Aug 1, 2015 7 min read

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Heat acclimation is only nine days away, the first official practice date is Aug. 17 and Week One is set for Sept. 4. There are many question marks surrounding local teams, including who will be the quarterback for South Fayette and Wash High? Can Mapletown become a real contender in Class A. What about Ringgold? The Rams are loaded at the skill positions and could very well match their success from 2014.

Before we get ahead of ourselves by making bold predictions, let’s take a look at some games to circle on your calendars.

Week One: Thomas Jefferson at Ringgold, Sept. 4

I took a lot of heat last season when I predicted that Ringgold would upset the Jaguars on opening night. I had to eat those words when the Rams were defeated, 49-6, on the road. Ringgold did go on to win 10 consecutive games and reached the WPIAL Class AAA semifinals, but Nico Law, four of his receivers and a group of very good linemen (Aaron Szakal, Bobby Duda, Anthony Martin and Eric Higgs) are gone.

Thomas Jefferson lost two linemen (Zachary Reynolds and Patrick Hickey), as well as standout running back Austin Kemp and wide receiver Danny Matulula. But, as the saying goes, head coach Bill Cherpak does not rebuild. His program chuggs along and always seems to sneak up on people.

This one will be highly-anticipated and will be played in front of a large crowd under the lights at Joe Montana Stadium. I’ll wait until I attend Ringgold’s practice sessions to make a prediction, but the Rams are loaded offensively with senior running back Chacar Berry, sophomore running back Brenden Small, junior wide receiver Octavius Vassar, junior quarterback George Martin and junior wide receiver Dalton Holt.

Week One: Mt. Pleasant at McGuffey, Sept. 4

This was one of the better regular-season games from 2014 when the Highlanders came up short in a 45-39 loss. McGuffey is replacing the majority of its offense, but the program has numbers, big linemen and a few skill players that can make plays. I think quarterback Marcus Czulewicz will make an impact right away, but losing James Duchi will be extremely difficult.

The Vikings lost 18 seniors, but they have athletes and many young players earned invaluable experience last season when the team was struggling with injuries to quarterback Nathan Pieszak and wide receiver L.J. Sutton. This is a game that will ultimately determine the final standings and it will be a great atmosphere at Highlander Stadium. Many people will dwell on what these two programs lost, rather than what is coming back and the culture both coaches (Ed Dalton and Bo Ruffner) have built.

Week Two: Beth-Center at Greensburg Central Catholic, Sept. 11

Both teams lost a lot of talent and it’s a non-conference game in September, but this is one to keep an eye on. Bulldogs senior Anthony Welsh is an early candidate for player of the year and B-C head coach Ed Woods has built quite the program. GCC picked up Alvin Ross as a transfer from Frazier, plus they return a great nucleus on offense (Tom Pellis, J.P. Pellis, Sam Nowicki, Brian Pavernik). I’m hearing mixed signals about the Bulldogs. Can they take the next step this season? I hear that the line could be the biggest challenge. This will be a nice guage on where they are at and whoever wins will be help their playoff seeding.

Week Three: Peters Township at Canon-McMillan, Sept. 18

Both teams are vastly inexperienced and both lost Division I players from last fall, but this is still a very good rivalry game. Peters Township prevailed with a 27-14 victory in 2014, but Canon-McMillan might be ready to challenge the Indians. Much is unknown about Canon-McMillan, including who has the upperhand on the quarterback battle. Will it be Domenic Eannace or Jordan Smith? New head coach Mike Evans, a former offensive line coach at Cal U, will need to develop lineman and do it quickly. Two players to watch are junior running back Alonzo Lemus and senior wide receiver Ahmad Morris-Walker.

Peters Township head coach Rich Piccinni, who is the program’s all-time leader in playoff appearances, must replace quarterback Cory Owen. The offensive line is also inexperienced and PT lost a lot at the skill positions. The one player to watch in red and black is junior running back T.J. Kpan. He has big time speed.

Week Three: South Park at South Fayette, Sept. 18

One could argue that the Eagles were the closest to spoiling the Lions’ quest for back-to-back state titles when they gave South Fayette a fight in the WPIAL quarterfinals at Peters Township last November. No one knows if South Park can continue to be a strong football program. Head coach Tom Loughran is gone and is now at Fox Chapel. The Eagles lost 11 seniors, including offensive lineman Ryan Podgorski (6-6, 270), who is a preferred walk-on at Pitt.

Everything you know about South Fayette’s offense should be thrown out the window. The days of 400-yard passing games are no more. The Lions will likely be very run-heavy in 2015 and why wouldn’t you be when you have a running back like Hunter Hayes? Oh, and don’t forget the offensive line will return Zack Radinick, Andrew Gedrys, Alex Minford and Jason Massey-Sears. The quarterback battle will be between junior Mikey Speca and sophomore Drew Saxton, but neither will be asked to be Brett Brumbaugh.

Week Four: Mapletown at Frazier, Sept. 25

The Maples lost six seniors from last season, but they return 3/5 of their offensive line and running back Matt Hein. Mapletown is a very intriguing team. I’ll have more on them once we get into the season. I do think a conference title is not out of the question.

Week Six: Frazier at Beth-Center, Oct. 9

Remember the brawl from last year’s game? The ejections? The postgame quotes from both coaches? I wouldn’t want to miss the next installment.

Week Eight: Seton-La Salle at South Fayette, Oct. 23

The star power is mostly gone. Last year’s game was billed as Rebels wide receiver Danzel McKinley-Lewis and quarterback Tyler Parone vs. Brumbaugh and tight end Logan Sharp. It’s much different now. The Lions’ focus will be on stopping junior Paris Ford, who is ranked the Class of 2017’s No. 33 player in the country. The Rebels will find new ways to use him, but this game will be determined up front and South Fayette’s quarterback – whoever it may be – will be ready.

Week Nine: Carmichaels at Jefferson-Morgan, Oct. 30

One of the oldest rivalries in PIAA football could determine a playoff spot in 2015. With Avella rebuilding, I think there will be two wide-open playoff spots in the conference. I’m giving one of them to Mapletown and either Carmichaels or J-M will grab the final spot.

Week Nine: McGuffey at Washington, Oct. 30

The rivalry is real. The atmosphere at last year’s matchup was the most exciting I’ve ever witnessed since I began covering high school football. I expect more of the same in 2015 with the Prexies focused on a WPIAL title. Mt. Pleasant and Southmoreland will very much be contenders for the conference title, but something tells me that McGuffey should not be counted out.