Big Game Hunting – Week Thirteen 2017

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, November 23, 2017 | 1:53 PM

We are a game short for Week Thirteen as the 3 A Champion Quaker Valley Quakers enjoy a bye week and will next play either Forest Hills or Sharon in the PIAA Semifinals next Friday or Saturday. There are just five games involving WPIAL football teams this weekend. With a pair of WPIAL Titles still on the line we will flop the order of our usual Big Game Hunting to give top-billing to the 1A and 2A Championship games at Robert Morris University this Saturday. Started from the bottom, now we’re here, as the kids would say, so let’s go Big Game Hunting!

1-A Championship:
# 4 Imani Christian Saints (11-2) vs # 3 Jeannette Jayhawks (12-1) Saturday November 25^th @ 12:00 PM at Joe Walton Stadium on the campus of Robert Morris University broadcast on the TribLiveHSSN by Ed Troup and Mike Azadian and on WHJB-FM 107.1

The ‘Hawks and Saints will get to finish what they never did finish back in week four when their conference game was first delayed with over eight minutes to play when an Imani fan, and five Imani players were ejected as tempers flared and the Wilkinsburg police were asked to help. Play was finally stopped with four and a half minutes remaining when the officials felt that player safety was an issue. Jeannette won the shortened contest 54-36. To call that game chippy seems a drastic understatement. Imani committed 23 penalties for 210 yards and Jeannette 14 infractions for a total of 131 yards.

That game should not be allowed to overshadow one very important fact this week. These are two fantastic football teams. Imani already has one payback win in the semis as they beat California 30-24 a team that beat them in week three 41-26. Jeannette also arrives here courtesy of a revenge win in the semis knocking off a Clairton 18-7 after the Bears had beaten them in week nine 40-6 handing the Hawks their only loss of the season.

The Hawks will try to get the ball into the hands of Robert Kennedy as much as possible. Kennedy has completed 77 of 139 passes for 1264 yards and 23 touchdowns. Kennedy is also the leading rusher for Jeannette with 978 yards on 123 carries, he also has five catches for 91 yards on the season and has scored a team-high 22 touchdowns on the year.

Marcus Barnes (25 catches 446 yards) and Tre Cunningham (21 catches 308 yards) have both exceeded the 20 catch plateau on the year. The duo has combined for 14 touchdowns on the year.

Imani Sanders has 64 carries for 362 yards and has scored 12 times.

Seth Howard will see time at quarterback, he has completed 14 of 24 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns since week seven. Howard also has over 100 yards receiving and 339 yards rushing to go along with ten touchdowns on the year.

The Saints also have a couple guys who will throw the football. Chiefly Tawan Wesley has gotten the bulk of the passing, completing 166 of 270 passes for 2581 yards and 33 scores. Wesley also has rushed for 119 yards. Israel Reed has completed 49 of 76 passes for 702 yards and eight scores, he has also rushed for 210 yards and six scores.

The Saints have a remarkably talented group of receivers, Sam Fairly (68 catches 1282 yards 22 total touchdowns), Rahmon Hart (56 catches 863 yards 10 total touchdowns), Ray Jackson (38 catches 619 yards seven scores), and Asante Watkins (32 catches 312 yards), make it very tough for secondaries to focus their efforts on one or two guys.

Watkins has also carried the football 133 times for 1117 yards and has scored a grand total of 21 touchdowns on the season.

In what will likely be a very emotional game it might be the team that best controls their emotions that comes away with a championship and moves on in the PIAA tournament.

2-A Championship:
# 2 Wash High Prexies (12-0) vs # 1 Steel Valley Ironmen (12-0) Saturday November 25^th @ 6:00 PM at Joe Walton Stadium on the campus of Robert Morris University broadcast on The TribLiveHSSN by Matt Vandriak and Steve Nagler and on WJPA-AM 1450

A pair of perfect teams and a defending WPIAL and PIAA champion will wrap up the WPIAL Championship weekend Saturday night. After cruising to easy wins through the first 11 weeks of the season including the quarterfinals both of these teams were put to big-time tests in the semis last weekend. Steel Valley dodged several bullets in regulation and trailed in overtime before pulling out the 13-10 win over Riverside. Washington had a dog-fight of their own with third-seeded Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic and held on late for a thrilling 19-14 win.

Trey Karfelt appears to be back in the saddle again for the Ironmen at quarterback after missing some time with injury, he played the 2^nd half in last week’s win and tossed the game winning touchdown in overtime. Karfelt has completed 24 of 56 passes for 578 yards and nine touchdowns. Freshman Ronnell Lawrence played admirably in Karfelt’s stead for much of the season completing 36 of 78 passes for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns. Bonus for the Ironmen to have both available and healthy for this game.

Trevon Adams and Amonte Strothers are the focus of either passer for Steel Valley. Adams has 22 catches for 536 yards, has rushed for 778 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Strothers has 18 catches for 495 yards, has rushed for 60 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

On the ground Kam Williams gets the bulk of the work for Steel Valley with 133 carries for 1017 yards and he has scored a team-high 19 touchdowns on the year.

The Prexies have big offensive production as weel and it starts with a huge, veteran offensive line. That line is opening some big holes all season for running back Nick Welsh who has piled up the numbers. Welsh has 1979 rushing yards and 130 yards receiving. For the season he has scored 27 touchdowns.

Quarterback Zack Swartz has had a great year as well with 86 completions in 143 attempts for 1765 yards and 26 scores. Swartz has also rushed for 335 yards and three more scores.

Isaiah Schoonmaker and Danny Walker have combined for 55 catches, 1206 yards, and 22 touchdowns as standout receivers for the Prexies here in 2017.

Washington is in search of their first title since 2001.

4-A PIAA Quarterfinals:
Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (11-1) vs Erie Cathedral Prep Ramblers (12-0) Friday November 24^th @ 7:00 PM at Veteran’s Stadium in Erie, Pennsylvania broadcast on the TribLiveHSSN by Sean Meyers and James Dotson

The Ramblers have won this game two years in a row. Prep knocked off Thomas Jefferson in 2015 at Veterans Stadium 28-21, then beat the Jags at Baldwin last year 30-13 on their way to a PIAA Title.

Prep is very highly-regarded this year as well with many returnees from that 2016 Championship team still making big contributions here in 2017.

Senior quarterback Joe Mischler has completed 135 of 204 passes for 2772 yards and tossed 35 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions.

A pair of senior receivers, Terry Roberts and Tyler Oedekoven have combined for 66 catches, 1991 yards and 23 touchdowns on the year.

Matt Lupo another senior leads Erie Cathedral Prep in rushing with 821 yards and 14 scores on 105 carries for the year. Junior Billy Lucas has rushed for 6262 yards and 12 scores as well.

Senior linebacker Matt Bauer is having an amazing season for the Ramblers with 77 tackles, he leads Prep with eight sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss on the year.

The Jags sophomore quarterback Shane Stump has been plenty great. Stump has completed 79 of 158 passes for 1496 yards and 24 touchdowns, while tossing seven interceptions. He has also added four rushing touchdowns.

Garret Fairman has three times as many catches as any other receiver on the roster for Thomas Jefferson. Fairman’s 44 catches for 827 yards and ten scores are all tops in the receiving categories for the Jags. He is a big-time playmaker in the special teams as well for Coach Cherpak.

On the ground Thomas Jefferson will rely heavily on senior Justin Vigna who has 243 carries for 1824 yards and a team-high 23 touchdowns.

The Jaguars outstanding defense will be tested up north. Sophomore James Martinis leads them with 53 total tackles. Brothers Logan and Devin Danielson have combined for 11 sacks recorded for the Jags in 2017.

Nick Urbaowicz’s four interceptions is tops on the Thomas Jefferson team that has recorded 12 picks on the year.

5-A PIAA Quarterfinals:
Gateway Gators (12-1) vs Hollidaysburg Golden Tigers (8-3) Saturday November 25^th @ 1:00 PM at Altoona’s Mansion Park broadcast on the TribLiveHSSN by Sean Meyers and Kyle Dawson

Two stories about a man named Brady in this PIAA quarterfinal matchup, Brady Walker for the Gators and Brady Walters for the Golden Tigers.

Walters is the junior quarterback for the Golden Tigers and he has completed 77 of 163 passes for 1245 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has thrown eight interceptions and will need to take better care of the football against a very good Gators secondary if Hollidaysburg hopes to advance.

Walters’ favorite target is senior wide receiver Jack Sauserman with 28 catches for 602 yards and 13 touchdowns.

On the ground the Golden Tigers rely on senior Pat Young, who has 175 carries for 864 yards and 10 scores. Walters has added 607 rushing yards from his quarterback spot and has scored 11 times.

Junior linebacker Gus Dellinger leads Hollidaysburg with 110 total tackles on the season.

Gateway’s Walters meanwhile leads the entire WPIAL in passing with 3597 yards, completing 231 passes of 365 passes on the season for 38 touchdowns. Walker is also the leading rusher for the Gators with 579 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Walker’s top targets are Courtney Jackson (70 catches 1466 yards and 21 touchdowns) and Jeremiah Josephs (46 catches 538 yards six scores).

Isaiah Cameron has rushed for 576 yards and 14 scores on the season, freshman Derrick Davis has emerged late in this season as a star on both sides of the ball for the Gators with nearly 400 yards rushing, ten touchdowns and a Championship clinching interception at Heinz Field last Saturday.

6-A PIAA Quarterfinals:
Pine-Richland Rams (13-0) vs State College Little Lions (10-2) Saturday November 25^th @ 1:00 PM at Hempfield Area high school in Greensburg broadcast on The TribLiveHSSN by Paul Paterra and Lou Rood

Will the Rams find the competition outside of district seven any tougher than they did in rolling to the WPIAL Championship? If numbers are the answer, the Little Lions have bunches, including an astounding 91 players on their roster.

The Little Lions Tommy Friberg is a junior quarterback with 109 completions in 162 attempts for 1834 yards and 25 touchdowns on the season with a dozen interceptions. Friberg has also rushed for 378 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior Brandon Clark leads State College with 44 catches for 743 yards and 14 scores.  Cohen Russell has 33 catches for 543 yards and four scores.

Senior Tristen Lyons has rushed for nearly 1000 yards in 133 carries and 14 touchdowns, while sophomore Isaiah Edwards has rushed for 532 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The Rams offense meanwhile is clicking on all cylinders as they hit the state playoffs.

Senior quarterback and Notre Dame recruit Phil Jurkovec has completed 191 of 253 passes for 3279 yards and 33 touchdowns on the season. Jurkovec has added 908 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground.

Jason DeFrancisis leads the Rams receivers with 61 catches for 1040 yards and 10 scores, he had seven catches for 142 yards and two score in the Championship win over Central last week.

Ray Falcone has 41 catches for 824 yards and 10 scores of his own.

On the ground in addition to Jurkovec the Rams have gotten tremendous production from Jordan Crawford who has rushed 104 times for 1043 yards and 22 touchdowns, he also has 27 catches for 431 yards and another five scores.

Because of those mind-blowing offensive numbers the awesome Rams defense might get overlooked a little. Junior Tyler King leads them with 117 total tackles including nine tackles for loss. Senior Tommy Camino leads the Rams with 16 tackles for loss including an astounding 15 sacks. In the secondary Luke Meckler is a monster with three interceptions and two fumbles recovered on the year.

Tags: Gateway, Imani Christian, Jeannette, Washington