Westinghouse, University Prep to clash for City League title

By: George Guido
Friday, October 25, 2019 | 2:03 PM

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One school has been the City League’s most successful football program and the other has established itself in less than a decade.

Westinghouse (6-3, 3-1) will seek its 36th City crown while University Prep (8-1, 4-0) will try for its fourth title in just its ninth season in the 102nd City League title game. The clash is set for 3 p.m. Saturday at Cupples Stadium.

Both teams feature star power with Pitt recruit Dayon Hayes of Westinghouse and Akron recruit Michael Snowden of University Prep leading the way for their respective teams.

“This is really exciting for our programs, and we’re showing Western Pennsylvania that there’s a lot of talent in the City,” University Prep coach Louis Berry said. “I’d like to see everyone come out and look at what we have.”

What fans will see is the dominating nature of Hayes at defensive end. Though teams run the other way to avoid him, the 6-foot-3, 240-pounder can often make his way across the field to stop the opposition.

Hayes has 19 ½ sacks and a pass interception to his credit — rare for a defensive end.

“When we break the huddle, we always look to see where No. 50 is lined up,” Berry said. “But their other end, Javon Coleman (6-1, 190, so.) is also good bookend, and Westinghouse has a very aggressive secondary.”

Snowden (5-10, 190) has shown game-changing ability all season. He ran for 119 yards on just 12 carries in last week’s 38-0 semifinal victory over Perry. Snowden now has 21 touchdowns on the season.

“Michael Snowden can have the game put in his hands,” Westinghouse coach Donta Green said. “He’s a competitor, and it’s hard to game plan around him.”

The Panthers won the earlier game this season, 32-22, back on Sept. 5. But both coaches agree the teams have changed in the last six weeks.

That night, the Bulldogs fell to 0-3, with all three games lost in the fourth quarter. Westinghouse hasn’t lost since.

“Teams change,” Green said. “You get more confident and play a little better. I told them to go out and play our brand of football and do what we do well and enjoy themselves.”

“That was a tough, hard-fought game, and we expect the same Saturday,” Berry said. “Both teams have changed a lot since then and have gotten better.”

One victory to savor was last week’s double-overtime thriller, a 20-14 Bulldogs win over two-time defending champion Allderdice.

Said Green: “Allderdice had a good game plan, and it took us a while to figure it out. That’s the closest game we’ve had all year, and it defined who we are.”

While admiring the explosiveness and speed of Snowden, Berry also is pleased with the progress of quarterback Kenny Williams-Pipkins, who threw three scoring passes against Perry.

”He sat out his junior season because he was ineligible,” Berry said. “But he worked hard in the classroom and it took him a while to get started. He’s now protecting the football and limiting the amount of turnovers.”

Snowden will reportedly be playing as a hybrid linebacker at Akron. He’ll be looking to stop Westinghouse running backs Mike Massey, a two-year starter, and sophomore Malik Harris.

Westinghouse last won a City title in 1996. Between 1944-66, the Bulldogs won the championship 19 of 23 seasons.

Tags: University Prep, Westinghouse