Feb 3, 2016 10 min read

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Jim McNutt/Observer-Reporter Wash High’s tight end Nate Swart (89)pulls in a 30 yard pass from quarterback, Jonathan Spina (12) in the first quarter on their way to their first touchdown of the night. Washington High football team battled Yough at Wash High field Friday night, September 20, 2013.

JIM MCNUTT

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Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mel Blount (left) stands with his son, Wash High senior Khalid (right) Blount, and Prexies head coach Mike Bosnic during a signing day ceremony Wednesday afternoon. Khalid Blount, a 6-1 defensive lineman, signed a letter of intent to play football at Duquesne.

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Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Ringgold running back Chacar Berry chose Slippery Rock, where his brother, Alfon Cook, is a senior cornerback.

CELESTE VAN KIRK

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Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Charleroi athlete Trey Douyon had his season end in Week 3 because of a knee injury.

CELESTE VAN KIRK

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Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter McGuffey’s Shaun Sanders was a two-way starter for the Highlanders this fall and led them to their second straight playoff appearance.

CELESTE VAN KIRK

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Hunter Hayes eludes the grasp of Kaleb Hughes during South Fayette’s 27-19 victory against Steel Valley

Eleanor Bailey

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Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Wash High’s Markel Pulliam celebrates with Kenya Davis after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter of Friday night’s game.

Katie Roupe

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Despite a head coaching change and late interest from other schools, Nate Swart is officially headed to the University of Toledo.

The Washington High School tight end signed his letter of intent to join the Rockets Wednesday, adding to first-year head coach Jason Candle’s 21-player recruiting class.

“Nate Swart has very good ball skills,” Candle said in a press release. “He has the frame to be a very good tight end for us. He’s a big time blocker who can play off the ball and do the things we ask our tight ends to do.”

Swart, a 6-5, 225-pound tight end, caught eight passes for 224 yards, including three touchdown passes for the Prexies this fall. Also had 44 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a defensive end.

He gave his commitment to the Rockets in late March after receiving interest from Bowling Green and Kent State. When Toledo’s head coach, Matt Campbell, took the same position at Iowa State in late November, Swart never wavered on his decision, despite Wake Forest showing interest late.

To reinforce the program’s commitment, Candle made the journey to Brownsville two weeks ago to watch Swart’s basketball game against the Falcons. Toledo’s tight ends coach, Robby Discher, watched Wash High’s win over Chartiers-Houston. Those came after Wake Forest paid Swart a visit.

“Nate has a lot of potential at the college level. He’s going to continue to grow. That’s one of his strengths is his ability to project (to the next level),” Wash High head coach Mike Bosnic said.

As a junior, Swart was first-team all-conference and was named to the Elite 11. He totaled 18 receptions, 358 yards, four TDs, 31 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Rivals and 247 Sports each rank Toledo’s 2016 recruiting class as No. 3 in the Mid-American Conference. Scout.com ranks the Rockets as fourth in the Mid-American Conference on total points, though its rating of 2.42 points per signee ranks third in the league.

Swart was the only tight end in the class that also included Central Catholic running back Ronnie Jones. He joins a roster that includes five tight ends and Bosnic believes Swart’s ability to add weight to his frame bodes well for his future at Toledo.

“You can see him getting into Toledo, getting on their weight program and putting on weight; getting a lot stronger,” Bosnic said. “He can put a lot of muscle onto his frame. I see him being 265 pounds really easily.”

The 6-1, 295-pound nose tackle was dominant for the Prexies’ defense this fall. The four-year starter had 43 total tackles with 21 for a loss and four sacks as a senior, helping Wash High repeat as conference champions and reach the quarterfinals.

The son of Pittsburgh Steelers great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mel Blount, Khalid is expected to compete for playing time as a freshman with the Dukes. He joins former teammate Zack Blystone on Duquesne’s defensive line.

“He’s such a great person,” Wash High head coach Mike Bosnic said. “He’s a great all-around kid and you love to see things work out for him. I think it’s a great situation for him at Duquesne. One of the things that attracted him there is they talked to him a lot about potentially playing next year.

“They’re in need of his skill set and they need someone they felt could come in and play right away. I think he fits that mold and I think he can possibly step in to earn some snaps early.”

Khalid had plenty of people to lean on for advice. His oldest brother, Akil, just completed a standout career at Florida A&M and will likely earn a spot in an NFL camp this summer. His other brother, Jibri, is a freshman basketball player at Cleveland State. Now, Khalid will get to play in the city in which his dad won four Super Bowls and redefined the cornerback position.

“You are so proud,” Mel Blount told Steelers.com. “The insight we have as guys who have been down the road, we know the difficulties, the hard work that goes into this. It makes you appreciate the effort your kids put in. It’s going to take a lot of work, sacrifice and commitment. It teaches them at an early age the importance of hard work, sacrifice and being a team player. Together you can accomplish a lot of things. You have to be able to depend on each other. That’s the way life is, no matter what field you are in. You have to have teammates you can depend on.”

The Observer-Reporter’s Football Player of the Year is the latest former South Fayette player to join the University of Pennsylvania’s football program.

Hayes, a senior running back, safety and linebacker for the Lions, chose Penn over offers from Columbia, Dartmouth, Air Force, Army, Bucknell, Cornell, Lafayette, Colgate, Robert Morris, Holy Cross, Saint Francis (Pa.), Harvard, Duquesne, New Hampshire, Albany and Yale.

A three-year starter, Hayes helped the Lions win back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA championships, and finish as runners-up to Aliquippa after another trip to Heinz Field this season. He ran for 1,381 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior, and finished his career with 3,954 rushing yards.

He’ll join two former Lions at the Philadelphia school. Wide receiver Justin Watson was a finalist for the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year this fall after leading the league in receptions (74), receiving yards (1,082) and receiving touchdowns (9) as a sophomore.

Logan Sharp, a former standout tight end at South Fayette, redshirted for the Quakers as a freshman and is expected to compete for playing time in 2016.

A four-year letter winner and three-year starter on the offensive line … Also a three-year lette rwinner in basketball and two-year letter winner in track & field … Named football team captain for his senior season … Selected first team all-conference and second team all-state… An all-conference honorable mention on offense and defense as a junior. His brother, Jake, is a tight end for Georgetown.

A MaxPreps freshman all-American in 2010, Rawlins was once one of the state’s top linebacker recruits for the Class of 2013 – receiving several Division I scholarship offers – but all were pulled after the 6-1 three-sport athlete suffered a devastating knee injury.

He planned to play football and baseball at California University (Pa.) in 2014, but those plans never came to fruition. Rawlins enrolled at Duquesne this fall and worked as Monessen’s linebackers coach under head coach Joe Salvino.

Now, he’ll finally get to pursue a career of Division I football and he’ll be eligible for the Dukes’ spring practices.

Rawlins was a three-time all-conference linebacker, an Observer-Reporter Elite 11 selection and was the Black Hills Conference defensive most valuable player as a senior.

Others who either signed their letters of intent or made a commitment to continue their football careers include:

Wolfe, a 6-4 right tackle, blocked for an offense that ran for 1,929 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Berry, a 5-7, 185-tailback, was a key component to Ringgold’s back-to-back playoff runs the past two years. He ran for 1,215 yards and 14 touchdowns this fall with eight 100-plus-yard rushing games. It came after a breakout sophomore season in which he ran for 1,392 yards and 23 touchdowns while averaging 8.3 yards per carry. He gained 716 more total yards in his first season as a starter in 2013.

“Chacar is a talented running back that has fast feet and great acceleration,” Slippery Rock head coach Shawn Lutz said in a press release. “He is a guy that can do all the things we ask our backs to do and is a guy that will excel in our spread rushing attack.”

The two-way starter had 42 total tackles, including seven for a loss and three sacks, for the Lions this fall. The 6-2, two-year starter led a defense that allowed just 3.4 yards per carry to opponents and had 34 total sacks. Was selected first-team All-Century Conference as a senior.

“Tough, physical, explosive player that will add quality depth to our defensive line immediately,” Lutz said. “Zack’s ability to overpower offensive linemen will allow our defense to maintain its standard of eliminating the opposition from having success running the football.”

Often overlooked but incredibly talented, Douyon was on his way to a breakout season this fall before suffering a season-ending injury. Had 13 catches for 287 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior and was a three-year starter. Also a team captain, Douyon was leading the WPIAL receiving yards until he suffered a knee injury in Week 3.

”Trey is an explosive, shifty slot (guy) this is hard to tackle,” Lutz said. “He adds value in the return game and can score in many ways. He is a guy that can make you miss in a phone booth. Will be an electrifying athlete in our system.”

The 6-4, 285-pound mauler helped clear the way for an improved running attack that had the Hillers one win away from a playoff berth. … Only allowed three sacks in three seasons as a starter. … Spent time at guard and tackle this fall. … Blocked for an offense that rushed for 1,929 yards with 29 touchdowns and averaged seven yards per carry. … Averaged five pancake blocks per game. … Was a force on the defensive line, finishing with 30 tackles, including five for loss.

The 6-5 pass-catching tight end started his career as a quarterback and had a breakout season this fall with 40 catches for 636 yards and 11 touchdowns.

A two-year starter for the Highlanders, Haynes led McGuffey with 87.5 total tackles as a senior this fall, including 11.5 for a loss, and had a team-high six interceptions.

The 6-0, 195-pound receiver is extremely athletic and gives the Bobcats a sure-handed target in the passing game. He had 24 catches for 258 yards and two touchdowns for McGuffey this fall and was a standout defensive back, recording two interceptions.

After recovering from a knee injury that ended his junior season early, Tretinik was once again the lead blocking fullback for the Raiders’ run-heavy offense. He also led the Raiders in sacks and was disruptive against the run.

The 6-3, 277-pound lineman was a four-year starter for the Rangers as a three-technique defensive tackle and left tackle. He was selected All-Black Hills Conference as a defensive tackle three years in a row.

Schulz finished his high school career with 132 solo tackles, including 26 for a loss, and also competed as a thrower on Fort Cherry’s track team.

Dajour Hull, Trinity Bethany

Markel Pulliam, Wash High Walsh

Ahmad Morris-Walker Mount Union

Joey Townsend, McGuffey Marietta

Nick Ponikvar, South Fayette Grove City

Connor Thompson, McGuffey Grove City

Liz Hathaway, Canon-McMillan Kent State

Allison Thomas, Canon-McMillan Winthrop

Christian Snatchko, Canon-McMillan Robert Morris

Kyra Watkins, Charleroi Pitt-Johnstown

Mike Carr, South Fayette Illinois

Emily Anderson, South Fayette Penn