Trib HSSN football player of the week for Sept. 29, 2024

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, September 29, 2024 | 9:53 PM

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Trib HSSN football player of the week – Julian Dahlem

School – Upper St. Clair

Class – Senior

Height/weight – 5-foot-10, 175 pounds

Position – Running back, receiver, cornerback

What coach says – “The high pressured environment that goes along with playing football on Friday nights is the place where Julian is most comfortable,” Upper St. Clair coach Mike Junko said. “He thrives on pressure and big moments. I have to remind myself not to take it for granted because he always seems to come up big in those moments.

“The big run in the fourth quarter was really a microcosm of what makes Julian so great. He might have been the only person in the building that thought he could turn third-and-32 into a 71-yard touchdown. He will thank his o-line and wide receivers for their blocks, but it also took a special effort on his part to make that play work.

“He has a knack for being at the right place at the right time. That was a game of ups and downs and the pick-6 really provided a huge lift for our team.

“Like all great players he has a very high compete level. He loves it when you doubt his abilities or tell him something can’t be done. It is in those impossible moments you find yourself shaking your head and asking, how did he just do that?”

#Earned – In one of the biggest district games of the regular season thus far, Julian Dahlem delivered in a big way on both sides of the ball. Dahlem and his Panthers’ defensive teammates were kept one of the top quarterbacks in the WPIAL in-check in Peters Township signal called Nolan DiLucia. In fact, Dahlem delivered the first score of the game on a 25-yard interception return when DiLucia was hit as he attempted a pass, and Dahlem was in the right spot to make the play. After Peters Township tied the game, Dahlem scored what would be the game-winning touchdown on a 16-yard run. The icing came in the fourth quarter when on third and 32, Dahlem took a draw handoff, broke a tackle, ran to the near sidelines, broke another tackle and raced to the end zone to cap off win No. 500 in program history for USC. Dahlem rushed for 185 yards on 22 carries and scored all three Panthers touchdowns in a 21-7 win over defending champion Peters Township.

Background – Dahlem was the Panthers’ leading receiver and second-leading rusher as a junior in 2023. He had 25 receptions for 285 yards (11.4 avg) and rushed for 284 yards on 49 carries while scoring eight touchdowns. He entered Week 5’s battle of unbeaten teams with 507 rushing yards on 36 carries, but took advantage of an injury to leading rusher Dante Coury. Dahlem was first-team all-conference on offense a year ago. He also was the starting point guard on the Upper St. Clair basketball team that won the WPIAL Class 6A championship this past winter. He was second-team all-section in basketball as a junior. Dahlem believes his athletic future is in football and hopes Friday’s big game opened some eyes to his special talents.

WPIAL Week 5 Honorable Mention

Patrick Smith, Mt. Lebanon

While Dahlem was creating magic on Friday for Upper St. Clair, next door, another outstanding athlete was enjoying a big night in his team’s first win of the season. Mt. Lebanon junior quarterback Patrick Smith connected on 8 of 11 passes for 133 yards, plus he rushed for 207 yards on 26 carries with four touchdown runs of 12, 39, 76 and 5 yards. The Blue Devils won their first game under new coach Greg Perry, beating visiting Seneca Valley, 32-8. The win combined with a Hempfield victory over Canon-McMillan, brings Lebo to within a half game of a playoff spot.

Elvis Koutsakis, Gateway

Elvis may have left the building at Armstrong High School, but he did plenty of damage to the host River Hawks defense before exiting stage left. Gateway freshman quarterback Elvis Koutsakis nearly matched his season totals in one magnificent game, connecting on 24 of 41 passes for 377 yards and five touchdowns. Half of his completions went to junior wide receiver Shawn Moorefield Jr., who ended up with 12 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown as the Gators stayed in the hunt for a 5A Big East Conference crown with a 48-20 win over the River Hawks.

Ben Hays, Bentworth; Charles Rush, Avella

A tip of the cap to a couple of big performances by two Tri-County South Conference players in Class A. Bentworth junior running back Ben Hays rushed for 253 yards on 15 carries and scored three touchdown on runs of 76, 48 and 56 yards as the Bearcats improved to 2-1 in the TCS with a win over Carmichaels, 33-15. Avella sophomore Charles Rush lived up to his last name, rushing for 277 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns, plus he threw for 71 yards and a score as the Eagles claimed their first conference win by edging Beth-Center, 22-16.

2024 HSSN Players of the Week

Week 4 – Matt Sieg, Fort Cherry

Week 3 – Trey Hopper, Montour

Week 2 – Tyler Eber, Thomas Jefferson

Week 1 – Donald Barksdale, Steel Valley

Week Zero – Drew Welhorsky, South Fayette

Tags: Upper St. Clair