Upper St. Clair battles West Allegheny
Upper St. Clair’s Dom Cepullio eludes Anthony Onomastico’s attempted tackle during recent football action. USC defeated Chartiers Valley, 17-10.
Colin McLinden bolts up the middle for the decisive touchdown in Upper St. Clair’s 17-10 victory against Chartiers Valley.
The first of the major battles in the Allegheny Nine Conference occurs at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 when Upper St. Clair hosts West Allegheny. Both teams are undefeated at 5-0. And, the secret to success, at least for the Panthers, who are ranked No. 1 in Class 5-A, will be preparation.
“We must be ready,” USC skipper Jim Render pronounced.
How ready the Panthers are will depend on who will play.
For example, Thomas Vissman, who rushed for 1,364 yards last season, has been hobbled this season by injuries. He did not play in USC’s 17-10 win against Chartiers Valley last week.
“Are we healthy to play a good team?” Render asked. “We’ve had a lot of bumps and bruises. So, that’s going to be the first key. Will we be healthy?
Render also noted that his Panthers cannot get into penalty problems, long-yard situations or bad field position, as they did against the Colts, and be successful against West A, which is coached by Bob Palko, who like Render is one of the most successful coaches in the WPIAL.
“They are well coached,” Render agreed of West-A. “They are innovative. Their kicking game is outstanding. We’ve scrimmaged them a lot and played them as a crossover game over the years. We had some memorable games. It’s a good rivalry. So we’ve got to be on top of things.”
Defensively, the Panthers have been on top of things all season. They are tied with West Allegheny as the second-best defense in the WPIAL, allowing just 4.6 points per game. Eli Grape leads the defense with 57 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. He had 15 tackles in the win against CV.
“Eli never came off the field,” Render noted and complimented Grape on his ability to fill in at center when Phil Elias was injured late in the game.
Matt Kissinger and Dom Cepullio follow Grape with 32 and 21 tackles while Colin McLinden, Karl Flinter, Tom Kyle, Dom Folino, Jack Burton and Gabe Houy also have managed double digits in tackles this season. Jake Slinger (2), Flinter, Folino, Casey Garwig Nick Toosi and Blake Kadar each have fumble recoveries. Kissinger (2), Flinter and Kyle account for USC’s interceptions.
Defense played a key role in USC’s victory against CV. With the game tied, 10-10, at halftime, the Panthers shutout the Colts.
“Defensively we made great adjustments in the second half,” Render said. “We also had great individual plays at different times.”
Offensively, Render has been pleased with Kadar’s and McLinden’s ability to pick up the slack in the absence of Vissman. Plus, he has been extremely happy with the team’s offensive line play.
Against CV, Kadar rushed for 104 yards while McLinden chalked up 66 yards and one score. Jack Hansberry provided the other touchdown and Jeff Howard kicked a 33-yard field goal. “Blake and Colin ran extremely well and got us out of trouble,” Render said. “They got us positive yards when we needed them.”
To date, Kadar has rushed for a team-high 407 yards and three scores. McLinden has 278 yards and four scores. Vissman follows with 190 yards rushing and four TDs. Burton, Hansberry, Depullio, Pat Travers and Antonio Orsini are also capable runners for the Panthers.
Pitt recruit Gabe Houy along with Jake Slinger, Jay Pollock, Dante Grecco, Elias and Grape, however, have paved the way for the tailbacks. Slinger is a sophomore and excelling at right tackle. “He has done well,” Render said. “Our offensive line is playing well. I’m pleased with those guys.”