2022 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the cornerbacks

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, August 23, 2022 | 12:05 AM

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Western Pennsylvania football was always known for its quarterbacks and linemen, but that’s changed in recent decades.

Ty Law, Darrelle Revis and some other former WPIAL stars added cornerback to the map. And with the rise of pass-heavy spread offenses nowadays, high school teams need as many good cornerbacks as they can find.

The WPIAL has at least one Power 5 recruit at the position this year in Chartiers Valley’s Lamont Payne, though others could soon join him.

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top cornerbacks for the 2022 season.

1. Lamont Payne

Chartiers Valley

Senior, 6-1, 185

The Penn State commit is one of Pennsylvania’s top recruits in the 2023 class. He committed last August to the Nittany Lions over offers from Pitt, West Virginia, Kent State, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia Tech. Payne had 27 tackles and one interception and earned first-team all-conference honors last season but also contributed heavily on offense. He caught 26 passes for 344 yards and six touchdowns.

Watch Lamont Payne highlights

2. Brandon Banks

Aliquippa

Junior, 6-0, 170

Banks is the latest in a long line of talented Aliquippa cornerbacks. As a sophomore, he contributed four interceptions, a pick six and four punt return touchdowns as the Quips won WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A titles last season. He also made 42 total tackles, earning him first-team all-conference. His interception return was a 50-yarder. He has D1 offers from Kent State, Toledo and UMass.

Watch Brandon Banks highlights

3. Raion Strader

Penn Hills

Senior, 6-0, 170

The Miami (Ohio) recruit is a playmaker on both sides of the ball. The first-team all-conference defensive back showed his skills with two interceptions last season and also caught 19 passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns. His longest TD catches covered 65 and 56 yards. He also received an offer from Toledo.

Watch Raion Strader highlights

4. Xxavier Thomas

Central Catholic

Sophomore, 5-9, 155

Thomas started for the Vikings as a freshman and led the team in interceptions with four, one he returned for a touchdown. Thomas also had 30 solo tackles, recovered one fumble and was strong in pass coverage. He’s the brother of Central Catholic grad Rodney Thomas, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Colts.

Watch Xxavier Thomas highlights

5. Jack Reilly

Bethel Park

Senior, 5-9, 160

Reilly isn’t the biggest cornerback in the WPIAL, but he plays the position with toughness and his impact is large. He had two interceptions last season when he earned second-team all-conference honors in Class 5A. He received his first Division I offer earlier this month from Dayton. His coaches describe him as a relentless worker, who spends the offseason studying film of receivers he’ll face.

Watch Jack Reilly highlights

Ones to watch

Amere Brown and William “Scoop” Smith

Woodland Hills

Woodland Hills’ opponents could be seeing these two names for years. Brown, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, and Smith, a 5-5 freshman, could become young stars for the Wolverines. The multi-sport athletes already list one D1 basketball offer apiece. Brown started last season at cornerback, returned an interception 50 yards for a TD and earned second-team all-conference honors.

Watch Amere Brown highlights

• • • • •

Position breakdowns

QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | CB | S | K

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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.