South Fayette looking for postseason success
McDONALD – South Fayette owns six WPIAL football titles. The Lions won two championships at the Class A level in 1936 and 1964; a pair of back-to-back banners in Class 2A in 2013 and 2014 and the latest in 2018 in Class 4A.
However, since the Lions moved up a classification to 5A, they have experienced little if any success. Hence, the aim is simple at South Fayette.
“The goal is to win a playoff game,” said Marty Spieler, who enters his second season as the Lions head coach. “We’ve not won one here at the 5A level. The plan is to step over the threshold. I’m confident in those expectations and our abilities.”
Spieler is keen on this year’s edition because the Lions return a handful of starters on both offense and defense. They also return one of the top quarterbacks in the WPIAL and a 3-star edge rusher as well as several all-conference linemen, three of whom were starters on offense.
Drew Welhorsky is back at quarterback. The senior completed 141 of 226 passes for 1,881 yards and 16 scores a year ago. He also rushed for 1,030 yards on 187 carries for an additional 12 touchdowns.
A versatile athlete, Welhorsky led the Lions to a second straight WPIAL runner-up lacrosse finish in the spring. He was named the Class 2A Player Of the Year.
“That just shows no matter what the competitive situation he is in, Drew will compete,” Spieler said. “He’s fiery. He accelerates well. He has great body control, a quick release and the ability to extend plays. He challenges defenses.”
Anthony Charles, on the other hand, provokes opposing quarterbacks. A 6-4, 190-pound defensive end, he committed to Minnesota. He picked the Gophers over offers from Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and West Virginia.
“Anthony is long and lean and has a lot of potential for growth,” Spieler said. “He really gets off the line quickly. He has great acceleration and his pass rush will set the edge. He will cause havoc.”
Chaos is South Fayette’s defensive strategy. Spieler expects the entire line to be disruptive and create turnovers so as to get the ball back to the “explosive” offense..
Veteran two-way players Tyson Wright (TE/OLB), Tyler Ring, a two-time all-conference performer, and Donovan Goins solidify the defensive line, but the Lions are expected to cycle through a lot of players, including two-way players Brady Onda and Caden McShane.
“The strength of the defense is the line, but we have a good problem in that we have a lot of players and we are big about playing the best 11. If it’s 12, 15, then we will play 12 and 15.”
Jacob Bostian is a sophomore who will contribute at outside linebacker and tight end. Ray Schuler is a cornerback and can play wide receiver on offense.
Plus there is Bo Stover. A baseball standout, he is an inside linebacker and a running back, who can be used to match up as a receiver as well.
“He’s nasty,” Spieler said. “He brings a hard-working and winning attitude no matter what he does. Plus, he can run well.”
Wright’s younger brother, Aayden, is also expected to make an impact as a freshman. Listed as a linebacker, he also will be utilized as a running back. “He has all the tools,” Spieler said.
“It’s no secret we have to run the ball well. Drew did that for us last year but we need to do more to give him more options. We need to highlight more guys. Spread the wealth out to others.”
While guys like Quinton White, Colton Cloherty and Braedan Plasko will help at linebacker, and cornerback Noah Lausch aids in anchoring the secondary, the Lions have pieces to find at safety.
Welhorsky’s targets are working in unison. Alex Deanes leads the list. He had 34 receptions for 413 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Daniel Speca has returned to South Fayette after spending time at Central Catholic. He’ll battle for a wideout spot along with Lausch and Dylan Monz while Wright and Bostian are targets at tight end.
Providing the protection for Welhorsky is a tested offensive line even though Connor Hiser, a two-year starter at center, suffered a season-ending knee injury before training camp.
Both tackles return. Mason Green is a two-year starter and Colton Astorino recently committed to Cornell. McShane, who started at guard last year, moves to center while Evan Early has transitioned from tight end to offensive line. Onda solidifies the unit at guard.
South Fayette’s biggest need is to improve its conference play. The Lions finished 6-5 overall and qualified for the playoffs, however, they posted a 1-4 record in the Allegheny Six Conference.
“It’s a tough conference and getting tougher,” Spieler said. “Peters Township is always good. They have two good edge rushers and one of the best quarterbacks in 5A. Until someone knocks them off, they are the team to beat. With USC, Bethel Park and Moon, too, the conference is always a gauntlet.
“We are the smallest 5A school but we have a lot of grit, tenacity and teamwork. Once we get in the playoffs, we want to turn that into a positive experience and some wins.”