Wash High must eliminate the yellow to win the gold
If the players from Washington High School are going to raise the trophy celebrating the WPIAL Class 2A championship, the Prexies might have to overcome two opponents.
Avonworth’s talented team and . . .
Themselves.
The two teams, both 13-0, arrive at Norwin High School for a noon kickoff with similar numbers.
The Antelopes boast an offense that has more than 2,000 yards rushing and passing and a defense that is big, quick and stingy about giving up points.
Washington has size, quickness and speed that produced better overall rushing numbers than Avonworth and an opportunistic defense that creates turnovers. Quarterback Zack Swartz has passed for 1,830 yards, rushed for 1,021 and scored 26 touchdowns. Wide receiver-running back Zahmere Robinson has 1,487 total yards, 670 receiving and 817 rushing. The stable of running backs has accounted for a nearly 2,400 yards.
What has Wash High fans worried, with good reason, are the maddeningly slow starts in some games and some head-scratching penalties in others.
Against Brentwood in the semifinals, Washington committed a whopping 15 penalties for more than 100 yards, including an almost-never-heard-of three in a row on an extra-point attempt.
“We have to be more focused,” said Washington head coach Mike Bosnic. “We have to keep working at it. We have to keep chopping wood.”
It was not until the decision was made to buckle up the chinstrap and power their way mostly on the ground for an 80-yard touchdown drive with 1:41 to play that the Prexies put Brentwood away.
“On that drive, we started to play like we did in the first quarter when we went up 14-0,” said Swartz. “We dominated on that drive the way we d.id in that first quarter.”
Washington last played in the final during the 2017 season. The Prexies defeated Steel Valley, 37-10, to win the Class AA title.
“Our offensive and defensive line play is going to determine who wins this game,” said Wash High center Gerald Comedy Jr. “I say every week that the line wins the game if we come off the ball and do what we need to do.”
This is third third opportunity for Avonworth to win a title. The Antelopes made it to the 2015 Class A championship game only to lose to Clairton, 46-14. The previous appearance was in 1959, when they tied Union, 13-13, to share the Class A title.
Avonworth is going to unleash a torrid running game of its own in 6-1, 183-pound senior Jax Miller, the third-most productive back in the WPIAL, all classifications. More bulldozer than jackrabbit, Miller has rushed for 1,939 yards and averages 8.4 yards per carry. His 25 touchdowns and 152 points has him tied for eighth in the WPIAL. As a junior, Miller ran for 950 yards and scored 23 touchdowns.
“He’s a different runner,” said Avonworth head coach Duke Johncour. “We’ve had some good runners here. Jax is a downhill runner who doesn’t avoid contact. He’s one of the best I ever had.”
Park Penrod and his quarterback counterpart for Washington, Swartz, have eerily similar passing statistics.
Penrod has thrown for 1,851 yards and 27 touchdowns. Swartz has 1,820 yards and 22 touchdowns. The nod goes to Swartz because he has 1,031 rushing yards, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. With the dual-threat Robinson available at running back or wide receiver, the Prexies have the firepower to control the football.
Johncour sees Washington as a similarly sized team with a boatload of talent.
“They are big upfront with a lot of skill,” said Johncour. “They have a dual-threat quarterback who runs and throws the ball really well. They are 13-0 for a reason.”
WHO: Washington (13-0) vs. Avonworth (13-0)
WHEN: Saturday
TIME: Noon
WHERE: Norwin High School
TV: WPCW