CTK ’14: WPIAL AA Midwestern Athletic Conference Preview

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, August 19, 2014 | 6:29 PM

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2013 was another great season in the Midwestern Athletic Conference as Aliquippa made their sixth straight trip to Heinz Field. Overall, the Quips have won three titles in that time and fifteen overall.

Beaver and Beaver Falls also had outstanding seasons, again making the trip on the Highway to Heinz. Also qualifying for the first time since 2003 were the New Brighton Lions.

2014 should prove to be a good season as well. The MAC gets some new members as Laurel rejoins the conference and the Summit Academy moves in from the Allegheny.

Here is a preview of all the teams and the predicted order of finish:

ALIQUIPPA QUIPS:

To go along with the six straight title game trips for Aliquippa, the Quips carry a 41 straight regular season game winning streak, including 35 in the MAC. The Quips have not dropped a regular season game since September 19th, 2009, a 21-14 loss at Reeves Field to Beaver Falls.

While Aliquippa lost two major parts of their offense with Dravon Henry and Terry Swanson headed off to Division I, the Quips will reload once again entering into 2014.

Senior quarterback Darrien Fields does return, he threw for 1,254 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2013. His top target is senior Patrick Anderson, an MSA Sports Player to Watch. Anderson had 20 catches and seven touchdowns last season as a junior, including a 122 yard performance in the championship game. Anderson is looking at WVU for his college choice with other offers on the table.

Junior running back Kaezon Pugh is getting many D-1 looks, including PItt and WVU. Pugh averaged over seven yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns a year ago. Senior Anthony Barton will also get time at running back, he scored four touchdowns in 2013.

Junior Phillip Bobich and senior Anthony Pope received all conference mention on the offensive line last season.

Defense is always a strong part of what the Quips have done over the years. Aliquippa only allowed just 12 points per game last year. Senior Arrington Gipson is a MSA Sports Player to Watch on the line and he has received offers from Akron and Temple. Pugh was all conference at outside linebacker as was lineman Rashad Harman.

The Quips will start the season with a conference trip to Bessemer, PA to take on Mohawk. As always Mike Zimjanac will lead the Quips as the head coach with his highly talented staff.

BEAVER BOBCATS:

The Bobcats finished 8-4 last season, but suffered two crushing defeats to Aliquippa, including the last in the semifinals of the playoffs. Beaver averaged 37 points per game on offense, but allowed 28. Coach Jeff Beltz will have to find a way to shore up the defense if the Bobcats will again claim one of the four playoff spots.

Offense will not be a problem for Beaver as sophomore Darius Wise returns. Wise caught 47 passes for 762 yards and ran for another 392 yards as a freshman, scoring 16 times.

The line will be led by senior George Avdellas, an MSA Sports Player to Watch.

Defensively, senior Zach Royba was also a Player to Watch and will also fit into the mix at quarterback. Linebacker Nick Barney received MAC honorable mention.

Kicker Luke Scheidemantel was named first team all-MAC as a kicker, connecting on 62 PAT’s and kicking three field goals. He’ll also see time at running back and on defense.

BEAVER FALLS TIGERS:

The Tigers finished 9-3 last season and made it to the WPIAL semifinals. They featured an explosive offense that averaged 38 points per game for head coach Ryan Matsook. Can the Tigers get over the hump and knock Aliquippa off the top spot of the MAC?

Senior Javon Turner was named to the MAC first team last season with 23 catches and four touchdowns. Senior Pete Lyons scored six touchdowns last season and figures in at running back along with sophomore Neshaud Akins, who ran for 279 yards and three scores.

Quarterback could be a question mark. Senior Kieran Brown completed only ten passes last year. Senior Alec Nocera anchors the offensive line.

Lyons also received all conference mention at linebacker last season and will anchor the defense.

The Tigers open the season at Freedom.

ELLWOOD CITY WOLVERINES:

The Wolverines have taken a step back the last two seasons, missing the playoffs in both years. Coach Don Phillips led Ellwood City to a 4-5 record in 2013.

Phillips has guided the Wolverines for the last five seasons, ending a long losing streak in 2009 and making the playoffs in both 2010 and 2011.

The 2014 edition of the Wolverines will have 45 players in uniform. Two players that will be counted on heavily this season will be senior running back Paul Lutz and junior Nick Ioanilli.

Lutz ran for 430 yards and scored six times last year, while Ioanilli gained 381 yards with six touchdowns. D.J. Barrett will get the nod at quarterback.

Ioanilli received all conference mention at defensive back as a sophomore.

The Wolverines will have to wait an extra day to open the 2014 season, heading to Herman, PA to meet Summit Academy on the MSA Sports Network.

FREEDOM BULLDOGS:

2012 was a good season for Freedom. After missing the playoffs for eight straight years, the Bulldogs went 4-6 and made the postseason.

However, 2013 was not a good year for the Bulldogs, going 0-9 and only scoring 80 points all season.

Head coach Tom Dubovic has many questions entering his second year at the helm.

Seniors Lucas Yeck and Brenton Harrison return. Yeck will figure at running back and Harrson at wide receiver.

Both Yeck and Harrison received honorable mention awards last season on defense as well, with Yeck at defensive back and Harrison at linebacker. The defense allowed 371 points, an average of 41 points per game.

Freedom is 16-70 since 2004 and carries a 10-game losing streak into the season.

LAUREL SPARTANS:

The Spartans will have a new boss entering the 2014 season. Brian Cooper takes over for Pat Cuba, who stepped down after a playoff loss to Avonworth.

Laurel takes the step up to Class AA from the Big Seven Conference, where they made the playoffs the last two years. Laurel was in the MAC in 2010-11 and did not qualify for the post-season.

Cooper coached eight seasons at Shenango and understands the situation at Laurel, changing classes every two years. He served under Terry Verrelli at Wilmington as an assistant coach before taking the Laurel job.

Cooper brings 41 players into camp for this season and the Spartans do return three key members of the offense from last year. Senior wide receiver/running back Clayton Sharek had 14 catches and scored seven touchdowns. Senior running back Matt Conway ran for 458 yards and seven touchdowns, while fullback Chris Peluso had two touchdowns.

Quarterback Jake McDougal takes over under center. The Spartans will likely run the Wing T offense, which has been Cooper’s offense of choice.

Defensively, senior lineman Richard Nail is an MSA Sports Player to Watch. Conway and Peluson will both start at linebacker and Sharek will be in the secondary.

Senior kicker Noah Wertz also returns, he is also a Player to Watch with 24 PAT’s and 3 field goals last year.

MOHAWK WARRIORS:

The Warriors were in line for the post-season in 2013, but losses at Beaver and home to New Brighton ended the playoff hopes.

Mohawk has not made the playoffs since being in the now-defunct Tri-County North in 2005 and have had seven straight losing seasons. Head coach Joe Lamenza is back for his third season.

The Warriors went 3-6 last season and averaged just 19 points per game. Running back Shane McFarland has graduated, taking most of the offense from 2013 with him.

Senior Ricky Malutic is the starting quarterback. He played wide receiver last season, making ten catches. His main target will be senior Spencer McConahy, who had 29 catches and three touchdowns a year ago.

Senior Mike Kurtz was named first team all MAC at tight end and had three scores. He joined McConahy and senior lineman Chad Hogue for conference honors.

McConahy has started the last three years at corner ad will anchor the secondary with fellow senior Zach Shasteen. Junior Jesse Wolfe, an honorable mention in 2013, will start at linebacker. Kurtz also figures on defense and special teams.

The defense will have to improve, as they allowed 30 points per game.

NEW BRIGHTON LIONS:

Coach Joe Greco brought the Lions back to the post-season for the first time since 2003 with a 6-4 record, including 5-2 in the MAC. The Lions return several key pieces from last year’s team and may be the best challenge for the MAC title.

Senior Payton Fath returns at Quarterback. In 2013, he took over when Gabe Greco went down. Fath threw for 878 yards and 11 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He also ran for 538 yards and nine scores.

Senior Scott Florence led the team with 943 yards with seven scores. Two more seniors led the receiving core, Jesse Sabol caught 29 passes with five touchdowns, Blaine Williams had 19 catches and two scores.

The Lions have two returned to lead the offensive line. Seniors Chase Spooner and Noah McDermott return and both received honorable mention last year.

Senior linebacker Pat Laure and senior defensive back Rhett Beightley also return.

One thing the Lions did last year was play a lot of close games, averaging 31 points per game and allowing just 30 per game. If New Brighton tightens up the defense a little bit, the Lions will be right in the mix for a second straight trip to the post-season.

New Brighton will open the season at Oak Hill Field against Laurel.

SUMMIT ACADEMY KNIGHTS:

2013 was a magical season for the Knights. With home wins over Valley and Freeport, Summit Academy made the playoffs for the first time ever with a 5-3 record in the Allegheny Conference.

The Knights could not pick up a post-season win however, falling to Beaver Falls 50-26 in the opening round to end at 5-5.

Not much is known about the Knights entering 2014. As always, Summit Academy has an ever-changing roster every year, and sometimes from game-to-game.

Steve Sherer returns to lead the Knights. Summit Academy moves into the Midwestern Conference, likely for just this year with the merger of Kittanning and Ford City taking two teams from the Allegheny for 2015.

The Knights were 3-1 at home last season, playing on Saturday afternoon in Herman, PA. Prior to that, the Knights were 6-18 on their home field from 2008-12 since leaving the Tri-County North.

MSA SPORTS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:

1  ALIQUIPPA QUIPS

2  NEW BRIGHTON LIONS

3  BEAVER BOBCATS

4  BEAVER FALLS TIGERS

5  LAUREL SPARTANS

6  MOHAWK WARRIORS

7  ELLWOOD CITY WOLVERINES

8  SUMMIT ACADEMY KNIGHTS

9  FREEDOM BULLDOGS

Tags: Aliquippa, Beaver, Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom