Dec 1, 2018 10 min read

Josh Casilli

Peters Township

The go-to receiver in the Indians’ offense, Casilli opened up the rest of the field for his teammates. The junior wide receiver was a favorite and consistent target for sophomore quarterback Logan Pfueffer, catching 51 passes for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns. Used a lot on screen passes to get him the ball in open space, the 6-0 speedster showed the ability to burn defenders for big plays. He also provided steady coverage on the outside of the Indians’ defense, intercepting a pair of passes and making 32 solo tackles.

Ryan Coe

South Fayette

A difference-making kicker set the stage for the South Fayette’s defense and made nearly every offensive drive a productive one with his powerful leg. A Temple recruit, Coe wowed people when he easily made a 52-yard field goal – a school record – in a win over Ambridge. The senior with a booming leg made 9 of 13 field-goal attempts and successfully converted 60 of 62 extra points. He rarely allowed opponents to return kickoffs, recording touchbacks on 70 of his 87 kickoffs, which gave the Lions a decided advantage in average starting field position. Coe earned first-team all-conference honors as both a kicker and punter.

Davey Cooper

Canon-McMillan

Perhaps no player in the area had a better season on defense than the Big Macs’ Cooper. As an end, Cooper was a disruptive force against both the run and pass. Though only 6-0 and 215 pounds, Cooper spent much of his Friday nights in the opponent’s offensive backfield. He had 11 quarterback sacks and 29 tackles for loss in only 10 games as Canon-McMillan made the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2008. Cooper had one of his best games against Pine-Richland, which played Saturday in the PIAA Class 6A semifinals. Cooper had four sacks against the Rams while working against an offensive line that has a Notre Dame recruit and an Indiana recruit.

Jamie Diven

South Fayette

In his first year and only year as the South Fayette quarterback, the transfer from West Allegheny seamlessly meshed with a versatile receiving corps to continue the tradition of successful passers for the Lions. The lefthander was second in the WPIAL in passing yards, completing 189 of 312 passes for 3,211 yards and 45 touchdowns. He made sure to use all of his targets at South Fayette, throwing touchdowns to 11 different receivers. Diven also ran for another four scores. Diven was first-team Northwest Eight Conference selection.

Drew Engel

Canon-McMillan

One of the best two-way and clutch players in the area for the past three years, Engel was as driving force in Canon-McMillan march to the playoffs in rugged Class 6A. As a receiver, Engel was C-M’s leader with 38 receptions for 530 yards. His biggest contribution, however, came as a running back. With the Big Macs needing a win over Norwin to keep their playoff hopes alive and starting tailback Josh O’Hare sidelined because of an injury, Engle was moved to the backfield. All Engel did was rush for 292 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries in the Big Macs’ 34-12 victory. An outstanding defensive player, Engel had an interception return for a touchdown in a nonconference win at Peters Township.

Angelo Fratini

Burgettstown

The 6-2, 280-pound lineman was a noticeable factor for Burgettstown on both sides of the ball as he collected all-conference first-team honors on the offensive and defensive lines. The athletic and relentless Fratini, at his tackle position, led a ground-and-pound offense that controlled the line of scrimmage and dictated the physicality of the game. On the defensive side, Fratini played the nose guard spot and was a force in the trenches with 41 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. The Blue Devils’ defense was the stingiest in the area, only allowing 5.5 points per game and the opposition scored in double-digits only twice against Burgettstown. The Blue Devils went undefeated in the regular season, won a playoff game for the second straight season and won its first conference title since 1977.

Corban Hondru

Peters Township

Defined as a cerebral competitor by Indians coach T.J. Plack, Hondru was the glue that held together a one of the best defenses in Class 5A. The linebacker was a prominent piece in Peters Township surrendering only 16.1 points per game and holding six opponents to fewer than 10 points. Hondru had 67 tackles on the season and nearly all were of the solo variety. He brought down ball carriers 17 times behind the line of scrimmage and recorded seven sacks, an interception and recovered a fumble to earn first-team all-conference honors. The 6-1, 220-pounder provided a big, reliable target at tight end. He caught 15 passes for 260 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Ben Jackson

West Greene

The West Greene junior tailback had another phenomenal year for the Pioneers as he rushed for 1,541 yards on 156 carries (9.9 yards per rush) and scored 26 touchdowns despite missing several games with an injury. Jackson, who was voted all-conference first team, was one of the main catalysts that drove the Pioneers to a seven-win campaign and their first Tri-County South Conference championship since 1993. In Week 2 against Chartiers-Houston, Jackson rushed for 336 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-0 rout. In the Pioneers’ 52-14 loss to Rochester in the first round of the Class A playoffs, Jackson scored two touchdowns and rushed for 87 yards, becoming the sixth running back in Greene County history to rush for 4,000 career yards.

Bailey Lincoski

Beth-Center

The 5-10, 180-pound dual-threat quarterback used his legs and his passing arm to lead Beth-Center’s offense. He was named to the all-conference team as an athlete. Linconski passed for 1,044 yards with 10 touchdowns and also had 1,100 rushing yards with 17 scores, becoming one of only two athletes in the WPIAL (Skyy Moore from Shady Side Academy was the other) to have 1,000 yards both rushing and passing this season. In the Bulldogs’ regular-season finale against Frazier, Lincoski accounted for three touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 146 yards in a 36-0 blowout. In the Bulldogs’ biggest win of the year, Lincoski had 145 rushing yards and two scores in a 28-27 victory over Charleroi.

Mason Pascoe

Belle Vernon

Belle Vernon was one of the most physical teams in the area, and that toughness started with their running game and Pascoe. The 5-7, the 170-pound senior tailback compiled 165 carries for 1,794 yards, the 13th-best mark in the WPIAL, and a team-high 21 touchdowns on his way being named all-conference first team. The Leopards tallied nine wins and advanced all the way to the Class 4A semifinals. Pascoe, who had three 200-yard games, was a big part of the Leopards’ offense, especially after starting quarterback Jared Hartman went down with an injury late in the season.

Geno Pellegrini

Charleroi

One of only two players to repeat as Fabulous 15 picks, Pellegrini’s passing and elusiveness helped Charleroi to a share of the Class 2A Century Conference championship and advance all the way to the WPIAL semifinals. A dual-threat quarterback, Pellegrini directed a Charleroi offense that averaged 46.3 points per game. He completed 120 of 200 passes (60 percent) for 2,296 yards and 31 touchdowns. The passing total ranked eighth in the WPIAL. Pellegrini also rushed 801 yards, giving him more than 3,000 yards total offense. Pellegrini directed Charleroi to its first playoff win in 20 years, a 35-21 triumph over Riverside in which he passed for two touchdowns and ran for another. The Cougars followed that with a win over Mohawk in the quarterfinals.

Zahmere Robinson

Washington

Giving the nickname “Shifty” by his teammates, Robinson quickly made a name for himself as a player who could be counted upon to make big plays for the Prexies. Used in a variety of ways, the junior wide receiver could make something out of nothing with his ability to avoid tacklers. Robinson had 53 catches for 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging more than 21 yards per reception. His biggest performance came in an opening round win in the WPIAL playoffs against New Brighton when he had six receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 144 yards and another score in the first-round victory. Robinson was only one of eight players in the WPIAL to have 1,000 receiving yards.

Zack Swartz

Washington

Leading one of the most potent offenses in Class AA, Swartz was extremely efficient throughout his junior season. He completed 126 of 184 passes (68 percent) for 2,285 yards and 28 touchdowns. The passing yardage ranked ninth in the WPIAL. Swartz passed for multiple touchdowns in 10 games, including four-score performances against Summit Academy, California and Carmichaels. He was equally disruptive with his running ability. In addition to his 28 passing scores, Swartz had 13 rushing touchdowns and 725 yards. It was the fifth straight season that Washington averaged more than 40 points per game.

Mike Trimbur

South Fayette

Defenders got a good look at the blond locks that flow from under the senior wide receiver’s helmet as he often ran away from opposing tacklers en route to the end zone. The Cornell recruit led the Lions with 57 receptions for 1,096 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 19.2 yards per catch. Trimbur ranked second in receptions in Class 4A. His biggest play of the season came on defense when he intercepted a pass from his cornerback position in the final minute against Thomas Jefferson to clinch the fourth WPIAL championship in nine years for South Fayette. He was Northwest Eight first-team selection on both offense and defense. It was the most single-season receiving yards for a Lions player since Justin Watson, who is in his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had 1,568 yards in 2013.

Dan Walker Jr.

Washington

Wherever the senior lined up, on offense or defense, Walker made a difference. In need of a running back in the final games of the regular season, Walker made the transition seamless by compiling 370 of his 417 rushing yards in those starts. Seven of his eight rushing touchdowns were scored in those games. Adept at high-pointing passes and making plays from his more natural position of wide receiver, Walker finished with 32 receptions for 572 yards and nine touchdowns. Walker also proved to be a major part in Wash High’s defense as he had eight interceptions.