Aug 31, 2015 5 min read

The Prexies rolled through the Interstate Conference last year, rushing for 3,347 yards and 49 touchdowns using a stable of strong running backs. Seniors Jordan West and Kurt Adkins are back, but Malik Wells is gone.

An incredibly strong offensive line paved the way and many teams could not stack to the box against Wash High. Jonathan Spina developed into a solid high school quarterback, throwing for 20 touchdowns as a senior and running for eight more.

He connected with DeQuay Isbell for 14 of those touchdown passes, so the Prexies will be looking to find a passing game again in 2015. That will begin with either senior Markel Pulliam or Connor Bedillion – the two players vying for the starting quarterback job. I won’t speculate as to who will be starting Friday night at Derry, but both have their strengths.

Whichever one wins the job will have senior tight end Nate Swart, a Toledo recruit who caught four touchdown passes last year, as well as Isaiah Perry, Isaiah Robinson and Jarrell Dates at wide receiver.

That’s a nice stable of weapons to help both quarterbacks grow. Add that with West and Adkins, who are a potent one-two punch, and the Prexies will be difficult to stop once again. Look for similar numbers to last season when they averaged 41.8 points per game – the fourth-most in Class AA.

Make no mistake, though Isbell is gone, Wash High’s offense will always be all about the running game. That won’t change anytime soon.

“We’re always fired up, but this is special with this being our senior year,” West said. “We’ve been around here forever and we want to come out here and get it done. We’ve got the brand new field, we’re excited to play on it and we just want to get business done.”

Senior Khalid Blount will anchor the line and could be used in multiple spots on defense. Swart will also help the pass rush, which is replacing defensive tackle Zack Blystone. Swart had 31 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss with 3.5 sacks last fall. A few players who will likely contribute are Thomas Cherry, Andrew Mercer, Nick Pawuk and Zach Parr. There are also a few underclassmen with a ton of potential, but they are raw.

“Honestly, we are inexperienced, but we have a couple guys who can step up,” Blount said. “We just have to keep working with them. They are getting better and better every day.”

Losing Wells on defense hurts. He led the team in tackles and it was evident that the unit was not as strong in the time he missed because of injury. That being said, Adkins and West will help fill the void. Wash High will have to find linebackers, but sophomore Isaiah Schoonmaker has stood out. I also expect senior Kenya Davis to move around, playing a bit of linebacker and defensive end.

Stopping the run is important in this conference, especially against opponents who have physical offensive lines. The secondary is filled with athletes and shouldn’t skip a beat.

There could be some growing pains with a new quarterback and some young linemen, but Wash High has time to adjust. Its first two opponents (Derry and Burgettstown) went a combined 7-12 last year, when the Prexies defeated those teams by a combined score of 89-18.

The conference certainly has contenders. McGuffey returns its entire receiving corps, a strong line and it has a promising first-year starting quarterback. Waynesburg’s offense will move the chains using quarterback Colin McCracken. Mt. Pleasant junior quarterback Johnny Yester got playing time last season because of injury and the running game will be led by senior Jake Adamrovich. The Vikings will be able to run the ball, plus two linemen are back.

So, where do the Prexies stand?

“Nobody is as good as Washington,” McGuffey head coach Ed Dalton said. “Talent wise, they are at a different level than the rest of us. That said, I don’t think we can’t beat them. They have unbelievable talent. They probably have four D1 kids at a AA school. They have all kinds of speed.

“They’re bigger than they were last year. They do what they do. I’m sure they’ll welcome us to Washington. We’ll look forward to that when we get there in Week 9.”

The Prexies enter the season as one of the top five teams in WPIAL Class AA and they’ll look to make a statement in the opener at Derry.

“We’re shooting for the stars, obviously,” Adkins said. “Sixteen wins is the ultimate goal and we just want to be the best team we can be in Week One.”

Players to watch: Jordan West, Kurt Adkins, Nate Swart, Khalid Blount, Kenya Davis, Markel Pulliam, Connor Bedillion

Biggest game: The popular pick would be Week 9 at McGuffey, but that game won’t mean nearly as much if the Prexies lose at Mt. Pleasant in Week 5. The Vikings still have speed and they’re physical. Don’t overlook this one. I’m curious to see who prevails this week – McGuffey or Mt. Pleasant.

Stat to think about: No team has repeated as outright Interstate Conference champions in a decade. Can Wash High break the streak?