WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Ten

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 2, 2013 | 10:32 AM

To the victors go the spoils. Or in the case of the WPIAL football playoffs…to the victors goes a spot on Quarterfinals Friday. Round One is on the books on this years ride on the Highway to Heinz as 32 teams prevailed and live to fight another day for the gold at the end of the rainbow which splashes down at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh in three weeks. Sometimes the first postseason win is a walk in park or a fight to the bitter end. Whether is one one extreme or the other, or somewhere in the middle, here are the players that got their primetime jaunt off on the right foot in the First Round of the district playoffs.

Luigi Lista-Brinza, Riley Redman and J.J. Cosentino – Pittsburgh Central Catholic

Having one 100-yard rusher in a game is a good thing. Having two is rare air and have three, especially in a postseason contest is unheard of, The dynamic trio of Luigi Lista-Brinza, Riley Redman and quarterback J.J.Cosentino did just that as Pittsburgh Central Catholic ran roughshod over Baldwin in a WPIAL Class AAAA First Round contest. Returning from injury, Lista-Brinza rushed for 120 yards and scored his team first touchdown while his understudy Redmon ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns and Cosentino gained 100 yards on the nose and added two more scores as the Vikings pounded out 412 yards rushing in a 56-10 rout of the wild card Highlanders.

Mikell Moore – McKeesport

While McKeesport was a very competitive team in the three year that George Smith was away, the one thing they missed was postseason success as they were one and done in all three November games. The back-to-the-future experiment continues to shine thanks in part to the hard running of fullback Mikell Moore, who gained 228 yards on the ground on 23 carries while scoring on a pair of short touchdown runs as the Tigers flexed their way to a convincing 54-28 drubbing of the visiting Peters Township Indians in a WPIAL Class AAAA First Round playoff contest.

T.J. Holl – Seneca Valley

The son of the head coach is making a name for himself as T.J. Holl had a huge game both through the air and on the ground that he had tro have Seneca Valley fans 'Lovin It'! Holl was the McDonalds Quarterback of the Week after hitting on 10 of 24 passes for 265 yards PLUS he rushed for 113 yards and scored the game capping touchdown on a six-yard run in leading the host Raiders to a convincing 36-1- triumph over the Hempfield Spartans that sets up a great Quarterfinal battle of black-and-turquoise when Seneca Valley faces Woodland Hills next week.

Jimmy Wheeler – West Mifflin

Before we once again sing the praises of 'Little Jimmy', lets give out some kudos to his running back opponent on Friday, Cole Blake of Moon who rushed for 309 yards and five touchdowns in somehow, someway a losing cause. West Mifflin picked up the thrilling 'W' when Wheeler re-found his step after a rare off weak by rushing for 359 yards and going one better than Blake with six touchdowns on runs of 2, 58, 70, 69, 21 and 25 yards as the Titans survived the Tigers 47-42 in a WPIAL Class AAA First Round game of the ages in what might have been the first playoff game with TWO 300+ yard rushers. 

Jordan Whitehead – Central Valley

Long, time consuming, yard gobbling drives that continually move the sticks as a team matriculates down the field (Thanks to the late Hank Stram for that oldie but goodie) have been known to breaks opponents spirits. Oh yeah, and big quick-hitting splash-plays (Thanks Mike Tomlin for that newbie but goodie) can also generate the same results. Jordan Whitehead was the return man Friday for Central Valley as he scored on a 99 yard punt return and on a 77-yard interception return to the house as the Warriors were to much for visiting Belle Vernon to handle in a 40-7 WPIAL Class AAA First Round rout.  

Tyler Donahue – Yough

It was a performance to remember in an historic win for Yough High School in a season that is starting to fill up with both. Quarterback Tyler Donahue is as hot as they get, completing 15 of 19 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns PLUS he rushed for 141 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 6 and 42 yards PLUS he returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown that led the visiting Cougars to a stunning 57-42 victory over the previously undefeated and third-seed Kittanning Wildcats in a WPIAL Class AA First Round instant classic victory that was the first postseason win in school history for Yough.

Tyler Perone – Seton-LaSalle

In his first year as the starting signal caller for quarterback tradition rich Seton-LaSalle High School, Tyler Perone struggled in the teams only two losses this season, but has now shined bright in each of their eight victories. In his first postseason start, the junior QB connected on 19 of 34 passing for 354 yards and tossed four touchdowns as the Rebels get another crack at Century Conference rival South Fayette in the WPIAL Class AA Quarterfinals next week following a 35-27 victory over the host and 2012 district runner-up Washington Little Prexies.

Tyler Mellors – Mount Pleasant

In a classification that saw three higher seeds fall by the way side in the opening round, any victory was a good one on the first Friday in November. That included the tenth win in ten games for Mount Pleasant, which was once again guided by the schools all-time leading rusher Tyler Mellors.  Mellors gained 221 yards on the ground and scored four touchdowns on runs of 1, 4, 14 and 15 yards as the Mt.P Vikings churned out 451 yards on the ground as they coasted to a WPIAL Class AA First Round victory over the visiting Valley Vikings to the tune of 48-14.

Clintell Gillaspie – Monessen

Tired if being bounced in the early stages of the postseason, this Monessen football team is a squad on a mission. This is the team that ended Clairton's record 66-game win streak and this is the team that wants to bring a football champion back to this small Mon Valley town for the first time in 52 years. Their postseason debut in 2013 was a good one thanks to the running of Clintell Gillaspie, who gained 274 yards and scored four touchdowns on runs of 63, 53 and 18 yards, plus he caught a touchdown pass from Noah Rullo as the Greyhounds raced to a 37-14 victory over the visiting West Shamokin Wolves in a WPIAL Class A First Round playoff game.

Aaron Mathews – Clairton

It just would not seem like a postseason HighLights article without some sort of mention of five-time defending Class A champion Clairton. Friday at Neil Brown Stadium, sophomore Aaron Mathews was the honey bear with 132 yards on the ground and touchdown scampers of 16, 4 and 6 yards, plus he hauled in a 52-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Williams as the host Bears shook off a slow start and eliminated the Frazier Commodores for the second straight year in a WPIAL Class A First Round playoff game with a 33-14 victory that marked the 20th straight playoff victory for the black and orange.   

Tags: Central Valley, Clairton, McKeesport, West Mifflin, Yough