Oct 11, 2015 6 min read

It was quiet walking down to the field Friday night after South Fayette’s 30-point win over Steel Valley. The only noise heard was some cheering from South Fayette fans and the marching band playing the alma mater. The Ironmen’s postgame huddle only lasted a few minutes. Not much could be said after a game like that.

The Lions put a stop to any talk of an upset and firmly established themselves as the top team in WPIAL Class AA by extending their winning streak to 38 games, which is tied for third-longest in WPIAL history. This team has established its identity and it is similar to the Lions of 2014.

South Fayette will go undefeated in the regular season and will roll through the playoffs to what could be the final championship game played at Heinz Field. The defense, offensive line and senior running back Hunter Hayes will be the focal point.

That’s not taking anything away from the passing game, which is much better than people are giving it credit for. Sophomore quarterback Drew Saxton has already made strides from when I saw him against South Park in Week 3 to now. He was intercepted twice and could have thrown one or two more, but you have to like his confidence.

Facing a weakside blitz late in the first quarter, he could have panicked and thrown the ball away, but instead, he rolled to his right and lofted a 9-yard touchdown pass to Dan Trimbur. It was a throw only a veteran would make, but he trusts his receivers to make plays and it’s a group that is among the best in the WPIAL.

Trimbur, Nick Ponikvar, Camron Garland, Mikey Speca and tight end Ryhan Culberson make the passing game tough to stop.

That being said, I believe the offense is at its best when the it relies on Hayes and the five returning starters on the line (Jason Massey-Sears, Alex Minford, Zach Radinick, Andrew Gedrys and Nick Dabrowski).

They allow Hayes to get to the second level and few linebackers or defensive backs can tackle him cleanly. It took multiple defenders to drag him to the ground and by then, he already has a first down. The defense also held a very good Steel Valley offense to just 57 total yards and forced four turnovers.

Ironemen quarterback Trey Earl Edwards was under duress all night and rarely had an open receiver downfield. Junior running back DeWayne Murray was held to 15 yards on nine carries. You read that correctly.

The Division I running back was bottled up and Steel Valley head coach Rodney Steele eventually moved him out as a slot receiver, abandoning the running game and hoping to find a matchup to exploit. He didn’t realize the Lions have linebackers and safeties who are athletic enough to stop that.

After a program loses so much to graduation, you never know what to expect. I admit that I didn’t think the 2014 team could replace Justin Watson, but low and behold, Ponikvar and Trimbur came along. This season, I didn’t know how the defense could rebound from losing guys like Logan Sharp.

The Lions have adapted. The defense is the fastest I’ve seen this season and the linemen are disruptive. From my own observations and coaches I have spoken to, it looks like the only team that can match their speed and skill is Washington.

South Fayette versus Wash High at Heinz Field for the WPIAL Class AA title? I’d take it and though we have three weeks of the regular season remaining, it looks like that matchup is real possibility.

The Rockets (4-2, 4-2) moved into a tie for third place in the Tri-County South with the win over Mapletown and it was good to see them bounce back after a 21-point loss to Bentworth.

J-M travels to Springdale for a non-conference game this week before home games against Beth-Center and Carmichaels. Winning one of those two games will clinch a spot in the WPIAL postseason.

Say what you want about the conference, but it’s much more competitive this year and Jefferson-Morgan looks much improved under head coach Aaron Giorgi.

It’s been quite the turnaround for Derry (3-2, 3-3), which only had two wins in the conference last season and is now in a three-way tie for third place. A win over Burgettstown in Week 8 could have the Trojans in the playoffs.

The Highlanders (3-2, 4-2) are young, but are definitely talented. There’s no more looking ahead to their rivalry game against Wash High. McGuffey needs a win this week over Burgettstown and it can’t overlook Waynesburg, which almost won at Quaker Valley Friday night.

This is a big week in Claysville. A win erases the memory of the loss, but another letdown could put their playoff hopes in jeopardy.

1. Ethan Tush, Bentworth: The senior running back had 498 all-purpose yards, including 327 rushing, and four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help Bentworth defeat California 49-27.

He also had 14 tackles and returned an intercepted 46 yards for a touchdown. Two years ago, the Bearcats (5-1, 5-1) went 1-8 while being shutout four times and were held to six points three times. Now, they have one of the best running backs and quarterbacks (Josh Hughes) in the conference, while averaging a conference-best 39.7 points per game.

2. Hunter Hayes and the South Fayette linemen: He’d be at the top of the list if Tush didn’t have numbers like that. Hayes was used sparingly in the first five weeks, but carried the load Friday night. If you forgot how good he is, you’re about to be reminded why he’s getting a ton of interest from FCS and Ivy League programs.

With his versatility on defense, FBS schools should start calling. How about the offensive line controlling the line of scrimmage against Steel Valley? Or how they limited the Ironmen’s running game? What about Zach Radinick’s pick-six? Incredible performance.

3. Brad McLaughlin, Burgettstown: The junior quarterback returned an interception for a touchdown, threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to help the Blue Devils beat Southmoreland in a key Interstate Conference game Saturday afternoon.

McLaughlin completed 10 of 20 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, one each to Brandon Sell and Jacob Shipley.