More quick hits, teams across the Commonwealth….6A:

[Stalker]

Ran out of time for more not getting to McDowell and Cathedral in 10, Manheim Central in 3 and others. Maybe a mid season check-up in a few weeks. Feel free to jump in or on.
D-11
Parkland 2-0; Graduated an army of talent but didn’t leave the cupboard bare with crush jobs against Allen 56-6 and last week against Nazareth 38-13. Thought Naz would be more with good numbers, sizeable lines and a decent Qb returning suggesting Trojans have rebuilt well. Much about how things shake out in the East will reveal itself this weekend after Parkland plays undefeated Liberty.
Liberty 2-0; Got past a typical competitive East Stroudsburg South team in opener 42-21 then the BIG win last week beating Easton 28-21. Parkland will be a tough act following Easton being Canes first road game.
Freedom 2-0; Haven’t been tested yet but pummeled Allentown Central Catholic 31-8 and Allen High 48-0. That all changes this week at home against a Rover bunch ready to rumble after losing at Liberty last week in the 4th quarter.
Emmaus 2-0; The Green Hornets D is swarming, stuffing Diefuff 77-13 (77 to 13!....week 1!) then Whitehall 38-14 last week. Not bad for a young team rebuilding from major grad losses of a 7-5 team while sporting a 1st year head coach in Harold Fairclough. They’re at Bethlehem Catholic this week.
Easton 1-1; Beat Stroudsburg in opener 35-6 and probably Liberty but for the lack of a passing attack (7/17, 102yds) in part dooming them after rushing for 187 yards in the 28-21 loss to the Hurricanes.
Bethlehem Catholic 4A 2-0; Graduated some fine talent the last two years (9-2 last, 12-2 prior) but return an experienced line and senior backs to pound on opponents while they look for a Qb. Beat Pocono Mountain West in opener 59-15 with no passing attack (394ry) then maybe broke the tie between Liam Nixon and Javon Clements with the latter completing 5/8 for 170 yards in a 50-0 rout of Northampton. Emmaus is up next and are just young enough to be in trouble here on the road against a Beca bunch playing with new attitude….if scores mean anything.
D-7
Pittsburgh Central Catholic 1-1; Began season with a home loss to St. John’s 35-14 then crushed Shaler 48-7. Don’t discount Vikings per St. John’s loss as SJ has a boatload of talent combining with transfers already committed to the likes of Maryland; Qb Kasim Hill and DT Cam Spence (6-6, 310) who came in from IMG. Also got Gilman transfer Shane Lee (LB). They just may have enough to break the 13 year hold DeMatha and Good Counsel have on the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. Back to Central Catholic; they’re home in a game of real impact in the Wpial and state playing North Allegheny.
North Allegheny 1-1; Like Central Catholic, they lost a tough one in the opener to Olentangy Liberty-OH 30-29 and struggled with oft competitive Bethel Park winning 21-14. No rest for the weary as they head to Central Catholic for their first road trip of the year.
Pine Richland 1-1; Lost a heartbreaker at St. Edward-OH 28-27 with effects showing last week edging Mount Lebanon 42-31. Took a late comeback to dispose of Lebo with QB Phil Jurkovec (ND) throwing for 355 yards on a 21 of 32 outing while rushing for 126 yards! If the Rams find any kind of defense it’s hard imagining anyone stopping them. Seneca Valley (1-0) is next in Rams home opener. Sen Val is scoring points again beating Peters Two 48-24 and gave PR a war last year before losing 35-28.
Woodland Hills 5A 2-0; Wolverines keep spewing out wins like clockwork beating Gateway 37-21 then Baldwin last week 48-20. They’re at Fox Chapel this week where the winless Foxes will drop to 0-3 barring a major upset.
Penn Trafford 5A 2-0; Warriors got a jump on things after a pile of graduations taking advantage of two home games beating Norwin 7-14 and Connellsville 48-7. And they should get to 3-0 if Plum’s 28-7 loss to Kiski means anything. Mustang’s home opener and Warriors first road game says it could get dicey.
Upper St. Clair 5A 1-0; The Panthers took down always competitive North Hills last week 28-7 and now play Moon who was throttled by Armstrong last week 35-0. USC should make real noise this year dropping to 5A with most of last year’s starters back. Add in one of the greatest coaches in Pennsylvania’s storied history in Jim Render (5 Wpial titles, 384-130-4 W/L, 38th season) to suggest USC will return to form, bringing old school-power football back to the South Hills.
McKeesport 5A 1-0; It was Panthers vs Tigers with Franklin Regional falling at McKeesport 14-7 in a typical brutal game between two ground pounders. McKeesport dodged a bullet in this one when Franklin Regional fumbled twice inside the 10 yard line. Undefeated Armstrong (who?) is next at 2-0 after getting past Karns City (D-9, 3A bad ass) in the opener 35-22 then Moon 35-0, both on the road. About Armstrong, they are the result of a merger of Ford City and Kittanning. If they can match McKeesport’s speed, which is doubtful with so much newness, the River Hawks will make it a game.
Mid-State (D-3, D-6)
Wilson 1-0; Wilson made a statement in the district trouncing arch rival Governor Mifflin 38-7 in the opener. They were fast and physical while using two junior quarterbacks, Connor Uhrig and Grayson Kline. While that is very un-Bulldog like, the next two games against Spring Ford then the road trip to Central Dauphin (Go Rams!) will likely see Coach Dahms settle in on one.
State College (D6) 1-0; Put Lions here per their alignment with the Mid Penn Commonwealth where they play with Harrisburg teams Central Dauphin, Central Dauphin East and Harrisburg as well as Carlisle, Chambersburg and Cumberland Valley. They got off to a rocky start similar to last year (lost at Spring Ford) but held on to win in Lancaster against an athletic McCaskey team 24-13. Hollidaysburg (1-1) is next where the Lions should name it.
Central Dauphin 1-0; Everyone back home is saying it’s all about the Rams D which is always strong but look for the offense to be a factor this year if, repeat, if the passing game develops. It did not last year but AJ Millar has 2 plus years now under center and has grown to 6-2, 200 as a senior. Plus he can run. They waffled Manheim Township 31-9 last week, a team many expected to challenge Wilson in the LL. Big and fast Susquehanna Township from the north side is next at 1-0. They’re rebuilding the offense but the D typically features people who really fly to the ball.
Cumberland Valley 1-0; The Eagles are off a surprisingly easy time of it in Coatesville last week where they beat the Red Raiders 41-22. With a smattering of returning starters some felt it would be a tight affair. Wrong! But it’s the same ole Eagles who batter you with a plethora of battering ram backs in their Wing-T then zing you with a speedy little water bug zipping out of the backfield for a long gainer. They’re at Central York next where the Panthers are coming off a resounding 45-15 win over rival West York. Eagles won last year 48-6 and the preceding 5 years in the 6 year series where they have dominated.
Red Land 5A 2-0; Nope not Red Lion out of the York-Adams but Red Land from the Mid Penn-Keystone on the West Shore. They got everyone’s attention right off the bat beating Harrisburg-Bishop McDevitt at McD 17-6 in the opener at their place! Holding McDevitt to 6 points!*? Then they beat a former AAA- LL power Cocalico 29-2 to make another statement….again, on the road. The Patriots get a chance to make yet another statement when Carlisle’s extreme passing assault comes in for a Friday night game.
Carlisle 1-0; Looks like another HUGE passing attack for the Herd who blasted rival Mechanicsburg last week 44-0. A glance at scores across the state says defense took a vacation opening week. That may upset all my fellow defensive soul mates but it is sure fun to watch. They’re at Lewisberry (beside Camp Hill) this week in a match between the Mid Penn Commonwealth and the MP-Keystone. Pats better have a lot of cover people, CBs who can run and safeties that can cover (good luck there!) with Carlisle returning 5 receivers with 3214 total yards in receptions. Qb Eric Harris (6-2, 205, sr) threw for 3642 yards last year, completing 275 of 406 for a 68% completion rate. The Herd will shake things up in the MP-Commonwealth this year.
Bishop McDevitt 4A, 1-1; Given they lost the opener in a major surprise in the district, followed by a typical, bruising rivalry game with Harrisburg High that they won 28-12, the timing couldn’t be worse for a game with national power DeMatha out of Hyattsville, MD. The Stags are 2-0, defeating Virginia power Oscar Smith 42-7 and Avalon 55-20. QB Beau English is worth the trip to Harrisburg! He’s slated for one of the academies. DeMatha is currently ranked 5th in the country (USA-Today), behind Gorman, Booker T, IMG and Mater Dei. No association with the football program but was fortunate enough to attend a basketball camp put on by Coach Morgan Wootten at Frostburg State back in the day. Real tough spot for the Crusaders and the wrong team to be having line issues against.
Cedar Cliff 5A 1-0; Qb Grant Breneman picked up where he left off last year (1855 py, 464 ry)throwing 4 Tds for 165 yards while completing 11 of 15 passes in a 40-0 shellacking of Penn Manor at West Shore Stadium last week. We’ll likely see more of that with his experience behind a veteran line (4/6) if they can replace the quality skill losses. They’ll roll at Mifflin County this weekend then come home for two straight against York High and Keystone rival Lower Dauphin, giving them a shot at 4-0 before McDevitt. For the West guys, RB/LB Francis Duggan (6-3, 220) transferred in from Pittsburgh Central Catholic (originally from Mechanicsburg) and blocked a punt that led to a score vs Manor.

 

[new2pa]

I love your updates Stalker. Here some more info on the WPIAL teams:

Central Catholic: I expect them to roll over North Allegheny by at least 21. Last week Hinish didn't play because of pre-game ankle injury and QB Fisher sat out with lingering issue from the St. Johns game - in which he took a beating. Up front they look huge on both side of the ball. 2018 DE Green looks as if he has taken the place of Wheeler (Pitt) with the rest of the line intact. Biggest downgrade is in the secondary, where they are still excellent, but are looking to fill holes left by Hamlin (Pitt), Garner (Pitt), Ron George, and Ronnie Jones among others. Defensively, they are mixing things up while on the offensive side of the ball, they look to be a little more run oriented this year, however QB Fisher has clearly improved.

North Allegheny: Tough week for them this week. Squeaked by Bethel Park last week. NA is likely playing without Stestilli (DL/TE - Temple commit), QB Ethan Maenza who really made the offense go, and one other starter. Likely will put Nico Mermigas at QB and run him and and look to control the clock with Josh Lugg and company. However, this may be one of NA least dominating teams since before they made their state title runs. Need to find some offensive linemen, or a QB who is a consistent threat to pass.

Pine Richland: Interesting two weeks for my Rams. After a very nice opening 26 minutes, they went on a 2 3/4 quarter scoring drought, including at least 3 trips deep in red zone. That cost them the St. Eds game (now #6 in the country) and put them in a hole against Lebo. However, they look to have found their way a bit and are trying to find receivers other than Falcone that can make plays. Jurkovec has improved his release significantly from last year and added what looks to be 15-20 lbs. He is a stud. In addition to Jurkovec, what really makes this team go is Tempo. Buddy told me that last week they ran 50 plays in the first half. That is nuts. As you pointed out, defense has been an issue - particularly the run game. They changed to a 3 man front and they don't seem to be fitting the run very well. I would expect them to try some new things there to solidify run defense. With that being said, second half of St. Eds game was one of the best performances I've seen by a Rams defense since WPIAL Championship game two years ago.

Seneca Valley: Looked very good against a not so good Peters Township team, but struggled a bit against 4A Blackhawk and New Castle in scrimmages. Senior QB Jack Cooks makes this team go, along with senior RB. Defensively, they are big up front, but with new LBs and DB's, pass defense may be an issue for them. I look for them to score against PR, but not sure they can hold the Rams to under 35.

Mt. Lebanon: Solid solid team that utilized wildcat with #4 RB 85% of the game last week. Senior laden club looking to make up for disappointment last year. Need to find some sort of passing game, and probably a few more big guys. They were dead tired last week vs. PR.

Penn Hills: Interesting team - they are throwing the ball 60+% of the time now and have stud WR in Julian Major and Rick Squires. They will score a lot of points on anyone. Question - as always - is can they play disciplined defense and stop anyone. Time will tell on that one.

My WPIAL 6A Top 6:
1. PCC
2. PR
3. Lebo
4. Penn Hills
5. Seneca
6. NA

Team to watch out for in 5A - McKeesport.

 

[PA2CAMoleskinner]

Stalk and New2PA -

Thanks to you two the fact I'm sitting 2,500 miles away from all the action matters not (two good posts is all it takes fro me to have a solid overview of the entire state -- actually three as Stalk's post on SEPA plus those above put it all in persepective).

 

[Stalker]

Good stuff new2pa, thanks for your insight. With NA down, it looks like a two horse race (?) unless PT steps up....'tho NA could make a move when healthy. Interesting you say PCC may be more run oriented when many feel the lack of a passing attack is their only weakness. I often look to State College as a dark horse if the D matures. They have the numbers and talent to be a factor since like D3 teams and others, they'll sling it.

You guys!.....one of you has arrived....new2pa, the other has gone....PA2CA!?

Ok counselor. It ain't the Big Ticket but maybe better than nothing. Will be in Gettysburg-Harrisburg next week for CD and Wilson. Hopefully Wilson gets past a good Spring Ford and CD gets past neighboring Susquehanna Township.

I guess The Tribe has hands full this week with Dtown losing competitively to decent teams and home for the 3rd week. Should be a war!

 

[JACKY6996]

Was at the PR lebo game last Friday. Lebo gave them a hard battle that's for sure. I think we can see them make noise later this season. They returned pretty much everyone from the team that lost to woody high by 4 points and that made the wpial quarterfinals before getting smacked by PR.

PR kicking game and special teams still suspect, missed a short field goal and Lebo had some good returns that set them up in good field position. Last year the kicker was putting them through the end zone and teams started at the 20. this year obviously they're going much shorter and lebo and Saint Ed's were starting at at least the 30. They could help the defense out a lot by pinning teams back more, however they clearly don't have the kicker to be able to do that.

Defensively, Not sure this three man front is gonna work much longer for them. The run defense hasn't been great these past couple of weeks. Alot of holes for the lebo and Saint Ed's backs to go through. Good news I feel as if the pass defense has improved over last year though. Got two int's against lebo and didn't give up any big passes besides a couple, and they defended passes well and didn't blow coverages. It kept them in the game and gave a lot of momentum, the Two INT's by tanner Douglas were huge. However, Saint Ed's and lebo seemed to be able to open holes up on the d line and get yardage on their runs. Not a good sign coming up against a team like PCC with the size and guys they got on the line. They aren't very big on the d line, carrigan is 6'7 250, noviski is 6'2 215, and Duran is 6'5 220. They might need to go back to a 4 man front for some games or put more people in the box or else they cold be in for a long night against a team like PCC. Seneca Valley has a good RB, so should be a little test tonight.

On the offense carrigan is not at tackle any more and was just playing defense. They had three sophomores, and two seniors on the line. They had a Better game getting the run game going without jurkovec being the primary ball carrier with Jordan Crawford and Jesse Meckler, however it can improve and I think it will as the season progresses and the line gels together more. Most of the jurkovec runs where on scrambles when there was no open receivers and not designed QB runs. He took way less hits last week as a result.

For receivers besides falcone I think more will emerge as the season goes on. they were only going to Crawford or falcone a lot. I defiantly agree new2pa, They will need to spread the ball around more so defenses don't just focus on those two.

Finally I agree with you stalker, if the defense becomes solid all around against the run and pass, no one can stop them. I think they can score points on anyone in the state and a lot of them, the question is can they stop the other team from doing the same.

 

[new2pa]

Ya, I know about PCC needing to throw the ball more. Versus St. John's it seemed like they went back to more traditional offense when they got behind. Of course, that could also have been because their QB was getting pounded. Fisher is definitely improved from last year, so it is surprising they wouldn't try and use him more. Time will tell.

 

[pcc64]

Another reason I think PCC went back to the run against St Johns was because they were having success in the 2nd half in that regard. They went with bigger backs (David Adams ) and started to move the ball in chunks. Which was one of the positives from the game. Didn't know that Adams could run like that. If last week's game against Shaler is any indication, they do want to throw the ball more. As stated Fisher didn't play last week ( bruised ribs ) but the 2nd and third string QB's looked surprisingly good throwing the football. I know it was against a very young Shaler team but I actually think the 2nd QB, Taylor Bocka throws a better short pass than Fisher. Something to look for tonight will be Fisher's accuracy in the short passing game. Personally, I wouldn't mind if they hold him out one more week and go with Bocka. I expect a hard fought game with CC winning a close one.

 

[new2pa]

Sestilli, Maenza and one other kid are likely out. NA will play hard but I expect PCC to roll

 

[JACKY6996]

PCC rolls 55-14. Ouch. If maenza, sestili and mesaro's are out for a while could really hurt NA.

 

[Stalker]

Maybe next year is the year for PR if they continue with spec team (kicking) and D issues. And if the passing game doesn't become a threat for PCC?? But PR especially seems vulnerable. Football is pretty much about spec teams and defense!..but hey it's early.

Keep your eye on State High and Central Dauphin; good programs, coaches, numbers, tradition and they will throw the football. State's Friberg-Jr may have been beaten out by the senior T.Snyder (?). Both are throwing well.

Central Dauphin's AJ Millar has or is coming around, completing 11 of 15 last week (Susquehanna Twp) for +200 yards. Look out if that is demonstrated in the weeks ahead against nemesis Cumberland Valley, Harrisburg and State....all away. Going over this weekend to check em out against Wilson.

 

[JACKY6996]

The game against Seneca Valley last friday PR had a new kid doing kick offs, was kicking much further. Special teams coverage was poor however, Seneca had very good kick returns that put them in great field position. Only reason they put 20 on the board. They aren't helping their defense at all this way and its gonna cost them 6 when a team with a explosive returner brings it to the house. This needs to improve. It's early like you said and I see it improving with new kicker on kick offs (old kicker was doing XP). Defense was solid against a medicore Seneca Valley team, got 4 turnovers 3 being interceptions. It's going to be tested this week by a penn hills team featuring 1,000 yard passer cam tarrant. Penn hills also has playmakers on the outside. PR's defense went back to a 4 man front against seneca, wouldn't be surpised if its back to a 3-4 setup to stop penn hills passing attack.

Speaking of Qb's, Jurkovec and Tarrant are the only passers in 6A in the wpial with over a 1,000 yards passing in just three games. Pretty impressive. Should be a fun matchup. I expect a shootout with PR pulling away in the 4th. Don't think penn hills has a great run game or defense. Also, penn hills QB is only 5'10, all of PR's d linemen are over 6 feet tall with two being 6'7 and 6'5 and smallest 6'2. Could see alot of batted passes.

 

[JACKY6996]

Also speaking of PCC's passing game, last year I remember they passed to beat PR. This year I don't think they'll need to pass, that line is big and nasty and they can probably run the ball on PR. Question is can PR respond back with their own offense, I predict that match up in a couple of weeks to be a shootout also. I also think they will meet up again in the 6A final, and PR will have an advantage with the better passing game in the colder weather against PCC.

 

[new2pa]

Maybe next year is the year for PR if they continue with spec team (kicking) and D issues. And if the passing game doesn't become a threat for PCC?? But PR especially seems vulnerable. Football is pretty much about spec teams and defense!..but hey it's early.
.

I would tend to agree with this. If the defense comes around, then it will be tough this year to consistently get past good teams - particularly ones that can run the ball.

 

[pcc64]

My concern about PCC after 3 games is their run defense not their passing game or their pass defense. Troy Fisher, CC's QB looks very good both running and passing the ball. He has a strong arm and can make most if not all the throws. He displayed that against NA. My sense is that they are more than willing to throw the ball, much more so than in the recent past. I think you will see this expand as the season progresses....They have a couple of sophs starting on D, one in the secondary and one at defensive end. They are long and fast but they play like young sophomores particularly against the run. Their return game looks explosive and it will be interesting to see how PR will deal with that. Pine did a great job in 2014 by putting kick offs in the end zone and making Central play defense on 4th downs, utilizing pooch kicks by Ben DiNucci. I assume they'll take the same approach if they can. As always, a lot of Central's scoring is from their returns. JJ Younger and Justice Evans are electric with the ball in their hands. This week's game agains Hempfield should be interesting, it will be a test for Central's secondary as the Spartans have an excellent QB and passing attack. As you know, they beat a a very good Mt Lebo team Friday night in a shoot out. The Pine Richland/Penn Hills game might have both teams scoring 40 plus points. I predict Pine will prevail. I expect them to hang 50 pts on the Indians in a wild affair.

 

[new2pa]

From what I have seen Fisher looks like he is significantly improved from last year. Very strong arm and very strong runner too. Even with 10th graders, with Thorpe, Hinish, Stevens, and Green on the DL, they will be fine, even if they want to go to a 5 man front like they did against PR past year. Adams and Terry at LB with Terry filling the role Ron George was in last year. Secondary is weaker than last year, but still really strong IMO. Obviously replacing Hamlin with a sophomore and Garner with a first year starter is a drop off off.

I wouldn't be surprised if PR threw they ball 50-60 times and made those secondary defenders tackle, hoping to spring some. The game versus Hempfield will be interesting for PR to watch, as Hempfield runs a 3 man front - which PR had toyed with earlier in the year. I think PCC will take care of business though in a 3 TD game.

PR vs. PH is interesting. I would agree that I would expect PR to hang 50+ on them. We will see if PH's QB and passing game is the real deal, as even though PR defense hasn't been great from a championship perspective, its still solid. If PR can get ahead early, I think this game could be a blowout. If it stays close, one or two athletic plays by PH could push them over the top. With that being said, I would still bet on PR.

 

[JACKY6996]

I think the PCC run defense drop off could be from losing those guys in the secondary. Last year I thought they could just stack the box and play man with a lot of teams with Hamlin and Garner. Probably going more conservative right now with a little bit of a drop off this year and younger players filling in. I heard the secondary struggled against St John College particular in spread formations. Hempfield's a good team with a good quarterback but I think PCC has a 2-3 TD advantage, I think the true test for them will be when they go up against Jurkovec in a couple of weeks. I thought with guys like Stevens (who makes up for 3 d linemen himself lol) along with Hinish, Thorpe, Green, and Adams leading the front that the run defense would still be pretty stout. I would assume PR would mainly be throwing and probably try some outside runs or Jurkovec runs to keep PCC honest. I think PCC will still run the ball if they can even if Fisher throws it better now, I just don't think PR will have the run defense to stop it along with most of the teams PCC will encounter. Plus that's always been their bread and butter.

Onto the PH game, last year when they played in the first round of the playoffs it was a very close game up until the 2nd half when PR exploded offensively. Obviously this years team is different from last year considering they throw the ball mainly instead of last year running it so it could be a challenge. But, like said I think PR coming out of the gate and scoring fast like they usually do will create enough momentum in their favor. I see it either being a 3 TD PR win or a closer game, maybe similar to the semi final game at Penn Hills against Penn Trafford last year. Still would take PR though.

Also Stalker, PR has mainly juniors, sophomores, and also one freshman playing varsity this year. Not a senior dominated team like the last two. I think next year is going to be their year for sure, especially with what teams like PCC, NA, Mount Lebo etc will graduate, but it's pretty scary thinking how good this team is now and that it's most certainly going to be even better next year. Hopefully the mentally for next year will be two peat, they've got a really good group right now, just improvements in some areas IMO to give them a better chance than what they already have.