WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Nine 2016

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 | 5:47 PM

This past weekend already marked the conclusion of the 2016 WPIAL football regular season. This campaign brought about massive changes courtesy of the realignment, which produced both positive and negative outcomes. Still, Week 9 had significant meaning to the dozens of teams in playoff contention, as well as to the teams and players who took the field for the final team this year. This week’s batch of plays includes a game-sealing interception in the closing seconds in a battle of neighboring schools, a long run that broke open a matchup of top teams in 1A, another tight bout in the Beaver Valley Conference with a playoff spot on the line, and a pick-6 in a key matchup in 5A.

1. Franklin Regional 24, Gateway 19

Although the results of other games would’ve ultimately assured the Panthers a playoff spot regardless of the outcome, at the time, Franklin Regional was battling against the rival Gators to head to the postseason. With Gateway approaching the red zone trailing by five in the final minute, the Panthers clamped down to defense. Vinny Pysnik intercepted a Brady Walker pass in the end zone, sealing the victory for FR.

MSA Sports’ Greg Warnock and Steve Nagler highlight the clinching pick with just 15 seconds left:

2. Clairton 32, Jeannette 13

The anticipated matchup between the unbeaten squads not only was to determine supremacy in the Eastern Conference, but also likely to determine the top seed in Class 1A. Although the game was tightly-contested for the vast majority of the play, Clairton managed to pull away in the latter stages. Bears superstar Lamont Wade, who was battling a knee injury, took his only carry of the fourth quarter for a game-clinching 56-yard score, putting Clairton ahead 26-13 with less than four minutes left.

MSA Sports’ Matt Vandriak and Donnie Chedrick have the call of the play that assured the Bears of another perfect regular season:

3. Beaver Falls 20, Beaver 15

The Beaver Valley Conference was again in the limelight in the WPIAL landscape on Friday, as Beaver and Beaver Falls battled. Beaver, once the top team in Class 3A, needed to win to earn a postseason spot. It was the Tigers who gained the upper hand, though, and Beaver Falls held an 11-point lead after a Nate Stratton score just about midway through the final quarter. The Bobcats trimmed that deficit, and with just a few minutes remaining, they had an opportunity to notch a comeback win. Beaver faced a fourth down, though, and the Tigers came up with the stop to not only end the game, but the Bobcats season.

WBVP-AM 1230’s Bob Barrickman and Kerry Lacey provide the commentary as the Tigers’ defense sealed the outcome, clinching a playoff birth for Beaver Falls:

4. Woodland Hills 28, Upper St. Clair 21

While playoff spots had long been assured for the Wolverines and the Panthers, the Week 9 battle between the squads determined a home playoff game. Woodland Hills, which needed late rallies to secure victories multiple times this season, instead jumped out to an early advantage. Deontae Robertson put the exclamation point on an impressive first half for Woody High, as he took an interception 40 yards for a score. His pick-six staked the Wolverines to a lead that proved to be too much for the Panthers to overcome in the second half.

Woodland Hills Sports Network’s Adam Gusky and Fred Guy highlight the defensive score that helped propel the Wolverines to the victory: