WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Seven 2014
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Wednesday, October 8, 2014 | 5:09 PM
The final third of the regular season gets underway Friday night here on the MSA Sports Network. Several teams have already clinched playoff spots and the stretch-run will be a lot about positioning yourself for a good seed and a playoff push towards Heinz Field. This week in Big Game Hunting we get the rarest of the rare, as a pair of number ones will square off in Imperial. A tip of the cap to South Fayette quarterback Brett Brumbaugh from BGH and after spending a Friday night at Neil Brown Stadium a word on the Clairton Bears, and that word is …WOW!
AAAA Foothills Conference:
#5 McKeesport (4-1)(5-1) vs #10 Plum Mustangs (4-1)(4-2) Friday October 10th at 7:00 pm @ Plum Stadium on the campus of Plum high school broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Greg Warnock and Sean Meyers
A battle for second place in the Foothills, a battle of “top-ten” teams, a battle to possibly assure one team a chance to host a playoff game a game of that magnitude, involving Plum? Yes! The Mustangs resurgence continues under Matt Morgan in fact they ride a three game winning streak into this game. This is a “make your mark” game for Plum.
It will be a tough one as the Flex-bone is hitting full stride for the Tigers and George Smith and senior quarterback TyWann Smith. Smith has really settled into the Flex-bone and is making every right decision as the Tigers bring their own three game win streak into this game.
McKeesport does what they do, including playing great defense. The Tigers are allowing a second best in the Foothills 10.2 points per game on the year.
You needn’t worry too much about the Tigers throwing the ball as TyWann Smith has only thrown 11 passes on the season completing four for 68 yards and a touchdown.
The Tigers leading receiver Jordan Payne has four catches, but he makes them count with 128 yards, when they do throw it is for big yardage with Payne averaging over 30 yards per catch.
Junior wing back Khaleke Hudson will hurt you with the big play on the ground. Hudson has 77 rushes for 949 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season. He is averaging over 12 yards a carry and scoring a touchdown once every 4.81 carries.
Smith, is much more likely to run than throw with 331 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Junior fullback Tymar Sutton has stepped up as a big-time threat if you focus too much on stopping Hudson. Sutton has 314 yards and three touchdowns of his own on the season.
For the Mustangs senior quarterback Will Fuher has completed 43 of 91 passes for 728 yards and five touchdowns on the year. He has tossed four picks and will need to be careful throwing against an aggressive and smart Tiger secondary.
On the ground the Mustangs have seven rushers with double-digit carries on the year. They are led by sophomore Nick Coxon with 64 carries for 351 yards and four touchdowns. Yet another sophomore Kevin, Brown has 295 yards on the ground for the mustangs and leads them in touchdowns with six on the year.
Non Conference:
AAAA #1 Woodland Hills Wolverines (6-0) vs AAA #1 West Allegheny Indians (6-0) Friday October 10th at 7:00 pm @ West Allegheny high school broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and KQV 1410 AM by Lanny Frattare and Bob Orkwis
This game won’t have any bearing on the standings and it might not even have much bearing on the seedings when the playoff committee gets together later in the month but, that doesn’t make it any less “Big”. This is a “water-cooler” game. This is one everyone will be talking about all week. The only game I can think of I would rather see might be Clairton vs Aliquippa. This will do very nicely for a substitute.
The Wolverines have pitched three shut outs on the year and are letting up just 8.8 points per game with a swarming defense. They are the second-best scoring defense in AAAA.
Offensively George Novak’s team is dynamic and explosive and balanced. Junior quarterback Jeremiah Jones has completed 21 of 49 passes for 546 yards and seven touchdowns on the year.
The receiving corps is led by senior Art Thompkins with seven catches for 165 yards and junior Jaymond Dunn who has just four catches, but for 206 yards. Dunn is averaging over 50 yards per catch. The duo has combined to score eight touchdowns.
On the ground junior Miles Sanders is the go-to guy for coach Novak. Sanders has 747 yards on 48 carries and has scored a team high ten touchdowns on the year. Junior Jo-El Shaw will spell Sanders and he has 337 yards rushing to go along with six touchdowns on the year.
West Allegheny responded well to a tough test from Montour a couple weeks ago on a Terence Stephens late touchdown run. The Indians had trouble with the Spartans mobility at quarterback and a sound running game from Montour. They will get a chance to work on both of those things Friday night against Woody High.
The Indians can control the ball with a balanced attack. Senior quarterback Andrew Koester has completed almost 60% of his passes at 32 of 54 on the year for 601 yards and nine touchdowns with just one interception thrown.
Danny Guilfoil at wide receiver and Sean Orsini at tight end are the big time pass catching threats for the Indians with a combined 16 catches for over 300 yards and seven touchdowns.
On the ground the Indians have gotten a great year from a combination of Whitney White and Terence Stephens. Stephens is the leading rusher with 412 yards while White has added 380 yards on the year. The pair has scored 10 touchdowns combined on the ground.
Senior Chayse Dillon missed a last week and only played a down in week five against Montour after rushing for 341 yards and nine touchdowns in the first four weeks out of the wildcat. Bob Palko is not sure if Dillon will return for this game. He is a difference maker for the Indians on both sides of the ball.
AA Interstate Conference:
Waynesburg Raiders (3-2)(4-2) vs Southmoreland Scotties (4-1)(4-2) Friday October 10th at 7:00 pm @ Russ Grimm Field on the campus of Southmoreland high school broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and the Greene County Sports Network by Jason Tennant and Lanfer Simpson
McGuffey, Southmoreland, Waynesburg, three teams, two playoff spots remaining in the Interstate Conference. Waynesburg and McGuffey meet next week, and Southmoreland has already beaten McGuffey earlier in the year.
Southmoreland finishes with the two top teams in the conference in Washington and Mt. Pleasant. The Scotties last best chance to get an all-important conference win number five could very well be at home Friday night against the Raiders.
They will do so without their senior quarterback Brennan Bunner out for the year with a broken arm suffered in week five against Derry. Tough kid, and a tough loss for the Scotties, it is always sad to see kids missing out on their senior year in something they have worked so hard. Especially, when the potential is there for such a special season. The Scotties are hoping to become a playoff team for the first time in several decades. Our heart at Big Game Hunting goes out to Brennan.
Freshman Jaden Datz was being groomed to become the starter after Bunner according to coach Mark Adams. Datz will be thrust into the role a bit sooner than the Scotties would have hoped but he is going to be a special player in his own right.
Jake Pisula will be relied on even more now running the football. The senior already has an incredible 142 carries on the year. Pisula has rushed for 799 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Mataeo Garner, another senior has 256 rushing yards and a pair of scores as well. Sophomore Tommy Pisula has contributed 206 yards and five scores to a potent Scotties rush attack.
Senior linebacker Chas King is the anchor of the Scotties defense with 59 total tackles on the year he also has an interception. Jake Beistel a junior leads the Scotties with four sacks.
Waynesburg senior quarterback Colby Collins has thrown little on the year but he has been efficient, completing 19 of 27 for 365 yards and three scores.
The Raiders will be paced offensively by a solid pair of senior running backs. Hunter Cenname has been the work horse with 90 carries for 1049 yards and 16 touchdowns. John Glen Davis has 74 carries, 565 yards and seven touchdowns on the season.
Defensively the Raiders are letting up less than 15 points per game on the year. That defense is locked down by senior corner Travis Wilkinson and junior inside linebacker Robbie Miller.
A Black Hills Conference:
#4 Avonworth Antelopes (5-0)(6-0) vs #1 Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans (5-0)(6-0) Friday October 10th at 7:00 pm @ J.C Stone Field in North Park broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Sam Hall and Gero Von Dahn
One of the great rivalries in the WPIAL over the last couple of years will be renewed Friday night in North Park. These two teams will battle for the Black Hills conference championship as well as the opportunity to end up on the opposite side of the bracket from Clairton come playoff time.
The Trojans are undefeated defending WPIAL and state champions and Avonworth only lost two games last season, both of those losses came at the hands of Cardinal Wuerl.
The Trojans have almost of their skill guys returning from last season’s championship run and they have been strong in jumping to the perfect start.
Senior quarterback Adam Sharlow has been solid completing 36 of 59 passes for 472 yards and four touchdowns. Sharlow can run with it as well so you have got to respect this kid as an athlete or he will burn you.
Speaking of athletes the Trojans are loaded with them including three of the bets runners with the football you will see in the classification. Senior P.J.Fulmore is one of the toughest kids to tackle I have ever seen. Fulmore has carried it 76 times for 663 yards and has scored a dozen touchdowns.
Fulmore filled in at quarterback last season when Sharlow went down and filling in for Fulmore at running back Jerome Turner quickly became a star. The senior has carried 68 times for 743 yards and has scored a team-high 16 touchdowns for the year. Also watch for sophomore Mario Latronica who just might down the road end up being the best of a very good bunch. Latronica has 50 carries, 421 yards and six touchdowns on the year.
The ‘Lopes know the road to a Black Hills title goes right through North Park. They have been without star quarterback junior Zach Chandler since week three but they have continued to prosper. Senior Josh Drwal has stepped in and been solid at quarterback completing 18 of 27 passes for 207 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Junior running back Jamal Hughley is the key to the ‘Lopes offensive success. Hughley has rushed for 449 yards and leads the team in receiving yards as well with 379 yards. Hughley has scored 14 touchdowns on the season. No other Antelope has scored more than four.
This could turn into a defensive battle as both defenses are allowing less than 14 points per game. The ‘Lopes will relying on experience in the trenches against the Trojans experience at the skill positions.
Tags: Avonworth, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, McKeesport, North Catholic, Waynesburg Central, West Allegheny, Woodland Hills
