Evans throwing the first, Kosko throwing the next two and Evans getting the final two.

But Thomas Jefferson wasn’t the only team to win Friday with a dynamic duo. West Mifflin running backs Armand Hill and DelRicco White combined for 383 yards and five touchdowns in a 40-14 win over Mt. Pleasant. Hill, a freshman, was the WPIAL’s leading rusher Friday with 214 yards and scored four times. White ranked sixth this week with 169 yards.

Staff writer Don Rebel contributed.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.