Apr 13, 2015 3 min read

Wash High’s football season last fall can be summed up in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals against Apollo-Ridge.

The Vikings received a ton of hype last fall with Tre Tipton, who is spending his spring in blue and gold learning under Pat Narduzzi’s staff at Pitt, and sophomore Duane Brown. The two made for one dangerous backfield that tore through the Allegheny Conference.

As the two teams warmed up, the talk in the press box switched from two topics: the number of players Wash High had on its roster and how many points Apollo-Ridge would win by. After I watched the Prexies defeat physically imposing teams like McGuffey, Mt. Pleasant and Waynesburg earlier in the season; I thought a trip to the semifinals was a given.

It was not anything against Apollo-Ridge. Tipton and Brown are incredibly fun to watch, and the program is extremely well-coached, but Wash High’s line was very underrated and would easily control the line of scrimmage. Couple that with talent at the skill positions and it was a mismatch. Of course, the Prexies went on to win 58-30 with a second-half burst before dropping a tough game to Aliquippa one week later.

The end result was not ideal, but the season stood out to me. Despite one of the smaller enrollments in Class AA, Wash High still had plenty of kids who wanted to play football. The leadership on the team was excellent and it showed in close games throughout the season. Also, Wash High still has plenty of athletes.

Though DeQuay Isbell, Jonathan Spina, Malik Wells and three starters on the offensive line are gone; there is plenty to be excited about in 2015.

Kurt Adkins and Jordan West take over as the primary tailbacks in the Prexies’ run-heavy offense, while Kenya Davis will often act as a bruising, change-of-pace fullback. Matt Popeck, Adkins and possibly Jarell Dates will make a big impact as receivers. Keep an eye out for Isaiah Schoonmaker, who was a freshman last fall.

Quarterback may be a big question mark, but I expect Connor Bedillion to take over for Spina and he’ll do well. He has a live arm, which is obvious on the baseball field, and has a nice touch on deep routes. He’ll need to learn how to be a leader, which is something Spina truly developed as a senior.

The offensive line could be a question mark, but the building blocks are there with tight end Nate Swart, Khalid Blount and Thomas Cherry. That leaves three holes to fill after Justin Blussick, Keirs Gloady and Zack Blystone graduated.

The road to an Interstate Conference title won’t be an easy one. Injuries decimated Mount Pleasant last fall, but having to play underclassmen will benefit the 2015 team. McGuffey lost a lot, but it will still have a physical offensive line and a ton of potential. Waynesburg may be down again, but Southmoreland should be very tough.

Aliquippa will certainly be the favorite to with the WPIAL Class AA title with South Fayette a close second (if a quarterback can be found), but Wash High has to be in the conversation based on reputation alone.

The defensive line should be solid and I really like the secondary, but linebacker is a big question mark. If it can solve those issues and find capable replacements, look out for the Prexies in 2015.