WPIAL Week Four Saturday’s Scholastic Starz

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, September 23, 2012 | 9:49 AM

Bookended between morning rain and evening precipitation was a sunny, near perfect afternoon FOUR high school football. Perfect FOUR the busiest Saturday of the 2012 WPIAL football season with FOUR afternoon classes and two evening showdowns. Here are the players who a cut above FOUR their teams in leading them to Week FOUR wins.

Nick Santiago – Ambridge

As the fictional marine Gomer Pyle used to say…"Surprise, surprise, surprise." As we inch closer to the half way point of this 2012 campaign, Ambridge finds themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot in the always tough Class AAA Parkway Conference thanks in part to the arm and legs of quarterback Nick Santiago. Saturday he hit on 7 of 10 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, plus he rushed for 100 yards and scored on a 71-yard jaunt to lead the Bridgers to a 41-17 win over the visiting Moon Tigers. 

Darian Bradley – Beaver

Homecoming is always a special event at a high school football game. It was made even more special Saturday night at Beaver High School thanks to Darian Bradley. Bradley had a huge night, rushing for 181 yards and scoring four touchdowns, the final one came with 1:26 remaining from 26-yards out for the winning score as the Bobcats beat the rival Beaver Falls Tigers 34-28 in a battle of Class AA Top 10 Midwestern Conference teams.

Kevin Barnes – Kittanning

A new coaching staff and a new offensive system has brought Kittanning something through four weeks that they weren't able to do all of last season…pick up a second football win. Running the spread offense, quarterback Kevin Barnes completed 11 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, plus he scored on a 20-yard run to lift the Wildcats to a 2-2 overall record following a 28-0 whitewash of the host Summit Academy Knights in a Class AA Allegheny Conference tilt.

Zach Challingsworth – South Fayette

Fans of the Big Green Machine have been able to say for years that when it comes to South Fayette football, they get their money's Worth. Wide receiver Zach Challingsworth was on display on both sides of the ball in a Class AA Century Conference Saturday afternoon contest at Burgettstown. He caught four passes for 136 yards and a touchdown, plus he picked off a pass and returned it 38-yards for a score as the Lions improves to 4-0 by coasting past the Blue Devils 56-6.

P.J. Fullmore – North Catholic

I guess you could say that following this Class A Eastern Conference fray at Riverside Park in Oakmont, that visiting North Catholic was Full while host Riverview wanted no More. P.J. Fullmore rushed for a workmanlike 150 yards and scored the games only two touchdowns on runs of 5 and 1 yard as the Trojans improved to 3-1 with a 16-0 shutout of the still winless Raiders.

Tags: Ambridge, Beaver, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Kittanning, North Catholic