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5 Things: Predictions for the 2018 high school football season

5 min read
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It’s finally here.

The opening week of high school football season, when teams can have a win or a loss before even playing in Week 1.

That’s hard to wrap your head around.

Hopefully, my five predictions for the 2018 season, which starts when 17 of the 22 local teams kick off tonight, won’t be as hard to comprehend. Here is what could be expected throughout the next four months:

1. Keep your eye on: To call either of these team a surprise would be an injustice, but here are two that could be right in the thick of things come November.

Peters Township: The biggest question mark entering the season for the Indians is replacing Jake Cortez at quarterback. The good news for PT is the team surrounded sophomore Logan Pfeuffer with talent and varsity experience. The Indians return four on the offensive line and 15 starters – eight on offense and seven on defense – that will make them competitive. However, it won’t be easy in the Allegheny Eight Conference, which features Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, West Allegheny and Woodland Hills.

Beth-Center: Running back Dominic Fundy is back. Quarterback Bailey Lincoski is back. The Bulldogs also have J.J. Green at wide receiver, who has shown he can make big plays in the past. The three losses B-C suffered last year – to Burgettstown, Charleroi and Washington – were all competitive games. The Bulldogs lost two of their best linemen but in the spread-option offense they run, it’s not as detrimental. Head coach Joe Kuhns will have B-C vying for a conference title.

2. Ending a drought: A 19-year drought looked to be coming to an end last season, when Charleroi finished second in the Century Conference and qualified for the postseason.

The Cougars were on an eight-game winning streak during which their offense scored 46.9 points per game and they held opponents under three touchdowns all but once.

Then Avonworth happened.

A loss to the lower-seeded Antelopes, 21-12, extended the drought to 20 seasons without a Charleroi playoff victory.

It won’t be 21 years, at least not with quarterback Geno Pellegrini, wide receiver Dakota Romantino, several other key pieces and first-year head coach Lance Getsy, who knows it’s more of a mental hurdle than a physical one.

Where Charleroi will fit into the playoff picture in the Interstate Conference is yet to be seen. It will a four-team race that includes defending Class 2A champion Washington, McGuffey and Beth-Center.

3. Twice is nice: West Greene ended a 24-year drought of missing the playoffs last season when it went 4-3 in the Tri-County South and 7-4 overall.

The Pioneers were my surprise team when 2017 began. That’s what you call blind luck.

Well, make it two years in a row for West Greene to qualify for the postseason.

Even though dual-threat quarterback Zach Pettit has graduated, junior running back Ben Jackson and the entire offensive line return for the Pioneers.

That’s the perfect recipe for a return trip to the playoffs, which will happen for West Greene.

4. Staying unbeaten: I wrote a story earlier this week on the numbers behind the long regular-season winning streaks of Washington and South Fayette. The numbers of how commanding both teams have been is staggering.

But who will last longer this season? Or will they both, again, have an unblemished record entering the playoffs?

The likelihood of this prediction blowing up immediately in my face is pretty high.

South Fayette opens the season with Class 5A Upper St. Clair tonight at 7:30 p.m. The Lions play at home against Beaver in Week 1, then travel to New Castle for their third game of the season.

That’s a brutal stretch to get from 57 consecutive wins, where they sit now, to 60.

Washington has one early test, when it travels to play Charleroi next week. The Prexies next big challenge will be in a non-conference game against California Sept. 21. Then, to finish the regular season, Washington will play Beth-Center and McGuffey in the last three weeks.

If I were going all in, I would bet on Washington’s streak remaining intact longer this season.

5. Raising the trophy: What teams will make it to Heinz Field? Or Robert Morris University? Or Norwin High School?

Three sites for six classifications is ideal.

Now, if you’re interested in watching, you might have to embrace the late-November weather. The contract with AT&T SportsNet to broadcast the four games at Heinz Field has expired. Whether another network swoops in to save you from the possible unpleasant weather is still up in the air.

That has no baring on who will make it to those games, so here are my picks as champion for each classification:

  • Class A – Imani Christian;
  • Class 2A – Washington;
  • Class 3A – Aliquippa;
  • Class 4A – Thomas Jefferson;
  • Class 5A – Penn Hills;
  • Class 6A – North Allegheny.

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