Six-A schools prepare for stiffer gridiron competition
Edgar Parilla fends off Canon-McMillan defenders Cuyler Rander (No. 7) and Joshua Clopp (No. 2) after making a reception during Mt. Lebanon’s 32-7 victory.
Bryan Milligan (No. 32) of Canon-McMillan barrels his way over Mt. Lebanon defenders for a first down during Southeastern Conference action. The senior tailback returned to the line-up after suffering an injury at the start of the season. Milligan was an all-conference running back last season, rushing for over 1,600 yards.
At Canon-McMillan, the Big Macs (0-2, 1-3) may get knocked down as they did against Mt. Lebanon, 32-3, but they will get back up again when they host Norwin (1-1, 2-2) at 7 p.m. Sept. 23 in Southeastern Conference football action.
“We have a team and community that believes in what we are doing,” said C-M skipper Michael Evans. “It’s more about taking punches and fighting on, driving through the adversity. This team has heart and discipline. We will keep gaining ground towards winning week in and week out. We will practice harder and prepare for Friday.”
In the Knights, the Big Macs face a “well-coached” team that is very good. So they must get ready says Evans.
“For me, it’s more about what we need to do and our level of preparation. We have to solidify our identity offensively, quit turning the ball over and cut down on penalties. Every week, we play a team that presents certain challenges but we are not taking care of things on our end. We are going to put our blood and sweat into getting that righted.”
In the loss to Lebo, the Big Macs certainly could do few things right, and they capitalized little on miscues by the opposition. Both teams were plagued by turnovers as they battled to a scoreless tie at halftime. Alonzo Lemus and Andrew Engel had interceptions. Joshua Clopp and Anthony Zanolla recovered fumbles. Donald Opp and Austin Robl recorded critical sacks, and Doug Kotar made some fine plays in the secondary.
While the loss was tough, “as they all are,” said Evans, the C-M skipper was pleased with the team’s defense. He noted the Big Macs have turned the ball over 17 times this season. “That’s tough on a defense,” he said, particularly one that has created 16 turnovers.
Evans noted the play of Robl, Aaron Smith, Joey Colosimo, Lemus, Colton Blodgett and Greyden Piechnick.
“We feel really good about what Austin (Robl) is doing inside at the defensive tackle position. Aaron (Smith) and Joey (Colosimo) were both effective against Lebo as well at their respective line positions. Drew (Engel) had two big picks. Locked up most of the night with their best wide out, Alonzo did a nice job, too. We also feel that our linebackers led by Colton (Blodgett) played very well and we like how Greyden (Piechnick) is playing at our free safety.
“It’s hard to hold down a team like Lebo for four quarters when we aren’t scoring points,” Evans continued. “I am very proud of the defensive players and coaches.”
Evans equally was excited about the return of Bryan Milligan to the lineup. The senior rushed for a school record 1,628 yards and scored 17 touchdowns last season. An all-conference performer, he ranked sixth in the WPIAL in rushing in 2015. He suffered an injury earlier in the season but returned to form against Lebo.
“It is good to have him back,” Evans said. “He is a very good player. When he’s 100 percent, he is one of our players who can change a game.”
What Milligan does makes little difference in what the Big Macs want to do offensively, but he impacts what teams like Norwin do on defense, said Evans.
“With a 1,600-yard back in the backfield, it forces defenses to make decisions, and it’s up to us to take advantage. We have other backs we believe in for sure, but Bryan is a guy the entire team wants in the line-up.”
Altoona at Lebo
At Mt. Lebanon, the Blue Devils want to win football games, and they want to beat Altoona this week when the Mountain Lions come to town Sept. 23. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
Winning games, as the Blue Devils discovered against Canon-McMillan, is not that easy, although the final score, 32-7, may reflect otherwise. With the win, Lebo improved to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
“People do not realize how hard it is to win any game,” said Lebo field general Mike Melnyk. “There are so many things that can go wrong that can cost you a game.”
A lot went wrong for the Blue Devils until David Harvey snapped a scoreless tie with a touchdown at the 11:38 mark in the third quarter. Mt. Lebanon alternated turnovers with the Big Macs until that point. In the first half, Edgar Parilla picked off a C-M pass, and Kyle Doody recovered a muffed punt. But Beau Greenwood had the biggest recovery. He gathered up a loose pigskin and rambled 68 yards for Lebo’s second score at 6:48 in the third stanza.
James Stocker controlled the next two scores, both coming in the fourth frame. He darted one yard for a touchdown and hooked up with Harvey for a 34-yard scoring strike. Stocker completed 20 of 34 aerials for 229 yards. Parilla had 10 grabs for 103 yards, and Jack Young had nine receptions for 92 yards in the win against C-M.
“We certainly did not capitalize on our opportunities in the first half. We were our own worst enemies,” Melnyk remarked. “But there was no panic at halftime. We just refocused on our own performance and let the rest take care of itself.
“We did not make a great deal of scheme changes. We just emphasized execution and it worked.”
Melnyk believes execution will work against Altoona, which he called a team that is getting better every week.
“They came from 17 points down in the third quarter to beat Peters last week, so they are a very good team,” he said.
The Mountain Lions operate a wide-open offense and, like Lebo, they throw the ball quite a bit. Their skills kids are equally competent.
“They will be playing confidently this week after their win,” Melnyk noted. “Both teams are in the same situation in the conference, and one team will begin to separate from the other this week.”
So far, Stocker, Harvey, Young and Parilla have distanced themselves from the pack. Young leads the WPIAL in receiving with 28 catches for 416 yards, while Parilla has 22 receptions for 262 yards. Stocker ranks in the top six among quarterbacks with 67 completions for 900 yards. Harvey ranks in the Top 10 among rushers.
PT at Hempfield
After a stinging loss to Altoona, 40-37, the Peters Township Indians travel to Hempfield for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff Sept. 23. The Spartans lead the Southeastern Conference at 2-0 and are 3-1 overall. The Indians are 0-2 in the league and 1-3 overall.
The Spartans boast Justin Sliwoski. He ranks in the WPIAL’s top five in passing. Isaiah DiAndreth is the team’s leading receiver as well as scorer.
“Hempfield has a solid team, in all aspects of the game,” said Peters Township coach TJ Plack. “Offensively, they are led by a solid offensive line and a quarterback that is recognized as one of the better ball players in 6-A football this season. Defensively, they will make you drive the ball down the field and discourage the big play. They are opportunistic defensively, with multiple interceptions returned for touchdowns.
“We obviously are looking forward to the challenge of competing against their program,” continued the Indians’ first-year skipper. “I can ensure you that this team will be excited to get on that bus and make the trip to Hempfield.”
The Indians will keep in mind, however, the game that got away. They led Altoona, 31-14, before folding.
“Bottom line is that we did not finish,” Plack said. “We were content with a big lead in the third quarter, and that can never happen again. I am positive the players will put this game behind us, but still remember the pain/sting of this loss, and never allow it to happen to us as a team again.”
The Indians hope that Jake Cortes continues to be on his game. The quarterback threw for 227 yards as he completed 11 of 19 passes against Altoona. He rushed for one score and tossed two TD aerials of 39 and 44 yards to Alan Snyder. Cortes has thrown for 568 yards and five scores this season.
“Jake is a great young man, a leader and a player that even on his best day is looking for ways to get better.” Plack said. “He is fearless in the pocket, physical enough to be a run threat and one of the most mentally tough players I have been around. We are fortunate to have him as part of our program.”
Josh Casilli, T.J. Kpan and George Winslow rushed for touchdowns against the Mountain Lions.
Bethel Park at Pine-Richland
After beating Norwin, 27-13, in Southeastern Conference action to improve to 2-0 in the league and 2-1 overall, Bethel Park travels to Pine-Richland (2-0, 3-1) for a crossover Class 6-A clash.
The Rams feature Phil Jurkovec. The Notre Dame recruit ranks second in the WPIAL in passing. The junior has already thrown for more than 1,100 yards this season.
“Pine-Richland is an awfully good team that has good coaches and runs a great system. They have a lot of depth and players that are top-caliber,” said BP coach Jeff Metheny. “It’s a difficult task to go on the road and face a team like them.
“We will try to be fundamentally sound and hopefully get explosive play from our guys and hang around long enough with them. Competition like this is good for you because it makes you better. We have a tough, long stretch ahead,” Metheny noted, as league-leading Hempfield and Seneca Valley are next up after Pine-Richland on the schedule. “It’s a good opportunity to see how we stack up against challenging competition.”
The Hawks stacked up well against Norwin. In beating the Knights, Cole Rogers tossed scoring strikes of 20 and 63 yards to John Doleno and Jeremy Wodarek. Shawn Haligan kicked two field goals, measuring 29 and 35 yards. He converted three extra points. Terron Murphy rushed for a 71-yard touchdown.
“The kids played well. We are getting better and we played good defense and special teams,” Metheny said, noting the two field goals. “We had pep in our step.”
Metheny also noted the strong play on defense by James Gmiter and Tanner Volpatti. The strong safety had an interception and “made some big hits” on defense. The linebacking corps of Chandler Deitz, Christian Frazier and Wetzel played well.