Westmoreland County high school football notebook: Teams close in on playoff berths

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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The WPIAL playoffs are drawing nearer, with the league set to release seedings and pairings Oct. 26.

No Westmoreland County team has clinched a playoff berth yet, but several could this week.

The top four out of seven teams in Class 6A qualify. Central Catholic and North Allegheny have clinched. Hempfield can qualify with a win Friday over Mt. Lebanon.

The top three teams in each Class 5A conference and three wild cards selected by the WPIAL will advance.

In the Big East Conference, Penn-Trafford can clinch with a win over Armstrong and a Latrobe loss to Gateway.

Franklin Regional is in with a win over Woodland Hills or a Latrobe loss to Gateway.

The top three in each conference and three at-large wild cards also will qualify from 3A.

In the Interstate Conference, Southmoreland clinches a spot and the conference title with a win over Elizabeth Forward. The Scotties also can clinch if Greensburg Salem loses to Yough.

Mt. Pleasant gets in with a win over Derry and a win by Southmoreland or loss by Greensburg Salem.

In Class A, where the same top-three-finishers and three-wild-card format applies, Monessen can clinch out of the Black Hills Conference with a win over Bishop Canevin and a loss by Cornell.

And in the Eastern Conference, Greensburg Central Catholic clinches with a win over Frazier and a loss by Brentwood.

Smith chasing records

Southmoreland freshman Anthony Smith broke his team’s record for touchdown passes in a season last week with his 20th. Now, the strong-armed quarterback is taking aim at the yardage mark.

Zach Cernuto, now a tight end at Waynesburg, had the touchdown record of 19 scores, and he also has the yardage mark of 1,909.

The remarkably poised Smith has thrown for 1,775 through eight games. He is 98 of 173 with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Smith may be a wide-eyed teenager with braces, but Southmoreland’s potential benchmark season is not lost on him. In fact, it makes him smile.

He could be the player who helps lead the Scotties to their first conference title in 45 years.

“It means a lot to do what we’re doing,” Smith said. “No one in our town is used to winning a lot.”

The 6-foot, 190-pound Smith could become the second freshman in WPIAL history to throw for 2,000 yards.

Jaivin Peel of Western Beaver threw for 2,889 in 2023, a mark that is believed to be a WPIAL record for a ninth grader.

Southmoreland won the Keystone Conference in 1979, falling to Penn Hills and standouts Bill Fralic and Tom Flynn in the playoffs. Southmoreland never has won a playoff game (0-5) in 59 full years of football.

Fralic award

Nominations are coming in for the Bill Fralic Memorial Award, which annually goes to the top interior, two-way lineman in the WPIAL in the name of the late Penn Hills, Pitt and NFL star.

This will be the sixth year for the award.

Letters and information have been sent to coaches. Each team in the WPIAL can nominate one player. A selection committee will pick six finalists, one in each classification.

The winner will be announced in December.

Deadline for nominations is Oct. 30.

A press event will be Nov. 14 at the Heinz History Center to announce the finalists.

Past winners are Courtney Dunn of McKeesport (2023), Joe Enick of Penn-Trafford (2022), Sean FitzSimmons of Central Valley (2021), Miguel Jackson of Pine-Richland (2020), and Logan Danielson of Thomas Jefferson (2019).

Premus offered

Southmoreland receiver and defensive end Elliot Premus has interest from a school that is practically in his backyard. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior received an offer to play at Seton Hill.

Premus leads Westmoreland County with 41 receptions for 801 yards and eight touchdowns. He has 41 tackles on defense.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Latrobe, Mt. Pleasant, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland, Yough