Aug 19, 2015 3 min read

Mapletown: 7-3 (6-2 Class A Tri-County South)

The balance of power may be shifting in the Tri-County South. While Beth-Center is low on seniors and lacking experience on the line, the Maples return the vast majority of their roster, losing only seven seniors from a team that ended a nine-year playoff drought.

Sophomore running back Dylan Rush is back after rushing for 1,016 yards and 17 touchdowns,and he will be counted on to lead an offense 23.1 points per game in 2014. Losing Adam Hein, who scored 14 touchdowns, will be a blow, but Matt Rush and Matt Hein will see time at tailback. The latter will start at wide receiver. Mapletown certainly doesn’t lack depth at the skill positions, and it will turn to senior Dustin Lemley at quarterback. He likely won’t be asked to do a lot of passing. Last year’s starter, Ben Boone, only threw the ball 52 times, completing 23 for 371 yards.

Lemley will have plenty of options to turn to with Hein and Tristan Franks at wide receiver,and R.J. Durr at tight end, but his best friends will be the linemen. Senior Harley Gee, junior Jake Visokey, sophomore Lane Powell, sophomore Tanner Weston, senior Chase Johnston and senior Brandon McClead are some of the guys who will fill out the unit, which lost left tackle Zach Brown from last season.

The talk of Mapletown as a contender isn’t coming out of nowhere. Sure, the the Maples lost to Beth-Center and Frazier last fall, but they finished the regular season with five straight wins to grab third place in the conference. The run ended in the playoffs against WPIAL runner-up Avonworth, but the foundation was laid for this season.

Despite having the second lowest enrollment in the WPIAL, Mapletown has consistent numbers and has a bright future. George Messich, a former standout lineman at Pitt, will begin his 33rd season as head coach and has his players believing.

I took heat last year when I wrote a column about the Tri-County South’s struggles in the WPIAL playoffs, and I am starting to believe Mapeltown will be the team to make me eat those words. Watching a Cinderella Story like that would be worth the “I told you so.”

Players to watch: Dylan Rush, Matt Hein, Dustin Lemley, Tristan Franks, R.J. Durr, Harley Gee.

Biggest game: Week One at Beth-Center. The O-R’s sports staff debated this game in the office tonight and it will be one of our biggest topics during the Week One podcast. This will probably decide the conference championship, which is a shame. This is a game fit for the final week of the seaosn.

Stat to think about: The Maples allowed an average of 36.5 points against Beth-Center and Frazier in 2014. The biggest priority will be to stop both teams’ running games. If the defense excels, watch out. Mapletown has to travel to both, which is a challenge, but the offense will be successful.