5 Things to Watch: How about a close game … or two?
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
As the high school football playoffs move into their second weekend, let’s harken back a few years to when the PIAA adopted a six-class system for the sport, expanding from the previous four-class setup.
We were told that six classes mean the gap in enrollment, from the largest to smallest, is smaller within each classification, which should mean more competitive games. Lopsided games had become a major problem. There would be fewer blowouts, we were told.
So we here at 5 Things to Watch are in search of one thing this week – a close game.
Last weekend, there were 25 playoff games in the WPIAL. Only five were decided by one score, which is eight points or less. In Class A, the average margin of victory of its eight playoff games was 26 points. The only game decided by single digits was Jefferson-Morgan’s 39-30 loss to South Side Beaver. And the Rockets scored in the game’s final minute to make it a nine-point spread.
It was just as bad in Class 2A, where five playoff games produced an average margin of victory of 24.6 points.
Will it be any closer this week?
There is a website called the Born Power Index that, among other things, predicts the margin of victory of every high school football game in Pennsylvania. It predicts only four of the 20 WPIAL playoff games tonight to be decided by single digits. Those three games do not include the three local teams – Peters Township in Class 5A, and Fort Cherry and California in Class A – that will be playing tonight.
Here are 5 things to watch in tonight’s action:
1. Well-rested – Peters Township (9-1) makes its postseason debut after getting a first-round bye. The Indians host Penn-Trafford in the Class 5A quarterfinals.
In addition to being the sportswriter’s nightmare game – you can’t write PT – it could be a trap game for Peters Township. The Indians had a week off and are looking at a potential rematch in the semifinals next weekend with Upper St. Clair, the only WPIAL team to beat the Indians in two years.
The key for the Indians will be stopping PT, er, uh, Penn-Trafford running back Tasso Whipple, who has rushed for 1,638 yards. Making the Warriors pass is the goal. Penn-Trafford has thrown only nine touchdown passes all season to go with nine interceptions.
2. Rematch – Fort Cherry (11-0) will play Black Hills Conference rival Cornell (9-2) in the Class A quarterfinals at West Allegheny. The Rangers defeated Cornell 35-6 on Oct. 4 at Jim Garry Stadium.
Since then, Cornell has played four games, three of them against opponents who qualified for the playoffs. The Raiders won all three by at least two touchdowns, including an impressive 34-20 victory at Leechburg last Friday.
Fort Cherry generated more than 400 yards of offense in that first meeting, and the Rangers’ defense dominated the final three quarters.
Expect a better performance by Cornell this time, but do the Raiders have any answer for Fort Cherry quarterback Matt Sieg, the recent Penn State commit who is approaching 10,000 career yards of total offense? Nobody else has had one.
Sieg, by the way, enters the game with 9,541 career yards, including 5,692 rushing.
3. Defense, part I – There was some debate over who should be the top seed in Class A, either Fort Cherry, which received the spot, or Clairton (11-0). Those who supported the Bears pointed out that their defense has been dominant.
Clairton has allowed only three touchdowns in 11 games, and one of those came in the season opener when Steel Valley returned a fumble for a score. The Bears allow a WPIAL-low 1.9 points per game.
Clairton plays California (8-3) tonight in the Class A quarterfinals at Charleroi’s Myron Pottios Stadium. It should be a stiff test for California’s running game, led by Lee Qualk, the WPIAL’s leading rusher (2,130 yards) and scorer (232 points). Qualk rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the Trojans’ 22-6 win at Laurel in the first round.
California has shown an improved passing game in recent weeks as quarterback Logan Hartley has thrown four TD passes in the last two games.
4. Defense, part II – California’s win at Laurel was the best by a local team last week. The Trojans held Laurel to 92 rushing yards and had interceptions by Adin Keyes and Christian Ross.
The Trojans have played some of their best defense over the last six quarters, allowing only one touchdown, all against playoff teams.
5. Streaking – Fort Cherry has won 25 consecutive games against WPIAL opponents, while Peters Township has won 12 straight home games. Penn-Trafford is undefeated this year in road games against Class 5A opponents.
Sports editor Chris Dugan can be reached at dugan@observer-reporter.com