With roster loaded with experience, Clairton eyes return to WPIAL dominance

By: Josh Rowntree
Monday, August 19, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Editor’s note: Trib HSSN will publish team-by-team previews for one conference per day until the start of the high school football season Friday. Due to production schedule conflicts, the Frazier preview will be published later in the week.

Expectations at Clairton are always high. The program’s rich tradition and dominant runs over the last two decades have made it that way.

In the last couple of seasons, however, Clairton coach Wayne Wade has felt like those expectations haven’t quite been reached. And the way the years have started has been a factor.

The Bears lost their first two games in 2023, doing so in blowout fashion — 28-0 to Westinghouse and 26-0 to Washington — before quickly turning around their season. It was similar to the 2022 season, when Clairton started 0-3 before rebounding.

“Once we get into the conference, we’re usually able to get back on track and get to our winning ways,” said Wade, who enters his 11th season. “This year, I feel like it’ll look a little different, even though we have some tough competition.”

Clairton finished 10-3 in 2023, going unbeaten in Eastern Conference play before falling to South Side in the WPIAL Class A semifinals, 28-12.

While a trip to the semifinals, for most programs, is a great season, the goals are larger for the Bears. And Wade can pinpoint where he feels his team needs to improve to reach those goals — and it’s not a specific position or a schematic element.

“With a lot of returning kids for this year, it’s more our execution,” said Wade, who lost only two seniors from his 2023 roster. “Looking at some film from last year, we weren’t executing well.

“But that comes from playing younger kids, from playing kids that don’t have that much experience. Coming into this year, with kids that have that experience, we’re looking for execution.”

There’s one factor that could make things difficult on the Bears this season: They won’t play a true home game.

Clairton School District has planned a $6 million renovation to the 94-year-old Neil Brown Stadium, so the Bears will play all home games at Thomas Jefferson’s stadium this season as construction begins.

While Clairton said goodbye to the smallest senior class since Wade joined the program in 1997, and just two starters on offense, it will, however, have to replace a key player in Michael Wright. He passed for 1,776 yards and 19 touchdowns a year ago. Jeffrey Thompson III will take over under center.

“He’s probably one of the brighter quarterbacks we’ve had in terms of his knowledge of the game,” Wade said of the junior. “He played a little for us last year. It’s a shame that we’re not able to have JV games, because with that experience last year, he would’ve been a couple of steps ahead of where he’s at now.

“He progressed a lot during the summer on 7-on-7 and has looked good in camp. He can make mostly all of the throws and can run the ball. He’s athletic.”

Joining Thompson III in the backfield will be tailback Drahcir Jones, who rushed for 1,489 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior last season.

“He’s bigger, stronger, faster,” Wade said of Jones, who will run behind an offensive line returning four starters.

Jones will be complemented by Donte Wright and Dion Pompey, who missed some of last year due to injury.

“Seeing what we have back there, with a returning rusher who has those type of stats, we’re excited about it,” Wade said.

Zae-Mear Correll, who snagged 33 passes for 633 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, is back for his senior season. He’ll be joined by Michael Ruffing and Teek Wooding.

While the Bears haven’t had quite the top-tier recruiting talents over the last couple of years as they did in the past, they will welcome in a player who has made some early noise on the recruiting trails — freshman Brandon Murphy.

“He’s already picked up an offer from Syracuse as an eighth grader,” Wade said of the 5-foot-11, 160-pounder. “Everybody knows about him.”

Murphy, who can play a number of positions, could immediately impact a Clairton defense that only lost one starter from a group that surrendered just 13.7 points per game in 2023. Most of the offensive starters this season will flip around and play defense.

Clairton opens the year against Steel Valley in the KDKA Kickoff Classic at the Wolvarena. It also plays Serra Catholic and Shady Side Academy before jumping into conference action. A marquee game to kick off the season will again be a litmus test right out of the gates.

“They’re very excited,” Wade said of the Week Zero contest. “You’re talking about a program similar to ours, rich in tradition. A lot of players from Steel Valley have gone on to play college ball, professional ball. So they have a lot of pride and tradition in their program, as well.

“We’ll see how that goes. Hopefully it’ll look better than the last two years and we get on track early.”

Clairton has now gone four seasons without a WPIAL title after winning 10 district crowns from 2006-2019. But a return to the top could be possible in 2024, and expectations are something Wade doesn’t feel like he ever needs to address with his players — even now.

“We go into every season like any other team, thinking that we’re going to win the state championship,” he said. “With this team, losing in the semifinals last year and returning so much, they understand that already.

“We’re looking for a great year. Hopefully we can get off to a hot start and get back to our Clairton ways.”

Clairton

Coach: Wayne Wade

2023 record: 10-3, 6-0 in the Class A Eastern Conference

All-time record: 725-363-41

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.24 Steel Valley at Woodland Hills, noon

8.30 at Serra Catholic, 7

9.6 at Shady Side Academy, 7

9.13 Greensburg Central Catholic*, 7

9.20 at Frazier*, 7

9.27 Jeannette*, 7

10.4 at Springdale*, 7

10.11 at Leechburg*, 7

10.18 Riverview*, 7

10.25 Brentwood*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Michael Wright*

109-172, 1,776 yards, 19 TDs

Rushing: Drahcir Jones

163-1,489 yards, 15 TDs

Receiving: Zae-Mear Correll

33-633 yards, 8 TDs

FAST FACTS

• Clairton has won 14 WPIAL titles, second only to Aliquippa (20).

• After being shut out in the first two weeks of 2023, the Bears averaged 38.7 points per game.

• Clairton’s conference will also feature Brentwood, Frazier, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Leechburg, Riverview and Springdale.

Tags: Clairton