WPIAL Big Game Hunting: The Football Four-Pack – 11/03/2011

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, November 3, 2011 | 11:09 AM

Well this is easy, they are all big now! Exit ramp number one on the “Highway To Heinz” dead ahead. This week we will look at all the 8 v 9 games as it will a good news, bad news, bad news situation for all eight teams, you lose that’s bad. You win that’s good but it’s an almost certainty that up next for you is the top seed in your classification, that’s bad. But, hey… nothing is better than taking your shot at the best. That’s why all the members of the MSA Sports gang try at some point to sit in Don Rebel’s chair. Buckle your chinstraps time to go post-season Big Game Hunting.

AAAA #9 Seneca Valley Raiders (7-2) @ #8 Penn Hills Indians (5-4)

Friday November 4^th 7:30 pm @ Plum High School Broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and AM News Talk 1410 KQV by Sam Hall and Steve Nagler

Don’t be fooled, at first glance this game looks like a stark contrast in styles, yes the Raider have a wide open offense and want to get up and down the field while Penn Hills is averaging less than 20 points per game. You might think the switch from the grass surface at Yuhas-McGinley to the turf at Plum is a big benefit to the Raiders, but Penn Hills has great team speed as well. The Indians are rolling here in the second half of the season and since week four have put up 40 or more points three separate times.

The Indians have a pair of division-one wide receivers in Corey Jones (Pitt) and Chaz Whittaker (WVU), both having blazing speed and great moves and both have played a multitude of positions for the Indians this season including some time at quarterback for Whittaker when usual starter Jaquan Williams worked his way back from an injury. For the season Whittaker has completed 37 of 69 passes for 502 yards and five touchdowns, while he has 13 catches for 280 yards and has scored three touchdowns. Jones has 25 catches on the year to lead the Indians, he has amassed almost 400 yards receiving and rushed for 487 yards as well all told he has scored ten touchdowns for Penn Hills. The good news for the Indians is that both of those guys can be wide outs again this week as Williams expects to make a second straight start at quarterback, for the season Williams has completed 31 of 50 passes for 595 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions.

On the ground Jones and Aaron Bailey will carry the load for Ron Graham, Bailey has 90 attempts for 508 yards and four touchdowns on the season. So it is wrong minded to think of Penn Hills as wanting to slow this game down. Although they would like to try and slow down the Raider offense, but that, is easier said than done.

Don Holl’s Raiders are an explosive offensive team, they are loaded with talent and speed, if you like offensive football this is a game you might want to make the trip to Plum to see.

Forrest Barnes has people in Zelienople shouting “Run Forrest Run!!!” and the junior is listening big time. Barnes has 143 carries for 1100 yards and 11 touchdowns on the year. Barnes is also one of the go-to receivers for the Raiders with 34 catches for 446 yards and four scores.

The guy handing it to Forrest, or tossing it to him, or throwing it to him, is another junior. Quarterback Jordan Brown is quickly coming out of the shadow of his big brother C.J. in the pantheon of great Seneca Valley quarterbacks. Brown is the leading passer in the WPIAL through the regular season completing 127 of 202 passes for 1828 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year while throwing just five interceptions.

Oliver Philogene is also making a name for himself as an offensive force for this Raider team which is averaging a second best in the Northern Seven Conference 35.3 points per game.

AAA #9 Highlands Golden Rams (7-2) @ #8 Ringgold Rams (7-2)

Friday November 4^th 7:30 pm @ Joe Montana Stadium Broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Matt Vandriak and Chris Manna

This game is a clash in styles Highlands has one of the best defenses in the WPIAL and they like to keep it close to the vest and low-scoring, Ringgold has the “Law”-man back in town and they want to go, go, go. The Rams are scoring more than 35 points per game on the season and have eclipsed the 40 mark six times this year including 62 against Laurel Highlands in week six. Highlands meanwhile is allowing a miniscule 12.2 points per game on defense while scoring an almost equally miniscule 17.7 points per game.

All reports out of the Mon Valley say that Ram quarterback Quad law is back at 100% for this first round tilt. Including this report from Ringgold head coach Matt Humbert… “(This) should be a very good game.  We are slowly getting back to full health.  QB Quad Law is full go.  Highlands has a very stout defense and a dangerous

QB.  We must be able to keep him in check and throw the football this week.”

Law is the difference maker for the Rams and mostly on the ground he has amassed 82 carries for 1208 yards rushing the football for a Ringgold offense that averages 326.9 yards per game on the ground. It is high-octane running to steal a phrase. Fullback Dom Affinito is a big part of that ground game as well with 418 yards on 59 carries.

The Rams can play a little defense of their own as well corner Alfon Cook has 31 tackles for coach Humbert’s club that is allowing just over 16 points per game on the year.

The dangerous quarterback that Matt Humbert refers to is senior Kennywood, MSA Sports pre-season all-star Gage Clark.

Clark has had an impressive season throwing including going the entire regular season without tossing a single pick. He has completed 60 of 119 passes for 796 yards and seven touchdowns on the year.

He has also rushed it 140 times for 690 yards and 9 touchdowns….yeah that sound pretty dangerous.

Jerriel Carver has 18 catches for 22 yards and five touchdowns on the year for the Golden Rams, he is also their second leading rusher with 71 carries for 413 yards on the season.

AA #9 Mount Pleasant Vikings (6-3) @ #8 Washington Little Prexies (7-2)

Friday November 4^th 7:30 pm @ Wash High Stadium broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and WJPA –AM 1450 by Bob Gregg also Broadcast on WLSW-FM 103.9 and the MSA Sports Network by T.J. DeStefano

The Vikings have become a perennial playoff team in the tough Interstate conference and Bo Ruffner’s club is very solid this season as well, despite being hampered all season long by some key injuries they still managed to only fall twice in conference play losing to two of the top seed in this AA bracket in Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic, and even those losses were very competitive.

Sophomore running back Tyler Mellors was one of those injured Vikings but he is back and if week nine is any indication ready to bring a lot to the Viking offense. In a week nine win over Southmoreland, Mellors tuned it up for the playoffs in a big way rolling 183 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries, he will be a big key for Mount Pleasant as they open the playoffs on the road at Washington. While Mellors was out the Vikings found some depth running the football with four different players rushing for over 350 yards on the season, including Kevin Yanok who is averaging almost ten yards per touch for Bo Ruffner’s club. Quarterback Ryan Gumbita does not throw it a ton but he has had success throwing this year and he is also one of the leading rushers on this Vikings squad. Gumbits has shown a tendency to throw to the wrong colored jersey this season tossing ten picks, he will need to more careful with the football against a tough Washington secondary if the Vikings hope to advance past this first round of the playoffs.

The Pride meanwhile appears to be back down in my hometown of “Little Washington” PA, and a big chunk of that pride comes courtesy of head coach Mike Bosnic, who has really done a great job in getting the Prexies back where they belong in the upper-echelon of WPIAL football teams in AA.

The Prexies have surprised a lot of folks with their solid play in a tough Century Conference but coach Bosnic is not surprised. “We have won our last six games and feel like we have some momentum going into the playoffs.  This will be the first home playoff game at Wash High Stadium in 10 years.  If we are focused and play hard we can compete or beat anybody in class AA.  If we can get this first which will be tough against a very solid Mt Pleasant team our kids will gain confidence and you never know what they are capable of.” Bosnic told BGH.

The Prexies expected solid play from their skills guys coming back this season, but they wondered about their younger guys up front and the development of that offensive line throughout the year has been a key element to their success.

Quarterback Josh Wise has had a solid year for the Prexies throwing for over 500 yards and eight touchdowns while also running for more than a hundred yards and four scores, he has also converted six two point conversions running the football for the Prexies. Wash High is really excited about sophomore running back Shai McKenzie who has 1031 yards and 17 touchdowns on the year in 56 touches, he is the first Prexie to go over a thousand yards in the regular season since Notre Dame recruit Travis Thomas did it back in 2002.

Defensively Eric Ellis has tied the school record of 14 sacks for Washington High School this year.  

A #9 Springdale Dynamos (7-2) @ #8 Monessen Greyhounds (6-3)

Friday November 4^th 7:30 pm @ Monessen Broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and the Greene County Sports Network by Jason Tenant and Bobby Fox

The Monessen Greyhounds have one of the best all-around players in the WPIAL in quarterback Chavas Rawlins, here are some of the 6’2’’ 188 pound junior’s impressive numbers for the season. He has completed 63 of 134 passes for 874 yards and seven touchdowns throwing while also adding 496 yards rushing as well as scoring another five times on the ground.

Rawlins has a lot of offensive talent around him as well including his two favorite targets senior Sam Dickerson and sophomore Aaron Jackson. Dickerson has 16 catches for 184 yards while Jackson has caught 10 balls and averages nearly nine yards per catch.

Senior running back Jalen Madison has rushed for 665 yards on the year and leads the ‘Hounds in scoring with 11 touchdowns on the year. Monessen has struggled at time this year including losing three of their last five but they are a very physically and mentally tough team for Andy Pacak who kept his thoughts pretty succinct on this opening round match-up, “It is a really good Springdale team we are going to play.” Said Pacak when asked about the first round on the “Highway To Heinz”. As usual, Coach Pacak is on the money with his assessment.

Chuck Wagner’s Dynamos always seem to pride themselves on a tough defense and the 2011 version is no different, the Dynamos are only allowing 10.6 points per game on the defensive side this season. They also have a diverse and talented running attack behind and with quarterback Joe Killian. Thee separate players, including Killian have rushed for more than 650 yards for Springdale this year. Sean Dugan leads them in yards with 949 on the year to go along with 19 touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions. Killian has toted the rock to the tune of 731 yards on 100 carries, he has thrown for four scores and carried in six more. Chris Liberto has also been a big threat for Coach Wagner carrying it 86 times for 662 yards and 10 touchdowns and also converting six two-point conversions.   

Against the Dynamos the defensive challenge is to stay in position because you never know who will get the ball from which direction. Coming down the stretch Springdale has really been rolling winning four in a rown and topping the 40-point mark in every game. The competition picks up now as they hit the road to face Monessen. 

Tags: Highlands, Washington