Westmoreland County football players to watch in 2022 Week Zero

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Wednesday, August 24, 2022 | 6:26 PM


Here are Westmoreland County’s high school football players to watch for Week Zero.

Jackson Hutter

Mt. Pleasant, Jr., RB/MLB

The junior is expected to be more of an offensive threat in 2022 after averaging 7.1 yards per carry as a sophomore. He scored one touchdown and had a catch for 17 yards. But it’s on defense where Hutter shines. He was one of the top tacklers on the team in 2021.

Jackson Pons

Norwin, Jr., WR

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior caught a team-high 33 passes for 457 yards and a touchdown last year. He should be one of the top wide receivers in the WPIAL again in 2022. He’s also a talented defensive back who made 31 tackles a year ago.

Billy Sugden

Ligonier Valley, Sr., DE

The 6-foot, 200-pound senior captain will be counted on to pressure the quarterback from the outside. He had 61 tackles, including 33 solo, in 2021. He also had eight sacks and blocked a punt.

Ahmad Ward

Derry, Jr., RB/OLB

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound junior running back has speed and power. Last season, he scored on a 21-yard run against Indiana and a 14-yard TD against Mt. Pleasant. Trojans coach Mike Arone said he was pleased with his effort in a scrimmage against GCC.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

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