Dual-threat QB Logan Shrubb leads Keystone Oaks into new-look conference

By: Don Rebel
Tuesday, August 25, 2020 | 12:01 AM

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Since expansion to six classifications four years ago, Keystone Oaks has had four winning seasons playing against elite teams from Beaver County in Class 3A.

The Golden Eagles have a combined record of 26-14 since 2016 but have only one playoff trip to show for it. The combination of Gardner points or just missing out has kept Keystone Oaks in a spectator role for the last three WPIAL postseasons.

That appears to be ready to change, and quite possibly in a big way.

Change has come to the conference, changing from the Tri-County West to the Northwestern Six this season as three playoffs teams from 2019 in Aliquippa, Beaver Falls and South Park have moved out while defending district 2A champion Avonworth is moving on up and in to join Central Valley, Hopewell, Quaker Valley, KO and newcomer Ambridge.

“Obviously Central Valley is loaded and has great chance to win states,” Keystone Oaks coach Greg Perry said.

Golden Eagles senior quarterback Logan Shrubb can’t wait for conference play to begin.

“The thing I’m looking forward to the most this year is to play all the different teams due to the conference change,” he said. “You got to love new competition.”

Now in his seventh season at Keystone Oaks, Perry admits his team should be in the hunt in both the conference and the classification.

“I think this is one of our best teams coming back since I’ve been at KO,” Perry said.

Leading the way is the four-year starter Shrubb, who is one of the top quarterbacks in the district.

“I have very high expectations for the season,” Shrubb said. “I know we fell short in the past few years (of) the playoffs, but I really feel we have a squad here that can go do some good things.”

Last season, Shrubb connected on 113 of 209 passes for 1,590 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus he led the team in rushing with 1,231 yards and 14 more TDs.

“I feel he is the one of the best kids coming back in the WPIAL,” Perry said. “He is a two-time first team all-conference quarterback in a loaded conference and was the offensive MVP in the conference. He just competes his (tail) off and wants to win.”

The Golden Eagles return four linemen to help protect and open holes for Shrubb. They include seniors Connor Brown, Dana Shores and Zach Taylor and junior Luke White. All four start up front on defense as well.

Seeing time at the skill positions for Keystone Oaks will be junior Tyler Perry at running back and senior Mark Hutchin and juniors Owen Minford and speedster Sadeq Watts at wide receiver.

“We have seven or eight kids that have started games on offense coming back and with Logan, we should put up some points,” Perry said.

Shrubb will get a chance to play outside linebacker on defense this season.

“I couldn’t afford to get him banged up, but with this being his senior season, we are all a go,” Perry said.

Hutchin, Perry and junior Kevin Drew all return as starting linebackers for the Golden Eagles.

“Our linebacker crew should carry us with a lot of experience,” Perry said.

Keystone Oaks even returns its kicker in junior Rutger Randall.

“He’s a big-time soccer player who does a good job for us,” Perry said.

Perry believes his team grew a lot last year and hopes those building blocks from 2019 help build a championship-caliber team in 2020.

“(Last year) was a learning experience for us,” he said. “We played well at times and played inexperienced at other times. We were young across the board, which led to mistakes at crucial times which cost us. In 2020, I think we reap the rewards of that inexperience.”

Schedule

Coach: Greg Perry

2019 record: 6-4, 3-4 in Class 3A Tri-County West

All-time record: 435-436-37

Date, Opponent, Time

9.11, at Ambridge*, 7

9.18, at Steel Valley*, 7

9.25, Montour, 7

10.2, Avonworth*, 7

10.9, at Central Valley*, 7

10.16, Quaker Valley, 7

10.23, Hopewell*, 7

*Class 3A Northwestern Six Conference game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Logan Shrubb

113-209, 1,590 yards, 14 TDs

Rushing: Logan Shrubb

198-1,231 yards, 14 TDs

Receiving: Mark Hutchin

45-744 yards, 7 TDs

Fast facts

• Since expansion to six classes in 2016, Keystone Oaks has four straight winning records but hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2016. The Golden Eagles haven’t suffered a losing record since finishing 3-6 in 2014.

• Greg Perry is preparing for his seventh season as head coach of the school on the left side of McNeilly Road coming from Route 88. Perry was a longtime assistant and head coach at Seton LaSalle before moving across the street to Keystone Oaks.

• In passing for 1,590 yards and rushing for 1,231 yards, Logan Shrubb joined a list of less than a dozen quarterbacks from the WPIAL this past decade that both threw and ran for over 1,000 yards in a season.

• Keystone Oaks has never won a WPIAL football championship, but old Dormont High School won or shared four championships in a seven-year period in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Dormont’s last title came 75 years ago when it won the 1945 Class AA championship, 30-19, over Derry.

Tags: Keystone Oaks