Oct 19, 2014 4 min read

Mapletown head coach George Messich is not afraid to use his football players at different positions. After 32 years leading the Maples, Messich knows the many challenges of leading a WPIAL Class A football team.

When the team progressed through preseason workouts, Messich grew more excited by the day when seeing the athletes. Senior Ben Boone can play quarterback and wide receiver, Matt Rush running back or tight end and do-it-all senior Adam Hein just about any position on the field.

Though Messich considered moving Boone, last year’s starting quarterback, to wide receiver, the 5-10 team leader is again pacing the offense with three touchdown passes and 289 yards.

“That’s because we have a lot of athletes on this team,” Messich said of the versatility on the team. “We have guys who can play several positions well and if something is working, why not stick to it?”

Everything seems to be working for Mapletown (6-2, 6-2). The victory over Bentworth in Week 7 clinched the program’s first playoff appearance since 2005 and Friday’s win over California extended the team’s winning streak to four games.

During that span, the Maples are averaging more than 32 points per game. But it’s the defense that has Mapletown in third place in the WPIAL Class A Tri-County South Conference. The group held opponents to 11 points per game over the last four weeks.

“Our defense is a little ahead of our offense,” Messich said. “We have a bunch of kids who react to the football and they can all hit. It’s a group that’s playing very well.”

Mapletown’s offense would not be what it is without an offensive line that returned all five starters from last year. And Hein, a 5-9, 210-pound tailback, has 80 carries for 623 yards and 11 touchdowns, Along with being the team’s leading rusher, he is the leading receiver with nine catches for 100 yards.

Matt Rush also has 11 touchdowns with a team-high 116 carries.

“I’m really proud of our offensive line with its size and there’s only one senior,” Messich said. “They’re a close-knit group and they keep getting better.”

Last season, Mapletown lost the regular season finale against Frazier to miss the playoffs. The defense struggled with consistency throughout the 2013 season, but the Maples’ four losses came against the four playoffs teams from the Tri-County South.

Things are much different this year.

“Last year, we lost that final game and barely missed the playoffs,” Messich said. “We knew we had a lot of guys coming back. If making the playoffs isn’t your goal, there’s something wrong with you.”

Ringgold senior quarterback Nico Law eclipsed 3,000 career passing yards and 2,000 career rushing yards in Friday’s win over Elizabeth Forward.

Law, who holds scholarship offers from Ohio University, James Madison and Gannon, now has 3,071 career passing yards and 2,289 rushing yards.

He has thrown for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns, while rushing for 555 yards and six touchdowns this season.

South Fayette senior quarterback Brett Brumbaugh’s three touchdown passes Friday night in a win over Seton-La Salle moved him up the career passing leaders in the PIAA.

His 108 career touchdown passes eclipsed former Allentown Central Catholic quarterback Brendan Nosovitch for third in PIAA history. Brumbaugh is 29 touchdowns away from being the state’s all-time leader. Matt Bodamer of Port Allegheny holds the record with 137 career touchdowns.

When McGuffey head coach Ed Dalton led the Highlanders to the playoffs with a win Friday night over Waynesburg, he joined an exclusive club.

It is the fifth PIAA program Dalton has led to the district playoffs in football. Previously, Dalton coached Trinity, Mt. Pleasant, Altoona and Purchase Line to the postseason.