WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for 10/10

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, October 11, 2014 | 11:22 AM

While the high school football playoffs are Primetime, that would make the three-week Stretch Run that wraps up the regular season the…Twilight?  Whatever you want to call it, there seems each game has more on the line, thus to get to the big stage, you have to come up big in the ‘dress rehearsals’. Here are those players that nailed it in Week 7 in the hopes they can do the same come Week 10.

Ben DiNucci – Pine-Richland

The WPIAL’s leading passer in this 2014 season did not fall into a ‘trap’ in Week Seven. Pine-Richland quarterback Ben DiNucci enjoyed the biggest night through the air Friday when he connected on 18 of 23 passes for 377-yards and three touchdowns of 53, 24 and 53 yards again, plus he scrambled and scored on runs of 18 and 12 yards as the Rams remained undefeated and did not look ahead to their Northern Eight Conference showdown with Pittsburgh Central Catholic by beating the visiting Butler Golden Tornado 48-10.

Andrew Koester – West Allegheny

It meant NOTHING in the WPIAL standings, but this Class AAAA vs Class AAA Non-Conference Battle of top-ranked teams had a championship game atmosphere. West Allegheny quarterback Andrew Koester had a night to remember as he hit on 17 of 28 passes for 345-yards with three touchdown passes while capping a late comeback with a one-yard touchdown plunge and a two-point conversion pass to send the game into overtime where his 9-yard run set up the winning score in a 42-41 thriller over the visiting Woodland Hills Wolverines.

Chacar Berry – Ringgold

In a key Class AAA Big Nine Conference contest, Ringgold hit the road and turned in a Berry good performance. Chacar Berry ran wild at the Mustang Coral as he rushed for 240 yards and scored four touchdowns on runs of 5, 86, 3 and 7 yards as the Rams broke open a close game at halftime with 34 third quarter points and clinched a playoff berth with a 66-27 victory over the slumping Laurel Highlands Mustangs.

Tyler Perone – Seton-LaSalle

Seton-LaSalle could not afford to be looking ahead to their big showdown next Friday for the Class AA Century Conference title against defending champion South Fayette as they had a trip to Quaker Valley and the full time return for superstar Dane Jackson to deal with. And deal they did as SL quarterback Tyler Perone was 19 of 30 passing for 278 yards and a pair of touchdown passes of 37 and 5 yards as the Rebels remain undefeated with a hard fought 24-14 decision over the Quakers.

Dewayne Murray – Steel Valley

Coaches will tell you at this time of year, they want to be able to control their own destiny and not have to rely on other to clinch a postseason berth. Steel Valley is one of those teams that will qualify if they win out and they seem to be in total control of that destiny thanks to the running of Dewayne Murray of Steel Valley, who rushed for 245 yards and scored four touchdowns on runs of 31, 9, 1 and 97 yards as the Ironmen rolled a step closer to the playoffs with a 50-7 Century Conference triumph over the Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles.

Hunter Cenname – Waynesburg Central

There haven’t been a lot of BIG games played at Southmoreland High School over the last few years…OK, this centruy…OK, the last couple of decades. Jimmy Carter was still in the oval office the last time Southmoreland made the WPIAL football playoffs. Sadly for the hosts, that string may continue for another year after Hunter Cenname rushed for 186 yards and three long touchdowns on runs of 20, 64 and 45 yards as the Raiders knocked off the Scotties 26-21 in a key Class AA Interstate Conference fray.

Duane Brown – Apollo-Ridge

One week, the super sophomore quarterback/running back is running wild with his legs all over Class AA Allegheny Conference opponents, the next is burning them through the air with his arm. Friday was the arms turn as Brown hit on 11 of 14 passes for 243 yards and four touchdown tosses of 14, 14, 26 and 31 yards…plus he did do some damage with his legs with a pair of touchdown runs as the Apollo-Ridge Vikings secured a playoff berth with a 49-20 rout of the visiting Freeport Yellowjackets. 

P.J. Fulmore – Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic

Yes, there are two weeks left in the regular season and ‘anything’ can happen on the football field, but for all intents and purposes, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic sealed the deal on another conference title. in their annual showdown with Avonworth, P.J. Fulmore rushed for 211 yards and broke a scoreless tie in the third quarter with an 8-yard run as the defending champion Trojans remained undefeated with a 28-0 whitewash of the Antelopes in a Black Hills Conference showdown.

Lamont Wade – Clairton

There has been a lot of talk about how Clairton has run wild and run free through the Class A Eastern Conference over the first six weeks of the season. Not sure if they are running up the scores, but when you average over 36 yards a carry with few totes in the game, hard to point an accusing finger. that’s what Lamont Wade did Friday, rushing for 289 yards and five touchdowns on runs of 41, 63, 73, 29 and 51 yards on only 8 carries as the Bears rolled to a 66-0 pounding of the host Serra Catholic Eagles.

Dylan Rush – Mapletown

With some lean years in the recent past, you will forgive Mapletown fans if they felt quite a Rush Friday night after their most recent victory. Dylan Rush ran for 254 yards and scored three touchdowns on runs of 3, 10 and 14 yards that helped seal the deal on a 40-21 triumph over the visiting Bentworth Bearcats that improved the sweet Maples to 5-2 this season and clinched a playoff berth in the Class A Tri-County South Conference.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Clairton, North Catholic, Waynesburg Central, West Allegheny