48 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
Coach: Matt Miller
2019 record: 9-4, 4-2 in
Class 5A Big East Conference
All-time record: 660-407-47
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Belle Vernon* 7
9.18 New Castle 7
9.25 Trinity* 7
10.2 at Ringgold* 7
10.10 West Mifflin* 1
10.16 Laurel Highlands* 7
10.23 at Thomas Jefferson* 7:30
BIG 8 • McKEESPORT COLIN LYONS
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Devari Robinson*
16-57, 295 yards, 6 TDs
Receiving Deamontae Diggs*
14-240 yards, 6 TDs
Rushing Robinson*
198-1,561 yards, 33 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• McKeesport coach Matt
Miller begins his fifth season
as the Tigers head coach.
• The last time McKeesport
was in 4A was prior to expansion
in 2015. It was the
final year for legendary coach
George Smith as the Tigers
finished 9-2, beat Seneca
Valley in the first round of
the WPIAL playoffs and lost
a wild one in the district
quarterfinals to Penn-Trafford,
39-32.
• The Tigers were a pedestrian
3-2 playing at George
Smith Field last year, but they
were 6-2 on the road.
• This fall marks the 15th
anniversary of the fourth and
most recent WPIAL football
championship for McKeesport
(1932 tri-champs, 1938, 1994).
The Tigers finished the regular
season 7-2 before beating
Shaler, North Hills and Mt.
Lebanon to set up a 19-7
victory over Woodland Hills at
Heinz Field to win the Class
AAAA crown. After two more
wins in the PIAA playoffs,
they went on to defeat Bethlehem
Liberty, 49-10, for a
second state championship.
ASAAD ROBINSON
RETURN TO CLASS 4A
SUITS MCKEESPORT FINE
For 3½ decades, McKeesport
called Class AAAA home in high
school football.
Four years after expansion to six
classifications saw the Tigers competing
in Class 5A, McKeesport
returns to 4A football this fall.
“Moving into 4A is exciting,”
McKeesport coach Matt Miller
said. “We get to play against a
whole group of new opponents and
at different venues.”
In the four years in Class 5A, the
Tigers did what they are accustomed
to doing on the football field:
They enjoyed great success. McKeesport
went 35-13 from 2016-19,
reaching the 5A semifinals three
times and losing in heartbreaking
fashion to West Allegheny in
overtime, 38-37, at Heinz Field in
the first WPIAL 5A championship
game in November of 2016.
The 2020 version of the Tigers
has experience in the trenches
and plenty of speed at the skill
positions.
“The two things that excite me
most about this coming season is
the return of key linemen Colin
Lyons, Cattrell Leggett, D.J. Moehring
and Dave Stevenson,” Miller
said. “These guys all played key
minutes for us last season. The
second thing that excites me is our
team speed. We have some top-level
speed and quickness from our veterans
and newcomers.”
The experienced line is ready to
lead the way for the vaunted Tigers
run game.
“I feel like we are going to be
the leading force of a dominant
McKeesport team,” Lyons said.
“Each person on our line is tough
as nails and will do their job 100
percent every play.”
Those new guys will try to fill the
void left by the graduation of two
studs on offense for McKeesport
in Devari Robinson and Demontae
Diggs.
Robinson, now a freshman at
Lehigh, led the Tigers in rushing
with 1,561 yards and 33 touchdowns
while also throwing for 295
yards and six scores as the team’s
leading passer.
Diggs, a tight end at Youngstown
State, had 240 yards in receptions
and six touchdowns.
Hoping to step up to lead the
way in the traditionally strong
Tigers running game are senior
Asaad Robinson and junior Kanye
Thompson.
“Robinson is a two-way starter
at running back and outside linebacker
and is a very fast, instinctive
runner,” Miller said. “He is
able to make players on the ground
and in the air.”
While younger players bring
hope and a certain level of excitement,
Miller admits there are
worries for him and his staff with
an inexperienced group.
“My concern for this season
is experience,” he said. “We are
counting on a lot of players with
little to no experience on the varsity
level.”
Looking back to last fall, McKeesport
went 9-3, including a quarterfinals
victory over defending
champion Penn Hills, before a season
ending loss to eventual WPIAL
champion Gateway in the 5A
semifinals.
“I was very pleased with how the
2019 season ended,” Miller said.
“We were able to beat several good
teams in the playoffs and gave
Gateway a great game missing four
starters because of injury. The season
will be remembered by having
great senior leadership.”
One of this year’s seniors is
ready to roll.
“I’m looking forward to all of
the practices and games and just
having one last ride with my brothers
competing for a WPIAL and
state championship,” Lyons said.
“I just want to go out my senior
year having no regrets and give it
all I have.”
While rivals such as Gateway,
Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford and
Franklin Regional are in the
rearview mirror for now, new rivals
such as defending champion
Thomas Jefferson, Belle Vernon,
Ringgold and West Mifflin are on
the road ahead as life is set to begin
for McKeesport in the 4A Big Eight
Conference.
“The Big Eight looks very competitive
across the board,” Miller
said. “It will be nice to play closer
opponents and develop rivalries
for years to come.”
by DON REBEL