Trib HSSN football players to watch for 2021 Week 12

By: Bill Hartlep
Thursday, November 18, 2021 | 4:33 PM

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Here are four WPIAL high school football players to watch in Week 12:

Sean FitzSimmons

Central Valley, sr., DE/DT

FitzSimmons, a Pitt recruit, has been a driving force behind Central Valley’s undefeated season. The Warriors’ defense has limited opponents to 6.9 points per game. They rolled to a 48-6 win over East Allegheny in the quarterfinals last week. The No. 1-seeded Warriors (11-0) take on Elizabeth Forward in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals at West Allegheny on Friday.

Dennis Jackson

McKeesport, sr., WR/FS

Jackson caught three passes for 116 yards, including a 50-yard TD reception, as McKeesport beat Armstrong, 35-21, in last week’s WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals. On a run-dominated team, Jackson is McKeesport’s leading receiver with 293 receiving yards and five scores. The Tigers will play No. 1 Aliquippa in the semifinals Friday at Canon-McMillan.

Ziggy McIntosh

OLSH, jr., WR/OLB

McIntosh had two catches for 45 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown reception, as No. 9 OLSH upset No. 1 Clairton in the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals last week. The Chargers will try and advance to the WPIAL finals this week when they take on No. 5 Rochester in the Class A semifinals Friday at North Hills.

Elijah Ward

Serra Catholic, jr., QB/WR/FS

Ward completed 7 of 10 passes for 131 yards to help No. 6-seeded Serra Catholic beat No. 3 Laurel in the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals last week. The Eagles will take on No. 2 Sto-Rox in the semifinals Friday with a trip to Heinz Field on the line.

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.