WPIAL Class A preview: Fort Cherry enters season with target on its back

By: Bill Hartlep
Sunday, August 18, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Fort Cherry got a taste of a PIAA championship game atmosphere last fall. Now the Rangers want to return to Cumberland Valley and raise a state championship trophy.

A year after winning their first WPIAL football championship and finishing as PIAA runners-up, the Rangers again have the look of a title contender behind junior quarterback Matt Sieg and a slew of returning starters on both sides of the ball.

“We’re just excited to see what we’re about,” Fort Cherry coach Tanner Garry said. “We’re going into the season knowing that there are going to be targets on our backs and we’re just going to see where the season takes us.”

In his two-year career, Sieg has thrown for 2,891 yards and 31 touchdowns and run for 4,371 yards and 72 scores. He earned all-state recognition last season and was the Black Hills Conference’s Offensive MVP. Also back is all-conference wide receiver Shane Cornali, who caught 35 passes for 676 yards and 10 scores. The Rangers did graduate all-state linebacker Lou Ryan, who had 130 tackles.

Bishop Canevin should again provide competition in the Black Hills. The Crusaders went 10-2 and reached the semifinals but lost twice to Fort Cherry. They have five starters back on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Kole Olszweski, lineman Braiden Sudor and defensive end Henry Barbisch, an Air Force commit. Brothers Jayden and Jermell Lindsey will be key factors at receiver and linebacker, respectively.

Serra Catholic joins the Black Hills after dropping down from Class 2A, where it reached the playoffs. Quarterback Quadir Stribling, who threw for nearly 2,500 yards and 27 TDs last season, and wide receiver De’reon Washington, who caught 41 passes for 965 yards, each return, but the Eagles will miss fellow pass catcher Jesere Young (615 yards).

“We have a pretty tough conference,” Garry said. “That can be a good thing or a bad thing. If you take a look at the conference, most of the teams were in the playoffs last year. … Obviously, (it’s) a pretty tough conference, but it can make diamonds as well.”

Several members of the Big Seven Conference could also challenge for Class A supremacy this season. South Side was the WPIAL runner-up last season, falling to Fort Cherry, 42-28, in the final. While Union moved up in class, Neshannock has dropped down from 2A, where it won the Midwestern Athletic Conference. Rochester and Laurel tied for third in the conference standings, and the Rams won a playoff game last fall.

“(The Big Seven is) usually where the WPIAL champion comes from or at least plays in the game,” Laurel coach Brian Cooper said. “No disrespect to any other (conferences), but we know we’re in for a grind.”

South Side returns three all-conference players on offense — running back A.C. Corfield, tight end Slayton Williams and offensive lineman Mateja Pavlovich. Corfield ran for 1,286 yards and had 17 touchdowns. The Rams will miss graduated RB Ryan Navarra, who ran for more than 1,400 yards, as well as QB Brody Almashy, who scored 20 TDs.

Neshannock has seven returning starters on offense and five on defense, including senior offensive lineman Tony Perrotta, who was an all-conference pick last fall. QB Jino Mozzoccio threw for nearly 1,000 yards last season, and junior RB Anthony Eakin ran for 800-plus yards and nine scores.

Clairton will vie for another Eastern Conference title behind a slew of all-conference performers — RB/S Drahcir Jones, WR Zaemere Correll, OG Chad Carpenter, OT/LB Avaughn Pompey, DT Khalil Williams, DE Tahvaz Armstrong, DBs Donte Wright and Taris Wooding and athlete Michael Ruffin.

The Bears finished 10-2 last year and 6-0 in the Eastern Conference, edging Greensburg Central Catholic (8-4, 5-1) and Jeannette (7-4, 4-2). The Centurions will rely on Samir Crosby, who is moving to quarterback after earning all-conference honors at wide receiver and kick returner.

Jeannette will highlight the talents of all-conference WR Kymon’e Brown, and Leechburg will eye a fourth straight trip to the playoffs behind two all-conference players — tight end/linebacker Jake Cummings and defensive end Lucas Gamble — as well as QB Jayden Floyd, who threw for nearly 1,500 yards.

California captured the Tri-County South Conference title at 7-0 last season and went 10-2 overall after a first-round playoff victory over Jeannette and quarterfinal loss to Bishop Canevin. The Trojans were led by a defense that allowed just 11.5 points per game. They will have to replace Spencer Petrucci, who ran for more than 1,500 yards, and Jake Layhue, who was an all-state safety and accounted for 24 touchdowns on offense.

Lee Qualk, Malachi Peak, Landon Abercrombie, Caden Monticelli and Niko Georgagis all were all-conference and return for the Trojans.

West Greene (8-3, 6-1 last season) has six starters back on offense and defense, including all-conference QB Lane Allison, who threw for nearly 1,000 yards and 16 TDs, and linemen Colin Whyte and Levi Smith. Whyte made 98 tackles and four sacks at linebacker last season. Smith made 46 tackles along the defensive line.

“As long as we stay relatively healthy, we expect to be in the top half of the Tri-County South fighting for a playoff spot,” West Greene coach Brian Jackson said.

Jefferson-Morgan (6-5, 5-2) could also challenge for the conference title behind all-conference quarterback Houston Guesman, who threw for more than 900 yards and 11 TDs and ran for nearly 750 yards and nine scores.

THE FAVORITES

1. Fort Cherry (15-1 last season)

It will be tough to top last season for the Rangers, when they won their first WPIAL title and were PIAA runners-up. Though they face a tough test in the Black Hills Conference, they start the season as the favorite behind all-state quarterback Matt Sieg.

2. Clairton (10-3)

3. South Side (13-1)

4. Neshannock (9-2)

5. Bishop Canevin (10-2)

THE STARS

Henry Barbisch

Bishop Canevin, Sr., TE/DE

An Air Force commit, Barbisch (6-4, 235) earned all-conference honors last season at defensive end after he made 47 tackles, including 16 for a loss, and nine sacks.

Samir Crosby

Greensburg Central Catholic, Jr., QB/DB

Crosby will move to quarterback after playing mostly as a receiver and running back. Last year, he caught 35 passes for 690 yards and seven TDs and ran for 634 yards and nine scores while also leading the Centurions with 107 tackles and tying a team high with six interceptions. Harvard, Buffalo, Fordham, Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and UNLV have offered.

Drahcir Jones

Clairton, Sr., RB/FS

Jones ran for nearly 1,500 yards and had a team-leading 15 touchdowns last season in helping Clairton reach the WPIAL semifinals. He ran for 271 yards and four touchdowns in a 40-28 win over Greensburg Central Catholic. On defense, he had 44 tackles and two interceptions.

Kole Olszewski

Bishop Canevin, Sr., QB

Olszewski was a top 10 passer in the WPIAL last season after throwing for 2,180 yards with 36 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to become the school’s record holder for passing yardage.

Matt Sieg

Fort Cherry, Jr., QB/DB

A true dual-threat quarterback, Sieg led the WPIAL in rushing last season with 2,389 yards and also threw for 1,670 yards. He also had a hand in 63 touchdowns to lead the WPIAL. The No. 5-ranked player in Pa.’s class of 2026 is a four-start recruit and has 14 scholarship offers, including Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia.

DON’T MISS

10.11: Fort Cherry vs. Bishop Canevin at Dormont Stadium

These teams combined for nearly 90 points a year ago before Fort Cherry won 48-41. The Black Hills champion Rangers also won the rematch 33-21 in the WPIAL semifinals.

10.11: California at West Greene

Senior night at Kennedy Field could go a long way in West Greene’s quest to dethrone California atop the Tri-County South. The Trojans won this matchup 44-12 last season.

10.25: Laurel at Neshannock

The battle for Lawrence County supremacy takes on extra meaning this season now that Laurel and Neshannock are Big 7 foes. This regular-season finale matchup could determine playoff positioning. Neshannock won 39-22 last season.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Bishop Canevin, California, Clairton, Fort Cherry, Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, Jefferson-Morgan, Laurel, Leechburg, Neshannock, Rochester, Serra Catholic, South Side, West Greene