6 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
BRALEN HENDERSON
COACH TERRY TOTTEN and EDDIE TILLMAN
Coach: Terry Totten
2019 record: 12-2, 7-1
All-time record: 552-319-44
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Canon-McMillan* 7
9.18 at Norwin* 7
9.25 North Allegheny* 7
10.2 at Seneca Valley* 7:30
10.9 Mt. Lebanon* 7
10.17 Hempfield* noon
10.23 at Baldwin* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing: Dom Pieto*
77-150, 1,300 yards, 14 TDs
Receiving: Anderson Cynkar
15-365 yards, 5 TDs
Rushing: Eddy Tillman
275-2,064 yards, 24 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Central Catholic has reached
the WPIAL finals in half of
the seasons played since
the turn of the century. The
Vikings are 7-3 in those
championship games, winning
in 2019, ‘16, ‘15, ‘13, ‘07, ‘04
and ‘03.
• Central Catholic gave up 87
points in 10 regular-season
games last year. That’s the
fewest they’ve allowed since
conceding 58 in 11 games in
2013.
• Only four WPIAL teams
scored more than 13 points
against Central Catholic last
year: Bethel Park, Hempfield
and Norwin in the regular
season and Mt. Lebanon in
the playoffs.
• When the pandemic shortened
schedules, Central Catholic
lost a high-profile season opener
against Harrisburg High at
the Western Pa. Vs. Everyone
showcase at the Wolverarena
originally set for Aug. 28.
PLENTY OF OPTIONS
AT QB FOR VIKINGS
Central Catholic has five guys competing
to play quarterback, and whoever wins the
job will practice handing the football to Eddy
Tillman.
The senior is coming off a 2,000-yard,
26-touchdown season. The 5-foot-8 running
back has increased his strength since last
season and started drawing Division I interest
this summer. Vikings coach Terry Totten said
he’s noticed a difference in Tillman, who kept
working while schools were closed this spring.
“He’s capable of breaking more tackles,”
Totten said. “He’s worked hard and he’s ready
to go.”
But Central Catholic’s offense won’t be
one-dimensional, he added, because the Vikings
have a collection of wide receivers that
might be the best of his tenure. The Vikings
have five wideouts who could make an impact
this season.
“We’ve always been a tailback-oriented offense,”
he said, “but certainly I’m going to try
to get the ball to the skill outside.”
Central Catholic’s defense should be solid
again, even with senior defensive tackle Elliot
Donald skipping his senior season.
So the defending WPIAL Class 6A champion
has its focus on sparking an offense that found
its stride late last season after stumbling early.
The team averaged 30 points per game and
nearly upset nationally ranked St. Joseph’s
Prep in the state semifinals.
To balance Tillman, Central Catholic will
rely on seniors receivers Matt Schmitt (6-foot-1,
170 pounds), Eric Benson (6-1, 200) and Anderson
Cynkar (6-0, 170), and juniors Brandon
Jackson (5-6, 160) and Gannon Carothers (5-9,
175).
Combined, they caught 39 passes for 827 yards
and nine touchdowns last season. Cynkar led
with 15 catches.
“They’re very good, maybe the best group
we’ve had,” Totten said. “They’re all pretty
skilled kids, and they can carry the ball on jet
sweeps.”
What Totten doesn’t yet know is who’ll be
throwing them the football. The Vikings have
five players competing to play quarterback,
Totten said, the most he remembers in one year.
Finding snaps for everyone is difficult.
“We’re whittling it down but it’s a challenge,”
Totten said. “We’re going day by day to see who
has the hot hand.”
With so many players competing for the job,
Totten declined to name them. But said there
will eventually be a winner in the race to replace
Dom Pieto, a 1,300-yard passer last season.
Totten is optimistic that Friday’s scrimmage
against Penn Hills will provide his coaches a
good chance to analyze his passers.
“We’ll settle on one guy,” he said, “but it will
probably be a season-long competition.”
Central Catholic got a surprise when Donald,
a four-star Pitt recruit, decided to skip his
senior season over covid-19 concerns. That
removed the most high-profile member of the
defense, but the defense has other standouts
coming back.
“We feel like the cupboard’s not bare,” said
assistant coach Dave Fleming, the team’s defensive
coordinator.
Senior defensive ends Bralen Henderson (6-3,
240) and Kairos Beasley (6-0, 205) will lead the
pass rush, and junior tackle Donovan Hinish
(6-1, 260) adds strength in the middle.
Hinish is the younger brother of former
Central Catholic star Kurt Hinish, who’s now
at Notre Dame.
“He comes from a good pedigree,” Fleming
said. “Donovan is going to be a really good
player for us.”
Carothers and junior J.D. Younger lead the
secondary with junior Devin Barren and senior
Chase Horne. Liam O’Connor returns as
a senior starter at linebacker.
“We’ve got seven or eight guys returning with
experience from last season, who played a high
level game against St. Joseph’s Prep and played
a pretty good Pine-Richland team a couple of
times last season,” Fleming said. “As their
coach, I feel pretty good about that.”
by CHRIS HARLAN
CLASS 6A • CENTRAL CATHOLIC