Scholastic Notebook – 09/26/2014

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 26, 2014 | 1:19 PM

Whether it’s the football end zone or a soccer net, both places are treated like a crime zone by the fall sports teams at Pittsburgh Central Catholic.

They might as well put yellow tape around the end zone or net because the Central Catholic teams take a “keep out” attitude towards them. It is unusual for two fall sports teams to have such a successful zero tolerance policy.

The Central Catholic football team is 4-0 and has allowed only seven points in four games. The Vikings have three shutouts and are the No. 1 defensive team in the WPIAL.

The Central Catholic boys soccer team has played 11 games and has allowed only one goal. The Vikings are 11-0 and have outscored opponents, 56-1.

There is a definite possibility of WPIAL championships in the future for both Central Catholic teams. It would be an unusual double take. Since Class AAAA football was formed in 1980, there have been only three years where a team won the WPIAL title in the highest classification in both football and boys soccer. The last time it happened was 26 years ago (1988) when Upper St. Clair won both. Mt. Lebanon also did it in 1984 and 1981.

Another Coach Quits

For the second time in two weeks, a WPIAL football head coach walked away from his job.

Ron Coder resigned this week as Canon-McMillan’s coach. Coder was in his second season at Canon-McMillan and had won only one game in the two seasons. But Coder said he resigned because of conflict among the coaching staff.

Coder’s resignation comes one week after Mauro Monz resigned as Carlynton’s coach after only three games.

Coder, a former Penn State and NFL lineman, resigned after a Tuesday morning meeting with Canon-McMillan athletic director Frank Vulcano. Both Vulcano and Coder said it was a mutual decision that it would be better if Coder resigns.

“There have been some internal things within the staff and within the program that were issues,” said Vulcano. “Between he and I, we felt the best decision for him and best for the program was to resign.”

Rough on the Rams

After so many years of dominating Class A football in Beaver County, Rochester has hit rough times. The Rams were 2-7 last year. This year, Rochester is 0-4.

It’s been a long time since Rochester started a season this bad. The last time Dwight Eisenhower was President. Rochester is 0-4 for the first time since 1959.

And now from the MSA interesting factoid book: Rochester is one of only two teams in the WPIAL with two players averaging over 100 yards rushing a game. One is Apollo-Ridge – and the Vikings are 4-0. Rochester’s Ishmael Tucker has 440 yards rushing and Montrail Strozier 416. But the Rams are 0-4.

Defense has been a problem for Rochester. The Rams are giving up 38 points a game.

Quickly, Please

Pine-Richland has one of the top offenses in WPIAL Class AAAA this season, averaging more than 40 points a game. Don’t blink when you watch the Rams because you might miss a play. They run a no-huddle offense and coach Eric Kasperowicz says his team tries to get off a play as quickly as possible, hopefully within 10 seconds of when the ball is marked by the official.

Kasperowicz said the offense is clicking more this year because officials are marking the ball quicker.

“Last year and early on this year, they weren’t used to what we were doing,” said Kasperowicz. “You’ve got to keep up with the times. This is the way football is going, but here in high school, they weren’t letting us do it. They would take their time, spot the ball, let everyone get set. This year’s they’ve been great.”

Sister Acts

There will be three sets of sisters playing in the WPIAL Class AA doubles tennis championships next week.

Quaker Valley’s Farrah and Zoe Bojalad won the Class AA Section 2 title while Emily and Catherine Armstrong of Valley won Section 3. Beaver’s Annie and Mattie Taylor also qualified by finishing third in Section 2.

Brother-Sister Act

Turning over to soccer, there is brother and sister at South Park who are goal-driven.

Justin Minda is a senior who leads the WPIAL in goals with 18. Jordyn Minda, only a freshman, is among the top girls scorers with 12.

Incidentally, the Mindas are both part of undefeated teams. Neither the boys or girls teams at South Park have lost.

“Fresh” Face

The WPIAL girls golf championships are Monday and Canon-McMillan’s Lauren Waller is seeking her second consecutive Class AAA title. Waller is an excellent golfer who is the No. 1 player on the boys team because Canon-McMillan doesn’t have a girls team. But Waller must play in the WPIAL girls individual tournament.

It looks like one of Waller’s biggest threats is a freshman.

Natalie Walsh is a ninth-grader at Mars who shot a 70 at Blackhawk Golf Course earlier this week to win the Section 1 championship. Waller shot a 70 to win the Section 4 title at Pheasant Ridge in Gibsonia.

The Class AAA boys championship will be next Thursday.

Tags: Beaver, Canon-McMillan