Aug 21, 2018 4 min read

The countdown to the start of another high school football season is at two days.

For some local teams, it’s a fresh start. For others, 2018 will be a continuation of last year but with the hope of a better ending.

There are new conferences, lost and renewed rivalries, old faces and new faces.

Five players – Beth-Center’s Dominic Fundy, California’s Jelani Stafford, Washington’s Dan Walker Jr., and Geno Pellegrini and Dakota Romantino from Charleroi – return from the 2017 Observer-Reporter Fabulous 15 list. But those five don’t make up all the elite talent of our 22 local teams.

Here are five players who will not only play a pivotal role in their team’s success but could have huge seasons ahead of them:

1. Bailey Lincoski

The Beth-Center quarterback surprised everyone during his junior season, including Bulldogs head coach Joe Kuhns. Showing poise, confidence and charisma while controlling B-C’s spread offense, Lincoski didn’t resemble a first-year varsity quarterback, a position the Bulldogs were looking to solidify entering last season. Lincoski eclipsed 1,000 yards both passing and rushing last year. He completed 78 of 114 passes for 1,082 yards and 12 touchdowns. He averaged 7.7 yards per carry, running for 1,097 yards and 13 touchdowns, eclipsing 100 yards in six different games. What makes Lincoski even more dangerous is a supporting cast featuring Fundy and wide receiver J.J. Green.

2. Christian Clutter

Better known for his success on the wrestling mat at McGuffey, Clutter has been vital in extending the Highlanders’ streak of consecutive winning seasons to five. The 6-0, 180-pound running back rushed for more than 1,100 yards in the Highlanders’ triple-option offense. He is part of a backfield that returns starting quarterback Marshall Whipkey along with McKinley Whipkey and Brendan Crowe. Clutter is a threat on special teams, returning five kickoffs and punts in his career for touchdowns. He will the leader on an inexperienced defense that returns only four starters.

3. Drew Engel

Canon-McMillan head coach Mike Evans knows he has to get the ball in the hands of his senior wide receiver more often. Engel has been a playmaker on both sides of the ball for the Big Macs. As a sophomore, he intercepted seven passes and had 33 tackles from his safety position. With a pair of quarterbacks, Tre’Jahn Lewis and Jon Quinque, starting at the varsity level last year, Engel caught 34 passes for 582 yard and six touchdowns. He might not be restricted to lining up out wide, as a Wildcat formation would allow Evans and the Big Macs to more frequently use his athleticism.

4. Ben Coyne

What a difference one year makes for the South Fayette defensive end. As a sophomore, Coyne played in seven games – he started in only one – and had 18 tackles. This past summer, after his junior season, he was visiting Harvard, Bucknell, Columbia, Colgate, Yale, Lafayette and Cornell. As a junior, Coyne made the night of whatever opposing tackle he was across the line of scrimmage from a living nightmare. He had 59 tackles, 12 quarterback sacks and six tackles for loss in his first year of significant playing time for the Lions.

5. Ben Jackson

In his first two seasons as the workhorse running back for West Greene, Jackson eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards. The junior could be in line for a third big season, especially with the Pioneers’ entire offensive line returning. Jackson shared the spotlight last season with quarterback Zach Pettit as a two-man wrecking crew that ended West Greene’s 24-year postseason drought. Pettit has graduated, leaving Jackson with a heightened role. And don’t expect coach Rod Huffman to try to fool teams, especially if Jackson can pick up the chunks of yardage he gained over the past two seasons. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry in 2016 and 7.8 yards last year.