CTK 2015 – WPIAL Single-A 2014 Football Flashback

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, August 7, 2015 | 12:24 PM

All seemed right with the world again with Clairton ruling the roost in District 7 Class A football. The Bears roared through the regular season and district playoffs before knocking off Avonworth to earn an 11th school football crown and the sixth championship in the last seven years.

2014 WPIAL Single-A Highlights:

*  Only twice in the last nine years have the orange and black attack not hoisted Class A gold at Heinz Field…Serra Catholic in 2007 and Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in 2013. The swagger and domination was back for Clairton, but it did not lead to a sixth PIAA crown in the last seven years. The Bears fell 19-18 to District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle in the state finals at Hershey for their only loss of the season. That loss did not sit well with a couple of players, who took part in some unsportsmanlike ugliness in the closing seconds that led to the suspension of second year coach Wayne Wade for the 2015 season opener on September 4th at home against California.

*  Sophomore sensation Lamont Wade had a season for the ages, bringing back memories of a few years ago when Pitt wide receiver Tyler Boyd ran amok through the WPIAL defenses. Wade rushed for a district leading 2,765 yards…nearly 1,000 yards more than WPIAL rushing runner-up Nate Block of South Side (1,783). This despite the fact Wade carried the ball 17 fewer times than Block. It was not surprising that Wade also led the entire WPIAL in scoring with 47 touchdowns and he tacked on 34 extra points. Wade is expected to be moved to quarterback for his junior season with Harrison Dreher back from injury at running back. Wade’s Clairton teammate Ryan Williams was Class A’s leading passer in 2014, connecting on 161 of 283 passes for 3,037 yards, 40 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. Joe Satira of Serra Catholic led in receptions in Class A with 53 for 640 yards.

*  Dwight Eisenhower was concluding his final year in the White House when Avonworth last tasted gold in high school football. And even that was not an outright celebration as the Antelopes shared the Class A title with the Union Scotties in 1959. In recent years, Avonworth has not been able to get past rival Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic and has seen their season end in the district Semifinals. But that changed in 2014 when the Antelopes, fresh off playoff wins over Mapletown and Riverside, finally beat their nemesis and dethroned the defending champion CWNC Trojans 28-21 to finally advance to the finals. That taste of gold was put on hold for at least another year though as the ‘Lopes were knocked off by Clairton 46-14.

*  After turning their program around in 2012, Neshannock has won a conference title outright, share a conference championship and finished in second place, one game out of the top spot. The Lancers have also enjoyed postseason success in the three years, going a combined 6-0 in the First Round and Quarterfinals of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 playoffs. But like Avonworth, Neshannock has not been able to clear that Semifinals hurdle and at least play for gold in the North Shore big house. All three years the lancers fell to the eventual district champions, losing to Clairton 37-7 in 2012, falling to Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic 27-14 in 2013 and then to Clairton again in an overtime thriller 48-42 in 2014.

*  Speaking of turnarounds, a tip of the cap to a pair of Single-A programs who made the playoffs in 2014 after playing the role of class doormat for a great part of this century. First to Avella, a team that snapped a 37-year playoff drought in 2013 followed up with another playoff berth with a fourth place finish in the Tri-County South and a 5-4 overall record. This from a program that nearly closed its door on football after having to dress a cheerleader just to have enough players six years ago. Secondly, to South Side, a team that entered the 2014 season with an 11-game losing streak after a winless 2013 campaign. The Rams lost in Week One, then won four straight en route to a 6-3 regular season and a third place finish in the Big 7 Conference. South Sides return to the playoffs got off to a good start with a victory over Frazier in Round One, but the turn-around season ended with a 20-6 loss to Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic in the Quarterfinals.

2014 WPIAL Single-A Regular Season Standings:

(Top 4 teams from A conferences qualify for playoffs)

# = Clinched Section Title
* = Clinched Playoff Berth
x = Eliminated From Playoff Chase

CLASS A BIG SEVEN CONFERENCE

2014 WPIAL Single-A Playoff Results:

(All scores marked with (MSA) are archived on MSA Sports)

2014 WPIAL CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Clairton Bears 46 –  Avonworth Antelopes 14  (MSA)

WPIAL CLASS A Semifinals:

Avonworth Antelopes 28 – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans 21  (MSA)

Clairton Bears 48 –  Neshannock Lancers 42   (MSA)

WPIAL CLASS A Quarterfinals:

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans 20 – South Side Rams 6  (MSA)

Avonworth Antelopes 31 – Riverside Panthers 14   (MSA)

Clairton Bears 68 – Shenango Wildcats 7  (MSA)

Neshannock Lancers 46 – Jeannette Jayhawks 32  (MSA)

WPIAL CLASS A First Round:

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans 69 – Avella Eagles 13  (MSA)

South Side Rams 26 – Frazier Commodores 12  (MSA)

Riverside Panthers 21 – Beth-Center Bulldogs 20  (MSA)

Avonworth Antelopes 34 – Mapletown Maples 0  (MSA)

Clairton Bears 62 – Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers 3  (MSA)

Shenango Wildcats 35 – Springdale Dynamos 7  (MSA)

Neshannock Lancers 48 – Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions 3  (MSA)

Jeannette Jayhawks 50 – Brentwood Spartans 19  (MSA)

2014 PIAA Single-A Playoff Results:

(All scores marked with (MSA) are archived on MSA Sports)

2014 PIAA CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders 19 – CLAIRTON BEARS 18  (MSA)

PIAA CLASS A Semifinals:

CLAIRTON BEARS 54 – Sharpsville Blue Devils 18  (MSA)

Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders 28 – South Williamsport Mountaineers 21  (MSA)

PIAA CLASS A Quarterfinals:

CLAIRTON BEARS 52 – Berlin-Brothersvalley Mountaineers 24  (MSA)

Sharpsville Blue Devils 50 – Kane Wolves 14

Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders 56 – Camp Hill Lions 21  (MSA)

South Williamsport Mountaineers 69 – Pius X Winged Lions 41

PIAA CLASS A First Round:

CLAIRTON BEARS 46 – AVONWORTH ANTELOPES 14  (MSA)

Berlin-Brothersvalley Mountaineers 42 – Meyersdale Red Raiders 7

Sharpsville Blue Devils 29 – West Middlesex Big Red 14

Kane Wolves 33 – Brockway Rovers 14

Camp Hill Lions 63 – York Catholic Fighting Irish 49

Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders 28 – Portage Mustangs 14  (MSA)

Pius X Winged Lions 29 – Delaware County Christian Knights 22

South Williamsport Mountaineers 40 – Old Forge Devils 0