Clearing the Interstate: McGuffey-Charleroi, Washington-Beth-Center highlight schedule
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
McGuffey running back Christian Clutter scored a WPIAL-best 43 touchdowns and rushed for 1,548 yards.
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Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Geno Pellegrini
If the McGuffey High School football team is looking for bulletin-board material, then the Highlanders don’t even have to go outside of their own locker room.
In his seventh season as the Highlanders’ head coach, and 38th year coaching at the high school level, Ed Dalton could be using words as motivation or simply likes what he sees out of Charleroi, the Highlanders’ opponent tonight.
“(Charleroi) is the best team in the league,” Dalton said. “There is no question about it. I don’t know how they lost a game. They are three touchdowns better than we are.
“Going into the season, I guess I didn’t know just how good they were.”
But Dalton’s team is good, too, and it enters tonight’s game at Myron Pottios Stadium in first place in the Interstate Conference with an undefeated record (5-0, 7-0) and is trying to clinch at least a share of the league championship. Beth-Center hosts Washington in a battle of one-loss teams still in contention for the conference title. Both games kick off at 7 p.m.
“We just thought, that week in and week out, we could play with everybody in our league,” Dalton said about the Highlanders’ fast start that could lead to their first conference title since 1994.
“It’s been fun. They take coaching, and we put a lot of responsibility on them to make decisions based on what the opponent is doing. We have to keep the ball. If we have the ball 30 minutes then we have a chance.”
Charleroi (4-1, 5-1), led by quarterback Geno Pellegrini, averages 53.3 points per game, third-best in the WPIAL behind Shady Side Academy (53.8) and Aliquippa (54.6).
First-year Charleroi coach Lance Getsy knows the challenge is stopping McGuffey’s offense, which averages more than 44 points and gains of most of its yardage on the ground.
Running back Christian Clutter has scored 23 touchdowns. He trails only West Greene’s Ben Jackson in touchdowns (24) by area players.
“We have watched a lot of film,” Getsy said of McGuffey’s misdirection and option offense. “Their offense tries to confuse you with the option game and some double-slot motion stuff that isn’t the easiest to prepare for. Our scout team has done a good job, and we have coaches out there mimicking things to try out different defenses.”
Another player Charleroi will have to contain is quick-thinking quarterback Marshall Whipkey, who Dalton admits is the key to making the Highlanders click on offense.
“When our quarterback plays a great game we are really hard to stop,” Dalton said. “He is going to have to have a big game. We don’t care what you do on defense because it’s about giving the ball to the right guy based on what (opponents) are doing. We are prepared to counter. We are confident in that.”
And despite the intricacies of both offenses, it could simply come down to the fundamentals.
“It’s going to be the team that out-tackles and out-hits that will win,” Getsy said. “I believe our kids have what it takes and are up to the challenge. I know McGuffey is going to be up that challenge as well.”
Washington at B-C
There wasn’t a WPIAL team last year that had the Class AA champion Prexies against the ropes quite like Beth-Center did.
The Bulldogs amassed 174 yards of offense in the first quarter and led midway through the second quarter, raising doubt that Washington’s regular-season winning streak would not extend to a fifth season.
That was until the Prexies scored 21 points in the final three minutes of the first half and ran away with a 49-20 victory.
“I hit the panic button,” said B-C coach Joe Kuhns. “I relive every part of that game, and me keeping my head (this time) is a big thing. I could have ran the ball and gone into the locker room. Me, personally, I learned from it.”
The Bulldogs (4-1, 5-2) will face a Washington (3-1, 6-1) team that is on fire since the Week 1 thumping it took from Charleroi. The Prexies have reeled off five consecutive wins – four shutouts – after getting its full complement of players healthy.
“I like where we are headed as a team,” Bosnic said. “We started the season with inexperience at some key positions. We’ve worked and gotten better every single week. We are much healthier and have some key guys back in different spots.”
Washington will clinch a playoff spot and jump Beth-Center for third place in the standings with a win. The Bulldogs have already clinched a playoff spot. Washington is the only team among the top four in the conference that has yet to secure a postseason berth.
“Three years ago, we were beat before walking on the field against Wash High,” Kuhns said. “That wasn’t the case last year. Hopefully, this year our mentality is that we expect to win.”
Clairton at
West Greene
After suffering its first conference loss of the season last week, 24-14 to California, West Greene welcomes in the WPIAL’s top-ranked team in Class A.
Undefeated Clairton (6-0) travels to Rogersville for a non-conference game that is set to kick off at 7 p.m.
The Bears have ripped through their schedule, including easily handling playoff contender Imani Christian 45-18 last week.
The result won’t impact whether West Greene (5-2) qualifies for the playoffs or not because it is a nonconference game.
Mohawk at Burgettstown
It’s Homecoming week at Burgettstown, which can only mean two things: an enthused Mark Druga and a Saturday afternoon game.
The Blue Devils will try to remain undefeated when they host one-loss Mohawk for a nonconference game, 1:30 p.m. at Hill Memorial Stadium.
“It’s going to be a great day as always,” Druga said. “I really enjoy the challenge to see what another conference has to offer. Their coaching staff has done an amazing job revitalizing their program.”
Mohawk (6-1) is two years removed from a one-win season.
The Warriors have the best passing attack a stingy Burgettstown (6-0) defense has seen this year. Quarterback Nick Wheeler has thrown for 1,211 yards and 17 touchdowns. His favorite target, wide receiver Nate McCutcheon, has 27 catches and eight scores.
Burgettstown was undefeated through six games last year until losing its last three.