WPIAL Big Game Hunting – Week Four – 09/17/2014

By: Bruce Markey
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 | 9:05 PM

One third of the way into the 2014 season and the field is taking shape quite nicely, we have some traditional powers and some new kids on the block. Most satisfying for us here at BGH, there never seems to be any shortage of Big Games to choose from on a given weekend. Kudos to the WPIAL football steering committee for their expertise and vision. Just as there is no shortage of Big Games there seems to also be no shortage of articles calling themselves Big Game Hunting. You would do well for yourself to stick here with the original and, best I can tell, the only one that features an actual article on the games when you click on the link. Minor detail, maybe to some, but it feels like a big deal to us. Come on!! Let’s go Big Game Hunting!

AAAA Southeastern Conference:
#5 Mount Lebanon Blue Devils (2-0)(3-0) vs #8 Penn Hills Indians (2-0)(2-1) Friday September 19th at 7:30 pm 2 Yuhas-McGinley Stadium in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Josh Rowntree and Rob Longo

A big time battle of top-ten teams and Southeastern Conference championship hopefuls in Penn Hills Friday night features unbeaten Mount Lebanon against Penn Hills. The Indians will be trying to bounce back from their first loss of the year last Friday night against AAA powerhouse Central Valley.

Penn Hills features one of the best all-around athletes in the WPIAL in quarterback Billy Kisner. Kisner has completed nine of 19 passes on the year for 138 yards and a score. He has also rushed the football 43 times for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Blue Devils will try to keep him in the pocket, because when he gets to the corner he presents tremendous difficulties with some great decision making skills, speed and elusiveness.

Senior running back Te’Shan Campbell is a playmaker as well for the Indians with 265 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns on the season. Also on the ground Isiah Jones is averaging over ten yards per carry for Penn Hills.

The Indians defense is allowing 18.3 points per game but struggled against the run last week against Central Valley as the Warriors rushed for 243 yards including 166 for Jordan Whitehead. Linebackers Greg Hoolahan, and Shean Roy along with defensive tackle Ty Glanton will look to imprve on that number against a Blue Devil team that has show great offensive balance so far in 2014.

Lebo has gotten a great start from junior quarterback Eddie Jenkins who has completed 27 of 43 passes for 393 yards and eight touchdowns. Jenkins chief target has been another junior in Nick Tommasi who has caught ten passes for 144 yards and scored six touchdowns.

On the ground Mount Lebanon turns to senior Joey Stabile who has amassed 341 yards and three scores in his 42 carries on the year. Stabile has benefitted from the return of a bunch of starters up front for Mount Lebanon’s offensive line. Matt Hoffman, Matt Christmas, Paul Grattan and Hunter Cazin are doing tremendous work in the trenches for Mount Lebanon.

AAA Big Nine Conference:
#7 Ringgold Rams (1-1)(2-1) vs #4 West Mifflin Titans (2-0)(3-0) Friday September 19th at 7:30pm @ Titan Stadium on the campus of West Mifflin high school broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Mike Sackley and Greg Kuntz

The Rams get their second crack at the cream of the crop in the Big nine with a couple more games under their belt after starting with Thomas Jefferson in week one.

Quarterback Nico Law looks to try and get the Rams to that elusive next level they have been trying to reach for a few years now. Law continues to be one of the big dual threats in the league. The senior has completed an impressive 31 of 46passes for 443 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception. On the ground he has carried it 23 times for 177 yards and a pair of trips into the end zone.

Junior all-purpose back Chacar Berry has contributed to the balance of the Rams offense with some tremendous running numbers. Berry has carried the football 39 times for 259 yards and four touchdowns.

Sophomore Dalton Holt leads the Rams in receptions with five catches for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the season.

In the trenches, the Rams have some serious size led by left tackle Tony Martin (6’5” 315 pounds), Gage Ivory (6’2” 315 pounds) and Bobby Duda (6’3” 305 pounds) round out the 300 pound plus club for Ringgold.

West Mifflin has a fantastic running back whois turning heads and dominating teams with his amazing moves and…stop me if you’ve heard this before. A new name for the Titans but the same result as this time it is senior running back DiAngelo Mitchell piling up yards and touchdowns. Mitchell has 60 carries on the season for 513 yards through three games and he has also contributed five receptions for 50 yards along with scoring 12 touchdowns already. No other Titan has scored more than a single touchdow.

Junior quarterback Karlyn Garner has completed 12 of 28 passes for 252 yards without an interception. Garner also has a nice weapon in senior wide receiver Kevin Garback who has four catches for 120 yards.

This game is worth the price of admission or a free click on the MSA Sports Network for the chance to follow two of the best athletes in the WPIAL as Nico Law and DiAngelo Mitchell might be playing a really good game of one-up Friday night at Titan Stadium.

AA Century Conference:
#3 Seton-LaSalle Rebels (3-0)(3-0) vs Steel Valley Ironmen (3-0)(3-0) Friday September 19th at 7:00 pm @ Campbell Field in Munhall, Pennsylvania broadcast on the MSA Sports Network by Sam Hall and Cory Campano

The Century Conference is really good, and the winner of this game will become the leading challenger to the defending conference, WPIAL, and PIAA Champions, the South Fayette Lions.

The Seton-LaSalle Rebels have a new coach in Damon Rosol but they have not missed a beat starting out the 2014 campaign with three dominating wins. Seton is averaging scoring 32.3 points per game while only allowing an average of 9.3 points per game.

Senior quaretrback Tyler Perone is putting on the show everyone thought he woudl coming into this year. So far Perone has completed 37 of 53 passes for 457 yards and six touchdowns.

Perone’s top target is senior Danzel McKinley-Lewis, who is quickly becoming a superstar. McKinley-Lewis has 13 catches for 175 yards and he has added 117 yards rushing to the mix as well as being a force in the defensive secondary for the Rebels. He has scored four touchdowns on the year.

Paris Ford and Dequay Broadwater have combined for a dozen more catches and 181 yards receiving. The Rebels though do have some balance with a really good rushing attack as well led by senior Ricky Mellick who has reached paydirt five times with 44 carries and 324 yards rushing on the year.

Jake Blahut is the anchor of the offensive line and a force at outside linebacker while Billy Jackson at 6′ 295 pounds is one of the best nose tackles in the WPIAL.

Steel Valley will focus their attack on the ground. The Ironmen under 5th year head coach Rod Steele are gettting a great reputation for their rushing attack and it is well-deserved.

Sophomore DeWayne Murray has the look of greatness rushing already this season for 503 yards on 36 carries. He has also caught five passes for 189 yards and scored an astounding 13 touchdowns.

Senior quaretrback Tyrone Freeman can be a big part of that rushing attack as well with 156 yards and a pair of scores of his own on the ground. Freeman has been effiecient when throwing, completing 9 of 25 passes for 260 yards and another two scores.

How about some love for the brain-power over in Munhall as well? Rod Steele has his team participating in a new program called Academics in Motion an NFL program that includes a study hall that has the Ironmen seeing their collective team GPA jump a full half point!!! We need to get the MSA Sports gang into that program ASAP. Get me Professor Rebel on the phone.

A Non-Conference:
#4 Avonworth Antelopes (3-0)(3-0) Black Hills vs #10 Shenango Wildcats (2-1)(2-1) Big 7 Friday September 19th at 7:00 pm @ Frank Bongivengo Field at Glenn “Pop” Johnston Stadium on the campus of Shenango high school broadcast on the MSA Sports Network and WJST-AM 1280 by Mark Schaas and Lee Mohn

A battle of top-ten teams is the only bait that can drag Big Game Hunting out of conference play in week four.

The Antelopes have proven to be a serious football program yet again under Duke Johncour as despite dramatic losses to graduation from last years club they find themselves unbeatan and ranked #4 in the MSA Sports top-ten.

Junior quarterback Zach Chandler has been lighting up opposing secondaries all season long completing 43 of 63 passes for a second best in the entire WPIAL 742 yards, while tossing six touchdowns and just a single interception.

Chandler has spread the ball around very nicely. Jamal Hughley has a dozen catches for 293 yards while sophomore Garrett Day has 10 grabs for 124 yards. Paul Heflin and Cole Jenkins are threats in the passing game as well for the ‘Lopes. Hughley leads the team with six scores.

On the ground Brandon Wasko and Kevin Simpson have combined to go for 238 rushing yards.

The ‘Lopes defense continues to be one of their calling cards as they are allowing just 13.7 points per game on the year.

The Wildcats of Shenango meanwhile is off to a great start with their only loss a week two setback to the Neshannock Lancers.

Quarterback Evan Kendall, a junior has completed eight of ten passes for 91 yards and has not turned the football over.
The Wildcats will keep it on the gorund for the most part with Tyler Root leading the way with 331 yards and three touchdownson the season. Hunter Waskin and Jason Wallace will also contribute to that ground game with a combined 205 yards rushing coming into this contest.

The Wildcat defense has been a little suspect allowing over 25 points per game on the year, they will need to buckle up that chin straps and improve on that number against the Antelopes if they hope to remain in the top-ten after this weekend. It is another chance though for the signature win Shenango is looking for here in single A.

Tags: Avonworth, West Mifflin