Oct 30, 2015 10 min read

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Trinity’s loss to West Mifflin last week may have people thinking this is the same ole Trinity we’ve seen in recent years.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Hillers had more first downs than the Titans, showed a great improvement on defense and did something Ringgold was not able to accomplish against West Mifflin: establish a strong rushing attack.

A few breaks separated the Hillers (4-4, 4-4) from the win, but there have been enough signs this season to know this program is headed in the right direction.

Sophomore quarterback Dylan Kern is showing more confidence, sophomore running back Joey Koroly continues to be one of the most explosive players in the conference and junior Saul Wells looked impressive against the Titans.

Have you noticed a trend? Those guys all return next season. But before we start talking about 2016, Trinity’s 2015 season is far from over. If the Hillers win Friday night, they’re in the WPIAL playoffs. That would give them the wild card in Class AAA.

If Albert Gallatin somehow upsets Laurel Highlands, Trinity can still clinch if it loses to Ringgold (7-1, 7-1). So, how can it make that happen?

The Hillers will have to stop the Rams’ running game, which got healthier during Week 8. Senior running back Chacar Berry sat out last week’s win over Elizabeth Forward after being ejected from the Laurel Highlands game the week before.

He was nursing a minor injury and the week off likely helped him as Ringgold prepares for another playoff run. But the win over EF showed that the Rams are not a one-back team. Sophomore Brenden Small ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns.

Ringgold is averaging 217 rushing yards per game, but it’s the defense that impressed me the most. The Rams have 14 interceptions and they are allowing just 12.4 points per game, but Trinity’s offense line is a big challenge and will make a big difference. It could come down to sophomore left tackle Ben Phillis, senior left guard Mac Chambers, senior center Trey Banco, senior right guard Toby Cullings and senior right tackle Brandon Wolfe, and the group is up to the task.

Hiller Field will be packed and the atmosphere will be electric. This will likely be the game of the night, but I believe Ringgold’s defense will make the difference.

That being said, Trinity being in this position is not an anomaly. Even with realignment because of six classifications, the Hillers will soon be a perennial playoff team.

This is not the only game with major playoff implications this week. Let’s take a look at the rest, including players to watch in each matchup.

Pine-Richland (7-1) at Peters Township (2-6)

The defending WPIAL champions suffered their first loss of the season last week to Central Catholic, so expect the Rams to try to make a statement in Week 9. They are one of the top teams in Quad-A, averaging 45.5 points per game and could easily be back at Heinz Field next month.

The Indians were defeated by Bethel Park last week and their lack of depth was likely exposed, but the experience this group is getting this fall is big for the future of the program. Peters Township would earn a wild card spot in the WPIAL playoffs with a win this week, but it’s a tall task.

Players to watch: Pine-Richland quarterback Phil Jurkovec has thrown for 1,742 yards and 12 touchdowns, and has 939 rushing yards with nine touchdowns. He already has scholarship offers from Pitt, Penn State and Wisconsin, and will be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation for the class of 2018.

Peters Township sophomore quarterback Jake Cortes is being asked to shoulder the load and continues to improve. He threw for 275 yards and had two touchdowns last week.

Last season: Pine-Richland 48-21

Prediction: Pine-Richland rolls and Peters Township misses the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Burgettstown (4-3, 4-4) at Brownsville (2-5, 2-6)

The Blue Devils need a win or a Derry loss to clinch their first postseason appearance since 2009, but the task won’t be easy.

The Falcons are vastly improved under first-year head coach Jason House and are finally playing sound up front to compliment a nice set of skill players. They defeated Charleroi 61-16 last week and arguably should have beaten Derry.

Burgettstown junior quarterback Brad McLaughlin threw a touchdown pass with eight seconds remaining to defeat Derry last week and put the Blue Devils in this position. It was a big win for the program, but the issues were the same: they struggled in the red zone.

“We need to punch the ball in the end zone when we’re in the red zone,” Burgettstown first-year head coach Mark Druga said. “We have to be able to score and we need to get points out of that area. We need to score and that’s the biggest glaring issue right now.”

The one positive is the defense. Burgettstown has a defensive touchdown in four of its last five games.

Players to watch: McLaughlin ran for 90 yards on 23 carries and threw for another 143 last week. He makes the offense tick, but look for running back Cole LaRocka to get plenty of work here. The Falcons are inconsistent against the run and even Charleroi had success against them last week.

Prediction: Burgettstown wins and clinches a spot in the playoffs.

Waynesburg (1-6, 1-7) at Derry (4-3, 4-4)

OK, Waynesburg is out of the playoffs, but since the Derry game could mean something for Burgettstown, let’s take a look at this one.

Derry continued to struggle on offense last week in its loss to the Blue Devils and it is averaging just 13.9 points per game.

This game will be played on a soggy grass field that was a mud pit a few weeks ago when Derry defeated McGuffey. Though that surface slowed down the Highlanders’ spread attack, the Raiders will thrive in it.

Players to watch: Derry’s Tyler Balega ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns. The surprise is the Trojans are finding a little bit of balance. That will be key against the Raiders, who struggle defending the pass.

Waynesburg quarterback Colin McCracken threw for 89 yards and ran for 68 in the loss to McGuffey last week. He’ll be running out of the wildcat quite a bit in this one and he’s extremely tough to tackle when he reaches the second level.

Last season: Waynesburg 28-19

Prediction: Waynesburg wins a close, low scoring game.

Bentworth (6-1, 6-2) at Beth-Center (6-1, 6-2)

The winner of this one clinches a home playoff game and likely the eighth seed in the WPIAL Class A playoffs. The loser will finish in third place and could tentatively travel to Jeanette or Avonworth.

So, this is a big game to say the least.

The Bearcats lost to the Jayhawks 68-0 last week and were held to only 136 total yards. They allowed 359 total yards and mostly struggled against the run. Most of that was a product of a smaller offensive line and that could be an issue against the Bulldogs.

Beth-Center rolled to another win over Jefferson-Morgan and has outscored its last two opponents 109-20.

Players to watch: Bentworth quarterback Josh Hughes could have some success this week against a young Beth-Center secondary. The Bulldogs’ loss to Greensburg Central Catholic was because they could not stop the pass.

Beth-Center senior running back Tony Welsh ran for 131 yards and five total touchdowns last week against the Rockets.

Last season: Beth-Center 48-7

Prediction: Beth-Center wins again and earns a home playoff game. I’m projecting it will face Bishop Canevin in the first round of the playoffs.

Carmichaels (4-3, 4-4) at Jefferson-Morgan (4-3, 4-4)

I won’t spend a ton of time on this one since it was the focus of my story in Thursday’s edition, but the 90th meeting between these two teams will determine fourth place in the Tri-County South.

The Mikes started the season 1-3, but have won two of their last five since. They are struggling at times on offense, averaging just 17.8 points per game, but the return of Shawn Dulaney has been pivotal to the offense’s success.

Carmichaels head coach Ryan Krull called him one of the toughest players he’s ever coached and the senior running back plays like it. He isn’t putting up big numbers, but he has been the perfect complement to Coty Allen in the backfield.

Jefferson-Morgan has three running backs that have made it a contender in Aaron Giorgi’s first season as head coach. Joe Headlee, Trevor Kniha and David Blaker keep opponents guessing and have had a great deal of success this fall.

Both teams have beaten the same opponents while losing to Bentworth, Beth-Center and Frazier.

“You treat it like a normal week. You can’t get too high or too low,” Giorgi said. “You can’t get the kids psyched out. You have to keep your routine and it’s been one week at a time for us. We weren’t looking ahead to Carmichaels a couple weeks ago. It’s even on paper and on film.”

Players to watch: Headlee and Dulaney. This one will be low-scoring and the running backs will be a key in helping control time of possession. A turnover will decide this one late.

Prediction: Jefferson-Morgan snaps a playoff drought and will face Clairton in the first round of the playoffs.

Chartiers-Houston (3-3, 4-4) Fort Cherry (2-4, 2-6)

The Bucs are in the playoffs with a win and would likely be the No. 14 seed with a possible first-round matchup against Shenango. Despite having a sophomore quarterback, C-H looks very much like a playoff team and could be the most improved team in the area since Week 1.

Sophomore quarterback T.J. Johnston completed 26 of 32 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. He isn’t playing like an underclassmen and that’s one of the reasons why C-H is on the verge of another playoff appearance.

With low numbers and inexperience at spots, head coach Terry Fetsko told me this has been the most challenging season he’s had since taking over the program 10 years ago.

“It has been difficult just because of the numbers situation and we’ve had inexperience, especially at quarterback,” Fetsko said. “We don’t panic in situations and we just know that if we play as well as we can play, the wins and losses will take care of themselves and we do. Fortunately, when it came down to crunch time most of the season, we were able to put together a few good plays and win the games in the end.”

Fort Cherry defeated Bishop Canevin earlier this season, which beat Avonworth and could finish in second place, but struggled against Northgate and Brentwood. The Rangers are very talented, but it has been an uncharacteristic season for them so far. I’m not counting out an upset here. FC is very capable.

Players to watch: Chartiers-Houston wide receiver Tyrone Wormsley caught 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown in a seven-point loss to a very good Neshannock team last week. Fort Cherry quarterback Devon Brown has a strong arm and will stretch the Bucs’ defense with his running ability.

Last season: Chartiers-Houston won 31-28

Prediction: Chartiers-Houston wins a close one and will get ready for Shenango next week.