CTK 2013 – WPIAL Single-A Eastern Conference Preview

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, August 25, 2013 | 1:42 PM

One record setting streak ended in the Eastern Conference last fall while another overall slide continues into this 2013 campaign.

While all eyes were on Clairton’s WPIAL and PIAA record winning streak, the longest losing streak in WPIAL history came to an end last fall when West Shamokin finally put a game in the ‘W’ column. The Wolves snapped a 46-game, five year losing streak that dated back to 2007 when they knocked off the Riverview Raiders 25-6 in Week 3. West Shamokin liked the feeling so much, they won two more games before the season ended.

While it was another competitive season in the Eastern Conference in 2012, it was another empty season for the conference overall. The four playoff teams; North Catholic, Springdale, Apollo-Ridge and Avonworth were a combined 2-4 with both wins coming from the Trojans run to the Semifinals. A team from the Eastern Conference has not won a WPIAL championship since now defunct Duquesne won it all in 2005. The Conference has had three championship teams in the last two decades.

Here is a look at the Eastern Conference:

APOLLO-RIDGE VIKINGS:

There were a lot of ‘feel-good’ teams and storybook turnarounds in the WPIAL in 2012, including Apollo-Ridge. The Vikings finished tied for second place in the conference with Springdale with an overall record of 6-4. This after winning only three games the previous two seasons. The season ended in the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Third year coach John Skiba hopes the success tasted by the Vikings was just a fluke and hopes his team can continue to build toward a run at the conference championship.  There is plenty to build on including the return of senior quarterback Jesse Zelonka, who threw for over 1,400 yards and ran for over 500 yards last season.

Another big weapon on offense is all-conference receiver Tre Tipton, who had 780 yards on 39 receptions in 2012. The junior, who is getting some Division I looks, can do it all as he also will see time at running back and as a pick and punt returner. Junior receiver Alex Smith also returns after registering 508 yards on 28 catches and was second team all-conference.

Four other key players back on both sides of the ball are seniors ILB/FB Ben Gemballa, OLB/RB Lonny Wells whop will help man the Vikings ground game, OL/DL Cody Joyner and SS Dom Schrecongost. Some new starters to the A-R lineup this fall that could make an impact are senior DT Tyler Baustert, junior RB/DB Jonah Casella and freshman DB/RB Duane Brown. 

AVONWORTH ANTELOPES:

A once struggling program is quietly building a nice core of success. Another trip to the WPIAL playoffs last year with a 5-5 overall record marked the fifth straight year the Antelopes were bounding into the postseason.

Now starting his third season up on the hill, Duke Johncour lost his share of talent from last season, but hopes are again high with plenty of key players back for the red and grey.

The Antelopes will be strong up front with senior linemen Vince Bevilacqua (6’0, 190), Gunner Goldie (5’11, 230) and Jeffrey Markovich (5’9, 200) all returning along with senior running back and defensive lineman Andrew Broadus (6’3, 210).

A pair of linebackers and defensive backs that enjoyed big campaigns in 2012 also return in senior linebackers Dalton Day and Adam Schweiger along with senior cornerbacks Jesse Zubik and Brad Mankey. Day, Markovich and Zubik were all-conference performers last fall with Zubik being the lead wide receiver on offense.

Under center, sophomore Zach Chandler returns after an outstanding freshman season in which he threw for 1,138 yards passing and 11 touchdowns. Senior Matthew Donovan also saw some time under center for the ‘Lopes last year and give the team depth and options at the position.  

CARDINAL WUERL NORTH CATHOLIC TROJANS:

Big change is coming to North Catholic. First the name is changing to Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School while some time in 2014, the location will change as well from Troy Hill on the North Side of Pittsburgh to the brand new school being built on Route 228 in Cranberry.

But while things are changing for the Trojans, the success of head coach Bob Ravenstahl’s team should stay the same. Last year, North Catholic won the Eastern Conference and advanced with two postseason wins to the Class A Semifinals where they fell to Sto-Rox 34-20.

CWNC returns some key players from that 9-3 team a year ago including senior P.J. Fulmore, an MSA/Kennywood Park preseason all-star team member who rushed for 1,820 yards and scored 24 touchdowns last year.

Also back for the Trojans is Ryan Kirby, who passed for 539 yards and a pair of scores as a quarterback. Kirby moved to wide receiver late in the season and will start there again this season as junior Aaron Sharlow gets the call under center. In his brief stint at QB, Sharlow hit on 18 of 29 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown. Joining Kirby as passing targets is the team’s leading receiver from last year, senior tight end Ronnie Meder, who had 24 catches for 324 yards and two touchdowns.

There is experience up front as well for Cardinals Wuerl North Catholic with the return of four starters including Josh Churchin, all-conference center Dylan Grieco, Joe Sadler and another MSA/Kennywood Park preseason all-star in Ryan Long.

LEECHBURG BLUE DEVILS:

For a while, it looked like the 2013 season would be the last one for Leechburg as a member of the WPIAL. After school officials looked into a move to District 6 starting next season, the decision was made for the Blue Devils to remain a member of District 7.

Either way, there is no getting around the struggles of the Leechburg football program. Last season, the team finished 1-8 while being outscored 250-56, an average of 27-6 score for their nine games. It also marked the second straight season the team only mustered one win.

Mark George starts his third season at Leechburg with hopes of the kind of turnaround that fellow Eastern Conference rivals Apollo-Ridge and to a lesser extent, West Shamokin enjoyed last fall.

While there are holes to fill with the leading passer and leading receiver from a year ago having graduated, Kris Smith does return after the senior led the Blue Devils in rushing last fall with an average of nearly 4-yards per carry.

Senior Alex Kalmar and junior Quinten Wolfgang will be counted on at the skilled positions for Leechburg while up front, the Blue Devils have seniors Brandon Bish and Jake Kromka and juniors Jordan Cominos and tight end R.J. Rich. 

NORTHGATE FLAMES:

A new era of Northgate football begins as Brandon LeDonne is welcomed in as the new head coach. The former Ambridge, Aliquippa and Moon assistant coach takes over a team that finished in fifth place last year despite a winning 5-4 record overall, losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Avonworth for a playoff spot.

The Flames must forget that burning feeling from a year ago when they started hot out of the gates, winning their first four games in convincing fashion and sitting at 5-1 overall two-thirds of the way through the regular season before losing three straight, including a pair of one point losses to Apollo-Ridge and Avonworth  to miss out on what seemed like a sure bet trip to the playoffs.

With Cody Walter gone, John Camello will take over at quarterback for Northgate. Camello saw some time under center last year, hitting on 11 of 19 passes for 215 yards and four touchdowns.

Walters absence will not only be felt in the passing game, but also the run game, where he led the team in rushing with 1,153 yards and also was on top of the scoring column with 19 touchdowns. The tandem of Sam Nelson and Ron Manuel .

Mark Lodge returns after leading the team in receptions a year ago with 14 for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Romello Snyder will also help the Flames in their passing attack.   

RIVERVIEW RAIDERS:

There was a time when making the WPIAL Class A playoffs was a given for Riverview. Not anymore as the Raiders have missed out on the postseason five straight years. Making matters worse, they just missed the playoffs in 08, 09, 10 and 11, however last year they fell into a three-way tie for sixth place, a full three games out of the top four.

But while last year’s team struggled with a 2-7 final overall record, plenty of injuries gave several underclassmen a chance to play, thus possibly building the foundation for success here in 2013. Todd Massack , starting his 8^th season at Riverview, returns six starters on offense and eight are back on defense.

The Raiders have plenty of experience up front with four seniors returning in Joe Brown, Chris Jarrett, Jake Paradise and Yianni Tsambis. The son of the head coach, junior Jacob Massack also returns at both tight end and linebacker.

Versatile junior quarterback Tyler Nigro is a weapon with both his arms and his legs as he threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns last year while rushing for 224 yards and a score. Other key players back on both sides of the ball for the Raiders are junior FB/LB Keir Barber, junior linebacker Dillon Provenza, junior defensive back Raymar McCombs.

A coaching legend returns to Riverview to help out on the sidelines as long time Springdale coach Chuck Wagner will return as a Raiders assistant.  

SPRINGDALE DYNAMOS:

Following in the legendary footsteps of Chuck Wagner did not prove to be a daunting task for Dave Leasure, who led Springdale to a 6-4 overall record, a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference and an 12th straight trip to the postseason, which ended with a 34-6 loss to Brentwood in the opening round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs.

While some key payers were lost to graduation (including the team’s leading rusher, receiver and scorer last year in Sean Dugan, who also was defensive players of the year), hopes are high for the Dynamos with seven starters back on both offense and defense.

The experience starts up front for Springdale with the return of nearly their entire line in senior tackles Robbie Korzon and Nathan Shaw, senior center Tyler Igo, senior guard Hunter Steihler and junior tight end/defensive tackle Adam Lock.  Senior Alex Demonte returns at defensive end.

The ground game for the Dynamos could be a runner by committee with the likes of junior fullback Austin Kline, senior fullback/defensive tackle Cory English, senior tailback/cornerback Matt Mikus and senior running back Justin Wilson.

Junior Daniel Franskousky will be the new Springdale quarterback who also could help the Dynamos ground attack. With so many skilled players gone from last year, the services of top notch senior kicker Adam Winklemann could be heavily relied on, especially early in the season.  

WEST SHAMOKIN WOLVES:

For five whole calendar years from mid-September of 2007 through mid-September of 2012, West Shamokin lined up to play 46 games…and lost each and every one of them. But a victory over Riverview in Week 3 last year ended the WPIAL’s longest losing streak and gave the Wolves a much needed confidence boost as the team finished out of the basement and with three overall wins for the first time since coming to District 7 nearly a decade ago.

Now West Shamokin has their sites on not just winning a game or two this season, but on competing for…dare I say…a WPIAL playoff berth. If experience is a factor, the Wolves may be poised to make a serious run at one of the top four spots in the conference as first year coach Jon McCullough’s squad has eight players back on offense and defense.

Junior quarterback Alex Lasslo returns after throwing for 517 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Wolves through the air in 2012. Joining Lasslo in the offensive backfield is last year’s leading rusher for West Shamokin, junior fullback Zac Hoerner, who rushed for 785 yards and five touchdowns along with junior halfback Andrew Wingard, who gained 776 yards on the ground last fall and led the Wolves with six touchdowns.

Senior Brady Cornman is back at split end after leading the team with 16 receptions for 272 yards and four touchdowns. He will be joined in the passing game by a pair of junior tight ends in Adam Crise and Nick Huth.

While most of the skilled players are back for West Shamokin, they do have some beef returning on the lines. Senior guard/linebacker Austin Bussard, senior center/defensive tackle Brock Kennedy and junior tackle/defensive end Austin Reesman will be joined by junior newcomer Sam Buffone.  

WILKINSBURG TIGERS:

In the eight years prior to 2012, Wilkinsburg won 2 games in a season four times, one victory in a season once and went winless three times for a combined record of 9-63 since 2004.

But 2012 was different. While the Tigers didn’t make a playoff run, they won three games for the first time since 2003, with all three victories coming in the final four games to give the team some momentum heading in 2013.

Ryan Cox returns at quarterback for the Tigers. He struggled last year but head coach Mike Fulmore claims he has improved many aspects of his game including release and footwork and has been very consistent with his passes during training camp. Two of his top targets this year will be tight end Andre Richardson wide receiver Desmond Stolich. Also watch out for newcomer Robert Higgenbottom is the Tigers passing game arsenal.

On the ground, Wilkinsburg will rely on senior running back Malik Trent and senior fullback Montae Clancy to fill the void left by Devon Stubbs. Two lineman are back to help in the trenches in David James and Gary Gates.

Coach Fulmore is excited about his trio of linebackers, feeling that the trio of Clancy, Trent and Gates could form one of the best linebacking crews in all of Class A. The Tigers were stingy on defense last year but only scored 89 points in nine games.  

MSA SPORTS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1.      Cardinal Weurl North Catholic Trojans

8.      Wilkinsburg Tigers

9.      Leechburg Blue Devils

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Avonworth, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Leechburg, North Catholic, West Shamokin, Wilkinsburg