28 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018 • TRIBUNE-REVIEW
CLASS A
Defending PIAA champ Jeannette, Imani Christian look to be teams to beat again in ’18
FAMILIAR JUGGERNAUTS
A one-point loss to Jeannette
in last year’s WPIAL Class A
championship has followed
Imani Christian around like a
shadow.
Jeannette rallied late to win
35-34 in a highlight-filled finale
at Robert Morris for the Jayhawks’
ninth WPIAL title.
For Imani, the defeat is a constant
reminder of a battle that
wasn’t won, a trophy that wasn’t
raised.
“I think we’re even stronger
because of that,” Imani senior
receiver Rahmon Hart Jr. said.
Jeannette doubled down by
winning its second PIAA championship
and will open this
season as the Tribune-Review’s
No. 1 team, far fromready to give
up the crown. But Imani will
be a close No. 2 as it eyes a title
game rematch with its Eastern
Conference rival.
And here’s a bonus: The
Class A championship is
returning to Heinz Field.
“We are really motivated because
we worked hard all summer
to prepare for that moment
and came up short,” Hart said.
“We are even more motivated
because they went on to win
the state championship, and we
were the closest team to beating
them in the playoffs.”
When askedwho should be the
preseason No. 1, Imani coach
Ronnell Heard grinned.
“It has to be us, right?” Heard
said. “With Jeannette losing
(Anthony) Johnson; the kid was
phenomenal and the defensive
player of the year; that changes
some things. We have basically
everybody back.”
Imani returns Hart, a Ball
State recruit, senior quarterback
Israel Reed and senior
wideout Dashwan Wright.
Jeannette,whichfinished 15-1,
has talented seniors in Division I
prospect Marcus Barnes (WR)
and Seth Howard (QB) and junior
Justin Cramer (LB).
But multi-talented Robert
Kennedy and Tre Cunningham
are gone and Johnson left for a
school in Cleveland.
Jeannette and Imani put on a
showand brought the best out of
one another in two meetings, the
first marred by fan interference
and heightened tempers that
required a hearing before the
WPIAL.
Jeannette won 54-36.
The altercation, albeit ugly at
the time, enhanced the competition
between the teams.
“We need to take it game by
game, but we definitely want to
play (Jeannette) again,” Heard
said. “We play them in Week 2
so we won’t have to wait long.”
Jeannette is ready to defend
its titles. The programhas more
wins than any inWPIALfootball
history: 736.
“We’re going to have to be
ready every week,” Jeannette
coach Roy Hall said. “We’ve always
had a big target on our
back, but it’s even bigger now.
I tell the kids it’s their turn
to keep adding to the tradition
here.”
Clairton, the team Jeannette
finally solved, can’t be forgotten
in the Eastern. The perennially
powerful Bears have won
nine of the last 12 WPIAL titles
and some forget they shared the
conference title with Jeannette
and Imani last year. They must,
however, replace 13 seniors.
A team few are talking about
is Our Lady of the Sacred
Heart. The Chargers, under
well-traveled coachDanBradley,
were co-champions of the Big 7
Conference with Rochester.
OLSH went 9-3 and reached
the WPIAL quarterfinals before
falling to Imani Christian, 20-12.
“Jeannette is the defending
champion so they’re the team
to beat,” Bradley said. “And
Clairton and Imani are up there,
too. I do think that our conference
is the best (in Class A) from
top to bottom.”
OLSH returns seven starters
on offense and eight on defense,
including quarterback Tyler
Bradley (2,700 yards, 31 TDs),
6-3 receiver Rico Tate and senior
running back Austin Wigley,
who missed last season with a
leg injury.
Rochester, a team that always
seems to be in the mix in ClassA
and also reached the quarterfinals,
brings back senior running
back Noah Whiteleather and
senior lineman Darius Goosby.
High-scoring California,
which averaged 50.5 points,
rolled to the Tri-County South
title and reached the semifinals
before suffering its only loss,
30-24 against Imani.
The Trojans also have to replace
13 graduated players but
could still be dangerous led by
running back Jelani Stafford
and quarterback Austin Grillo.
Former Imani Christian
assistant LaRoi Johnson is now
the coach at Sto-Rox. He thinks
Jeannette, California and Imani
are the top teams and hopes his
team can find its way into the
playoff mix.
“That No. 4 and 5 team is hard
to figure,” said LaRoi Johnson,
a former Cal (Pa.), Malone and
arena league lineman. “It depends
on howgood your seniors
are and howdisciplined you are.
“I have taken it all in stride
here.The kids are excellent.The
thing youask is, ‘Are youwilling
to play together?’ ”
Three Class A newcomers
— Benworth, Laurel and
Chartiers-Houston — dropped
down from Class 2A.
The top two teams in each
Class A conference make the
playoffs, along with two wildcard
teams. That will cut the
normal 16-team playoff field in
half, to eight teams.
by bILL bECKNER JR.
Jeannette is working to defend its PIAA and WPIAL Class A titles.
THE FAVORITE
1. Jeannette (15-1)
The Jayhawks won their ninth
WPIAL title and second PIAA
title and return quarterback Seth
Howard and receiver Marcus
Barnes, along with some proven
linemen and several potentially good
running backs. Jeannette has not
repeated as WPIAL champion since
2006-07 when Terrelle Pryor played
quarterback.
Preseason rankings
2. Imani Christian (11-3)
3. Clairton (9-3)
4. OLSH (9-3)
5. California (12-1)
*RECORDS FROM 2017
THE STARS
MARCUS BARNES
Jeannette, sr., WR/DB
Sure-handed 6-foot-4 receiver has
number of Division I offers, including
Army, Navy and Air Force.
TYLER BRADLEY
OLSH, sr., QB
Passed for more than 2,700 yards
and threw 31 touchdown passes
to help lead Chargers to Big Seven
co-championship.
DARIUS GOOSBY
Rochester, sr., TE/DE
The Big 7 Defensive Lineman of the
Year, Goosby (6-2, 195) can create
space on offense and slow the run on
defense.
RAHMON HART, JR.
Imani Christian, sr., WR/DB
A Ball State recruit, the 6-4,
200-pound Hart showed his big-play
ability and soft hands in last year’s
WPIAL final with seven catches for
105 yards.
JELANI STAFFORD
California, sr., RB/LB
“Baby Bettis,” as some call the 6-2,
275-pounder, rushed for 1,608 yards
and 28 touchdowns for semifinalist.
DON’T MISS
9.7 Imani Christian
at Jeannette
A rematch of last year’s WPIAL final,
Jeannette will look for its fourth
straight win against the Saints. Big
plays are expected.
10.5 OLSH at Jeannette
It’s a nonconference game but one
worth watching as two potential
playoff teams square off in Week 6.
10.5 Imani Christian at Clairton
Clairton is itching for revenge against
the Saints, who knocked the Bears
from the top-5 rankings with an 18-6
win last year.
IMANI CHRISTIAN’S RJ HART