Trib HSSN Football Player of The Week 2021: Week Zero

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, August 29, 2021 | 9:44 PM

If he wasn’t on the list of top quarterbacks to watch around the district in 2021, Carson Davidson has ‘thrown’ his hat in the ring after a big start in Week Zero.

“He came in confident and didn’t get rattled,” Blackhawk coach Zack Hayward said. “Playing Beaver Falls at Beaver Falls is always a tough task, and he stepped up big time for our team.”

Davidson connected on 10 of 19 passing for 198 yards and two touchdowns, plus he ran for a score as the Cougars knocked off the defending WPIAL 2A champion Tigers, 31-20.

“His athleticism and confidence really stand out,” Hayward said. “He has the ability to run and can extend plays. He knows that he can make any throw on the field, and he expects to make every throw. As a coach, you love to have a QB that has that kind of confidence but also the ability to back it up.”

After Beaver Falls grabbed an early 7-0, Davidson and the Cougars offense went to work.

The senior connected with Carson Heckathorn on a 73-yard scoring pass.

“It was a huge play to help stabilize momentum and calm down the rest of the team,” Hayward said. “It was a great play call, and Carson and Carson executed as we expected they would. Both guys being three-year starters, we told them big time players will need to make big time plays when the team needs them most. Both of those guys played great.”

On the Cougars next possession, Davidson tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Davis to put Blackhawk up for good.

The Cougars scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter, including a Davidson 1-yard scoring run.

Last season, Davidson threw for 718 yards and only two touchdowns. He has worked hard this offseason to improve those numbers and already has equaled his touchdown tosses after one game.

“He’s consistently working on footwork and his base,” Hayward said. “We work in the film room to pinpoint some throws where his feet can improve, but he takes the coaching and works to perfect then that day in practice.”

Playing in the six-team Class 4A Parkway Conference, Davidson and his Cougars teammates have time to prepare with four more nonconference games, including the team’s home opener this Friday against Hopewell.

“Another rivalry game,” Hayward said. “We’re excited to play at home against another Beaver County team. Blackhawk and Hopewell used to be a big-time rivalry back in the old Parkway days, and we’re expecting that same type of atmosphere for this upcoming Friday.”

WPIAL Week Zero Honorable Mentions

Wyatt Ringer, Beaver: Beaver successfully put visiting Quaker Valley through the Ringer on a hot and humid return to August football in Western Pa. by scoring in the even quarters with 19 points in the second and 14 more in the fourth.

Leading the way in the season-opening win for the Bobcats was senior running back Wyatt Ringer, who grinded out 220 yards on 22 carries.

Ringer started the scoring with a 36-yard touchdown run, then completed the wash cycle with a 35-yard jaunt that capped a clean 33-0 whitewash for Beaver.

Isaac Trout, Southmoreland: Trout season began early at Southmoreland, where visiting McGuffey came up empty when trying to capture the elusive fish.

Scotties senior Isaac Trout rushed for 74 yards and scored on a 55-yard run in the second quarter and caught three passes for 49 yards and two more touchdowns on passes of 9-yards from Travon Lee and 30-yards from Anthony Govern.

The three scores helped the host Scotties stun the Class 2A No. 2 ranked Highlanders, 47-22.

Braylen Lovelace, Leechburg: If you can average 10 yards per carry, you can do wonderful things for your football team and keep the chain gang busy. If you can average 27 yards per carry, then somebody will be making a bust of you someday.

Its early, but it’s safe to say senior running back Braylen Lovelace of Leechburg is off and running as he rushed for 216 yards on only eight carries.

Lovelace scored touchdowns on four of his eight carries as the Blue Devils hit the road for a long trip and came away with a 69-16 thumping of Jefferson-Morgan.

2020 HSSN Players of the Week

Week 12: Eli Jochem, Pine-Richland

Week 11: Cole Spencer, Pine-Richland

Week 10: Landon Alexander, Central Valley

Week Nine: Josh Hough, Beaver Falls

Week Eight: Logan Harmon, Apollo-Ridge

Week Seven: Dontae Sanders, Clairton

Week Six: Ethan Dahlem, Upper St. Clair

Week Five: Jaedan Zuzak, California

Week Four: RaShawn Reid, Rochester

Week Three: Ryan Hubner, Plum

Week Two: Logan Shrubb, Keystone Oaks

Week One: Devin Whitlock, Belle Vernon

Tags: Blackhawk