Big Game Hunting for Week Thirteen

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, November 23, 2016 | 3:59 PM

The six-pack becomes a five-pack this week, not at all unlike when Steve Nagler is coming over to your house for the back-yard barbecue, one just seems to disappear before he gets to the picnic. It’s a pair of District Seven Championships at stake Saturday and the three largest classifications go to work in the PIAA Tournament “proper” this weekend as well. You can stuff yourself with turkey and the fixins, we will stuff you full of the best WPIAL football coverage in the land, let’s go Big Game Hunting!

6 A PIAA Quarterfinals:
Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings (12-1) vs Williamsport Millionaires (12-1) Saturday November 26^th at 1:00 PM @ Mansion Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Sean Meyers and Don Chedrick

Williamsport is the District 4 Champions and the Millionaires played their first state playoff game in more than two decades last week in defeating State College 35-28, behind senior quarterback Isaiah Hankins who threw for three scores and rushed for another in the win.

The Vikes had a little adversity against Seneca Valley at Heinz Field but prevailed handily 42-7. J.J. Younger rushed for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns and also returned a kickoff 82 yards for a score.

Hankins has been the ultimate dual-threat all season for the Millionaires completing 131 of 187 passes for 2465 yards, 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He has also rushed for 853 yards and 13 more scores.

Senior Elliott Walker has 40 catches for 754 yards and 13 scores on the season.

Sophomore running back Treyson Potts has been insanely good for Williamsport with 175 carries for 1945 yards to go along with 33 touchdowns, he has amassed 2297 all-purpose yards this year.

Defensively junior linebacker Nathan Welch has a team-high 60 tackles, the Millionaires have 21 sacks on the season and 10 interceptions led by Elliott Walker’s four picks.

For the Vikes Troy Fisher has now completed 70 of 119 passes on the season for 1467 yards and 18 touchdowns, while throwing just five interceptions. He is not a big-play type of runner but is very tough when he needs to be and running behind a massive offensive line will just bull his way forward in short-yardage situations to extend a lot of Central drives.

Justice Evans leads the Vikings in receptions with 33 catches for 963 yards and 15 scores, he can hurt you in the return game as well.

J.J. Younger is Central’s leading rusher and the numbers are impressive all-around for this kid. Younger has rushed for 1345 yards and 22 scores. He has racked-up 1876 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns on the season.

Defensively Tim Terry and David Adams have combined as a line-backing duo to total 107 tackles on the season, working behind one of the best defensive lines in the state allows them to move freely sideline to sideline and make loads of tackles.

The Vikes have 13 sacks for the season and 13 interceptions.

5 A PIAA Quarterfinals:
West Allegheny Indians (12-0) vs Meadville Bulldogs (11-2) Friday November 25^th @ 7:00 PM at Newman Stadium on the campus of North Allegheny high school broadcast on WJPA AM 1450 and the MSA Sports Network by Bob Gregg and Nate Regotti

Meadville rolled over Hollidaysburg 76-29 in their opening round game of the PIAA tournament. Journey Brown rushed for 386 yards and scored six times in the win. Meadville is the District 10 Champion.

West Allegheny beat McKeesport in overtime on a Nick Ross Run for a two-point conversion, coming away with a 38-37 win, and picking up WPIAL title number eight for the program.

The Bulldogs are going to run the football, they have attempted just 47 passes as a team here in 2016. Quarterback Kirk Mumau has completed 21 of his 46 passes for 523 yards and 8 touchdowns while throwing four interceptions.

The Bulldogs rushing attack has some different numbers, three players have rushed for more than 1000 yards on the season. Brown is the leading rusher with 203 carries for 2621 yards and 44 touchdowns, yes I double checked all those numbers.

Junior Isaiah Manning has 127 carries for 1866 yards and 22 scores, while senior Antonio Ferraro has carried 134 times for 1165 yards and 14 touchdowns. Combine, those three guys have rushed for 5652 yards and 80 touchdowns. That deserves a WOW!

Defensively senior Austin Cottrell leads the Bulldogs with 80 tackles. Meadville does not put a lot of pressure on the quarterback with just 8.5 sacks on the season but they do get after the ball in the air with 15 picks led by Journey Brown’s four on the year.

The head coach of the West Allegheny Indians Bob Palko is appropriately impressed by those Meadville numbers telling MSA Sports, ” The numbers this this Meadville team has put up offensively are impressive. The talent they have at the running back position is scary. We have to try and eliminate the “big play” and hopefully make them drive the ball. Easier said then done. We also have to be effective on offense without turning the ball over. We have our work cut out for ourselves!”

The Indians have some impressive numbers of their own.

Nick Ross has completed 140 of 212 passes this year for the Indians. Ross has passed for 2180 yards and 14 touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions.

Brandon Lipford is the top receiver for the Indians with 41 catches for 700 yards and seven touchdowns on the year.

Mateo Vandamia has 34 catches for 565 yards he has scored four touchdowns through the air for the Indians.

On the ground Kenny White if available, has rushed for 1053 yards and 18 scores on the year. White was injured in the WPIAL championship game, as of press time his return was unknown. If White is unable to go, look for Will Weber to get the bulk of the carries in the rushing game for the Indians.

Defensively Matt Holmes is the West A leading tackler with 102 tackles on the season, Anthony Dellovade has chipped in with 86. The Indians have amassed 18 1/2 sacks led by five from Holmes.

4 A PIAA Quarterfinals:
Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (12-0) vs Erie Cathredral Prep Ramblers (11-0) Friday November 25^th @ 7:00 PM at Baldwin high school broadcast on WJPA FM 95.3 and the MSA Sports Network by Mark Uriah and Bill Dukett

The Ramblers rolled University Prep 58-12 behind three touchdown runs for Matthew Lupo in their opening round game. They are the District 10 Champions.

Meanwhile the Jaguars got an impressive rushing attack of their own defeating New Castle convincingly 42 – 7 in the WPIAL championship behind 248 yards and three touchdowns on the ground from Quinton Hill.

For the Ramblers Junior quarterback Joseph Mischler has completed 121 of 196 passes for 2145 yards and 31 touchdowns, he has only thrown six interceptions on the year.

His leading receiver for 2016 is another junior Henry Fessler with 31 catches for 515 yards and six touchdowns.

Tyler Oedekoven  has 28 catches but for 732 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season.

On the ground look for Lupo to get the bulk of the carries, for the season he has rushed 94 times for 648 yards and 11 scores.

Defensively Junior Matt Bauer has 78 tackles on the year for the Ramblers. Prep has amassed 29 sacks on the year led by seven for Bauer.

For the Jags, senior quarterback Bobby Kelly has completed 65 of 117 passes for 1455 yards and 29 touchdowns, while only throwing five interceptions.

He’s got a pair of great receivers in Jon Muehlbauer and Zane Zandier. Zandier has 37 catches for 787 yards and 18 scores. Muehlbauer has  23 catches 564 yards and nine touchdowns.

On the ground it’s the Quinton Hill show. Hill is the all-time leading rusher in the history of the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars. For 2016 he has 241 carries 1825 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Senior linebacker Luke Petruzzi leads the Jaguar defense with 47 tackles on the year.

The Jags defense has 28 sacks on the season led by Devin Danielson with nine.

2 A WPIAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
#1 Steel Valley Ironmen (12-0) vs #3 Neshannock Lancers (12-1) Saturday November 26^th @ 6:00 PM at Joe Walton Stadium on the campus of Robert Morris University broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Matt Vandriak and Johnny Lee

Steel Valley rolled past the Riverside Panthers 42 – 0 in their semi-final match up. DeWayne Murray 142 yards on the ground and four touchdowns Murray went over the 6000 yard mark for his career in the victory.

Meanwhile Neshannock got by Washington 27-7 in their semi-final Frank Antuono for a  score and throws for three more as the Lancers get the win.

Antuono has completed 130 of 216 passes on the year for 2114 yards and 24 touchdowns while throwing just 10 interceptions. He has also carried the football 162 times for 853 yards and 16 more scores.

 Danny Welker has 45 catches for 866 yards and 15 scores. Also keep an eye on Tyler Sear in the passing attack for the Lancers with 27 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns.

On the ground Sean Doran is the senior leading rusher for the Lancers 155 carries for 1105 yards and 14 scores.

Welker is the leading tackler for the Lancers as well with 70 tackles on the season.

Neshannock has 23 1/2 sacks led by Doran’s nine on the season. They also have 24 interceptions in the 2016 campaign led by Welker again with seven.

The Iron Man have mercy ruled every opponent in the 2016 campaign.

On the ground Murray has been an absolute force rushing 128 times for 1688 yards he has scored 38 touchdowns

Quarterback Ryan Harper will look to get the ball into the hands of Pitt recruit Paris Ford as much as possible. Ford has scored 19 touchdowns on the season and is a threat from anywhere on the field.

ZaiQuan Henderson is another huge threat for the Ironmen with speed and power, he has totaled 13 touchdowns for the year.

1 A WPIAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
#1 Clairton Bears (12-0) VS #3 Jeannette Jayhawks (12-1) Saturday November 26^th at 12:00 PM at Joe Walton Stadium on the campus of Robert Morris University broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Paul Paterra and Lou Rood

Clairton got a battle from the Northgate Flames but pulled away 34-18 and their semi-final match up behind 224 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns from Lamont Wade.Wade also returned interception for a touchdown in the victory.

The Jayhawks meanwhile got by Rochester 30- 20 in their semi-final match up. Giovanni Sanders rushed for one touchdown and threw for another in the victory over the Rams.

This is a rematch of the 2015 WPIAL championship game in 1A won by Clairton at Heinz Field last year 40-0, it is also rematch of the week nine matchup between these two clubs which Clairton won at Jeanette 32-13.

The Bears have been playing their last two games without quarterback Noah Hamlin he will be sorely missed if he’s not available for the championship game, he’s thrown for 972 yards on the year.

If he’s not there look for Lamont Wade in the “Wildcat” Lamont Wade on the year has rushed for 1946 yards he has scored an impressive team high 29 touchdowns.

Trey Howard has become a key contributor on the ground as well rushing for 10 touchdowns Howard has rushed for nearly 400 yards on the season.

Kijafi Fuqua has become a huge contributor for that running game as well with over 400 yards on the year he has scored six touchdowns.

The Bear’s defense has been a brutal all season long and very unforgiving Clairton is allowing just 7.2 points per game on the year.

Gio Vonne Sanders has completed 72 of 126 passes for Jeanette, thrown for 21 touchdowns and accumulated 1480 yards passing. He is also a threat the run the football with over 500 yards rushing and he has chipped in with another dozen touchdowns on the season.

Robert Kennedy is the leading receiver for the Jayhawks in terms of catches with 19 for 419 yards, he has scored 20 touchdowns and he has also rushed for nearly 500 yards.

Ryan Swinton  has 17 catches for 461 yards he has rushed for 400 yards on the season as well.

The Jayhawks have of a bunch of dual threat players.

Kareem Hall is thier leading rusher with 91 carries for 1037 yards. Hall has scored 21 touchdowns he’s also a threat in the receiving game with almost 300 yards catching. The Jayhawk defense is allowing just 7.5 points per game on the year.

Tags: Clairton, Jeannette, West Allegheny