McDONALD - The offensive versatility of Brad Banas proved instrumental to the success of the Chartiers-Houston High School football team over the past four years. Not only could Banas run, throw and catch, he did it better than just about everyone in Class A.
His athleticism and toughness, combined with his all-state caliber play at linebacker, caught the attention of Robert Morris University, where the recent Chartiers-Houston graduate will continue his playing career on the defensive side of the football.
If members of the Colonials' coaching staff were on hand to watch the 13th annual Tri-County Football Coaches Association BeeGraphix Football Classic Saturday night at South Fayette Stadium, they may want to rethink which side of the football they'll play Banas.
Banas, a first-team all-state linebacker as a senior, scored four touchdowns - two on receptions from quarterback Erik Olson and two more on runs - as he led the North to a 29-18 victory over the South in an unusually chippy contest for an all-star game.
"Robert Morris kind of told me that maybe we can try out some trick plays and see what happens. I'll do whatever because I love football," said Banas, who also made good on a long-standing promise.
"I proved my point," he added. "I was trying to prove I could play for a long time no matter the level."
Banas caught touchdown passes of 12 and 35 yards before bursting through the South defense for scores of 14 and 29 yards. The North Offensive MVP totaled 125 yards but his special teams' contributions may have been just as important.
Banas kicked one extra point but it was a 55-yard punt in the first quarter that proved vital.
"I was getting kind of mad because we couldn't move the ball at first," said Banas. "We were pinned back, and I had the wind to my back. If I was going to get one, it had to be that one."
The punt drastically changed field position, which had favored the South through much of the first quarter.
Once the North got away from its own goal line, Banas and Olson had room to maneuver and Olson, part of John Luckhardt's incoming class at California University, hooked up on two nice second-quarter scoring passes with Banas.
The first came on a fourth-and-six at the South 12. Olson, who quarterbacked the Black Hawks to the PIAA Class AAAA championship game, lofted a jump ball for Banas in the left corner of the end zone. Banas outjumped Trinity's Alex Frey and, with 4:46 remaining in the second quarter, the North led 6-0 before Banas' extra point provided a seven-point lead.
"Erik Olson is such a great quarterback. He could have been playing in the Big 33 game," Banas said. "He made some great passes and we had great team chemistry."
On the subsequent possession, the South moved inside North territory on a 24-yard pass from Uniontown's Doogie Sanner to Frey, who won South Offensive MVP honors with nine catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. A roughing the passer penalty put the South at the 23-yard-line but it was unable to score and turned the football over on downs.
From there, the North needed two Olson passes to take a two-score lead.
The first went to Canon-McMillan's Brandon Schroeder for 42 yards and the second was a 35-yard touchdown to Banas. That put the North ahead, 13-0.
"All week in practice, Banas was our go-to guy," said North coach Joe Rossi, who coaches at South Fayette. "He did it all and did it well. He busted his butt all week. Robert Morris got one helluva football player."
Olson, no slouch himself, then completed a two-point pass to tackle eligible Andrew Pierson, his teammate at Bethel Park, for a 15-0 lead.
The South scored nearly as quick, taking less than two minutes for Joby Lapkowicz's 13-yard scoring pass to Uniontown's Jason Guthrie.
Lapkowicz, a Carmichaels graduate, totaled three touchdowns - two passing and one rushing. He threw 175 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to Frey.
"It was weird putting the pads back on especially with (Lapkowicz). He was busting me all week about not playing (base)ball with him at Slippery Rock," said Frey, who will play baseball at Youngstown State. "When I got here and looked at all the big guys I said, 'This is why I'm playing baseball.'"
Schroeder, a West Liberty State recruit, was the North Defensive MVP and Monessen's Lorenzo Newsuan was the South Defensive MVP.