Big Game Hunting – Week Four

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, September 25, 2017 | 7:16 PM

The celebration continues with the announcement this week that the MSA Sports Network will soon become the Trib Live High School Sports Network. A lot of very happy people in southwestern Pennsylvania when that news broke Monday, none more happy than I, but, there is work to do. Onward we march into the 2017 campaign. During week four, we reach the halfway point of the regular season when you’re listening to the halftime show of your game that is where you’ll be, halftime of the game and halftime of the season. We’ve got a titanic non-conference game in 6 A, and playoff implications everywhere else. Let’s go Big Game Hunting.

6 A Inter-Conference:
#1 Pine-Richland Rams (4-0) at #3 Bethel Park Black Hawks (3-0) Friday September 22^nd @ 7:30 PM at Black Hawk Stadium on the campus of Bethel Park high school audio and also video streamed on the Trib Live High School Sports Network broadcast by Cory Campano and Steve Nagler with Jess Levo on video duty

This might be a Heinz Field match up in a not so very long time. It certainly has the feel of at least a semifinal the way these two teams have played so far in this 2017 season.

Both defenses have been solid in starting out perfect. Pine-Richland has allowed just 10.5 points per game, while Bethel Park has held opponents to only 9.7 points per game.

That’s where the similarities end, though. Pine-Richland’s offense is what people call ‘high-octane’: they go fast, play fast, and throw, a lot of course, with Notre Dame recruit Phil Jurkovec leading the entire WPIAL in passing yards. Bethel grinds you down and rarely throws the football, very rarely. Case in point, the Rams have run the ball 130 times this year and thrown the ball 104 times this season – total plays 234, throwing the ball 45% of the time. The Hawks have run the ball 135 times, and passed the ball 28 times (That’s almost a McKeesport-like number) – total plays 163, throwing the ball 18% of the time.

Pine-Richland’s Jurkovec has completed 70 of 98 passes for 1,117 yards and ten touchdowns, throwing a pair of interceptions.

Three different receivers have reached double digits in balls caught so far this season for the Rams. Jason DeFrancisis leads them with 19 catches for 294 yards, but he has only one touchdown on the year. Ray Falcone has 18 catches for 382 yards, and he has a team-high six touchdowns on the season.

On the ground, Jurkovec has rushed for six scores of his own, as well as 216 yards.

Jordan Crawford is their leading rusher with 36 carries for 237 yards and four touchdowns.

Bethel’s Division I recruit is on the offensive line, and that may explain completely why it is so heavily focused on the run. West Virginia recruit, offensive tackle James Gmiter leads a very big, very experience offensive line for the Hawks.

Quarterback Luke Surunis has been very efficient throwing the football, and he takes care of the football, two things that delight Hawks fans and, more importantly, head coach Jeff Metheny. Surunis has completed 11 of 20 passes for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and here’s the key, zero interceptions. He has also taken the knee a lot, lining up in the victory formation.

Tanner Volpatti gets a bunch of carries, 50 so far to be exact, for 367 yards and nine scores. John Doleno has 23 carries for 252 yards and three scores, while Jehvonn Lewis has added almost 100 yards on the ground, as well.

5 A Allegheny Nine Conference:
#9 Moon Tigers (2-2)(1-1) vs #7 North Hills Indians (2-2)(1-2) Friday September 22^nd @ 7:00 PM at Martorelli Stadium in Pittsburgh’s North Hills broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Rob Matzie and Lou Rood 

There are only eight playoff spots in the four largest classifications, and we learned last year just how preciously small that number is. These clubs are fighting each other for one of those precious spots.

Moon snapped a two-game slide by squeaking by Hampton last week, 26-24, as Nick Morrow hit a 21-yard game-winning field goal with nine seconds left for the Tigers.

North Hills also snapped a two-game losing streak last week, as it knocked off Fox Chapel 31-17. Melvin Blanks continued his impressive season with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Indians in the win.

Moon quarterback Cole Konieczka has completed 58 of 111 passes for 706 yards and six scores on the season, but he has tossed seven interceptions, as well.

Anthony Panucci and Nick Sebastion are the top targets for Konieczka. Panucci has 17 catches for 296 yards and a pair of scores, while Sebastion has 13 catches for 241 yards and a score.

On the ground, the Tigers have gotten 188 yards from Brady Sunday, who has added two touchdowns. The second leading rusher for Moon is quarterback Konieczka, who has 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Senior quarterback Will Hirt tossed a pair of touchdown passes for the Indians in the win over Fox Chapel, giving him the such throws for the season, he has thrown for over 200 yards on the year.

He will look to Blanks to throw; in fact, the Indians will look to Blanks in most situations. He is one of the top receivers, as well as their leading rusher on the year and is a huge threat in special teams. Anytime he gets his hands on the ball, he is a threat to score and so North Hills tries to get his hands on the ball as much as possible.

Kam Taylor is capable of hurting you, as well. The Indians second leading rusher had a 51 yard touchdown run last Friday night.

4 A Northwest Nine Conference:
#2 South Fayette Lions (4-0)(2-0) vs Knoch Knights (1-2)(1-1) Friday September 21^st @ 7:00 PM at Knoch high school broadcast on WISR AM 680 and the Trib Live High School Sports Network by Scott Briggs and Dave Bacon

South Fayette’s winning streak in conference play stands at 50 games. Up next, the Knoch Knights on the road this Friday night.  How impressive is senior quarterback Drew Saxton throwing the football for the Lions? The senior signal-caller continues his mastery of everyone in the WPIAL. He has thrown the ball all over the lot; when you talk about numbers, already on the year, five different South Fayette receivers are over 100 yards. Noah Plack is their leading receiver on the year, but guys RayQuin Glover and Mike Trimbur shine as well, making big catch after big catch.

On the ground, South Fayette has solid skill guys like Johnny Beck, Johnny Obenour and Joe Mowod, running behind a strong experienced line against defenses that are scared about the pass. That’s a good combination if you’re a Lion fan. Beck has rushed for over 400 yards, and each guy is capable of making the right play at the right time.

The defense for Joe Rossi is allowing just 4.8 points per game. This defense has yet to allow a team to get into double digits this year. Up front, it’s guys like Ray Eldridge and Ben Coyne that allow the Lion offense and defense in terms of skill guys, to do what they do.

The Knights have lost two straight after starting the season with a win at Blackhawk. Last week, they were knocked off by Highlands at Highlands 24-16, including getting shut out in the second  half. South Fayette is never the team you want to play when you’re trying to re-group or stop a losing streak, but that is the task for the Knights.

Quarterback Jake Herrit, who can run it or throw it out of the triple option, will need to make good decisions for the Knights to have a chance against South Fayette. I’m not saying they have to play perfect football, but they will almost have to play perfect football.

Herrit runs it well and he’s also got a tremendous running back in Ivan Stapchuck.

Both Herrit and Stapchuck went over 100 yards in last week’s loss to Highlands.

Herrit can throw if he has to, but they’d rather not; last week he hit A.J. Karenbauer for a 30-yard touchdown. Knoch’s best chance is to run the ball well enough to keep the Lions’ offense off the football field for long stretches of time.

3 A Interstate Conference:
Derry Trojans (3-1)(2-1) vs #7 South Park Eagles (2-1)(2-0) Friday September 21^st @ 7:00 PM at Baldwin high school broadcast on the Trib Live High School Sports Network by Sean Saputo and Kevin Zielmanski

South Park and Derry are both still in the hunt for the Interstate title.

The Trojans, after having their regular-season winning streak snapped in week one, have responded with a pair of impressive victories, rolling Yough and Southmoreland by a combined score of 95-15.

South Park started 2-0 before running into the buzz saw that is 2 A #2 Wash High last week, and getting whooped 41-0. Marty Rieck wasted no time telling his team how meaningless that game was, and might have even done so at the half. They will try to wash it off against Derry Friday.

South Park quarterback Damon Smith has completed 20 of 29 passes for 286 yards, but he has yet to throw a touchdown pass.

Wide receiver Nick Schnepp has twice as many catches as anyone else on the roster for the Eagles for over 100 yards.

Smith has carried the ball for a team-high 310 yards and he has scored four touchdowns.

For the Trojans, they look to build on last week when junior running back Coulton Nemcheck scored three times and rushed for over 100 yards.

Dom Deluca has been impressive running the ball, scoring on a long run last week and adding a scoop and score on the defensive side of the football.

The Trojans are the defending Interstate Champions, and they have set their sights on a repeat.

2 A Midwestern Conference:
#5 Riverside Panthers (2-1)(2-0) vs South Side Rams (2-2)(1-1) Friday September 21^st @ 7:00 PM at South Side high school broadcast on WBVP-AM 1230 by Bob Barrickman and on the Pickle WKPL Fm 92.1 and the Trib Live High School Sports Network by Matt Farago

Riverside enters this game on a two-game run in conference play. They have not allowed a point in the Midwestern this season, outscoring their opponents 74-0 so far.

South Side is riding a two-game losing streak and hoping to benefit from some home-cooking to stop that skid.

The Panthers have gotten solid play from sophomore quarterback Ben Hughes, who is 22 of 38 throwing the ball for 459 yards and four touchdowns.

Senior wide out Austin Dambach is the “big-play” guy for Riverside with 10 catches for 328 yards and he has scored a team-high five touchdowns.

On the ground, Noah Harris and Lemarcus Cleckley split the running duties. The duo has combined for 75 carries 476 yards and five touchdowns of their own.

For the Rams, they have a solid sophomore quarterback of their own in Trenton Seik, but they don’t throw it a lot. Seik is averaging about six passes and 60 yards per game on the 2017 season.

SSB will rely heavily on the run game and in that run game the work of junior Tom Botkin will be key. Botkin is approaching 600 rushing yards on the season and is the team leader in touchdowns, as well.

When Botkin needs a breather, the Rams turn to Jordan Bruce, who has carried for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns, as well. 

1 A Tri County South Conference:
#8 West Greene Pioneers (3-1)(2-1) vs Jefferson-Morgan Rockets (1-3)(0-1) Friday September 21^st @ 7:00 PM at Jefferson-Morgan high school broadcast on the Greene County Sports Network and on the Trib Live High School Sports Network by Joe Smeltzer and Hugh O’Neil

West Greene had its three-game win streak snapped in a heartbreaking loss to Carmichaels last week 36-30.

The Rockets, meanwhile, started with a win but now find themselves mired in a three-game slide.

With seemingly California and Carmichaels being strong candidates for playoff spots out of the TCS, there are six teams in the hunt for those final three spots, as it seems difficult to imagine the one wildcard sneaking in out of the TCS. So these games are very important now as we get into the meat of the regular season.

The Rockets Jake Broadwater has thrown for over 300 yards and completed around 50% of his passes on the season, with a touchdown and a pair of interceptions.

Dennis Garrett does most of the catching for the Rockets with a dozen on the year for 323 yards. He has scored a combined five touchdowns for Jefferson-Morgan.

On the ground, Colten Davidson is the leading rusher for the Rockets with 148 yards and a score.

West Greene has used a couple quarterbacks; Zach Petit and Gavin Scott have combined to go 19 of 31 for 441 yards and six touchdowns.

Nathan Brudnock has 14 of the 19 Pioneer receptions on the season for 299 yards and four touchdowns.

Ben Jackson leads West Greene in rushing with 529 yards and he has four scores. Petit will run it as well when he is in at quarterback; he has 510 yards and has scored a team high 11 touchdowns in 2017.

Tags: Bethel Park, Derry Area, Jefferson-Morgan, Knoch, West Greene