South Fayette is Wise to Beaver QB’s ability
Darius Wise is one of the most electrifying players in the WPIAL. The 5-11 speedster may not receive the attention or accolades of athletes from other Beaver County programs, but the Beaver Area junior is opening the eyes of coaches across the region with his elusiveness and ability to make something out of nothing.
South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi has taken notice of Wise, who switched from wide receiver to quarterback this fall.
“It all starts with their quarterback,” Rossi said. “He’s a tremendous athlete playing quarterback. They put him there so he touches the ball every play. He’s as good as advertised. He’s a freak of nature. He’s as quick a kid as I’ve ever seen, and he’s as talented as any.”
The top-seeded Lions (10-0) will become very familiar with Wise tonight when they face the ninth-seeded Bobcats (8-2) in the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals at West Allegheny. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
Wise, who has a Division I scholarship offer from Brigham Young University, is much like any natural athlete at quarterback, but few have his quickness. When an opposing defender finds his way into the backfield, Wise often makes him miss and either darts up field for a large game or extends the play until a receiver becomes open down field.
He has completed 53 percent of his passes for 1,119 yards with 11 touchdown passes. Wise has also rushed for 1,522 yards and 24 touchdowns. He’s the only player in the WPIAL to eclipse 1,100 yards passing and 1,500 rushing. Though Beaver head coach Jeff Beltz would rather not see his standout quarterback “running for his life,” he’s pleased with how the offense has progressed, including a 45-point performance against Mt. Pleasant in the first round last week.
Wise and the Bobcats will face their stiffest test yet with the two-time defending WPIAL and PIAA champions. South Fayette, led by five returning starters on the defensive line, allows just 7.5 points per game. Just one opposing player has rushed for more than 100 yards.
“Their interior linemen are very good,” Beltz said. “I think all the publicity has gone to the offense in recent years, when really they are anchored by that front six on defense. The linemen and linebackers do a nice job forcing opponents to three-and-outs and their giving the ball right back to the offense with a short field. It’s probably a group that gets overlooked, but it’s definitely the strength of their team.”
The defense is led by linemen Andrew Gedrys, Nick Dabrowski, Alex Minford, Jason Massey-Sears and Zach Radinick; but they have yet to face a challenge quite like Wise, who can often make linemen miss in the backfield. Getting past the Lions’ linebackers and secondary will be a different challenge. Senior Hunter Hayes, who switched from a ball-hawking safety to a hard-hitting linebacker, has 40 tackles and a team-high three interceptions in limited playing time.
To prepare for his ability to extend plays and speed in the backfield, Rossi used junior Mikey Speca, who has rushed for 333 yards and six touchdowns out of a Wildcat formation this fall.
The reality won’t compare to the simulation, but Rossi is confident with the speed of his linemen and progress made by a young secondary.
“We have to do a good job keeping him contained, keeping him in the pocket when he drops back,” Rossi said. “It’s probably the scariest thing when he drops back. If no one is open, he starts running around and someone eventually gets open because defensive backs might not be disciplined enough to stick with their guy; they’ll think they have to come up to help.”