SUNDAY, AUGUST 20, 2017 · 3 Led by favorite Pine-Richland, Northern Seven features4WPIAL semifinalists, talent-richPennHills KINGS OF THE NORTHERN WPIALfinalists Central Catholic and Seneca Valley, semifinalists Pine-Richland and North Allegheny, and talent-rich Penn Hills all share the same Class 6A conference. One will be unhappy come November. “You look at those top five teams and think, one of those teams isn’t going to make the playoffs,” NA coach Art Walker said. “That’s our section right now.” “It’s arguably the toughest in the WPIAL.” Before last season therewas a belief that the Northern Seven was stronger than the Southeastern. That hunch proved true,when all four playoff qualifiers fromthe north reached the WPIAL semifinals. Ultimately, Central Catholic defeated SenecaValley at Heinz Field in the first WPIAL Class 6A final. It was the seventh year in a row the WPIAL’s largest classificationwas wonbyNorth Allegheny, Pine-Richland or Central Catholic. A year later, the same questions remain: Can a Southeastern team like Mt. Lebanon, Bethel ParkorHempfieldbreak through that Northern blockade? And who from the north will be left home come playoff time? “I think this is the toughest conference, probably in the state,” Pine-RichlandcoachEric Kasperowicz said. “Look at last year, the top four in the WPIAL all were fromhere. It’s traditionally been that way, and we’re proud of that.” Pine-Richland enters as the preseason favorite. TheRams return Notre Dame quarterback recruit Phil Jurkovec fromaWeek 6 thumbinjury that cost him the rest of his junior season. The 1,600-yard passer leads a senior-heavy roster that returns WPIAL receiving leader Raymond Falcone, versatile running back Jordan Crawford and adds West Allegheny transfer Kenny White, a 1,300-yard rusher. “It kind of reminds me of the ’14 year,” Kasperowicz said of his most recent WPIAL champions. “We had a really good group of seniors and a lot of guys back on both sides of the ball. The kids are practicing hard, they aren’t acting any different. They’re kind of embracing the situation.” The Rams are the early favorites, but Central Catholic has won two WPIAL titles in a row and North Allegheny returns a solid core from last year’s roster that finished second in the Northern Seven. Penn Hills and Seneca Valley each have new coaches. Southeastern teams went 0-4 in the playoffs, but they’re likely improved from last season. Mt. Lebanon with James Stocker and Hempfield with Justin Sliwoski return senior quarterbacks with experience. Bethel Park featuredaveteran line that includes West Virginia recruit James Gmiter. Classes 6A, 5A, 4A and 3A feature an eight-team playoff bracket, so every victory is important. Onlythe top four finishers in each Class 6A conference qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. With little margin for error, a bad loss or two could ruin a season. “It could happen to anybody,” Walker said. “You hope you get some wins early, and you’re not in that position. But I think in our section, that’s going to happen to a lot of teams.” Chris Harlan isaTribune-Reviewstaff writer. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or viaTwitter@CHarlan_Trib. by CHRIS HARLAN CLASS 6A THE FAVORITE 1. Pine-Richland (7-5) The Rams already were loaded offensively before the addition of West Allegheny transfer Kenny White, a 1,300-yard rusher. Wide receiver Raymond Falcone had 65 catches and 1,300 yards a year ago, and running back Jordan Crawford totaled 1,200 yards from scrimmage. Preseason rankings 2. Central Catholic (14-2) 3. North Allegheny (9-3) 4. Mt. Lebanon (7-4) 5. Bethel Park (5-5) * RECORDS FROM 2016 THE STARS JAMES GMITER Bethel Park, sr., OL/DL The two-way tackle committed to West Virginia in January. His other offers included Wisconsin. He was first-team all-conference on defense. TROY FISHER Central Catholic, sr., QB The Lafayette commit passed for 1,815 yards and 22 touchdowns as the Vikings won the WPIAL title and finished as the state runners-up. PHIL JURKOVEC Pine-Richland, sr., QB The Notre Dame commit returns from a midseason thumb injury that required surgery. He threw for 1,673 yards and 12 TDs in six games. JAKE KRADEL Butler, sr., OL/DL The Pitt commit earned first-team all-conference honors for defense. His scholarship offers also included Ohio State, Purdue and UCLA. JULIAN MAJOR Penn Hills, sr., WR The Michigan State commit had 31 catches, 433 yards and seven TDs in eight games. Arkansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin also were options. DON’TMISS 8.27 Wayne at Pine-Richland A talented program from Ohio visits Pine in a made-for-ESPN matchup. 9.29 Central Catholic at Pine- Richland Central Catholic won 48-35 last year and Jurkovec was hurt mid-game. 10.27 Bethel Park at Mt. Lebanon Mt. Lebanon won the finale 35-14 a year ago, creating a tie atop the conference. Pine-Richland’s Phil Jurkovec Headed North Teams now in the Northern Seven Conference have won the WPIAL title in the highest classification every year since 2010. Year Champ Class 2010 N. Allegheny 4A 2011 N. Allegheny 4A 2012 N. Allegheny 4A 2013 Cent. Catholic 4A 2014 Pine-Richland 4A 2015 Cent. Catholic 4A 2016 Cent. Catholic 6A Now Welcoming New Patients! We are proudly accepting most major insurances. Also...Now Participating in United Concordia Advantage Dr.Maria Cavalier 438 Pellis Rd. Suite 100, Greensburg 724.219.0812 • www.cavalierdentistry.com adno=6501420
hsfootballwm
To see the actual publication please follow the link above