Nov 5, 2015 11 min read

Beth-Center head coach Ed Woods has quite the predicament on his hands: how does a defense stop one of the top quarterbacks in the WPIAL?

It’s a question that Avonworth’s nine regular-season opponents could not seem to figure out. Antelopes senior quarterback Zach Chandler has completed 59 percent of his passes for a WPIAL single-season record 2,812 yards with 29 touchdowns.

The 6-3 athletic passer stands between the Bulldogs and their first playoff win since 2010. He has a plethora of athletic wide receivers that can hurt an opponent, including senior Jamal Hughley and junior Garrett Day.

“He’s a solid football player,” Wood said. “They’re scoring a lot of points. Defensively, you better be where you’re supposed to be because it’s mostly timing routes. We’re up for the challenge. We’re excited to be in the playoffs again and playing against a good opponent.”

The eight-seeded Bulldogs (7-2) received a tough draw when Avonworth (7-2) dropped to third in the Black Hill Conference. The ninth-seeded Antelopes reached the WPIAL championship game last fall and are averaging 35.1 points per game.

Many think that Beth-Center’s kryptonite is an accurate passer. Though it allowed four touchdown passes last week against Bentworth, the Bulldogs have allowed a 200-yard passer just once this season and it came last week against the Bearcats.

But Beth-Center allowed five touchdown passes in a loss at Greensburg Central Catholic and three in a loss to Frazier.

The storyline could be what Avonworth does to neutralize Beth-Center’s running game, which is led by senior tailback Tony Welsh. Welsh is 143 rushing yards away from 5,000 for his career and is third in the WPIAL this season with 1,718. He has 26 touchdowns.

The Bulldogs also have fullback Frank Derucci, who has excelled in recent weeks, and with the Antelopes likely to key on stopping the duo; Beth-Center may have to turn to junior quarterback Trent Cunko.

“Of course, they’re going to try to stop the run because that’s what we do,” Woods said. “We’re supposed to throw the football. We’re prepared for it. It’s not what we like to do. We’re a running football team. That’s the tradition here. We’ve had a lot of success doing that over the years and I’m not going to change that anytime soon. That being said, we do have a few passing plays to turn to.”

A win would likely pit Beth-Center against top-seeded Clairton, but more importantly, it would earn the Tri-County South much-needed respect.

Prediction: Believe it or not, Beth-Center has a chance in this football game. It can run the football against Avonworth and the grass surface on its home field could help neutralize the Antelopes’ speed. I see Avonworth winning a close game with a late touchdown pass.

The Mikes returned to the WPIAL Class A playoffs with a shutout win over Jefferson-Morgan, but in doing so, they earned a first-round matchup with the defending WPIAL champions. Regardless, it’s a heck of a story of Carmichaels, which battled through injuries before the season even began.

The defense continues to be a bright spot and there is some good, young talent on the roster. They are a team to watch with an expansion to six classifications.

Clairton is absolutely loaded on offense. Aaron Mathews is a tremendous athlete and Lamont Wade is likely back to 100 percent. The Bears are extremely difficult to stop.

Players to watch: Wade is the fifth-ranked cornerback in the country for the class of 2017. He’s also an incredible talent on offense. Carmichaels senior Shawn Dulaney got the nod last week and he deserves it again. Missed time with an injury, but had a big game last week for the Mikes.

Prediction: Clairton wins

The Bucs’ successful passing game will face one of the top defenses in WPIAL Class A and they are searching for the program’s first playoff win since defeating Clairton, 14-7, in 2000.

Quarterback TJ Johnston has completed 94 of 165 passes for 1,287 yards and 13 touchdowns. C-H’s defenses under head coach Terry Fetsko have been outstanding and it is more of the same this season. The Bucs forced five turnovers in their win last week over Fort Cherry.

Jeannette allowed 471 passing yards in a win over Greensburg Catholic last week, but it has been outstanding against the pass. The Jayhawks have 20 interceptions this fall and those have been key for a defense allowing just 15.2 points per game.

They could be without running back Kareem Hall, who left with an injury last week, but Swade Redman stepped in and ran for 100 yards on five carries with two touchdowns. A third seed has not been beaten in the first round of the Class A playoffs since 2005.

Jeannette has not lost a first-round playoff game since 2005.

Players to watch: Johnson will be the key. Jeannette has been solid against the run, so C-H will turn to the passing game. It’s a tall task for a sophomore quarterback. Jayhawks quarterback Giovonne Sanders has thrown for 1,126 yards and 12 touchdowns, and has ran for six more scores. He’s the key to what they do offensively.

Prediction: Jeannette wins.

I can’t seem to find accurate statistics for Neshannock, but the Lancers are still incredibly good on offense. Quarterback Frank Antuono has thrown for 17 touchdowns on an offense that is averaging 42.7 points per game. Neshannock’s only loss came in Week 2, when it was defeated by conference rival Shenango, 20-12.

The Lancers have reached the WPIAL semifinals for three consecutive seasons after a long absence from the postseason.

Bentworth is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2005, when it defeated Mapletown in the first round before losing to Duquesne in the quarterfinals at Ringgold. The Bearcats’ balanced offense has run into issues the past few weeks, but numbers never lie.

Quarterback Josh Hughes has thrown for 1,797 yards and 23 touchdowns, and running back Ethan Tush has 1,000 rushing yards with 13 touchdowns. Bentworth’s spread offense is producing 35.6 points per game, but the defense has struggled tremendously in back-to-back losses. Against Jeannette and Beth-Center, the Bearcats allowed a combined 804 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

Players to watch: Neshannock struggles against the pass, so Hughes will be big in this one. He’s only a junior and the future is bright, but I believe Bentworth will try to exploit the Lancers’ secondary. Antuono is the focal point of the offense for Neshannock, but it will lean heavily on running backs Jonah Vitale and Robert Lindsey.

Prediction: Neshannock pulls away with the win.

The Rams enter the playoffs with a three-game winning streak since their one-point loss to conference champion Belle Vernon and finally, senior running back Chacar Berry is healthy after suffering an ankle injury in a Week 5 win over Albert Gallatin.

Berry, along with sophomore running back Brenden Small, are what make the Rams tick. It’s interesting that some people are saying Ringgold does not pass enough or vice versa. Last season, Nico Law finished with 153 pass attempts in 12 games.

Junior quarterback George Martin has 131 attempts through nine. That’s on pace to be slightly more than the Rams threw it last season and just enough to keep teams off balance. You hear a variety of complaints when it comes to the Rams’ offensive strategy, but how can you complain? Mistakes have happened because of miscommunication and inexperience, but now, Martin is ready to take the reins.

Ringgold will have to throw the football as soon as Friday night against the Bridgers. Teams will load the box to stop the run and it will be on him. After a slow and steady progression throughout the regular season, he’s ready to make big throws when needed.

“Offensively, they are pretty good,” Ambridge head coach Dan Bradley said of Ringgold. “They have two good running backs who hit the hole hard, they run hard and they’re physical runners. Their line does a good job of covering you up and Martin is a pretty good quarterback with play action and taking advantage of the deep ball.”

Players to watch: Martin will have to make big throws in this one. Ambridge has a huge line and could win the battle at the line of scrimmage. Bridgers quarterback Austin French has a strong arm and running back Davion Jones is key in their pro-style offense.

Prediction: Ringgold wins a close one

The Lancers have a massive offensive line with a tremendous senior running back, Hunter Burns. He has rushed for 1,814 yards and 20 touchdowns to help Deer Lakes average 28.7 points per game. Deer Lakes finished fourth in the Allegheny Conference and it was no surprise it drew Wash High in the first round.

Like their opponent, the Prexies rely heavily on the rushing attack. Senior running backs Kurt Adkins and Jordan West have combined for 2, 101 yards and 30 touchdowns to help the offense average 365 yards per game.

This week, they are facing a defense that allowed Apollo-Ridge’s Duane Brown run for 460 yards and eight touchdowns.

Wash High has also been dominant on defense, allowing just 5.4 points per game.

Players to watch: Burns is tremendous at finding the holes behind his offense line and it will be interesting to see how big those holes are. Adkins and West for Wash High. Look at the numbers. If you want some variety, look for Nate Swart and Khalid Blount. You won’t be able to miss them.

Prediction: Wash High advances to the quarterfinals for fourth time in five years.

The Highlanders showed perseverance last week against Washington, excelling in their no-huddle offense during the second half. Quarterback Marcus Czulewicz kept them in the game and is tough to stop. He’s great at escaping the rush and is pretty accurate throwing while on the run, but is also a threat in the option game.

Freeport quarterback Ryan Weigold has thrown 1,630 yards and 20 touchdowns. He has three receivers with at least five touchdown catches, plus running back Ian Miller has 905 yards and 11 touchdowns.

A stat to remember: McGuffey has not allowed multiple touchdown passes in a game since its Week 2 win over Charleroi. The secondary is experienced and athletic. It will need to pressure Weigold and the match up on the outside between both teams’ defensive backs and wide receivers is one to watch.

“That’s going to be a good athlete on athlete match up and we both like to test the field vertically and horizontally,” McGuffey head coach Ed Dalton said. “There will be tackling in the open field to not let a 5-yard catch turn into a 70-yard play. They blitz more than any team we’ve played all season, so Marcus will have to get us in and out of good calls.”

Players to watch: Czulewicz. Definitely under consideration for being the most improved player in the O-R’s coverage area from last year to this year. Weigold is the key. As much as Freeport will try to be balanced, its offense is all about big plays.

Prediction: McGuffey earns its first playoff win since 1994.

The Blue Devils are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2009 after a 10-0 win over Brownsville last week. It’s been a tremendous job by first-year head coach Mark Druga and Burgettstown is excelling with a nice balance of a surprising defense and junior quarterback Brad McLaughlin.

It’s an offense that loves to pass, but it is running into a program with a strong defense and a 41-game winning streak. South Fayette is allowing an average of just 90 passing yards per game and just six touchdown passes, most of which came when the Lions held a large lead in the second half.

In its last five first round games, South Fayette’s average margin of victory is 37.8 points. After people talked about Aliquippa being the top seed, the Lions will be ready to show why they are the two-time defending WPIAL and PIAA champions.

Players to watch: McLaughlin and South Fayette running back Hunter Hayes. The Blue Devils will be down early, so the game will be on McLaughlin’s shoulders and Burgettstown struggles against the run, so the Lions will look to exploit that.

Prediction: South Fayette wins its 42nd consecutive game.

No. 1 Woodland Hills over No. 16 Hempfield

No. 2 Penn-Trafford over No. 15 North Hills

No. 3 Pine-Richland over No. 14 Penn Hills

No. 4 North Allegheny over No. 13 Norwin

No. 5 Central Catholic over No. 12 Upper St. Clair

No. 6 Mt. Lebanon over No. 11 Plum

No. 7 McKeesport over No. 10 Seneca Valley

No. 8 Bethel Park over No. 9 Kiski Area

Note: Would be the first time since 2007 there were no first-round upsets in a bracket.

No. 1 Central Valley over No. 16 Laurel Highlands

No. 2 Belle Vernon over No. 15 Chartiers Valley

No. 3 West Allegheny over No. 14 Hollidaysburg

No. 4 Mars over No. 15 New Castle

No. 6 Thomas Jefferson over No. 11 Armstrong

No. 10 West Mifflin over No. 7 Franklin Regional

No. 9 Hampton over No. 8 Montour

No. 2 Aliquippa over No. 15 Keystone Oaks

No. 4 Beaver Falls over No. 13 Apollo-Ridge

No. 5 Steel Valley over No. 12 New Brighton

No. 11 McGuffey over No. 6 Freeport

No. 10 Seton-La Salle over No. 7 Highlands

No. 9 Beaver over No. 8 Mt. Pleasant

No. 2 North Catholic over No. 15 Union

No. 4 Frazier over No. 13 South Side Beaver

No. 5 Shenango over No. 12 Springdale

No. 10 Greensburg Central Catholic over No. 7 Bishop Canevin