Expect shootout between Fort Cherry, Carmichaels
Fort Cherry’s Koltan Kobrys has been a difficult player to tackle this season, gaining nearly 2,000 yards rushing.
Quarterback Brandon Lawless has kept Carmichaels well-armed this season in the passing game.
Make sure a calculator is among the equipment on the sidelines for tonight’s WPIAL playoff game between Fort Cherry and Carmichaels.
One might be needed to keep track of the score and how much yardage is accumulated when these two offensive machines get together for a first-round game at Carmichaels.
Fort Cherry, 9-1 and one of the three teams tied for first place in the Class A Black Hills Conference, is averaging 43 points per game. The Rangers have scored 40 or more points in six of their 10 games – one was a 1-0 forfeit victory over Imani Christian – and had a season-high 86 points in a victory over Serra in Week 7.
Carmichaels, 8-1 and the second-place finisher in the Tri-County South Conference, has hit 40 or more points five times, including 51 apiece in victories over Vincentian and Bentworth.
“The way it’s gone this year, you never know. Maybe it will be 77-70,” said Fort Cherry head coach Jim Shiel.
This game is one of the more interesting among the nine local teams in the playoffs. Beth-Center puts a 9-0 record on the line in a home game against Apollo Ridge; Avella is the feel-good story of the first round, making the postseason for the first time since 1976; Washington gets a second-chance at the season with a home game against Seton-La Salle; and South Fayette will have an interesting matchup against Greensburg Central Catholic.
Fort Cherry boasts one of the WPIAL’s best running backs in Koltan Kobrys. The 5-9, 190-pound senior is the second-leading rusher in the WPIAL and needs just 118 yards to reach 2,000. His 1,882 yards is 140 behind WPIAL leader Jimmy Wheeler of West Mifflin. Kobrys’ 25 touchdowns and 150 points put him third in the WPIAL in scoring, trailing Wheeler and Clintell Gillaspie of Monessen, who are tied for first with 174 points.
“From the numbers I’ve seen on him, he has to be outstanding,” said Carmichaels head coach Ryan Krull. “Their quarterback has over 1,000 yards passing, too. You have to be pretty explosive on offense to do that.”
He’s right. Matt Heslin, a 6-0 senior, has thrown for 1,338 yards and 29 touchdowns. Heslin and Kobrys have combined for 54 touchdowns and 3,220 yards.
In quarterback Brandon Lawless and wide receiver Tyler Aeschbacher, Carmichaels has one of the best passing games in the WPIAL. Lawless, a 6-2 senior, has completed 64 percent of his 148 passes for 1,429 yards and 19 touchdowns. Aeschbacher, a 6-0 senior, is tied for third in the WPIAL with 52 receptions for 885 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“We run the ball very well,” Krull said. “The passing game is the bright spot for us, but the big thing is to have balance on offense. I stress that to the kids.”
Brennen McMinn, a 5-7 senior, needs 181 yards to reach 1,000 for the season for the Mikes. He has nine touchdowns.
“We know they have a really good receiver and the quarterback is doing well,” said Shiel. “We’ll learn all about them on the films that we have.”
Shiel does have concerns about the Rangers’ defense, which allowed a combined 60 points in wins over Brockway and Chartiers-Houston, and surrendered 31 to Carlynton in the season-opener.
“Maybe we can finally shut an opponent down this week,” said Shiel. “We’ve had a couple nice defensive performances this year against Brentwood (a 45-14 win) and Bishop Canevin (a 42-6 win). But we’ve had some high-scoring games, so there is just no relaxing in this game. It is what it is.”
The last time these two teams met was in 2009, and Fort Cherry won 28-12 in the regular-season opener.
“They play in a good conference, and they beat some good teams,” Krull said. “Just looking at their scores, you see they can put up a lot of points.”