WPIAL Big Game Hunting – State Quarterfinals

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, December 2, 2015 | 7:48 PM

For the final time ever it will be just four WPIAL teams carrying the District-7 flag into the PIAA tournament. A tough job for WPIAL coaches this quarter-final round of the state playoffs,(the WPIAL Championship games are the first round of the state playoffs), the tough job of re-igniting your team emotionally after playing for a gold football at Heinz Field. It is no secret that the District-7 title games are a much bigger deal than a lot of other districts around the state. Not just in football but truly in every sport, avoiding a WPIAL championship hangover is a tall task moving into the PIAA tournament. Lucky for us we have four of the best coaches in the business going to the quarter-finals.

PIAA Class AAAA Quarterfinals:
Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings (12-1) vs State College Little Lions (9-3) Friday December 4^th @ 7:00 PM @ Fox Chapel high school broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Sean Meyers and Gero Von Dahn

Terry Totten’s Vikes get the home field advantage in their quarterfinal tilt against perennial AAAA PIAA playoff field entry State College. The Little Lions are the champions of District-6. They won a thrilling opening round game against Erie McDowell last Saturday 48-40 to advance into this quarter-final game.

The Little Lions advanced despite their leading rusher and one of the best players in the state Jordan Misher only carrying the ball three times due to injury. Misher’s status for the game against Central is unknown and will likely be a game time decision. For the season Misher has 198 carries and 1375 yards rushing and he has scored 21 rushing touchdowns.

State College got an outstanding performance from junior running back Pete Haffner in their first round win. Haffner stepping on for Misher got 17 carries, 137 yards and a pair of scores in the win. Prior to thiat game he had just nine carries on the season.

Sophomore quarterback Drew Friberg has completed 37 of 51 passes for 477 yards and four scores on the year for State College he has been getting the bulk of the passing duties lately but, the Lions will also get time for junior quarterback Tyler Snyder who has completed 74 of 144 passes for 1061 yards and 10 scores. Trouble for both of those guys has been throwing the ball to the wrong team. They have thrown 13 combined interceptions for the season.

The Little Lion defense likes to get after the quarterback, they have recorded 25 sacks on the year, led by senior defensive end Alec Aspray who has recorded seven. They have also garnered 10 interceptions in the secondary senior Jonathan Seighman leads them in that category with three.

Central and Terry Totten enter this game with solid offensive balance and one of the best defenses in the state. Sophomore quarterback Troy Fisher continues his impressive first year as a starter. Fisher has developed into one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the state. Fisher has completed 83 of 154 passes for 1176 yards and 14 touchdowns without throwing an interception. He has also rushed for over 500 yards and scored a dozen touchdowns.

Gunnar Frerotte leads the Vikings with 26 catches for 345 yards in the receiving game. On the ground the Vikes will pound you with two nice backs in addition to Fisher. Ronnie Jones has 164 carries, 1405 yards and 18 touchdowns. Vinny Emanuele 108 carries for 799 yards and a dozen scores.

Central’s swarming defense will be the difference in this game I think. Rashad Wheeler, Bricen Garner, David Adams, C.J. Thorpe and Damar Hamlin will present a  package of speed and power that State College has not seen the likes of this season. Hamlin appears to be ready to go from an injury standpoint after getting rolled up on in the WPIAL championship game and, has narrowed his college choices to 10 heading into this game. That list includes Pitt, Notre Dame and Ohio State. Honestly I think resting him this week might make sense.

PIAA Class AAA Quarterfinals:
Thomas Jefferson Jaguars (11-2) vs Erie Cathedral Prep Ramblers (12-1) Friday December 4^th @ 7:00 PM @ Erie Veterans Memorial Stadium in Erie, Pennsylvania broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and WJPA-FM 95.3 by Bob Gregg and Nate Regotti

The Jags might have the toughest test of the WPIAL champs in the quarter-finals. This round, and this classification has traditionally been a difficult road for District-7. The test is made even more difficult as the Jags will be facing a decisive home-field advantage for the Ramblers who play this one in their own back yard.

Prep lost sophomore quarterback Joe Mischler early last week against Conneaut in the District-10 championship tilt to a hamstring. Mischler, Prep’s leading passer, spent much of the game riding a stationary bike on the sideline trying to get loose. Senior Ta’nauz Gregory stepped in at quarterback and, though he did nothing in the passing game, his feet made the difference in the win. Gregory rushed for 186 yards and four touchdowns taking the snaps and Prep advanced 42-21.

Mishler’s staus remains up in the air, and that might make things even more difficult for Bill Cherpak and the Jags, because now they have to prepare defensively for both the Prep pro-style offense with Mischler playing and the wildcat with Gregory playing.

The Jags calling card of late has been their defense with five shut outs on the year, the Jag really kicked it up defensively in the playoffs allowing just 8.75 points per game including holding one of the best offenses in the WPIAL down in beating Central Valley 20-7 in the WPIAL title game.

Thomas Jefferson quarterback Bobby Kelly completed 9 of 18 passes in the win over Central Valley for 82 yards and a score. It was by far the most passes he has thrown in a game this season. It will be interesting to see how the Jags game plan goes against the Ramblers.

Thomas Jefferson’s run game is dominant at times with a strong 1-2 punch in junior Quinton Hill and senior Braden Pahanish. Both are over 1000 yards for the year. Hill has rushed for 1624 yards and 21 touchdowns, Pahanish 1067 and 12 scores.

This will likely be the most competitive game of the weekend, if you are heading out to watch it do yoursewlf a favor and watch number 28 play linebacker for the Jags. Senior Adam Stoudt plays football the way it is meant to be played with an equal mix of joy, tenacity and ferocity.

PIAA Class AA Quarterfinals:
Aliquippa Quips (13-0) vs Karns City Gremlins (12-0) Friday December 4^th @ 7:00 PM @ Reeves Field at Geneva College broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and WBVP-AM 1230 and WMBA-AM 1460 by Bob Barrickman and Tom Hays

The Gremlins are the District-9 champions and enter the quarterfinals of the PIAA tournament for the fourth straight season to face the WPIAL champions. The previous three games have been tough on Karns City as they have gone 0-3 in losses to the Quips (2012) and South Fayette (2013 & 2014). Karns City has been outscored in those three games 150-51. I cannot honestly foresee this game being much different but as always, that’s why they play the games.

The Gremlins won a hard-fought battle with Bedford to arrive at this juncture, 21-17 on a late one-yard-touchdown-run from senior Maverick Kelsea.

 Karns City will keep it on the ground as much as possible the Gremlins have seven players on the roster that have rushed for more than 100 yards led by senior Collin Dunmyre who is up around 900 for the year.

Jake King and Cullen Williams will both see time at quarterback for head coach Ed Conto. The Gremlins have played stout defensively all season long with over 100 tackles for loss and 30 sacks on the year. Senior defensive end Reese Barger leads them coming off the edge.

The Quips counter with a 2000 yard rusher and a 1300 yard passer.

Kaezon Pugh has carried 198 times for 2014 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground, pretty safe bet to say the Gremlins have not had to play anyone like Pugh in their run to the quarters.

Quarterback Sheldon Jeter has completed 63 of 113 passes for 1345 yards, 17 touchdows and only three interceptions. He can also hurt you with his running ability, ask the South Fayette Lions.

Xavier and Dajour Fisher may have played the best football game I have ever seen played by a pair of defensive linemen against the South Fayette Lions in the WPIAL championship game. If they play like that again here against the Gremlins, this game will get very ugly, very fast for Karns City fans.

PIAA Class A Quarterfinals:
Clairton Bears (13-0) vs Berlin Brothersvalley Mountaineers (13-0) Friday December 4^th @ 7:00 PM @ Conemaugh Township high school broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Paul Paterra and Lou Rood

This game is a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal played at Elizabeth Forward high school and won by the Clairton Bears 52-24. In the win last year Ryan Williams tossed six touchdown passes and the Bears broke the all-time record for single season scoring in the state of Pennsylvania. Neither of those things will happen this week as Williams has graduated, and the Bears would need to score 211 points to break their own record, I just don’t think they will have enough time to score 211 points.

The Mountaineers Braden Fochtman had a decent game against Clairton last year rushing for 242 yards AND returning a kickoff 86 yards for a score. He will again be the main point of emphasis for the Berlin Brothersvalley offense. The senior has rushed 198 times for the District-5 champions this season for 1829 yards and has scored 30 touchdowns. He has at least a touchdown in every game they have played and has scored 3 or more touchdowns in seven games here in 2015.

Senior Brentson Harding has completed 69 of 125 passes for 1316 yards and 22 touchdowns for the Mountaineers while throwing seven interceptions.

Senior wide receiver Zane Yanosky leads the Mountaineers with 28 catches for 472 yards and eight touchdowns in the receiving game.

I don’t see any of that keeping game competitive after the first quarter.

The Bears are on a mission. That loss in the PIAA championship game last season is stuck firmly in their collective mind and that makes them probably the least susceptible to the WPIAL hangover team we have had enter this round in a long time.

That, and the fact that they are super-talented, make this a long game for the Mountaineer fans despite the fact that the Bears have the longer ride.

Clairton’s Aaron Matthews has completed 108 of 165 passes for 2356 yards and 31 scores all while only throwing three picks. Matthews will kill you running if you drop everyone back into coverage as well. He went for more than a hundred on the ground in the WPIAL championship win over Jeannette.

Harrisin Dreher, speaking of 100, took the opening kickoff at Heinz Field last week nearly 100, returning it 98 yards for a touchdown. Dreher is one of many big-play guys on the field for Wayne Wade. He has 711 receiving yards and 1072 rushing yards on the season, and he has scored 31 touchdowns.

Lamont Wade, still just a junior is another dual threat in the running and passing game. Wade has combined yardage of 1407 yards and has scored 21 touchdowns on the year.

The Bears defense is allowing less than eight points per game and has pitched five shutouts on the season. They might get tested a bit Friday, but I say they pass that test with flying colors.

Tags: Aliquippa, Clairton