WPIAL Week Six Friday Night HighLights

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, October 6, 2012 | 9:57 AM

We have reached the summit and are now on the downward slide toward the 'Stretch Run" and then eventually dropping us off on the "Highway to Heinz". The second half of the regular season began with ideal like weather conditions…perfect for the elite to 'do their thing'. Here are the players who took advantage of the comfortbale stage to make life very uncomfortable for their opponents on the first Friday of high school football in October.

North Allegheny Tigers Defense

In a battle of the top two ranked teams in Class AAAA, this might have been one of the biggest non-conference games in WPIAL history with a top-seed likely at stake. Both teams came in 5-0 with gaudy offensive numbers and strong defensive stats. The two-time defending WPIAL champs lived up to their billing on defense. Arizona recruit Thomas Woodson for Gateway came in averaging nearly 200 yards per game through the air, was held to 10 of 22 for 127. The Gators ground attack mustered only 112 yards, with 73 of them coming on their first drive of the game. Gateway averaged exactly 49 points per game in five Foothills Conference victories, yet were held to only a field goal as the Tigers prevailed 14-3.

Jordan Brown – Seneca Valley

Seneca Valley was not caught looking ahead to a big Class AAAA Northern Eight Conference battle next week against North Hills as Quarterback Jordan Brown was near perfect in leading his team to their fifth win in six games. Brown hit on 9 of 10 passes for 193 yards and tossed three touchdowns of 49 and 25 yards to Jon Dorogy and 8 yards to R.J. McCauley to lead the host Raiders past the still winless Shaler Titans 49-0.

Anthony Levis – Belle Vernon

Sure, five teams now make the playoffs in each conference in Class AAAA and Class AAA with a sixth wild card team also out there to keep the hopes up for teams that struggled in the first half of the season. However Belle Vernon was starting to fade and lose sight of those top five teams in the Class AAA Big Nine Conference and needed a big win to re-energize. Big win delivered in part to a big game by Anthony Levis, who rushed for 245 yards on a workmanlike 36 carries as the Leopards came from behind to upset the Trinity Hillers 26-17.

Joey Wall – Ringgold

Coaches live those players with a motor who can get off to a fast start in a game. The old saying is that player would run through a wall for this team. Ringgold's Joey Wall would run through a wall (no, not any relatives), as long as that wall was built in the first quarter. Wall scored on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Nico Law, rushed for a 51-yard touchdown and scored on a 16-yard fumbled return…ALL in the first quarter to lead the Rams to a 34-6 Class AAA Big Nine Conference victory over the host Albert Gallatin Colonials.

Robert Foster – Central Valley

Senior stud Robert Foster continues to put up gaudy numbers while his Central Valley team continues to dismantle opponents. Foster registered 210 all-purpose yards and scored three touchdowns, one on a 42-yard run, one on a 26-yard touchdown pass from John George and a third on an 80-yard kickoff return to the house of the second half kick as the Warriors improved to 5-1 for the season with a 42-9 pasting of the Moon Tigers in a Class AAA Parkway Conference tilt.

Brett Brumbaugh – South Fayette

Some might think that sophomore quarterback Brett Brumbaugh would have been content with having household bragging rights over older brother Luke after South Fayette beat Seton-LaSalle last weekend in the battle of quarterback brothers. no, the talented tenth grader is not resting on his accomplishments as he went out Friday and hit on 19 of 25 passes for 354 yards and connected on four touchdown passes as the Lions remain undefeated with a 52-0 drubbing of the visiting Quaker Valley Quakers in a Class AA Century Conference contest.

Seth Miller – Jeannette

The question all week was how would Jeannette respond in a second straight Class AA Interstate Conference showdown after lsoing in big time heartbreak fashion to Washington a week ago. The answer? Just fine Hawks nation, just fine. Quarterback Seth Miller had a big role in the positive answer, hitting on 14 of 26 passes for 166 yards and a 14-yard touchdown run in regulation, as well as a 10-yard pass to Jordan Edmunds in the second overtime, plus his extra point turned out to be the difference when Mount Pleasant went for two and failed in a thrilling 28-27 double overtime win for the Jayhawks over the Vikings that leaves both tams 5-1.        

Cody Walter – Northgate

The biggest night on the ground on Friday night of Week Six in the WPIAL came from a red hot amber that is helping his team to great heights this season. Cody Walter rushed for 260 yards and scored two touchdowns, one on a 15-yard run and the other on a 22 yard scoring pass from Johnny Camello as Northgate bounced back from their only loss of the season with a 20-0 whitewash of the host Leechburg Blue Devils, leaving the Flames all alone atop the Class A Eastern Conference.

Dante Marsick – Rochester

In one of the top matchups on the District 7 Week Six docket, Dante Marsick continues to amp his game and leave his opponents sick (c'mon, it was too easy). Marsick rushed for 205 yards and scored three touchdowns on runs of 3, 69 and 2 yards as he seemed to have an answer every time Neshannock would score in what turned out to be a 28-21 victory for the Rams over the Lancers in a battle of undefeated teams in the Class A Big 7 Conference.

Lenny Williams – Sto-Rox

The last time Sto-Rox ventured north into Lawrence County a few weeks ago, they made the long trip home in a surly mood after suffering a heartbreak loss to the upstart Neshannock Lancers. The same scenario played out Friday with The Rox traveling to Lawrence County to face another team on the rise enjoying a breakout season, however this time Lenny Williams made sure history would not repeat. Williams hit on 14 of 27 passes for 183 yards and a 38-yard scoring strike to Ben Shackelford, plus Williams rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns as the Vikings knocked off the Union Scotties in a Class A Big 7 Conference key contest 48-21.   

Tags: Belle Vernon, Central Valley, Jeannette