CTK 2011 – WPIAL AAAA FOOTHILLS Conference Preview

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, August 19, 2011 | 4:11 PM

The Foothills has become the not-so-golden conference in Class AAAA. With North Allegheny ending the Northern Seven championship drought in 2010, attention turns to the Foothills Conference. McKeesport won WPIAL gold in 1994 and again in 2005, however the last Foothills Conference team to win WPIAL gold other than those two Tigers teams was…ready for this…Connellsville in 1991.

Gateway has added plenty of silver linings to the conference with four championship game appearances in the last seven years, but you have to go back 25 years since they last wore a football crown. Latrobe last won WPIAL gold in 1968 while Hempfield, Norwin and Penn-Trafford are still waiting for their first.

While the gap between conference powers Gateway, McKeesport and the rest of the pack appears to be shrinking, is gridiron gold somewhere on the horizon?

Here is a look at the Class AAAA Foothills Conference for 2011.

CONNELLSVILLE FALCONS:

According to the voice of the CFSN, Rich Mastowski, first year head coach David McDonald plans to use a hurry up no huddle offence running out of the double wing T formation. Just like the Pitt Panthers he wants to snap the ball within 15 seconds from the last play.

The Offence will be lead by Sophomore QB Jade Maher, who received plenty of playing time last season and was the starting QB in Connellsville's win over Valley. Jade Maher will be handing the ball off to running backs Zeth Kozak (senior FB), Zachary Cooper (Senior WB), Jimmy DeMarco (sophomore), and J.T. Stevenson (Junior). Top receivers are Nico Comsa (Jr.) and Joshua Fremd (Sr.) The offensive line (with last year's heights and weights in parentheses) will be lead by Senior Nick Pittsment (6'4", 281), Senior Brady Ritenour (6'5",318) and Senior Brandon Freed (6'1" 259)

The top defensive players are expected to be Sophomore LB Jimmy Demarco, Senior DB Kyle Bauriedl, as well as most of the players already listed above on Offence.

This past summer, Coach McDonald has hosted camps for both the Junior High and midget football programs so he can build a strong foundation for the future.

GATEWAY GATORS:

It has been a nightmarish offseason for Terry Smith and his Gateway team. First the devastating shooting tragedy in North Carolina this summer which led to the death of Darrell Turner, a linebacker who was second on the team in tackles a year ago as a junior. Then on the first day of camp, Jaylen Coleman, a Division I linebacker, was kicked off the team for violating team rules.

The challenges for Coach Smith, now entering his 9th season, are many, but those obstacles can be overcome with a roster of talented players, which the Gators have again this season.

Junior quarterback Thomas Woodson was injured in the June shooting, but appears to be healthy and ready to go. As a sophomore last year, Woodson threw for over 1,100 yards with 11 touchdowns. Darrin Franklin returns at running back with Devante Butler back at wide receiver. Those positions will be bolstered by the likes of back Brian Jones and receivers Tale Brisker and David Folkmire.

There is plenty of experience returning for the Gators up front led by center Joe Robak, tackles Anthony Parante and R.J. Hughes, guards Ryan Doyle and Zach Hartin and even junior tight end Jaymar Parrish.

Only five starters return on defense, which Coach Smith call young but talented. They are defensive end Cody Conway, Hughes at defensive tackle, Haakim Oliver at linebacker and Jones and Butler at defensive back.

HEMPFIELD SPARTANS:

2010 started with a 3-point loss to non-section rival Greensburg-Salem and ended with a 2-point loss to Latrobe. In between, there was no a lot to celebrate for the Spartans as they suffered through a 1-8 season.

Greg Meisner begins his seventh season at Hempfield with some big holes to fill in his passing game. Gone are quarterback Dante Nania, who was 9th in the WPIAL a year ago with 101 completions for 1,512 yards and 11 touchdowns. His top target also graduated in Steve Schmitt, who was 10th in the district with 40 catches for 703 yards.

But a strong ground game may be the path to success this season for the Spartans as last year’s leading rusher returns. Senior Travis Day rushed for 873 yards on 147 carries, averaging 5.9 yards a tote.

Also returning for Hempfield will be senior fullback Tyler Lilja and senior tackle Jesse Kirkling.

LATROBE WILDCATS:

Now in his third season at Latrobe, Ray Reitz hopes to improve on last season’s 5-4 overall record and 2-4 finish in the Foothills Conference which left the Wildcats out of the WPIAL Playoffs after making the post season in 2009.

According to the voice of the Wildcats Dow Carnahan, running back Scott Mohring, who led the team with 497 yards rushing last season, two-way lineman Dylan Colucci and the leading tackler in 2010, linebacker Dan Ferguson (all seniors) head the list of returners for Coach Reitz. Mohring will also start on defense.

Other seniors who started last season include – WR/DB Richie Hall, RB/LB Derrick Zavatsky, LB/TE Phil Piontkowski, and linemen Scott Critchfield, Blaise Werner and Dom DePalma, who is returning after missing his junior season with a shoulder injury.

Sophomore Logan Carns, who started the final game last season at Hempfield, or junior Joe Wojceichowski will start at quarterback for the Wildcats this season.

McKEESPORT TIGERS:

Since Gateway came to the Foothills Conference from the Big East Conference in 2008, McKeesport finished second fiddle to their rivals from Monroeville in Week 9 conference championship games in 2008 and 2009. However first year coach Jim Ward guided the Tigers to the conference title a year ago with a 28-14 victory at Gateway.

The win was the 8th straight for McKeesport…and would be their last after the Tigers were upset in Round One of the Class AAAA playoffs in 2010 by the Bethel Park Black Hawks 24-21. McKeesport is poised this fall to vie for the conference crown again as well as make a bigger splash in the postseason pool.

Only four starters return on offense, but they are all studs led by running back T.J. Neal. The 6'1, 225-pound senior is being heavily recruited as a linebacker with scholarship offers from Pitt, West Virginia, Syracuse, Rutgers, Tennessee, Nebraska, Auburn and Texas Tech.

Joining Neal in the offensive backfield will be 6'4, 205-pound junior quarterback Ed Stockett and 6'1, 210-pound junior running back Hodari Christian. Anchoring the line will be 6'6, 320-pound senior Christian Wilson. Ward believes Wilson, Stockett and Christian will all eventually be recruited by Division I schools.

Another sign that these aren't your old flex-bone Tigers, Youri Whindleton, a senior wide receiver is an offensive weapon who should (gulp) allow McKeesport to open things up more through the air on offense.

Defensively besides Neal and Christian at linebackers, the Tigers have senior Shane Cope at defensive end and seniors Jamar Clark and Charles Davis at cornerback.

NORWIN KNIGHTS:

The Knights turned to the WPIAL football playoffs for the first time since 2007 last year, however they stay in the postseason was a short one as Norwin fell big to defending champion Woodland Hills 45-7 in the First Round. Since 2000, the Knights are a combined 1-4 in the district postseason.

Art Tragesser came to Norwin line year hoping to install a winning attitude to the program and his 5-4 regular season and playoff berth was a good start. Now in his second year, he has a young team to try and keep moving forward.

Senior Tommy Quealy takes over at quarterback for the graduated Tim Petro, for threw for nearly 1,300 yards last fall. Quealy will rely on a pair of seniors at wide out to help bolster the pass game in Erik Rayman and Luke Kljucaric. Junior Casey Robosky is also expected to start at wide out and defensive back while senior Kenny Berryman will start at slot back for the Knights.

Berryman on the defensive line and Rayman at defensive back are two of only three starters back on defense. Will Neil will be the only experienced lineman back on both sides of the ball. He hopes to get help in the trenches from senior Alex Batis, junior Dylan Keffer and senior Quade Davis.

PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS:

Perhaps nobody returns a better one-two punch in the conference on offense than Penn-Trafford. This is good since the Warriors have been punch less in the postseason for quite a while. P-T has made it to the WPIAL eight consecutive seasons and has lost all eight First Round games. They have not won a football playoff game since making a surprise run to the WPIAL title game in 1997.

Now in his second season following a 4-6 campaign a year ago, John Ruane returns one of the top runners and one of the elite passers in Class AAAA.

Running back Manny Simpson is back after rushing for 1,235 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago. Simpson finished fourth in rushing amongst Quad A running backs in 2010. Also back under center is senior Zach Emrick, who threw for 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

They are just two of the seven starters back on offense for Penn-Trafford. Also back are three big targets through the air for Emerick, senior wide receiver Tyler Dudek, junior wide out Dorian Stevens and senior tight end Dylan Stewart.

Up front, three all-conference performers from 2010 return in seniors Justin Williams, a 6'2, 245-pound offensive tackle/defensive end, Zack Crossey, a 5'11, 255-pound center and defensive end and Bob Mandish, a 6'4, 280-pound guard and defensive tackle. Those three lead the defensive front while linebacker Pete Nestor and defensive backs Mike Cumberledge, Anthony Mastrogiacomo and Stevens are key players at defensive back.

MSA SPORTS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:

1. McKEESPORT TIGERS

2. PENN-TRAFFORD WARRIORS

3. GATEWAY GATORS

4. LATROBE WILDCATS

5. NORWIN KNIGHTS

6. HEMPFIELD SPARTANS

7. CONNELLSVILLE FALCONS
 

Tags: Connellsville, Gateway, Hempfield, Latrobe, McKeesport