Derry’s Flack named Trib HSSN Football Player of the Week

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, October 14, 2018 | 11:42 PM

It wasn’t a 70s TV show, but when all was said and done after the Derry at Yough Class 3A Big East Conference game, Trojans running back Justin Flack could have earned the starring role in “Eight is Enough.”

Eight turned out to be plenty as Derry turned back Yough, 63-20.

Flack rushed for 159 yards but is believed to have tied a WPIAL record with eight touchdowns, six on offense and one each on special teams and defense.

While his counterpart Dustin Shoaf ran for more yards, finishing with 289, it was Flack’s finishing touch that made him stand out in Week 7.

Flack scored touchdowns on runs of 27, 11 and 46 yards in the first quarter as Derry jumped out to a 28-12 advantage.

But after a long scoring run by Shoaf pulled Yough to within eight points, Flack delivered with an 88-yard kickoff return.

The senior wasn’t done, scoring on runs of 9, 2 and 48 yards as the third quarter ended with Derry up 55-20.

The cherry on the top of the eight-scoop gridiron treat for Flack was a 60-yard pick-6 for the final points in a 43-point win.

The victory keeps Derry in a three-way tie with Elizabeth Forward and North Catholic in the Big East, and a desperate Yough team gets knocked out of the top four and now must win out and get help if they are to crack the Class 3A postseason party.

WPIAL Week 7 Honorable Mentions:

Drew Engel — Canon-McMillan

Drew Engel had a huge night on the ground, running for nearly 300 yards in a win for Canon-McMillan. But what makes this performance even more impressive is Engel entered the game with only 5 yards rushing on two carries because he is the Big Macs’ wide receiver. Pressed into duty because of an injury to Josh O’Hare, Engel delivered with 292 yards rushing and three touchdowns as the Big Macs beat host Norwin, 34-12, to move into a tie for the final playoff spot with the Knights.

Mason Pascoe — Belle Vernon

A horrific first-half injury changed the mindset of visiting Belle Vernon from a balanced offense to run, run, run and then run some more. After Leopards quarterback Jared Hartman was taken off on a stretcher with a serious knee injury, Mason Pascoe led a ground attack with 204 yards rushing with a pair of scoring runs as Belle Vernon may have sealed the deal on a home playoff game with a big Class 4A Big Eight conference victory over West Mifflin.

Todd Hill — Steel Valley

Since losing to unbeaten Shady Side Academy in Week 3, it has been all downhill for Steel Valley as it has won four straight and outscored opponents 195-38. The latest victim was Class 2A Allegheny Conference foe Apollo-Ridge as star running back Todd Hill rushed for 223 yards and scored three touchdowns. Quarterback Ronnell Lawrence passed for 211 yards in the Ironmen’s 64-21 conquest of the host Vikings.

Derek Johncour — Avonworth

East Allegheny and Avonworth entered their Class 2A Allegheny Conference fray last Friday with one loss and conference championship hopes still alive because they have Shady Side Academy on their schedule. Not sure what the deer were doing, but the Antelopes were playing pitch and catch as Avonworth quarterback Derek Johncour hit on 14 of 23 passes for 246 yards and a pair of touchdown passes as Avonworth beat the visiting Wildcats, 28-14.

Luke McCoy and Daniel Blank — Laurel

There is little margin for error in Class A this season with only the top two teams in each conference making the playoffs along with two wild cards. So there was a lot at stake as Laurel and Cornell fought to stay alive in the wild-card chase in the Big 7. A back-and-forth thriller featured Laurel’s Luke McCoy rushing for 196 yards and two scores and teammate Daniel Blank gaining 153 yards with two touchdowns and the winning 2-point conversion run in the Spartans’ 35-34 season-saving win.

Bonus Mention — M.J. Devonshire of Aliquippa

Not even Walmart could boast of more successful returns then Aliquippa senior M.J. Devonshire. He has put the special in special teams for the Quips, and his historic season raises one simple question: Why are teams kicking the ball anywhere in the field of play against the No. 1 in Class 3A? Devonshire returned a second-quarter punt 32 yards to the house Friday in the Quips’ 55-7 rout of South Park. It is his eighth punt return for a score this season, one short of the national record of nine.

Don Rebel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Don at drebel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TheDonRebel.