TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • 37
NEW CASTLE • PARKWAY
MICHAEL WELLS
NEW CASTLE LOOKS TO
EXTEND PLAYOFF STREAK
Edge rushers Jaylan Cox and
Allen Bradley make coach Joe
Cowart optimistic about how disruptive
New Castle’s defense could
be this season.
They also make the 1999 New
Castle graduate feel old.
“I keep talking about all the
Steelers outside linebackers those
guys could be like, and they’re like,
‘Who?’” Cowart said. “I’m like,
‘You don’t remember Greg Lloyd
and Kevin Greene?’ They’re like,
‘No.’ I’m like, ‘OK, you have to be
those two people. Get on You Tube
tonight and watch it.’”
Red Hurricanes players might
not be up on 1990s NFL personnel,
but one thing they know all about
is making the playoffs. New Castle
has made seven straight trips to
the postseason.
Those visits have yielded only
two victories, however, which has
turned into a locker room rallying
cry of sorts.
“Are we a good team? We’re a
good team. We regularly make it
to the tournament every year,”
Cowart said.
“But great teams win in those
moments. We want to get from
good to great. We want to take that
next step forward.
“That’s what we talk about in
our locker room all the time. Who’s
going to be the team to take us the
next step? Who’s going to take us
to Heinz Field? Who’s going to take
us to Hershey? That’s where we
want to go.”
If the Red Hurricanes advance
farther down the postseason road,
there’s a good chance Cox will
lead the way. A 6-foot-3, 240-pound
senior, he’ll be starting on defense
for the third straight season.
He’s also an intriguing weapon
on offense.
“We’re going to try to get Jaylan
in in a bunch of different ways,”
Cowart said. “Who knows? We may
use him in the wildcat, put him
out wide. He’s such a big-bodied
athlete.”
New Castle will also have to
replace a high-end athlete on offense
in running back DeMetrius
McKnight, who accounted for
1,632 yards from scrimmage and
22 touchdowns last season.
Cowart said that will be a group
effort.
Junior Michael Wells, who displaced
McKnight at the starting
quarterback spot last season, will
play a key role.
“Mike’s an excellent kid,” Cowart
said. “I think it made us better,
with him at quarterback a year
ago, a more traditional guy that
can kind of stretch the field horizontally
and vertically, and it gives
you the ability to make defenses
defend the whole field. Mike’s got
to get better at that. He’s got to get
better at throwing to the open guy
and throwing crisp and making
less mistakes. We have no doubt
that he will.”
Top receiver Donny Cade, who
developed a rapport with Wells last
season, also returns.
Chris Hood is an offensive weapon
who will play in the backfield
and in the slot. Malachi Sherman
was No. 2 on the running back
depth chart behind McKnight last
year.
The graduation of a pair of
talented two-year starters at the
tackle positions, Bernie Fabian
and Antonio Ryan, will hurt, but
Cowart is enthusiastic about his
offensive line. Logan Gibson and
Jason Shearer are the leaders on
the interior. Cowart raved about
Alex Fox and Devin Palmer at
tackle.
WPIAL realignment has changed
up New Castle’s schedule significantly,
moving the team from the
Northwest Eight to a six-team
Parkway Conference.
South Fayette is off the schedule,
but Aliquippa is on.
“They’re both amazing. I’m just
glad they’re both not on our schedule,”
Cowart said. “Aliquippa is
the class of Western Pennsylvania
football for as long as I can remember,
and we will enjoy the challenge
of playing them.
“In New Castle, we’ve had a
unique rivalry with Aliquippa that
dates back to the ‘60s and ’70s. The
fact that we’re back in the same
league again, it’s exciting not only
for the opportunity to play a great
program but also to renew and
restoke that rivalry that’s really
been long standing.”
by JONATHAN BOMBULIE
Coach: Joe Cowart
2019 record: 7-4, 4-3 in
Class 4A Northwest Eight
All-time record: 746-409-69
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Aliquippa* 7
9.18 at McKeesport 7
9.25 Central Valley 7
10.2 at Montour* 7
10.9 Beaver* 7
10.16 Blackhawk* 7
10.23 at Chartiers Valley* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Michael Wells
85-181, 1,464 yards, 13 TDs
Receiving Jason Williams*
22-490 yards, 4 TDs
Rushing DeMetrius McKnight*
223-1,213 yards, 17 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• With four more victories,
New Castle will become the
sixth program in Pennsylvania
high school football history to
win 750 games. The first five
were Mount Carmel (866),
Easton (844), Berwick (825),
Jeannette (756) and Steelton-
Highspire (754).
• New Castle (309) was one
of four WPIAL Class 4A
teams to score at least 300
regular season points last year.
Thomas Jefferson (482), Belle
Vernon (441) and South Fayette
(392) were the others.
• New Castle did well in nonconference
action last season.
Upon further review, they were
undefeated. On the field, the
Red Hurricanes defeated Shaler
and South Park and lost to
West Mifflin in three games
outside the Northwest Eight.
After the season, West Mifflin
was found to have used an
ineligible player, making the
official result a New Castle
forfeit victory. Shaler (5A),
South Park (3A) and West
Mifflin (4A) were all playoff
teams.
DONNY CADE