WPIAL Week Nine Friday Night HighLights

By: Bruce Markey
Saturday, October 27, 2012 | 1:10 PM

Some of the games held great meaning in the district playoff picture, others were just playing for pride. Whether there was intense pressure or with very little at stake, here are the Primetime Performances from the final Friday of the regular season in the WPIAL.

Patrick Turner – Kiski Area

2012 has been the year of the great turn-around for several programs in the WPIAL, including that of Kiski Area. Patrick Turner helped complete the comeback season, rushing for 101 yards and scoring four touchdowns on three runs and a 61-yard fumble return for a score as the Cavalier, 1-8 in 2011, improved to 4-5 this season by clinching a Class AAAA Foothills Conference playoff spot with a 41-14 victory over the host Latrobe Wildcats.

Gregg Garrity – North Allegheny

The last loss by North Allegheny to a WPIAL team was in Week 9 of the 2010 season when they were upended by rival North Hills. Gregg Garrity and the NA passing attack made sure history would not repeat two years later. Garrity caught 10 Mack Leftwich passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns as the Tigers cruised to a 42-0 whitewash of the Indians for a second straight perfect record in the Class AAAA Northern Eight Conference.

Chandler Kincade – Blackhawk

This Class AAA Parkway Conference battle was billed as a win-and-your-in game, but it turned into that thanks to tiebreaker points and the passing of the visiting quarterback. Talented signal caller Chandler Kincade of Blackhawk was a near perfect 16 of 19 passing for 250 yards and two touchdown passes to help the Cougars win big in the game 34-20 at Ambridge and win in the tiebreaker points over both the Bridgers and the New Castle Red Hurricane to break a four year playoff drought for Blackhawk.

Devin Wilson – Montour

Not only did Montour bounce back from their first win of the season to secure a share of the Class AAA Parkway Conference schedule, but they also re-wrote the record books for one of their best players ever. Devin Wilson had 11 receptions for 168 yards and five touchdowns in the Spartans 42-21 triumph over the Moon Tigers. With those receiving numbers, Wilson became the WPIAL's all-time leader in receptions with 222 and receiving yards with 3,120.

Shai McKenzie – Washington

We know that Washington's leading rusher is not shy about big games and HighLight performances, now we also know he doesn't shy away from the record books either. Wash High's Shai McKenzie rushed for 324 yards and scored SIX touchdowns, all in the first half in a 69-6 rout of the visiting Waynesburg Raiders in a Class AA Interstate Conference mismatch. McKenzie now has the Little Prexies season rushing record with 1,902 yards here in 2012, breaking the old mark of 1,709 held by the great Brian Davis.

Jared Meyers – Ellwood City

After back-to-back magical seasons that included a pair of trips to the playoffs, Ellwood City slipped back into struggle mode in 2012 in the basement of the Class AA Midwestern Conference. But a tough season had a happy ending for dear ole Lincoln High thanks to a big game on the ground from Jared Meyers, who rushed for 310 yards and scored five touchdowns to lift the Wolverines to a wild 54-41 conquest of the host Quaker Valley Quakers in a non-conference tilt.

Dale Klobuchir – Keystone Oaks

After seven weeks of a combined heartbreaking losses mixed with sound defeats, Keystone Oaks has reason to crack a smile and feel good after a second straight Class AA Century Conference victory. Dale Klobuchir was the Key to this victory with 205 yards on the ground and three touchdowns as the Golden Eagles flew high again with a 40-7 victory over the host Burgettstown Blue Devils.

Joshua Dando – Laurel

Don't tell Laurel quarterback Joshua Dando there was nothing at stake in his teams Week 9 contest against Shenango. Dando was electric, rushing 12 times for 306 yards (a jaw dropping average of 25.5 yard per 'quarterback sneak') while scoring three highlight reel touchdowns on runs of 35, 55 and 93 yards as the Spartans pounded the Wildcats 48-7 in a Class A Big 7 Conference finale.

Sean Dugan – Springdale

Springdale knew they had clinched  playoff spot coming into Week Nine, however Sean Dugan helped make sure him and his mates would enjoy some home cooking in Week Ten. Dugan rushed for 233 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 28-6 victory over the visiting Riverview Raiders in a Class A Eastern Conference fray. Dugan set the Dynamos single season rushing record with 1,637 yards and putting him over 4,000 yards for his career. 

Chavas Rawlins – Monessen

A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and what the heck, throw in some of that. For Chavas Rawlins, that is the perfect recipe for a playoff tune-up for Monessen. Rawlins did it all: He scored on a 51-yard touchdown run, delivered a 70-yard scoring pass, scored on a 30-yard interception return and took a punt 70-yards to the house, plus he led the band at halftime and sold refreshments in the second half as the Greyhounds pounded the host Carlynton Cougars 52-10 in a Class A Black Hills Conference finale.

Tags: Blackhawk, Ellwood City, Keystone Oaks, Kiski School, Washington