CTK 2013 – WPIAL Single-A Black Hills Conference Preview

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, August 22, 2013 | 11:29 PM

Any discussion of the race in the Class A Black Hills must start with Clairton.

The Bears come into the season on a 63-game winning streak, the longest current streak in the country and the longest in the history of Pennsylvania. Clairton lost a number of key players to graduation. So do the Bears simply reload? Do they step a back? Is this finally the year the streak ends?

Questions abound about the Bears. For sure, they are good enough to win a conference title again and maybe a sixth consecutive WPIAL and fifth consecutive PIAA.

Maybe Brentwood or Monessen are ready to give a serious challenge to Clairton. Remember Char-Houston gave the Bears fits on the opening night last year.

Here is a look at the Black Hills Conference:

BISHOP CANEVIN CRUSADERS:

It will seem a little strange to look at the Bishop Canevin sideline this year and see Bob Jacoby not standing there.

For the first time since the early 1970s, someone other than Jacoby will be leading the Crusaders. Jacoby retired after 40 seasons as coach. Darren Schoppe takes over. He is a former Bishop Canevin player and an assistant under Jacoby. Most recently he has been an assistant at South Fayette.

Schoppe takes over a team that has five starters returning on offense and six on defense. The team’s quarterback, leading receiver and leading rusher have all graduated. Giovanni DeMarzo and Tyler Reddy seem ready to lead the running game. DeMarzo had 422 yards rushing last year and Reddy 360.

The Crusaders must develop a quarterback. Tanner Richardson and John Reddy are returnees on the offensive line  while Richardson and Aaron Alke return on defense. Tyler Reddy is one of the defensive leaders at linebacker. DeMarzo and Reed Relosky return in the secondary.

The Crusaders finished fourth in the conference last year and it looks like they have enough to battle for a playoff spot again.

BRENTWOOD SPARTANS:

Brentwood has a new turf. Justin Vickless apparently chewed up a lot of the old grass.
Vickless is one of the main reasons Brentwood is expected to again be one of the top teams in this conference. A senior running back, he was a 1,500-yard rusher last season and might even do better this year.

Returning linemen blocking for Vickless include Josh Gallagher, Jeremy Cenci and Tyler Stadelman. Bill Madeja and Patrick Carr are receivers to watch.

Although the defensive line is inexperienced, Cenci and Ryan Shortley return at linebackers and Jack Murano and Vickless in the secondary.

The Spartans have to break in a new quarterback as Chris Shortley graduated. Connor McWilliams, a junior, is ready to take over.

CALIFORNIA TROJANS:

The Trojans have a new coach in Bo Teets. The Trojans played for years in the Tri-County South but moved to the Black Hills last year and finished with a 2-7 record. The team needs improvement on both sides of the ball after being outscored, 303-142 last sason.

Cory Adams, a senior running back, is one of the team’s leaders. He led the team in scoring last year with eight TDs. Nate Harris also returns at receiver.

A lineman to watch is 6-5, 302-pound Jared Magruda.

CARLYNTON COUGARS:

After going 5-5 in 2011, the Cougars slid last year and went 1-8. But things are again looking up for the Cougars. Getting a playoff spot will be tough, but with the return of eight starters on offense and 10 on defense, this team should definitely be improved.

Carlynton is counting on a nice year from quarterback Fred McKissick, a 6-2, 180-pound senior. He played the position last year but was bothered by a shoulder injury.

Isiah Canton is only a sophomore, but appears primed to lead the offensive attack. Canton gained about 400 yards last season as a freshman and also scored a team-high seven touchdowns.

Mike Walkowiak leads an experienced line. On defense, Walkowiak, Mike Griffin, Christian Franchick, and Devin Miller return on the lines. Dale Rybacki and Kevin Schuster are back at linebacker. The secondary has Canton, McKissick, Evan Ban and Tyler Bly.

The defense must improve. The Cougars gave up 311 points nine games last season.

CHARTIERS-HOUSTON BUCCANEERS:

The Bucs gave Clairton its closest game last year, losing by only 22-20 in the season opener. Some key players are back from that team and this year Char-Houston opens at Clairton.

Char-Houston has to replace the top three rushers from a year ago as well as all-state linebacker Frank Vulcano.

The offense will be led by Kaleb Susko, a quarterback who threw for almost 1,000 yards last season. He is only 5-8, but looms large in the Bucs’ plans, as does four-year starting receiver Miles Williamson, who caught a team-high 24 passes a year ago. Williamson has good size at 6-4.

Receiver Alec Ferrari and linemen Walter Lober, Tyler Stegenda and Noah Deep all return on offense. On defense, Derek Hull was an all-conference lineman.

Hull, Spencer Terling and Tug Tatano will take over the running game.

CLAIRTON BEARS:

All-everything player Tyler Boyd is now at Pitt. Terrish Webb and Titus Howard also are at Pitt while a number of other key players graduated.

The strength of this year’s team looks like experienced linemen. A year ago, Clairton was green on the lines and experienced at the skill positions. This year it’s the opposite. Vance Gibson, Israel Melvin, Will Hampton and Joquan Bray all return on the lines. Bray was a first-team all-conference pick a year ago.

The question marks are at the skill positions. Many are calling 6-5 sophomore Aaron Mathews possibly the next standout player for Clairton. He has shown talent at receiver but he also is vying for the starting quarterback job along with Ryan Williams.

The running game might be led by a talented freshamn. Lamont Wade is 5-11, 190 pounds and only a ninth-grader. He is the nephew of defensive coordinator Wayne Wade.

FORT CHERRY RANGERS:

Jim Shiel begins his second year as coach. He was 3-6 in his first season. With the return of some skill-positon players, the Rangers should improve this season.

The running game will feature Koltan Kolbrys, who rushed for a team-high 754 yards on 113 carries last season. Also back is Garrett Whalen, who was second on the team in rushing with 352 yards.

Leading the offense will be quarterback Matt Heslin. Fort Cherry didn’t throw all that often and Heslin was 48 of 105 for 562 yards. Zack Dysert caught 16 passes a year ago.

If Fort Cherry does the job in the trenches on the lines, the Rangers could make some waves this season.

MONESSEN GREYHOUNDS:

Monessen and Brentwood look like the best bets to have a chance at knocking off Clairton.
The Greyhounds feature linebacker Justice Rawlins, who is being recruited by some Division I schools. He is the younger brother of last year’s quarterback, Chavas Rawlins, who graduated.

Junior Noah Rullo figures to take over for Rawlins. The Greyhounds should have a good running game with the return of Clintell Gillespie, who rushed for 642 yards on 89 carries last season and also led the team with 24 receptions.

Linemen Justice Tartt, Jonathan Kravets and Raealo Davis return on the offensive lines.
The defense could be strong with Rawlins. Also back are Irvin Green, Lavelle Rush and Javon Brown in the secondary and Tartt, Kravets and Davis on the line.

SERRA CATHOLIC EAGLES:

The Eagles will be flying under a new leader this year as Tony St. Angelo takes over. He takes over a team that has been on the slide. The Eagles won only three games in 2010, two in 2011 and none last year.

Serra used the flexbone offense under former coach Jamie Eckels, but will now use the spread. Quarterback Zac Quattrone will led the spread. Jake Alfer and Hamdan Wyatt will handle the running back duties while Grant Perry, Brad Delo and Joe Satira are at receiver

The defense must improve drastically after allowing 436 points in nine games last season.

MSA SPORTS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH IN THE BLACK HILLS CONFERENCE:

9.      Serra Catholic Eagles

Tags: Bishop Canevin, Brentwood, California, Carlynton, Chartiers-Houston, Clairton, Fort Cherry