98 • TRIB TOTAL MEDIA
Coach: Chad Coss
2019 record: 2-8, 0-7 in
Class 3A Tri-County West
All-time record: 373-549-36
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 Beth-Center* 7
9.18 at Washington* 7
9.25 Charleroi* 7
10.2 at Frazier* 7
10.9 McGuffey* 7
10.23 at Chartiers-Houston* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Darnell Johnson
31-91, 473 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving Avery McConville*
14-238 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing Trevor Stephenson*
206-1,206 yards, 7 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Playing in Class 3A the past
four seasons, Waynesburg
went 5-33. In the four seasons
before that, playing in
Class 2A before the split into
six classifications, the Raiders
had more than twice as many
wins, going 12-25 and making
the playoffs in 2014.
• Last season, Waynesburg
went 0-8 against Class 3A
opponents (their seven conference
foes and Burrell) and
2-0 against teams from other
classifications (beating Class
4A Ambridge and Class A Jefferson
Morgan).
• Waynesburg is celebrating
the 20th anniversary of its
most recent trip to the WPIAL
finals. The Raiders lost to
Aliquippa, 14-6, in the Class
2A finals in 2000. Waynesburg
has reached the championship
game three other
times, beating Washington in
1999 and losing to Braddock
in 1958 and 1959.
• Waynesburg scored 178
points last season, second
most of any team to
finish last in the WPIAL’s 15
conferences. Chartiers Valley
(240) had the most.
LUKE MALEY
DARNELL JOHNSON
WAYNESBURG AT HOME IN
CLASS 2A COMPETITION
Looking for the biggest winner
in the WPIAL’s biennial realignment?
How about Waynesburg?
For the past two seasons, the
Raiders have been through the
meat grinder in the Class 3A
Tri-County West, butting heads
with powers such as Aliquippa,
Central Valley and Beaver Falls
on an annual basis. They went 2-8
overall both years.
Now, they’ll be facing smaller
schools in the Class 2A Century
Conference.
It’s no picnic, of course. Washington,
McGuffey and Charleroi, to
name three opponents, can strike
fear into any foe.
“I’m not taking anything away
from our Double-A opponents,”
coach Chad Coss said. “There’s
some good teams in our conference.”
Still, the geography of the new
Waynesburg schedule makes a lot
more sense.
“We’re happy with the conference
we’re in now,” Coss said. “To
put it into perspective, with our
schedule change, we have three
away games. The total travel time
for all three of those games would
add up to one away game from last
year. That’s a big difference. That’s
great, just to be able to be closer
and not have to travel as far.”
As they enter a new conference,
the Raiders will be led by a pair
of four-year starters on the line,
Kyle Cox and Luke Maley. Last
season, they paved the way for
running back Trevor Stephenson
to rush for 1,206 yards and seven
touchdowns.
“Everything starts up front,”
Coss said. “They’re going to help
out on the line.”
This season, senior Nate Stephenson
figures to handle much
of the ball-carrying duties. He ran
for 880 yards and eight touchdowns
as a sophomore before missing
last season with an elbow injury
suffered while competing on the
wrestling team.
Darnell Johnson, who threw for
473 yards and ran for 689 yards and
a team-leading nine touchdowns
last season, returns at quarterback.
From Cox and Maley to Stephenson
and Johnson, many of Waynesburg’s
key players have taken some
lumps starting as underclassmen.
Now, they hope to use that experience
to their benefit.
“Hopefully we reap some rewards
for playing young kids
against Triple-A teams,” Coss said.
by JONATHAN BOMBULIE
CENTURY • WAYNESBURG