WPIAL Football Plays of the Week – Semifinals

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 | 3:37 AM

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The tickets have been punched and eight teams are making plans to invade Heinz Field on Black Friday in quest of some golden hardware. The semifinals featured a few blowouts, but a ton of big plays, including one in a AAA showdown that will be talked about for years to come.

#1 West Mifflin Titans 36 – Central Valley Warriors 35

It is always a dilemma. You get to overtime and can tie and keep playing with an extra point or win with a two-point conversion. Ray Braszo, with some increased odds, is a bit of a gambler… at least when it comes to that decision. After scoring the touchdown that set up an extra point, Titans’ Quarterback Derrick Fulmore would sneak in the winning conversion. The play came after Central Valley jumped offsides on the extra point attempt that would have tied the game, moving the ball half-the-distance to the goal. The win puts West Mifflin in the WPIAL Championship Friday, when they will meet West Allegheny for the AAA crown.

#2 Washington Little Prexies 26 – South Fayette Lions 14

Yes, Washington Running Back Shair McKenzie carried the ball 42 times. Yes, McKenzie rushed for 293 yards. And yes, he scored four touchdown. But the Little Prexies’ biggest play was made on the defensive – yes, defensive- side of the ball. After McKenzie scored on a 56-yard scamper to go up 20-14, South Fayette would drive down the field, poised to take their first lead. The drive, which was extended with a 4^th down offsides call on Washington, would ultimately fail. Washington would stop South Fayette on 4^th Down on the Little Prexies’ 3-yard line. Washington would then put the game away, as McKenzie would rip off his fourth touchdown run of the game, sealing the win for Washington and sending them to their first WPIAL Championship since 2001, where they will meet defending Champions Aliquippa on Friday.

#3 Sto-Rox Vikings 34 – North Catholic Trojans 20

Up 20-12 heading into the home stretch of a tightly contested Semifinal game, Sto-Rox needed their best player to make a play. Lenny Williams did just that. Williams, one of the best Juniors in the WPIAL, hit Wide Receiver Ben Shackelford for an 73-yard touchdown pass, extending the Vikings’ lead to 27-12 and delivering a back-breaking blow to the Trojans. The win sets up a rematch from 2011 in the WPIAL Championship, as Sto-Rox will look to hand the Clairton Bears their first loss since week one of the 2009 season. Clairton beat Sto-Rox in the WPIAL Championship 42-6 a year ago.

Tags: Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, Central Valley, North Catholic, Washington, West Mifflin