WPIAL Week Eight Saturday’s Scholastic Starz

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, October 21, 2012 | 7:22 AM

Five games made up the next-to-the-last Saturday high school football schedule in the WPIAL. While two potential playoff teams were involved, there was more Pride talk than Playoff talk when it came to the scholastic gridiron action on this third Saturday in October. Here are the players who performed with a lot of pride in ALL aspects of the game while dishing out the pain to their opponents on offense, defense and special teams.

Dennis Briggs – Shady Side Academy

Dennis Briggs was the ultimate star on Saturday, doing a little bit of everything in all three aspects of the game that would make any coach proud as punch. Briggs rushed for 66 yards and scored in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run, PLUS he intercepted two passes from his safety position, PLUS he blocked a punt on special teams as the visiting Indians blanked the Summit Academy Knights 15-0 in a Class AA Allegheny Conference tilt.

Dane Jackson – Quaker Valley

Dane Jackson spent his freshman season as a member of the Cornell Raiders football team. When the program shut down last season and the two schools reached a co-op agreement, Jackson has pleased many Quaker Valley fans dressing his sophomore season in black and gold. Jackson rushed for 143 yards from his wingback position and scored on runs of 25 and 50 yards, PLUS he hauled in a 5-yard scoring pass from Burke Moser in the Quakers 42-8 Class AA Century Conference triumph over the Burgettstown Blue Devils.

Marelle Turner – Wilkinsburg

Perhaps the biggest eye-brow raiser from Week Eight in the WPIAL occurred in a Class A Eastern Conference game with very little fanfare. What looked like was going to be a ho-hum win for visitiing Avonworth as they led 14-0 in the third quarter, changed thanks to Marelle Truner of Wilkinsburg. Live was given to the hosts when Turner picked up a fumble and ran 47-yards to the end zone to make it a 14-7 game. Then late in the fourth quarter, Turner caught a 15 yard scoring pass from Ryan Cox to help lift the Tigers to a 15-14 stunner over the Antelopes.

Zach Perry – Western Beaver

Two teams that won't be playing postseason football put on quite a show in the final game of Week Eight on Saturday night. Zach Perry of Western Beaver was just a cut above the rest though as he registered a dozen tackles on defense PLUS he rushed for 170 yards on offense with two touchdowns, including the game winning 7-yard run in overtime that game the Golden Beavers their first Class A Big 7 Conference victory with a 34-28 thriller in overtime over the host Shenango Wildcats.

Dalton Wildman – West Greene

For a second consecutive week, Dalton was a Wild Man for West Greene in leading them to rare back-to-back-to-back victories. Wildman rushed for 80 yards and scored on two long touchdowns runs, PLUS he connected with Matthew Johnston on a 15-yard scoring strike to start the onslaught, PLUS he returned a kickoff 66-yards for another score as the Pioneers picked up their fourth win of the season with a 70-14 thrashing of the host Geibel Gators in a Class A Tri-County South Conference contest.

Tags: West Greene, Western Beaver, Wilkinsburg