MSA Sports Saturdays Scholastic Starz for Week Seven

By: Bruce Markey
Sunday, October 16, 2016 | 9:43 AM

A couple of more Homecoming Weekends once again expanded the Saturday WPIAL football slate on a chamber of commerce postcard picture perfect October day. Some school districts have a parade through town to coincide with their special autumn weekend in which alumni return to their alma mater. There five players put their skills on display as Week Seven concluded and we took another step toward then end of the regular season.

Garrett Day – Avonworth

Sunny skies….temps in the low 70’s…leaves turning…what a great Day it was. It was a pretty special day for Avonworth quarterback Garrett Day, as he connected on 11 of 22 passes for 147 yards while tossing a pair of second quarter touchdown passes of 11 and 37 yards, plus he rushed for 203 yards and scored on a game clinching 46-yard jaunt as the visiting Antelopes raced past the winless Shady Side Academy Indians in a Class 3-A vs Class 2-A Non-Conference game by a score of 28-13.

Geno Pelligrini – Charleroi

Coming into their must win road game at Burgettstown, Charleroi was unsure if they would have quarterback Geno Pelligrini because of an injured ankle. That game time decision to go with the sophomore by head coach Don Militzer proved to be a winning one. Pelligrini hit on 12 of 23 passes for 214 yards with a pair of scoring runs of 5 and 21 yards and two touchdown tosses in the second half, the final one coming on a 48-yard scoring strike late in the Class 2-A Century Conference matchup as the Cougars scored 20 unanswered points to kepp their playoff hopes alive by stunning the host Blue Devils 26-23.

Chris Pierce – Frazier

There was nothing at stake Saturday at historic Graham Field in Wilkinsburg as Frazier visited Imani Christian in a Class 2-A vs Class 1-A Non-Conference contest except pride and momentum as both teams are in a battle for one of five playoff spots in their respective conferences. Frazier quarterback Chris Pierce didn’t have the kind of success his predecessor had (more on that coming), but he did what he needed to do, hitting on 11 of 19 passes for 100 yards and he scored on touchdown runs of 2 and 9 yards as the Commodores prevailed over the Saints in a dandy 27-26.

Tyler Bradley – Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

It took seven years, but the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart football team ison the brink of their first trip to the playoffs. A year removed from an 0-9 season, OLSH is close to a postseason berth Saturday night thanks to a big game from quarterback Tyler Bradley, who threw for 276 yards and tossed four long touchdowns on passes of 28, 59, 53 and 67 yards, plus he capped off the clincher with a 3-yard scoring run as the Chargers crushed the visiting Union Scotties 62-21 in a Class 1-A Big Seven Conference matchup.

Kenny Robinson – Imani Christian

Sadly, Imani Christian quarterback Kenny Robinson’s near record day did not translate into a victory. Robinson hit on 21 of 36 passes for 448 yards (third highest single game total in WPIAL history) as he ran for two scores and threw a pair of scoring passes, but it was his incompletion on a two point conversion in the fourth quarter that was the difference in the Saints 27-26 Non-Conference loss to the visiting Frazier Commodores.

Tags: Avonworth, Charleroi, Frazier, Imani Christian