South Fayette defense an underrated asset
The South Fayette High School football team’s explosive offense, led by junior quarterback Brett Brumbaugh, has headlined the Lions’ season.
It’s no surprise. The sure-handed passer has tossed 31 touchdowns while the Lions have averaged a Class AA-best 47 points per game. Brumbaugh’s three touchdowns propelled South Fayette to a 35-7 win over Beaver Falls in the WPIAL semifinals last Friday at Montour High School.
While Brumbaugh and South Fayette’s aerial attack will test Aliquippa’s defense in the Class AA championship game Saturday at Heinz Field (5 p.m. kickoff), it is the Lions’ defense that has Quips head coach Mike Zmijanac concerned.
South Fayette (12-0) has allowed only 60 points – a staggering five points per game. While the offense’s success has been giving opposing coaches headaches, the Lions’ defense has been stout throughout this undefeated season.
The matchup against Beaver Falls was a true test for South Fayette. The Tigers entered the game averaging 41.4 points per game, led by two running backs who have combined for almost 2,000 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. Beaver Falls did not score a touchdown until the junior varsity squad took the field for South Fayette late in the fourth quarter.
“They are certainly a terrific team and well-coached,” Zmijanac said. “I think their defense is vastly underrated. Their defense is very good. Everyone talks about their passing game but defensively they are terrific. That is the key matchup of the game.”
The win over Beaver Falls makes for an intriguing championship game matchup. On Oct. 18, the Quips escaped with a 34-28 win on the road against the Tigers after a controversial call that ended the game.
The running backs could not find room to run and the Beaver Falls passing game faltered under the relentless play of the Lions’ defensive front-seven last week, but Aliquippa is a unique challenge for South Fayette. The Quips are led offensively by two running backs who have combined for more than 9,000 career rushing yards: seniors Dravon Henry and Terry Swanson.
Henry, who has dozens of Division I scholarship offers from BCS schools including Alabama, is the lightning for the Quips. Swanson’s downhill running style compliments the speedster’s skillset perfectly for Aliquippa. The two have combined for 2,623 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns this season, and Henry was named the Pennsylvania Football Gatorade Player of the Year Tuesday.
The two backs set up a play-action passing game for junior quarterback Darrien Fields, who has thrown 16 touchdowns with no interceptions.
“They are an explosive offense,” South Fayette senior linebacker Zach Walker said. “They are going to bring it. We have to match their physicality. If we do our job, and do what we are taught, it will be a good game.”
South Fayette is familiar with the winning tradition of Aliquippa. The Quips have won a record 15 WPIAL championships, are aiming for their third straight title and have not lost a game against a WPIAL opponent since the 2010 title game. The opponent in that 19-6 defeat: South Fayette.
The Lions have had their eye on Aliquippa for more than a year. After losing to Washington in last year’s WPIAL semifinals, the Lions set a goal to face the Quips in the 2013 title game.
“When you talk Double-A football, they are the cream of the crop,” South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi said. “No disrespect to Washington, but you want to go after the champion. You don’t aim to beat the second- or third-place team. You want to take down the best. We are always chasing them, and this year we are fortunate enough to play them.”
The atmosphere of Heinz Field is nothing new to Henry and the majority of the Quips. Aliquippa will make its sixth straight trip to the title game at the Steelers’ home field, while South Fayette has not reached the WPIAL’s pinnacle game since the win over the Quips in 2010.
Rossi’s message to his team will be a simple one.
“I want them to take in all of the yellow seats and the atmosphere, Rossi said. “I told them, enjoy your warmups before the game and when the ball gets kicked off, it’s just gets another game. Block that all out. Pregame is the time to enjoy the atmosphere and the fans who came out, but as soon as the ball is kicked off they have to understand the task at hand.”