Nov 1, 2018 2 min read

New Brighton at Washington

Records: New Brighton is 5-5, Washington is 9-1

Class: 2A

Winner plays: Either Steel Valley or Beth-Center in the quarterfinals.

Who to watch: One of the few Prexies to remain healthy all season is offensive weapon Dan Walker Jr. The senior wide receiver and safety helped stabilize the injury-riddled backfield for Washington. As a receiver, Walker Jr. has 28 pass receptions for 549 yards and nine touchdowns. He also lines up at various spots on defense, mostly at linebacker. New Brighton quarterback Jackson Hall has put together a solid season, completing nearly 56 percent of his passes (81 for 145) with 10 touchdowns.

Noteworthy: It’s a good first-round matchup for Washington because New Brighton doesn’t have much of a running game, which is something the Prexies’ defense has had a difficult time stopping. Wash High has allowed opponents to run for at least 290 yards four times. … New Brighton won its final three games to earn a playoff berth after losing four of five to begin the season. The Lions are 1-5 against teams that qualified for the postseason. … It is the first time New Brighton has made the playoffs since 2015. The Lions won only two games in each of the last two seasons. … If Washington wins, and Steel Valley defeats Beth-Center, it will set up a rematch of last year’s WPIAL Class AA championship game, won by the Prexies.