WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for 10/24

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, October 25, 2014 | 9:56 AM

Rivalry week brought the curtain down on the Friday edition of the 2014 WPIAL football regular season as teams scrambled for playoff spots or playoff positioning. Another great evening weather wise brought forth another batch of sweet performances from players throughout all four classifications. For some, it was a final tune-up to Primetime and the district postseason. For others, it was one final time to shine before the uniforms and pads are turned in sometime next week.  Here are the players who Rocked Out on Pink Out night around Southwestern Pennsylvania.

T.J. Holl – Seneca Valley

It was supposed to be this way all year for Seneca Valley…your stud quarterback enjoy a big night in a one-sided victory. However an early season injury to T.J. Holl helped contribute to such scenarios being way to few and far between. Holl connected on 13 of 22 passes for 303 yards and tossed three long touchdown passes of 28, 36 and 67 yards plus he scored on a 3-yard run to lift the Raiders to only their second win of the season, a 41-12 Class AAAA Northern Eight Conference triumph over the visiting Shaler Titans.

Justin Silwoski – Hempfield

Much like Hempfield above, there were high expectations for Hempfield coming into the 2014 campaign, but from Week One, it just hasn’t gone the way of the royal blue and gray. But the forgetful season does end on a high note thanks to the passing of quarterback Justin Silwosk, who was 14 of 24 passing for 300 yards and three long touchdown passes of 46, 67 and 63 yards along with a 9-yard scoring run in the Spartans 56-21 dismantling of the playoff bound Fox Chapel Foxes in a Class AAAA non-conference game at Hempfield.

Austin French – Ambridge

While the playoffs were no longer within reach for Ambridge coming into Week 9, the team wanted to end the first season for Dan bradley at the helm on a high note at home, so they turned to the French Connection. No, there were no hockey player involved, just quarterback Austin French, who hit on 17 of 24 pass attempts for 378 yards with SIX touchdowns of 7, 3, 29, 30, 74 and 7 yards, with the final scoring strike turning into the game winner as the Bridgers edged the Chartiers Valley Colts 40-35 in a Class AAA parkway Conference contest.

Chacar Berry – Ringgold

There was no where to go for Ringgold, as they came into their Class AAA Big Nine Conference home finale locked into second place with a guaranteed home game in Week 10. Early on, the Rams looked like they had nothing to play for, but Chacar Berry helped turn things around with 253 yards rushing and touchdown jaunts of 2, 6 and 5 yards as Ringgold shook off an early deficit and eliminated the Trinity Hillers from the postseason chase with a convincing 49-14 triumph.

Quinten Hill – Thomas Jefferson

Good teams can get by to a point riding one big horse, but great teams prove at some point that they are not a one-trick pony. Austin Kemp has had a tremendous season for unbeaten Thomas Jefferson, but with one of the top backs on the shelf in Week 9, in stepped Quinten Hill, who ran for 224 yards and scored on four touchdown runs of 39, 1, 54 and 10 yards as the host Jaguars finished with a strong kick in beating the rival West Mifflin Titans 52-20 for another perfect run to a Class AAA Big Nine Conference title for TJ.

Jacob McGee – Burgettstown

we don’t get to many Burgettstown sightings on the HighLights, but the Friday performance of Jacob McGee was impossible to ignore. With the only thing at stake being gridiron pride, McGee rushed for 231 yards and scored in the first quarter on a 26 yard run, then helped seal the deal with fourth quarter touchdown runs of 67 and 10 yards as the host Blue Devils picked up their third win of the season in a 28-7 victory over the Brownsvile Falcons in a Class AA Interstate Conference fray.

Hunter Hayes – South Fayette

Lets no panic all you fans of the Green Machine, yes, the hitman Brett Brumbaugh enjoyed another big game with over 25- yards passing, but the spotlight this week shines on the true South Fayette Hunter. Hunter Hayes searched and found a 25-consecutive victory thanks to his work of 213 yards rushing and tochdown runs of 2 and 9 yards as the host Lions registered a second straight perfect Class AA Century Conference regular season by beating the Quaker Valley Quakers 40-21.

Dylan Rush – Mapletown

Ohhhhhhhhhhh, what a Rush fans at Mapletown High School as feeling as their favorite team is steam-rolling into the playoffs with a 7-2 record after winning in the Mon Valley Friday night. Dylan Rush ran for a district high 269 yards on Friday while scoring on three long first half touchdown runs of 16, 38 and 34 yards as the Maples defeated the host Monessen Greyhounds 24-6 in a Class A non-conference tune-up for their first playoff adventure since 2005.

Nick Kusich – Avella

It wasn’t a win-and-your-in game because there were some other things that needed to happen, but for Avella to make it back-to-back postseason trips, they needed to take care of business first. And take care they did thanks to a huge night for Nick Kusich, who rushed for 241 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 6 and 34 yards as the Eagles flew high over the visiting West Greene Pioneers 62-15 to clinch a playoff spot in the Class A Tri-County South Conference.

Zac Quattrone – Serra Catholic

Officially, Serra Catholic had a 16 game losing streak coming into their Friday home game against Wilkinsburg, but their last credited victory was a forfeit win over Imani Christian in Week Two last year, so you had to go back to October 14th of 2011 for their last win on the field, a span of 28 consecutive games without an earned victory. But that changed thanks to Zac Quattrone’s 212 yards rushing and three touchdowns of 1, 25 and 55 yards as the Eagles soared to a 38-36 victory over the Tigers in Class A Eastern Conference action.

Ford City Sabers Football

In their final football game ever, Ford City lost to Kittanning 43-6. Next year, Ford City will merge with Kittanning to make up Armstrong High School. Kittanning is guaranteed at least one more game after qualifying for the playoffs last week. The Wildcats win leaves the all-time series between the two schools deadlocked at 37-37-1.

Tags: Ambridge, Avella, Burgettstown, Ford City, Hempfield