TIRB TOTAL MEDIA • 53
WEST MIFFLIN • BIG 8
NAHKI JOHNSON
WEST MIFFLIN PLAYOFF
ELIGIBILITY IN DOUBT
As camps finally begin across
the state, every high school football
team has questions, from competition
for starting spots to trying to
stay healthy during a pandemic.
However, one district school has
another massive question hanging
over its heads as practices begin.
Will West Mifflin be eligible for the
2020 postseason?
Last November, the WPIAL
learned that the West Mifflin football
team used an ineligible player
during the recently completed 2019
season.
Ni-Keese Hodges-Demery, an
all-conference wide receiver who
transferred from New Castle to
West Mifflin during the 2017-18
school year, was ruled ineligible
after his fifth-year status was overlooked
because he was new to the
district and didn’t play any sports
at West Mifflin the previous year.
“The young man was 17 years old
at the start of camp and played as
an 18-year-old senior,” West Mifflin
coach Rod Steele said. “We had
no idea of any semester issues.
I received an eligibility list from
the school each week and he was
never listed as an ineligible player
or participant.
“As a coach, you can’t act on
something you don’t know. I’m a
newly hired coach that had never
seen this kid’s transcript. I look
forward to the appeal process to
further explain myself and my
team’s innocence.”
The WPIAL came down hard
on the program and ruled West
Mifflin ineligible for the 2020
postseason.
“Making the playoffs and competing
for a WPIAL and PIAA
championship is always something
of significance,” Steele said.
No date has been set yet for the
Titans’ appeal of the decision to
the PIAA.
West Mifflin has five starters
back on both sides of the ball from
a team that finished the regular
season with a 5-5 record (before
having to forfeit all its wins) and
lost in the Class 4A quarterfinals
to South Fayette.
The key player back is tight end
and defensive end Nahki Johnson.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound senior has
committed to Pitt.
“I look forward to seeing his
growth and play,” Steele said of the
player he coached as a freshman
and sophomore at Steel Valley. “He
missed some games last year to
an early illness that he recovered
from. He’s put on 25 pounds of
muscle and has improved in his
strength and conditioning.”
The historically strong West Mifflin
ground attack will be led by
sophomore Tyrelle Olgetree.
“After going into the fire as a
freshman due to the dismissal of
a senior running back, he showed
a lot of toughness and speed back
there,” Steele said. “He put on 20
pounds this offseason, so I’m excited
to see what he’s able to do this year.”
Olgetree is the younger brother
of former West Mifflin running
back great Jimmy Wheeler.
Other key contributors back for
the Titans include senior linemen
J’Shawn Schofield and Maurice
Demery, junior running back and
linebacker Israel Rose and junior
wide receiver and defensive back
Andre Spencer.
Some newcomers to the program
Steele is excited to see on the
field include sophomore lineman
Braeden Crousey and freshman
twin linemen DelRicco and Del-
Ron White, who are already bench
pressing 300 and 275 pounds before
their high school careers begin.
Whether a postseason carrot
dangles in front of the West Mifflin
football team this season or
not, Steele knows life in the 4A
Big Eight Conference is always
difficult.
“I believe we have a physical conference
that each and every week,
you will need your A game,” Steele
said. “There are a lot of talented
teams in this conference.”
by DON REBEL
Coach: Rod Steele
2019 record: 0-11, 0-7 in
Class 4A Big Eight Conference
All-time record: 290-293-12
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Thomas Jefferson* 7:30
9.18 at Belle Vernon* 7
9.25 Laurel Highlands* 7:30
10.2 at Trinity* 7
10.10 at McKeesport* 1
10.16 Uniontown 7
10.23 at Ringgold* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Jacob Davis*
Receiving Keith Demery*
Rushing Davis*
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Playoffs are standard
practice at West Mifflin. The
Titans qualified for the WPIAL
postseason every year this
past decade, last missing out
on November football in 2009.
• In their 10-year playoff
streak, West Mifflin went as
far as the WPIAL finals in
2012, where the Titans lost
to West Allegheny, 34-8.
West Mifflin has lost its last
four playoff games, with the
Titans’ last victory coming in
the 2016 4A quarterfinals over
Belle Vernon, 19-0.
• Rod Steele begins his second
year at West Mifflin after
a successful nine-year run as
head coach at Steel Valley
that included back-to-back
WPIAL championships in 2017
and 2018 and a PIAA Class
2A state crown in 2017.
• While the West Mifflin football
program has a tradition of
success, it has only captured
one WPIAL football championship.
Sixty-seven years ago,
the West Mifflin North Vikings,
in their fourth year of existence,
edged Butler, 12-6, at
Forbes Field to win the 1963
WPIAL Class AA title.
DelRICCO WHITE