WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for Week Five

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, September 28, 2013 | 10:17 AM

It was a clean sweep for the month of September weather wise as for the fourth straight Friday and the fifth overall, the weather was outstanding for high school football around Western Pennsylvania. The weather wasn't the only thing shining bright as we hit the midway point if the regular season as these players  (and teams) were marvelous in victorious outputs in preparation of October football.

Luigi Lista-Brinza – Pittsburgh Central Catholic

In the big showdown for the top spot in the Class AAAA Northern Eight Conference, Pittsburgh Central Catholic showed that big things can indeed come in small packages. 5'10 senior running back Luigi Lista-Brinza ran through the Seneca Valley defense like he was knocking off mushroom heads in a Mario Brothers video game as he rushed for 179 yards on 19 carries and scored on a 73-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for the Vikings of what would be a one-sided 42-0 whitewash of the previously unbeaten Raiders.

Jimmy Moore – Gateway

Sometimes its not the final stats that speak the loudest, its what you accomplished in crunch-time that can leave a lasting impression. The young man they call 'Sunshine' was very bright on the games final drive as Gateway quarterback Jimmy Moore connected on 16 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns, but was a perfect four-for-four in a game winning 89-yard drive that was capped off with a 7-yard scoring strike to Delvon Randall with 39 seconds left to keep the Gators unbeaten with a 22-16 come-from-behind victory over the visiting Hempfield Spartans in a key Class AAAA Foothills Conference contest.

Jimmy Wheeler – West Mifflin

Have I mentioned that little things can come in small packages? This small package is threatening to run away and hide with the WPIAL rushing title. 5'9 senior Jimmy Wheeler had a monster game Friday in a big Class AAA Big Nine Conference fray as he gained 366 yards on a hot-tub-sleeping 49 carries, leaving him 54 yards shy of 1,000 yards for the season in only FIVE WEEKS. Oh by the way, he also scored six touchdowns on runs of 9, 3, 41, 11, 23 and 5 yards as his Titans remained unbeaten with a 42-28 slugfest victory over the visiting Ringgold Rams.

Brett Brumbaugh – South Fayette

The Brumbaugh family of quarterbacks have always left opponents green with envy. If you are keeping score at home, Christian Brumbaugh was a stud quarterback for South Fayette…Luke Brumbaugh was a solid signal caller for Seton-LaSalle…now its Brett Brumbaugh is waving his magical right arm for South Fayette. So when the two Class AA Century Conference rivals meet, it's always a big game in the standings and in a certain South Fayette household. Brett hit on 18 of 25 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions routed the Rebels in a battle of undefeated teams 45-3.

Tyler Mellors – Mount Pleasant

On most nights, Mount Pleasant running back Tyler Mellors reaches super hero heights with his performance on the field and Friday was no different as he ran wild on Cougar Mountain. Mellors rushed for 226 yards on only 16 carries and scored three touchdowns on runs of 52, 59 and 22 yards as the Vikings remained perfect at 5-0 and in a tie for first place with the Washington Little Prexies atop the Class AA Interstate Conference with a 50-21 thumping of the host Yough Cougars. 

Tyler Balla – Greensburg Central Catholic

As the Pittsburgh Steelers are finding out, when you dig yourself an 0-3 hole to start the season, you need some Herculean like efforts to dig yourself out. After losing their first three, Greensburg Central Catholic has registered back-to-back wins thanks in large part to running back Tyler Balla, who rushed 24 times and gained 221 yards while scoring on touchdown jaunts of 13, 1 and lucky 13 yards again to lead the Centurions to a 35-6 drubbing of the host Brownsville Flacons in Class AA Interstate Conference action.

Jared Meyers – Ellwood City

While all eyes are deservedly on both Aliquippa and Beaver Falls atop the Class AA Midwestern Conference, Jared Meyers is warning folks not to fall asleep on the boys from Da Dear old Lincoln High School. Meyers enjoyed a big game Friday night with 222 yards rushing on 19 carries while scoring three long touchdown runs of 59, 53 and 35 yards as the Wolverines evened their MAC Conference record at 2-2 and improved to 3-2 overall with a 58-21 pull away victory over the visiting Riverside Panthers.

Lester McGriff – California

Not to repeat myself, but as the Pittsburgh Steelers are finding out, when you dig yourself an 0-3 hole to start the season, you need some Herculean like efforts to dig yourself out. California found themselves in that spot two weeks ago and have called on the services of the 'Crime Dog' Lester McGriff. McGriff was spectacular Friday night, rushing for 269 yards on only NINE carries (for a juicy 30 yards per carry average) while scoring on four long touchdown runs of 52, 23, 80 and 75 yards as the Trojans cruised to a second straight win, 56-28 over host Serra Catholic in a Class A Black Hills Conference fray.

Hunter Roknich – Western Beaver

For the last two plus decades, Rochester has been the 'hunter' in the Class A Big 7 Conference. Now thanks to a large effort by Western Beaver's star junior running back, Rochester is the 'hunted'. Healthy again after a concussion sidelined him for most of the 2012 campaign, Hunter Roknich has been rock tough for the Golden Beavers, rushing for 197 yards while scoring three touchdowns on runs of 4, 66 and 37 yards as the Golden Beavers cruised to a surprisingly easy 50-6 victory over the host Rams, who now drop to 2-3 overall and are 0-3 at home.

Connor McWilliams – Brentwood

It was only Week Five and you hate to use terms like 'must win' at the midway point of the regular season, but Brentwood, a Top 10 Preseason team, was sliding down the standing and needed a stopper. Answering the call was junior quarterback Connor McWilliams as he hit on 14 of 26 passes for 288 yards and an icing on the cake touchdown pass as the host Spartans picked up a much needed 47-21 triumph over the Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers to create a log jam in the middle of the Class A Black Hills Conference.

BONUS – West Allegheny Indians DEFENSE

On a night and in a season where offenses and scoring has run wild, it was old-school smack him and don't give an inch kind of defense that prevailed in a Class AAA Parkway Conference showdown. Defending champion West Allegheny's defense was tremendous on a night when they honored former defensive coordinator, the late Guy Rippole, West A held Central Valley's explosive offense to only 51 TOTAL yards and did not allow a point, as the Warriors lone score came on a pick-six in a 13-7 triumph for the host Indians that has them alone in first place.

Tags: Brentwood, California, Ellwood City, Gateway, Greensburg C.C., West Allegheny, West Mifflin, Western Beaver