WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Fifteen

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, December 13, 2016 | 6:05 PM

After heat acclimation, training camp, scrimmages, Week Zero and 15 weeks of district and state play, the 2016 football season has finally concluded in Pennsylvania. In the inaugural year of six classifications, two WPIAL representatives claimed gold in Hershey. After a lopsided opening week loss, Beaver Falls appeared to be a longshot to achieve its lofty goals, but the Tigers persevered from that setback, and never lost again. In contrast, Steel Valley never faced adversity this year, as the Ironmen turned in one of the most dominant seasons in state history, winning every game by mercy rule. Here are the top plays that helped both of those teams secure PIAA Championships.

1-2. Steel Valley 49, Southern Columbia 7

The Ironmen have controlled each game so decisively, that the reserves often get ample playing time in the second half. Nejheir West entered the title game against the Tigers as the backup running back, but by the time the 2A Championship Game concluded, he was already in the national spotlight. West, filling in for a hobbled DeWayne Murray, put on an epic performance, rushing for nearly 300 yards. The pinnacle of his efforts came on a 60-yard touchdown run that made Sportscenter’s top 10 plays, as he fended off nearly a dozen attempted tackles and refused to be stopped on his way to the end zone. Fittingly, West’s run again activated the mercy rule, by which Steel Valley won every game this season.

MSA Sports’ Rob Longo and Brandon Showers have the call of the must-see-to-believe play by West:

Not to be overshadowed, Paris Ford had a memorable performance, too. The Pitt recruit displayed his incredible versatility, as he made an impact on offense, defense and special teams. With SV in the red zone with just more than one minute left in the first half, Ford took a wildcat snap and trucked through defenders for a 15-yard score. His touchdown staked the Ironmen to a nearly-insurmountable 29-7 lead heading into the locker room:

3-4. Beaver Falls 30, Middletown 13

While the Ironmen’s game was really never in doubt, the Tigers were in a dogfight with Middletown in the 3A title game. Beaver Falls held just a one-point lead at halftime, and only a three-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. In the final stanza, though, the Tigers sealed the deal. It was the Beaver Falls defense that carried the team for the majority of the contest, so it was not surpring that a defensive play capped the scoring. With the Tigers leading the Blue Raiders 23-13 with about five minutes left in regulation, Malik Shephard intercepted the Middletown pass and returned it 42-yards for the pick six. Shepherd’s play assured Beaver Falls its first PIAA football crown.

WBVP-AM 1230’s Bob Barrickman, Tom Hays and Bruce Frey provide the commentary for the game-clinching moment:

Several minutes prior to Shepherd’s heroics, it was Derrell Carter who gave the Tigers much-needed breathing room. With Beaver Falls clinging to a three-point edge early in the fourth quarter, Carter took a jet sweep 53-yards to the end zone. His play triggered a sequence of momentum-swinging moments that brought the gold back to Beaver Falls: