"Mr. High School Sports" - Eye on the WPIAL: Class A Football Teams to Watch
By Matt Popchock
We are less than two months from the start of a great western Pennsylvania institution: high school football. Mr. High School Sports is getting geared up to bring you comprehensive preseason coverage leading up to the start of the 2011 WPIAL season, but first he needs to know whom he should be looking for on the gridiron...and so do you.
In the weeks that lie ahead, we'll get into more in-depth coverage of what's new and exciting for each of the 126 District 7 teams in all four classifications for the upcoming campaign, but first, to whet your appetite, Mr. High School Sports would like to give you an early glimpse of some of the teams in Class A he'll be watching:
Clairton - The Bears graduated 14 seniors, including defensive stars Desimon Green and Bishop Neal, from a team that won back-to-back state championships and is coming off three consecutive WPIAL titles. But they should still have a brutal defense and solid backfield in juniors Tyler Boyd and Karvonn "Mud Puppy" Coles, and despite rumors he may retire, they still have head coach Tom Nola. No team has won four straight district football championships since the WPIAL grew to four classifications in 1980...does he have one more in him?
Rochester - The Rams have had to wear the proverbial bridesmaid's outfit the last two seasons, not necessarily because they weren't good enough to win at Heinz Field, but because Clairton was simply in a league of its own. Senior running back De'Andre Moon can lead the offense, and Rochester always seems to figure out how to play exceptional team defense regardless of who comes and goes, but the QB battle ought to be interesting with 11 seniors including Jason Adamsson gone. Can Gene Matsook's team still score enough to keep up its remarkable run of success?
Avonworth - The Antelopes' new head coach, Duke Johncour, will immediately feel the pressure of picking up where Jason Kekseo, who led the 'Lopes to 29 wins, two semifinals, and last year's Eastern Conference title, left off. It's one of the more bizarre coaching changes in WPIAL football in recent memory, and it should be interesting to see if the program suffers in the immediate future. Quarterback Brian Vales is a senior, and if tailback Ricky Lawniczak can stay healthy, they should have a balanced offense, but they look lighter in the trenches after graduating 14 seniors.
Sto-Rox - The Vikings made Ron Butschle's homecoming a pleasant one, but things took a strange turn when a controversial new grading policy was initiated then rescinded in that district, and a disappointingly early playoff exit followed. So despite losing 15 seniors, this will be one of the most talented and motivated teams in Class A offensively, led by exciting sophomore QB Lenny Williams and Pitt recruit Marzett Geter. The defense will still have Deaysean Rippy, one of the top linebackers in the state, so if they can overcome turnover on the line, this should be one of the teams to beat.
Monessen - The Greyhounds will welcome back offensive lineman Josh Stepoli, one of the toughest hogs currently recruited by Division I schools, but the question is, will the PIAA overturn the WPIAL's ineligibility ruling, as it did before, and let him play? They should still have one of the toughest lines--both ways--in the classification, but whether Josh is eligible and has a decent QB to protect (perhaps brother Terrance?) could make a huge difference in how smoothly things run for that offense. Monessen has only lost ten seniors, but several of those players keyed last year's success, so this year's team will have something to prove.
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Be sure to revisit 937thefan.com later this month, as Mr. High School Sports' "Eye on the WPIAL" turns to some of the top players to watch in Class A!
