MSA Sports Saturdays Scholastic Starz for Week Two

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, September 11, 2016 | 7:20 AM

Any coach will tell you, versatility in a football player is huge. If you can play various positions at a high level in all three aspects of the game, that is a very good thing. Especially in Class 1-A where rosters sizes are small and the demand for versatility is not only appreciated, but needed. Here are the top five stand out performances from a gusty Saturday afternoon in Week Two as the play of these guys ‘blew away’ their opponents.

Kenny Robinson – Imani Christian

The King of Versatility in the WPIAL. Kenny Robinson kicks, returns kicks, punts, plays linebacker and quarterbacks for Imani Christian, and he may or may not pop the popcorn, cut the grass at historic Graham Field and play bagpipes at halftime. Those last three, we can’t confirm, but all the others were on display Saturday as Robinson hit on 10 of 15 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 120 yards and two scores, plus returned a kickoff for six points in the Saints 30-21 victory over the Riverview Raiders in a Class 1-A Eastern Conference tilt.

Ian Kouba – Rochester

They’re Back! After a couple of lean years, former district powerhouse Rochester is off to a 3-0 start and looks to be the team to beat in the Class 1-A Big 7 Conference. On Saturday, quarterback Ian Kouba hit on 4 of 8 passes for 153 yards with three of those four completions going for 63, 6 and 66 yard scoring strikes, plus he opened the scoring on a one yard plunge as the Rams went north to Herman, Pa and came back home with a 42-18 convincing victory over the Summit Academy Knights.

Jeddy Young – Western Beaver

Just for clarification sakes, the distant cousin of the Sasquatch in the white haired Yetti. The versatile junior quarterback at Western Beaver High School is Jeddy.  Opponents my be confused because thus far. Jeddy Young has been a monster to play against as he connected on an opening quarter 23 yard touchdown pass followed by a pair of scoring runs of 23 and 3 yards as the Golden Beavers continue their impressive turnaround from 0-9 a year ago to 3-0 here in 2016 with a 34-0 conquest of the visiting Cornell Raiders in a Class 1-A Big 7 Conference home opener for the purple and gold.

Ryhan Culberson – Fort Cherry

Anytime Fort Cherry needed a big play in their Class 1-A non-conference Saturday afternoon special at Greensburg Central Catholic High School, they turned to quarterback Ryhan Culberson. The junior signal caller threw a touchdown pass and scored on a pair of runs, plus he put the icing on the cake with a 75-yard interception return for the games final scores as the Rangers remained unbeaten in the young season with a 41-20 victory over the Centurions.

Maleik Hemingway – Bishop Canevin

The great novelist Ernest Hemingway once said, “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places”. Saturday night at Dormont Stadium, Week Two concluded with Bishop Canevin running back Maleik Hemingway broke the spirit of visiting Burgettstown and only time will tell if that will make them stronger. Hemingway overcame a couple of early fumbles by rushing for 169 yards and two touchdowns on totes of 2, 14 and 26 yards in leading the Crusaders to a 31-15 triumph over the Blue Devils in a Class 2-A vs Class 1-A non-conference game.

Tags: Bishop Canevin, Fort Cherry, Imani Christian, Western Beaver