Central Catholic returns 2,000-yard rusher but QB job remains 5-way battle

By: Chris Harlan
Monday, August 31, 2020 | 10:29 AM

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Central Catholic has five guys competing to play quarterback, and whoever wins the job will practice handing the football to Eddy Tillman.

The senior is coming off a 2,000-yard, 26-touchdown season. The 5-foot-8 running back has increased his strength since last season and started drawing Division I interest this summer. Vikings coach Terry Totten said he’s noticed a difference in Tillman, who kept working while schools were closed this spring.

“He’s capable of breaking more tackles,” Totten said. “He’s worked hard and he’s ready to go.”

But Central Catholic’s offense won’t be one-dimensional, he added, because the Vikings have a collection of wide receivers that might be the best of his tenure. The Vikings have five wideouts who could make an impact this season.

“We’ve always been a tailback-oriented offense,” he said, “but certainly I’m going to try to get the ball to the skill outside.”

Central Catholic’s defense should be solid again, even with senior defensive tackle Elliot Donald skipping his senior season.

So the defending WPIAL Class 6A champion has its focus on sparking an offense that found its stride late last season after stumbling early. The team averaged 30 points per game and nearly upset nationally ranked St. Joseph’s Prep in the state semifinals.

To balance Tillman, Central Catholic will rely on seniors receivers Matt Schmitt (6-foot-1, 170 pounds), Eric Benson (6-1, 200) and Anderson Cynkar (6-0, 170), and juniors Brandon Jackson (5-6, 160) and Gannon Carothers (5-9, 175).

Combined, they caught 39 passes for 827 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Cynkar led with 15 catches.

“They’re very good, maybe the best group we’ve had,” Totten said. “They’re all pretty skilled kids, and they can carry the ball on jet sweeps.”

What Totten doesn’t yet know is who’ll be throwing them the football. The Vikings have five players competing to play quarterback, Totten said, the most he remembers in one year.

Finding snaps for everyone is difficult.

“We’re whittling it down but it’s a challenge,” Totten said. “We’re going day by day to see who has the hot hand.”

With so many players competing for the job, Totten declined to name them. But said there will eventually be a winner in the race to replace Dom Pieto, a 1,300-yard passer last season.

Totten is optimistic that Friday’s scrimmage against Penn Hills will provide his coaches a good chance to analyze his passers.

“We’ll settle on one guy,” he said, “but it will probably be a season-long competition.”

Central Catholic got a surprise when Donald, a four-star Pitt recruit, decided to skip his senior season over covid-19 concerns. That removed the most high-profile member of the defense, but the defense has other standouts coming back.

“We feel like the cupboard’s not bare,” said assistant coach Dave Fleming, the team’s defensive coordinator.

Senior defensive ends Bralen Henderson (6-3, 240) and Kairos Beasley (6-0, 205) will lead the pass rush, and junior tackle Donovan Hinish (6-1, 260) adds strength in the middle.

Hinish is the younger brother of former Central Catholic star Kurt Hinish, who’s now at Notre Dame.

“He comes from a good pedigree,” Fleming said. “Donovan is going to be a really good player for us.”

Carothers and junior J.D. Younger lead the secondary with junior Devin Barren and senior Chase Horne. Liam O’Connor returns as a senior starter at linebacker.

“We’ve got seven or eight guys returning with experience from last season, who played a high level game against St. Joseph’s Prep and played a pretty good Pine-Richland team a couple of times last season,” Fleming said. “As their coach, I feel pretty good about that.”

Schedule

Coach: Terry Totten

2019 record: 12-2, 7-1 in Class 6A

All-time record: 552-319-44

Date, Opponent, Time

9.11, Canon-McMillan*, 7

9.18, at Norwin*, 7

9.25, North Allegheny*, 7

10.2, at Seneca Valley*, 7:30

10.9, Mt. Lebanon*, 7

10.17, Hempfield*, noon

10.23, at Baldwin*, 7

*Class 6A game

Statistical leaders

Passing: Dom Pieto*

77-150, 1,300 yards, 14 TDs

Receiving: Anderson Cynkar

15-365 yards, 5 TDs

Rushing: Eddy Tillman

275-2,064 yards, 24 TDs

*Graduated

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Central Catholic