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Big week for C-H, Black Hills
When fans see Frazier on their favorite high school football team's schedule, the natural tendency is to add a win to the victory column. After all, the Commodores' last playoff appearance came in 2002.
Well, these aren't your older brother's Commodores.
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"We didn't know what to expect coming into this year but after looking at their scores and seeing them on tape, they're a very good football team," Bucs coach Terry Fetsko said. "Offensively, they are very deceptive. Defensively, they're very physical."
Chances are the Chartiers-Houston faithful didn't expect this week's game to be so important.
Yet, with the Bucs, Clairton and Fort Cherry all undefeated and tied for first place in the Black Hills Conference, every game is critical with Frazier (1-1, 3-1) and Serra Catholic (1-1, 2-2) are closely lurking.
And Friday night could prove to be the biggest of the conference season. With Fort Cherry at Clairton along with Chartiers-Houston at Frazier, the conference's top four teams are matched up.
"It's a real big weekend," Fetsko said. "With the four teams we're talking about as well as with Serra, those are five quality teams. Unfortunately, one will be left out of the playoffs. You don't want to look to far ahead but, obviously, this is a big week."
When it comes to big games, the Bucs rely on senior Brad Banas.
An Elite 11 selection last year, Banas leads the Bucs with 69 carries for 536 yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He also has thrown for a team-high 91 yards and his two receptions for 36 yards rank second to Zack Podrasky.
Banas lines up at quarterback, tailback, fullback or on the wing depending on the play.
"He's definitely not our only weapon," Fetsko said. "We have some guys doing a great job."
Like running back Ryan Scott, who has rushed 37 times for 281 yards and five scores. Podrasky is a first-team all-conference receiver. Plus, quarterback Evan Bender has performed well when asked. To date, he's completed six of eight passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.
"If he continues to develop, that will help the team a lot," Fetsko said. "It gives us the liberty to free (Banas) up. We're hoping and anticipating that he continues to develop. With Ryan and Brad in the backfield, that could be potent."
Weather-ing the storm
Fort Cherry, the O-R's No. 3 Class A team, faces No. 2 Clairton Friday night at the Bears' Neil C. Brown Stadium in a game which could determine the eventual Black Hills Conference champion.
The Rangers (2-0, 4-0) managed to take away the pass from Serra dual-threat quarterback T.J. Heatherington during last week's 41-24 victory.
Now, Fort Cherry must prepare for junior receiver Kevin Weatherspoon, a 5-10 touchdown machine.
Weatherspoon has scored 10 touchdowns - eight on receptions, one on a punt return and another on a fumble recovery - for the Bears (2-0, 4-0). He's averaging 37.8 yards per catch on 11 receptions.
Earlier this month, Weatherspoon received his first scholarship offer. It came from Pitt.
"I heard he's really something," Fort Cherry coach Tim Garry said after last week's win. "It's going to be a challenge. Clairton is always one of the top teams."
One in the 'W' column
One month into the season, Brownsville and Washington are among the 24 teams in the WPIAL without a victory.
That changes this week as the Falcons play at Wash High Stadium in an Interstate Conference game. It's also a matchup of the two lowest scoring teams in Class AA.
Brownsville has tallied 21 points, while Wash High has scored 19. The last time Washington was 0-4 was 1969.
Avella, Burgettstown, Mapletown and West Greene are the local teams among those without a victory.
Immediate impact
Andrew Ehrenberg, son of former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rich Ehrenberg, is the starting running back as a freshman at Central Catholic, the O-R's No. 2 Class AAAA team.
Ehrenberg (5-9, 175) rushed for 49 yards on 14 carries during a 10-9 victory over Upper St. Clair.
Several underclassmen on the Peters Township football team grew up playing youth football with Ehrenberg.
Bits and pieces
No Terrelle Pryor, no problem for Jeannette. The Jayhawks are the only team in the PIAA not to have allowed a point. ... The highest scoring teams in each classification are Gateway (187 points, AAAA), Blackhawk (171, AAA), Jeannette (178, AA) and Clairton (184, A). ... The teams with the fewest points scored in each classification are Plum (14, AAAA), Southmoreland (17, AAA), Washington (19, AA) and Wilkinsburg (18, A).
