PIAA Football Semifinals: Dec 3, 4….what the math says.
Here’s some info on quarterfinal results and the upcoming semifinal games some of you might enjoy.
6A
Garnet Valley 14-0, D1 vs St. Joseph’s Prep 10-2, D12, Dec 4 at Ridley
(Garnet Valley 6.96 points)
Garnet Valley made short work of Coatesville (12-2) defeating the overwhelmed Red Raiders 54-15. The Jaguars had 386 yards rushing (not a typo), led by Shane Reynold’s 228 on 18 carries. Max Busenkell completed 6 of 9 passes for 92 yards while the D held Coatesville to 181 total yards. While G-Val rolled to an unexpectedly easy win, St. Joseph’s Prep got a hard fought 24-21 win against Freedom (11-3) on the strength of a running game generating 252 yards. The attack was fueled by quarterback Samaj Jones rushing for 144, Antonio Chadha’s 38-yard field goal in the second quarter and a stout defense. For the coming match, a key to Garnet Valley’s success is their ability to contain Samaj Jones. For St. Joe’s, they have a multitude of players to keep track of with seven players over 300 yards rushing. But the key has to be stopping or slowing quarterback Max Busenkell and that’s a load. He’s a veteran, heads up player making sound decisions, completing 72% of his passes for 1849 yards with a Td/Pick ratio of 26/2. All the backs are quick, even Shane Reynolds (1240yds) at 6-1, 215. Jason Bernard is a hard running, maybe underrated back at 5-7, 190 (481yds). The kicking game will factor in with Zachary Liberatore often hitting the end zone on kickoffs for Garnet Valley, and Antonio Chadha being a lethal weapon booting field goals for the Hawks. St. Joe’s advantage in schedule difficulty and Garnet Valley’s decided edge in location playing at Ridley, has this looking like an even game.
State College 8-5, D6 vs Mount Lebanon 13-0, D7, Dec 4, Mansion Park
(Mount Lebanon 28.94 points)
State College stunned Harrisburg (12-2) in a typical physical defensive battle between these two Mid Penn rivals where Polish native Kajetan Kaszubowski’s 34-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to play won the game. DT Justin Castro Dixon (6-0, 295) and DE Stephen Scourtis (6-4, 235) were disruptors throughout the game, denying Shawn Lee time to throw and holding the Cougars to 138 total yards. Meanwhile, Mount Lebanon had the day off defeating McDowell (9-3) who never got on the bus coughing up 5 turnovers in a 47-14 loss. Running backs Alex Tecza rushed for 124 yards and two scores with Eli Heidenreich getting 165 yards and three scores. Three year starting quarterback Joey Daniels completed 6 of 10 for 164 yards. Tough stopping those three and State High may have left it on the field in Harrisburg. Another plus is having a coach of Bob Palko’s skills leading a talented, senior laden team. State can probably hang in this one for a while but don’t have the offense to keep up. Lebo is not a young team like Harrisburg led by sophomores and juniors. Their starting offense features 9 seniors with 10 starting on defense. The O-Line averages 6-2, 251 lbs. So before penciling in St. Joe’s or Garnet Valley as the gold medal winner, give Mount Lebanon a long and hard look. They’re impressive.
5A
Imhotep Charter 9-1, D12 vs Strath Haven 13-1, D1, Dec 3, Ridley
(Imhotep 16.33 points)
Imhotep’s Tre McLeod was an unstoppable force last weekend rushing for 290 yards (!) with touchdowns of 80, 64 and 44 yards at Bald Eagle High where they blew out Erie-Cathedral Prep (11-2) 42-7 in quarterfinal action. This was particularly gratifying for ICS having lost to ECP in 2016, 2017 and 2018 by significant margins. They move on to play Strath Haven who defeated Rustin (11-2) at Rustin 34-33 in double overtime on a 2-pt conversion! Chase Barlow rushed for 102 yards as the Panthers won their 12th district title and first since 2010. Playing at Ridley High is a bonus for Strath Haven but won’t help them keep up with an Imhotep team well-seasoned with games against Pittsburgh Central Catholic, LaSalle, Cathedral Prep and DeMatha.
Exeter Township 10-3, D3 vs Penn Trafford 11-2, D7, Dec 3, Bald Eagle
(Exeter 1.93 points)
Exeter’s been a handful all year but no one expected them to defeat seemingly invincible Governor Mifflin (10-1) last week after losing 54-21 Oct 8th at home. Eric Nangle did most of the damage rushing for 226 yards and scoring the go ahead in the 4th quarter over the defending 5A district champ. And it was a team victory with Exeter’s defense holding Nicholas Singleton to 40 yards on 8 carries. Out in Pittsburgh, Penn Trafford was getting by previously undefeated Moon (12-1) after a Tiger field goal went wide left on a 33-yard effort. Wisconsin recruit Cade Yacamelli was a brute, rushing for 138 yards with 92 more up top helping PT to their first ever WPIAL title. Exeter has the bigger arsenal with quarterback Colin Payne at 2184 yards (59%, 22/6), passing to one of four receivers with at least 300 yards headed by D1 talent Joey Schlaffer’s (6-6, 215) 718 yards and JR Strauss’s 417 yards. But Trafford can clearly play winning the Big East at 5-0 beating stand out programs like Gateway and Pine Richland, then topping Moon last week.
4A
Bishop Shanahan 11-3, D1 vs Bishop McDevitt 11-1, D3, Dec 3, Coatesville
(Bishop McDevitt 16.56 points)
Bishop Shanahan responded to a 21-13 deficit at the half with a 22-point second half to defeat Valley View (12-2) 35-25. Cooper Jordan was instrumental in the win completing 10 of 12 passes for 120 yards and leading the team with 61 yards rushing. Sean Bracken sealed it with a 75-yard Pick-6 in the last 15 seconds. That was a tough win for Shanahan having to play at Valley View. The assignment this week is getting past Bishop McDevitt of Harrisburg who edged two time defending district champ Lampeter Strasburg 7-0. These two pounded each other on a wind-swept field with McDevitt rushing for 187 yards and LS 197. McDevitt’s hard-hitting defense caused 3 LS turnovers giving the Pioneers their first shutout since 2008. LS (11-2) has some bangers too, forcing 8 McDevitt punts! The semifinal game is at Coatesville where Shanahan played Oct 22nd. Advantage to Shanahan. Their dual threat quarterback Cooper Jordan is another advantage McDevitt will have to contain. On paper that’s where their advantages end with McDevitt fielding a more powerful and talented offense averaging 50ppg with a defense allowing 5. Guys who played football know how hard it is getting a shutout. McDevitt has 6. That’s a strength they have should the passing game again be grounded with high winds as it was last week. Allowing 12ppg, Shanahan also plays defense. But they probably don’t bring enough offense at 29ppg unless Cooper Jordan gets loose. They’re senior laden with size and a legitimate threat if that happens.
Jersey Shore 14-0, D4 vs Aliquippa 11-1, D7, Central Cambria
(Aliquippa 7.47 points)
Jersey Shore erupted for 24 second quarter points, sparked by Tate Seachrist’s 75-yard fumble return on the way to a 30-6 win against Meadville (9-4). Big plays did the trick with Brady Jordan connecting with Caden Hess and Kooper Peacock for 56 and 59-yard touchdowns, ending the game with 180 yards passing and 43 rushing. With six district titles the last 9 years, Jersey Shore has proven themselves a legit power in the district and beyond as evidenced last year losing to Thomas Jefferson 21-14 in the final. Like the game with TJ, they’ll be dwarfed again this week in size against Aliquippa. Last week saw the Quips race out to a 21-0 first half lead then hold on to defeat previously undefeated Belle Vernon (10-1) 28-13 at Heinz. Tiqwai Hayes had 133 yards rushing with Jon Tracy getting 94. They ended with 297 total yards to BV’s 202. The win was Aliquippa’s 18th WPIAL title. Although Jersey Shore destroyed most of the teams on their schedule, they haven’t played the quality of opposition Aliquippa faced against Beaver Falls, Central Valley, McKeesport and Belle Vernon. They’re bigger, faster and more athletic, which probably mean JS upsets them! Seriously, it looks like a long night for the Bulldogs who won’t find Aliquippa anything like Meadville!
3A
Wyomissing 14-0, D3 vs Ss Neumann Goretti 13-1, D12, Dec 3, Pennridge
(Wyomissing 14.48 points)
Wyomissing smothered Scranton Prep (11-1) 35-14 with a pounding ground game getting all 5 touchdowns on the ground with Drew Eisenhower getting 134 yards and 2 scores. They’re hard to stop. About the time you adjust to their jet sweeps they go up the middle behind a massive line. And they’ll do that all day until you stop them. They threw one pass. Neumann Goretti did some running too with Jayden Sumpter rushing for 162 yards on 12 carries and Jayden Styles rushing for 64 yards defeating Danville (8-5) 28-0, holding them to 11 total yards. That was their second shutout in the last two days, beating South Philadelphia 54-0 on Thanksgiving Day. Wyomissing will prove to be much more than Danville. Their line is PCL-like in J’ven Williams (6-4, 310, jr), OL/DE Pacen Ziegler (6-3, 255, jr), Caleb Brewer (6-4, 260, soph), Preston Aikman (5-11, 235, sr), Julian DiMaio (5-10, 210, sr), Alex Kauffman (6-3, 250, sr) and TE Aiden Mack (6-4, 225, sr, Richmond). And the backfield is deep featuring Tommy Grabowski (6-0, 200, sr, 1250ry), Drew Eisenhower (5-11, 185, jr, 782ry) and Amory Thompson (6-1, 185, sr, 770). Ben Zechman (6-3, 185, jr) completed 63% for 719 yards with a 9/2 ratio. They’ll be some serious hitting in this one with two big, physical teams going at it in a semifinal.
Central Valley 13-1, D7 vs Central Martinsburg 14-0, D6, Central Valley
(Central Valley 27.80)
Central Valley had no trouble with previously undefeated North Catholic (11-1), trouncing the Trojans 52-15 behind Landon Alexander’s 202 yards rushing. It was 45-7 at the half. The win elevates them into a special group of 12 that have won 3 consecutive WPIAL titles. This was also their 25th straight win on the way to a possible second straight 3A crown. With a monster offense scoring 48ppg supported by a D allowing 7, they’ll be hard to stop. Standing in their way is Central High from Martinsburg who may be equal to the task with a powerful offense scoring 45ppg and a defense allowing 13. While the comp in the Wpial Northern Six is more than the Mountain Athletic, it’d be a bad idea taking the Scarlet Dragons lightly. They play good football in Martinsburg and the district. 2016’s 12-2 team lost to state champ Beaver Falls 14-7, with the 2015 13-2 team losing to PIAA runner-up Aliquippa 30-21. The 2013’s 11-3 team (14 went 9-4) lost to Hickory 37-27 who then lost 23-20 to South Fayette’s 16-0 group who thumped Imhotep 41-0 in the final. History is interesting and relavant but statistics say Central Valley runs away with this one, especially on their field.
2A
Northern Lehigh 11-3, D11 vs Southern Columbia 13-1, D4, Lehighton
(Southern Columbia 9.21 points)
After beating Conwell Egan and York Catholic, West Catholic ran out of juice against a potent Northern Lehigh team who jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter on the way to a 48-24 quarterfinal win at Whitehall. The Bulldogs presented a balanced attack with Trevor Amorim scoring 4 touchdowns, Matt Frame rushing for 110 yards and quarterback Dylan Smoyer connecting on 11 of 15 passes for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns. While WC and NL were going at it, Southern Columbia was putting a 62-20 hurtin on Richland Township (11-3) down in Catawissa on Southern’s home field. Richland had no answer for Gavin Garcia or Braeden Wisloski who got 214 and 165 respectively. Garcia had 5 touchdowns and Wisloski 1 as the Tigers rolled out 428 yards rushing to Richland’s 115. Northern Lehigh’s 56-42 loss to North Schuylkill who lost to Neumann 26-21 suggests they’ll have problems with Southern Columbia who defeated similar teams in Mount Carmel 40-14 and Wyoming Area 37-30. Plus, Northern’s defense is a little too generous at 22ppg.
Farrell 11-1, D10 vs Serra Catholic, 13-1, D7, Slippery Rock University
(Farrell 15.88 points)
Farrell got a battle from Karns City, leading 8-6 at the half then pulling away for a 30-12 win. The Gremlins were game as always but couldn’t handle Farrell’s size and speed. KC’s lead backs Jayce Anderson and Luke Garing came in over an 1000 yards each but were held to 92 yards. Farrell’s dual quarterbacks Trian Holder and Kabron Smith combined for 9 of 13 for 214 yards. Those guys can sling it! Their opponent this week is Serra Catholic from McKeesport. Like most teams on “The Mon”, football is in the blood as demonstrated all year but especially last week beating defending champ Beaver Falls 35-12. They play aggressive football, getting 9 turnovers….!....5 fumbles and 4 interceptions. Two of the 4 interceptions resulted in touchdowns. Weird as it sounds, Beaver Falls played decent defense! But at 51ppg, Farrell looks like they could overwhelm Serra, especially as the Steelers have a defense allowing 7ppg. Extra points go to Serra with the tougher slate facing teams like Sto-Rox, Laurel and Beaver Falls who have a combined record of 32-5. And with KC proving Farrell mortal, who knows!
1A
Bishop Guilfoyle 9-4, D6 vs Canton 13-0, D4, Mansion Park
(Canton 10.68 points)
Altoona’s pride and joy Bishop Guilfoyle battled back from 11 down to get a hard fought 24-21 win against Juniata Valley and their third straight District-6 title. Quarterback Karson Kiesewetter had a monster game completing 11 of 18 passes for 136 yards and rushing for 140 more on 24 carries. Juniata Valley (10-2) had a strong rushing attack at 220 yards but nothing else, throwing for a meager 45 yards. Their opponent this week, Canton, was also down at the half 14-0, but rallied for a 20-14 win against powerful Old Forge (10-1). Canton made the most of their 234 total yards with a 11.7 yards per point effort compared to Old Forge’s 24.21 mark on 339 total yards. About the matchup; this is definitely not vintage Bishop Guilfoyle while it is a special Canton group. Still, Bishop Guilfoyle is Bishop Guilfoyle and won’t go away without a fight, especially with the school a few blocks from Mansion Park Stadium. For Canton, being this deep in the playoffs is virgin territory where they could get a little tight.
Redbank Valley 12-1, D9 vs Bishop Canevin 13-1, 13-1, D7, North Hills
(Bishop Canevin 2.49 points)
Redbank Valley got a stop on a fourth and two at the 6-yard line with :41 left in the game to ease past Northern Bedford County 21-14 at Clarion University. After a shaky 1-3 start, NBC got it together, reeling off 8 straight wins to take the District-5 title, beating Juniata Valley (10-2, D-6 runner up above) along the way. Redbank’s Brenden Schreckengost (5-3, 135, sr) started for a suspended player and rushed for 140 yards plus a 79-yard kick-off return. Not bad for a kid coming in with 55 rush yards! NBC was a brute, rushing for 275 yards. But the Bulldogs got the stops when they needed them as they have most of the year allowing 117 points coming into the quarterfinal. They go on to play Bishop Canevin, the other Catholic school from Oakland who crushed Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH, in Coraopolis) 42-7, holding them to 157 total yards of offense, 36 rushing. Canevin’s head coach Richard Johnson is now a gaudy 18-4 in his second year at the helm with a Wpial title. Hard bucking that and Wpial pedigree against the District-9 entrant.
Here’s some info on quarterfinal results and the upcoming semifinal games some of you might enjoy.
6A
Garnet Valley 14-0, D1 vs St. Joseph’s Prep 10-2, D12, Dec 4 at Ridley
(Garnet Valley 6.96 points)
Garnet Valley made short work of Coatesville (12-2) defeating the overwhelmed Red Raiders 54-15. The Jaguars had 386 yards rushing (not a typo), led by Shane Reynold’s 228 on 18 carries. Max Busenkell completed 6 of 9 passes for 92 yards while the D held Coatesville to 181 total yards. While G-Val rolled to an unexpectedly easy win, St. Joseph’s Prep got a hard fought 24-21 win against Freedom (11-3) on the strength of a running game generating 252 yards. The attack was fueled by quarterback Samaj Jones rushing for 144, Antonio Chadha’s 38-yard field goal in the second quarter and a stout defense. For the coming match, a key to Garnet Valley’s success is their ability to contain Samaj Jones. For St. Joe’s, they have a multitude of players to keep track of with seven players over 300 yards rushing. But the key has to be stopping or slowing quarterback Max Busenkell and that’s a load. He’s a veteran, heads up player making sound decisions, completing 72% of his passes for 1849 yards with a Td/Pick ratio of 26/2. All the backs are quick, even Shane Reynolds (1240yds) at 6-1, 215. Jason Bernard is a hard running, maybe underrated back at 5-7, 190 (481yds). The kicking game will factor in with Zachary Liberatore often hitting the end zone on kickoffs for Garnet Valley, and Antonio Chadha being a lethal weapon booting field goals for the Hawks. St. Joe’s advantage in schedule difficulty and Garnet Valley’s decided edge in location playing at Ridley, has this looking like an even game.
State College 8-5, D6 vs Mount Lebanon 13-0, D7, Dec 4, Mansion Park
(Mount Lebanon 28.94 points)
State College stunned Harrisburg (12-2) in a typical physical defensive battle between these two Mid Penn rivals where Polish native Kajetan Kaszubowski’s 34-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to play won the game. DT Justin Castro Dixon (6-0, 295) and DE Stephen Scourtis (6-4, 235) were disruptors throughout the game, denying Shawn Lee time to throw and holding the Cougars to 138 total yards. Meanwhile, Mount Lebanon had the day off defeating McDowell (9-3) who never got on the bus coughing up 5 turnovers in a 47-14 loss. Running backs Alex Tecza rushed for 124 yards and two scores with Eli Heidenreich getting 165 yards and three scores. Three year starting quarterback Joey Daniels completed 6 of 10 for 164 yards. Tough stopping those three and State High may have left it on the field in Harrisburg. Another plus is having a coach of Bob Palko’s skills leading a talented, senior laden team. State can probably hang in this one for a while but don’t have the offense to keep up. Lebo is not a young team like Harrisburg led by sophomores and juniors. Their starting offense features 9 seniors with 10 starting on defense. The O-Line averages 6-2, 251 lbs. So before penciling in St. Joe’s or Garnet Valley as the gold medal winner, give Mount Lebanon a long and hard look. They’re impressive.
5A
Imhotep Charter 9-1, D12 vs Strath Haven 13-1, D1, Dec 3, Ridley
(Imhotep 16.33 points)
Imhotep’s Tre McLeod was an unstoppable force last weekend rushing for 290 yards (!) with touchdowns of 80, 64 and 44 yards at Bald Eagle High where they blew out Erie-Cathedral Prep (11-2) 42-7 in quarterfinal action. This was particularly gratifying for ICS having lost to ECP in 2016, 2017 and 2018 by significant margins. They move on to play Strath Haven who defeated Rustin (11-2) at Rustin 34-33 in double overtime on a 2-pt conversion! Chase Barlow rushed for 102 yards as the Panthers won their 12th district title and first since 2010. Playing at Ridley High is a bonus for Strath Haven but won’t help them keep up with an Imhotep team well-seasoned with games against Pittsburgh Central Catholic, LaSalle, Cathedral Prep and DeMatha.
Exeter Township 10-3, D3 vs Penn Trafford 11-2, D7, Dec 3, Bald Eagle
(Exeter 1.93 points)
Exeter’s been a handful all year but no one expected them to defeat seemingly invincible Governor Mifflin (10-1) last week after losing 54-21 Oct 8th at home. Eric Nangle did most of the damage rushing for 226 yards and scoring the go ahead in the 4th quarter over the defending 5A district champ. And it was a team victory with Exeter’s defense holding Nicholas Singleton to 40 yards on 8 carries. Out in Pittsburgh, Penn Trafford was getting by previously undefeated Moon (12-1) after a Tiger field goal went wide left on a 33-yard effort. Wisconsin recruit Cade Yacamelli was a brute, rushing for 138 yards with 92 more up top helping PT to their first ever WPIAL title. Exeter has the bigger arsenal with quarterback Colin Payne at 2184 yards (59%, 22/6), passing to one of four receivers with at least 300 yards headed by D1 talent Joey Schlaffer’s (6-6, 215) 718 yards and JR Strauss’s 417 yards. But Trafford can clearly play winning the Big East at 5-0 beating stand out programs like Gateway and Pine Richland, then topping Moon last week.
4A
Bishop Shanahan 11-3, D1 vs Bishop McDevitt 11-1, D3, Dec 3, Coatesville
(Bishop McDevitt 16.56 points)
Bishop Shanahan responded to a 21-13 deficit at the half with a 22-point second half to defeat Valley View (12-2) 35-25. Cooper Jordan was instrumental in the win completing 10 of 12 passes for 120 yards and leading the team with 61 yards rushing. Sean Bracken sealed it with a 75-yard Pick-6 in the last 15 seconds. That was a tough win for Shanahan having to play at Valley View. The assignment this week is getting past Bishop McDevitt of Harrisburg who edged two time defending district champ Lampeter Strasburg 7-0. These two pounded each other on a wind-swept field with McDevitt rushing for 187 yards and LS 197. McDevitt’s hard-hitting defense caused 3 LS turnovers giving the Pioneers their first shutout since 2008. LS (11-2) has some bangers too, forcing 8 McDevitt punts! The semifinal game is at Coatesville where Shanahan played Oct 22nd. Advantage to Shanahan. Their dual threat quarterback Cooper Jordan is another advantage McDevitt will have to contain. On paper that’s where their advantages end with McDevitt fielding a more powerful and talented offense averaging 50ppg with a defense allowing 5. Guys who played football know how hard it is getting a shutout. McDevitt has 6. That’s a strength they have should the passing game again be grounded with high winds as it was last week. Allowing 12ppg, Shanahan also plays defense. But they probably don’t bring enough offense at 29ppg unless Cooper Jordan gets loose. They’re senior laden with size and a legitimate threat if that happens.
Jersey Shore 14-0, D4 vs Aliquippa 11-1, D7, Central Cambria
(Aliquippa 7.47 points)
Jersey Shore erupted for 24 second quarter points, sparked by Tate Seachrist’s 75-yard fumble return on the way to a 30-6 win against Meadville (9-4). Big plays did the trick with Brady Jordan connecting with Caden Hess and Kooper Peacock for 56 and 59-yard touchdowns, ending the game with 180 yards passing and 43 rushing. With six district titles the last 9 years, Jersey Shore has proven themselves a legit power in the district and beyond as evidenced last year losing to Thomas Jefferson 21-14 in the final. Like the game with TJ, they’ll be dwarfed again this week in size against Aliquippa. Last week saw the Quips race out to a 21-0 first half lead then hold on to defeat previously undefeated Belle Vernon (10-1) 28-13 at Heinz. Tiqwai Hayes had 133 yards rushing with Jon Tracy getting 94. They ended with 297 total yards to BV’s 202. The win was Aliquippa’s 18th WPIAL title. Although Jersey Shore destroyed most of the teams on their schedule, they haven’t played the quality of opposition Aliquippa faced against Beaver Falls, Central Valley, McKeesport and Belle Vernon. They’re bigger, faster and more athletic, which probably mean JS upsets them! Seriously, it looks like a long night for the Bulldogs who won’t find Aliquippa anything like Meadville!
3A
Wyomissing 14-0, D3 vs Ss Neumann Goretti 13-1, D12, Dec 3, Pennridge
(Wyomissing 14.48 points)
Wyomissing smothered Scranton Prep (11-1) 35-14 with a pounding ground game getting all 5 touchdowns on the ground with Drew Eisenhower getting 134 yards and 2 scores. They’re hard to stop. About the time you adjust to their jet sweeps they go up the middle behind a massive line. And they’ll do that all day until you stop them. They threw one pass. Neumann Goretti did some running too with Jayden Sumpter rushing for 162 yards on 12 carries and Jayden Styles rushing for 64 yards defeating Danville (8-5) 28-0, holding them to 11 total yards. That was their second shutout in the last two days, beating South Philadelphia 54-0 on Thanksgiving Day. Wyomissing will prove to be much more than Danville. Their line is PCL-like in J’ven Williams (6-4, 310, jr), OL/DE Pacen Ziegler (6-3, 255, jr), Caleb Brewer (6-4, 260, soph), Preston Aikman (5-11, 235, sr), Julian DiMaio (5-10, 210, sr), Alex Kauffman (6-3, 250, sr) and TE Aiden Mack (6-4, 225, sr, Richmond). And the backfield is deep featuring Tommy Grabowski (6-0, 200, sr, 1250ry), Drew Eisenhower (5-11, 185, jr, 782ry) and Amory Thompson (6-1, 185, sr, 770). Ben Zechman (6-3, 185, jr) completed 63% for 719 yards with a 9/2 ratio. They’ll be some serious hitting in this one with two big, physical teams going at it in a semifinal.
Central Valley 13-1, D7 vs Central Martinsburg 14-0, D6, Central Valley
(Central Valley 27.80)
Central Valley had no trouble with previously undefeated North Catholic (11-1), trouncing the Trojans 52-15 behind Landon Alexander’s 202 yards rushing. It was 45-7 at the half. The win elevates them into a special group of 12 that have won 3 consecutive WPIAL titles. This was also their 25th straight win on the way to a possible second straight 3A crown. With a monster offense scoring 48ppg supported by a D allowing 7, they’ll be hard to stop. Standing in their way is Central High from Martinsburg who may be equal to the task with a powerful offense scoring 45ppg and a defense allowing 13. While the comp in the Wpial Northern Six is more than the Mountain Athletic, it’d be a bad idea taking the Scarlet Dragons lightly. They play good football in Martinsburg and the district. 2016’s 12-2 team lost to state champ Beaver Falls 14-7, with the 2015 13-2 team losing to PIAA runner-up Aliquippa 30-21. The 2013’s 11-3 team (14 went 9-4) lost to Hickory 37-27 who then lost 23-20 to South Fayette’s 16-0 group who thumped Imhotep 41-0 in the final. History is interesting and relavant but statistics say Central Valley runs away with this one, especially on their field.
2A
Northern Lehigh 11-3, D11 vs Southern Columbia 13-1, D4, Lehighton
(Southern Columbia 9.21 points)
After beating Conwell Egan and York Catholic, West Catholic ran out of juice against a potent Northern Lehigh team who jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter on the way to a 48-24 quarterfinal win at Whitehall. The Bulldogs presented a balanced attack with Trevor Amorim scoring 4 touchdowns, Matt Frame rushing for 110 yards and quarterback Dylan Smoyer connecting on 11 of 15 passes for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns. While WC and NL were going at it, Southern Columbia was putting a 62-20 hurtin on Richland Township (11-3) down in Catawissa on Southern’s home field. Richland had no answer for Gavin Garcia or Braeden Wisloski who got 214 and 165 respectively. Garcia had 5 touchdowns and Wisloski 1 as the Tigers rolled out 428 yards rushing to Richland’s 115. Northern Lehigh’s 56-42 loss to North Schuylkill who lost to Neumann 26-21 suggests they’ll have problems with Southern Columbia who defeated similar teams in Mount Carmel 40-14 and Wyoming Area 37-30. Plus, Northern’s defense is a little too generous at 22ppg.
Farrell 11-1, D10 vs Serra Catholic, 13-1, D7, Slippery Rock University
(Farrell 15.88 points)
Farrell got a battle from Karns City, leading 8-6 at the half then pulling away for a 30-12 win. The Gremlins were game as always but couldn’t handle Farrell’s size and speed. KC’s lead backs Jayce Anderson and Luke Garing came in over an 1000 yards each but were held to 92 yards. Farrell’s dual quarterbacks Trian Holder and Kabron Smith combined for 9 of 13 for 214 yards. Those guys can sling it! Their opponent this week is Serra Catholic from McKeesport. Like most teams on “The Mon”, football is in the blood as demonstrated all year but especially last week beating defending champ Beaver Falls 35-12. They play aggressive football, getting 9 turnovers….!....5 fumbles and 4 interceptions. Two of the 4 interceptions resulted in touchdowns. Weird as it sounds, Beaver Falls played decent defense! But at 51ppg, Farrell looks like they could overwhelm Serra, especially as the Steelers have a defense allowing 7ppg. Extra points go to Serra with the tougher slate facing teams like Sto-Rox, Laurel and Beaver Falls who have a combined record of 32-5. And with KC proving Farrell mortal, who knows!
1A
Bishop Guilfoyle 9-4, D6 vs Canton 13-0, D4, Mansion Park
(Canton 10.68 points)
Altoona’s pride and joy Bishop Guilfoyle battled back from 11 down to get a hard fought 24-21 win against Juniata Valley and their third straight District-6 title. Quarterback Karson Kiesewetter had a monster game completing 11 of 18 passes for 136 yards and rushing for 140 more on 24 carries. Juniata Valley (10-2) had a strong rushing attack at 220 yards but nothing else, throwing for a meager 45 yards. Their opponent this week, Canton, was also down at the half 14-0, but rallied for a 20-14 win against powerful Old Forge (10-1). Canton made the most of their 234 total yards with a 11.7 yards per point effort compared to Old Forge’s 24.21 mark on 339 total yards. About the matchup; this is definitely not vintage Bishop Guilfoyle while it is a special Canton group. Still, Bishop Guilfoyle is Bishop Guilfoyle and won’t go away without a fight, especially with the school a few blocks from Mansion Park Stadium. For Canton, being this deep in the playoffs is virgin territory where they could get a little tight.
Redbank Valley 12-1, D9 vs Bishop Canevin 13-1, 13-1, D7, North Hills
(Bishop Canevin 2.49 points)
Redbank Valley got a stop on a fourth and two at the 6-yard line with :41 left in the game to ease past Northern Bedford County 21-14 at Clarion University. After a shaky 1-3 start, NBC got it together, reeling off 8 straight wins to take the District-5 title, beating Juniata Valley (10-2, D-6 runner up above) along the way. Redbank’s Brenden Schreckengost (5-3, 135, sr) started for a suspended player and rushed for 140 yards plus a 79-yard kick-off return. Not bad for a kid coming in with 55 rush yards! NBC was a brute, rushing for 275 yards. But the Bulldogs got the stops when they needed them as they have most of the year allowing 117 points coming into the quarterfinal. They go on to play Bishop Canevin, the other Catholic school from Oakland who crushed Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH, in Coraopolis) 42-7, holding them to 157 total yards of offense, 36 rushing. Canevin’s head coach Richard Johnson is now a gaudy 18-4 in his second year at the helm with a Wpial title. Hard bucking that and Wpial pedigree against the District-9 entrant.
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