Football is back, and not just at the collegiate and professional level, either.
We’ll take a look at each of the classes, and the players and teams to look out for, as well as our pick of the week.
AAAA
Team to Beat: Central Catholic- Boasting a ranking of 22nd in a national poll, Central Catholic is the early favorite for team to beat in AAAA. The Vikings are led on offense by Vinnie Emanuele, who averaged 6.5 yards per carry last season. On the defensive side of the ball, University of Pittsburgh commit, Rashad Wheeler is a key cog.
Standout Player: Miles Sanders (RB)- Sanders, a Penn State recruit, looks to help pace the Woodland Hills offense this season. Look for him to have a standout season in the backfield this season.
Other Players to Watch: Eddie Jenkins (QB) – Mt. Lebanon, Phil Jurkovec (QB)- Pine Richland, Jacob Buccigrossi (OL)- North Hills, Tom Smith (WR/DB)- Fox Chapel.
AAA
Team to Beat: Ringgold- The Rams stand the best chance to overtake Thomas Jefferson as the leader in AAA. They return 11 starters on the offensive side of the ball. Following a regular season in which their only loss was to Thomas Jefferson, they look determined to take the reigns as the team to beat.
Standout Player: Chacar Berry (RB) Ringgold- With 1,392 yards rushing last year, Berry returns to a Ringgold backfield looking to improve those numbers.
Players to watch: Ariene Washington (RB)- Uniontown, Santonio Birty (QB) – Franklin Regional, Matt Rech (RB) – Hampton
AA
Team to Beat: Apollo Ridge: Running back Duane Brown looks to improve on a 2014 campaign that included 29 touchdowns and 1,216 yards. In a relatively weak AA this year, look for Apollo Ridge to have a lot of success on both sides of the ball and make a return trip to Heinz Field this year.
Standout Player: Donovan Jeter (DE) – Beaver Falls: A promising junior, Jeter leads a strong Beaver Falls pass rush. Look for him to be a dominant force and become a household name in the Pittsburgh area this fall.
Players to watch: Duane Brown (RB) – Apollo Ridge, Logan Thimons (LB) – Freeport, Mike Ware (DE) Shady Side Academy, Isiah Canton (RB) – Carlynton.
A
Team to Beat: Clairton: Clairton made it to Hershey before they were handed their first loss in the state championship game at the hands of Bishop Guilfoyle. The Bears are expected to avenge that runner up finish and again be the team to beat in single A this fall.
Standout Player: Lamont Wade (RB/DB) – Clairton: After setting a single season rushing record in the WPIAL as a sophomore, Wade is poised to return to the top of the record books in his junior campaign. Already getting major college looks, expect Wade to be a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball for the Bears.
Players to watch: Jimmy Malik (OL) – Jeannette, Jason Cerniglia (QB) – Serra, Zach Chandler (QB) Avonworth, Pat Carr (RB) – Brentwood.
Prugar’s Pick of the Week:
Each week of the season, I will give my game of the week in my Prugar’s Pick of the week. This week for my inaugural pick, the game of the week is:
Altoona vs. Butler
Last fall, the Mountain Lions’ posted an 8-3 record and lost to eventual WPIAL Champion, Pine-Richland in the playoffs. That 8-3 record was their best since returning to the WPIAL in 2009. Altoona lost some experienced players on both sides of the ball in Eli Mencer (Albany) and Kevin Givens (Penn State), so duplicating that success this year might be difficult but under the tutelage of experienced coach John Franco, anything is possible.
Butler comes in to the 2015 campaign on a five-game losing streak. Head Coach Rob Densmore is at the helm for his second season with the Golden Tornadoes.
Photo credit: Quadasports.com
