Scholastic Notebook – 12/12/2016

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, December 12, 2016 | 10:23 AM

No one knew much about Najhier West before the PIAA Class 2A championship Saturday morning. But only hours after the game, West was being talked about on national television and his running ability put him right up there with some well-known athletes on a college and pro level.

West is a junior running back at Steel Valley, the backup halfback to DeWayne Murray. But Murray wasn’t at full strength and didn’t play all that much in the title game against Southern Columbia at Hersheypark Stadium. It might have been a big deal because West is the sixth-leading rusher in WPIAL history. But Steel Valley simply went West.

West substituted for Murray and had a tremendous game with an unforgettable run that put him on ESPN. West ran for 288 yards on 12 carries and scored five touchdowns. His 60-yard touchdown in the second half is being called one of the greatest in PIAA championship history. ESPN thought enough of it to consider it among the top plays of the day.

Someone sent ESPN video of West’s run. On SportsCenter Saturday night, West’s run was in the top 10 plays at No. 2. The only play rated better was a dunk by Duke basketball player Grayson Allen.

On West’s run, he broke nine or 10 tackles. It seemed like everyone on Southern Columbia’s defense had a shot at him. But he stayed on his feet, zig zagged across the field and took off for the touchdown.

“We all knew we had this in him,” said Murray, “and he just knew he had to step it up with me a little banged up.”

There might have been one chief reason for West’s success.

“We watched a lot of film on [Southern Columbia],” said West. “We knew they weren’t that fast.”

Murray graduates, so you’ll probably continue to hear more about West next year.

Ironmen Points

It has been well-documented how the Steel Valley Ironmen were a machine this year. They went 15-0 and are believed to be the first team in Pennsylvania history to win every game by the mercy rule. Although the mercy rule has been in effect in Pennsylvania football since only 1998.

But what also is impressive are the points scored, and the points allowed by Steel Valley. The first-team defense allowed only three touchdowns all season. The Ironmen scored 806 points. That is the third-most ever by a WPIAL team.

Clairton’s 2014 team scored the most with 958. Jeannette’s 2007 team is second with 860. Then comes Steel Valley’s 806, followed by 2013 Clairton (771) and 2012 Aliquippa (760).

Meeting of Tigers

Beaver Falls’ season ended spectacularly, as the Tigers won the school’s first state football championship. The end was a far cry from the beginning.

Beaver Falls started the season with a big game at home against rival Aliquippa. But Beaver Falls was trounced, 44-13.

Both Beaver Falls coach Ryan Matsook and some players acknowledged there was a lot of negativity on the team after the loss. There was finger pointing. Maybe a players-only meeting turned things around.

“The players got together just among themselves after that Aliquippa game,” said Matsook. “There were some things said. I remember they called me into the meeting then. We aired out some things. I remember saying afterward, ‘Alright, we’re not losing again.’”

They didn’t. Beaver Falls ran the table the rest of the season.

First and Last

In between the first and last games of the season the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings were really good. But the bookends to the season were losses to Catholic schools outside of the WPIAL.

Central Catholic was trounced by St. Joseph’s Prep of Philadelphia, 42-7, in the 6A state championship game Saturday. It was Central Catholic’s second loss of the year. The first was to St. John’s of Washington D.C., 35-14, in the season opener.

St. Joseph’s was ranked No. 13 in the country USA Today. Meanwhile, Central Catholic coach Terry Totten marveled all year at the talent of St. John’s, which finished with an 8-4 record. One of the losses was to IMG Academy, a veritable all-star team of players from around the country. Another was to Gonzaga of Washington, D.C. The other two losses were by 34-29 and 14-13 to DeMatha (Md.), a team ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Wade Player of the Year

Clairton’s season ended on a sour note with a loss to Bishop Guilfoyle, 17-0, in the Class 1A final Friday. But there was good news for the Bears by Monday morning when running back-defensive back Lamont Wade was picked the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year.

Wade ran for more than 2,000 yards this season and is rated one of the top defensive backs in the country. He finished his career as the third-leading rusher in WPIAL history with more than 7,000 yards.

CW North Catholic Dismisses Gildon

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic is looking for a new football coach after the school opened Jason Gildon’s position last week. GIldon lasted only two years. His teams made the WPIAL playoffs both years and made the semifinals last year.

Gildon is a former Steeler who is still second on the team’s all-time sacks list.

Other football jobs around the WPIAL known to be open are Mount Pleasant, Kiski Area, Monessen, Springdale and Woodland Hills.

Tags: Beaver Falls, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Clairton, North Catholic