4 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2021 • VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
CLASS 6A
PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Central Catholic (6-2)
The Vikings return some key
players from a second straight
WPIAL championship run a year
ago. Central Catholic avenged
both of its regular-season losses
to Mt. Lebanon and North Allegheny
with wins in the WPIAL
semifinals and title game. Now
the Vikings will try to do what
no Central Catholic football team
has ever done: three-peat.
2. Mt. Lebanon (4-3)
3. North Allegheny (6-1)
4. Seneca Valley (4-3)
5. Canon-McMillan (3-3)
* RECORDS FROM 2020
THE STARS
RYAN ANGOTT
Canon-McMillan, sr., RB/OLB
Angott, a third-year starter,
rushed for 672 yards last
season, a 7.2 yards-per-carry
average, and scored seven TDs.
JOEY DANIELS
Mt. Lebanon, sr., QB
Daniels, a starter since his sophomore
season, has connected
on 137 of 228 passes for 2,220
yards and 30 TDs.
DONOVAN HINISH
Central Catholic, sr., DT/OT
Following in his brother’s footsteps,
Hinish is a star lineman
who has committed to Notre
Dame. Rivals ranks him as the
No. 33 DT in the nation.
JACOB PORTER
North Allegheny, sr., DE
Porter is the son of ex-Steelers
linebacker Joey Porter. He has
received offers from Colorado
State, Akron and Old Dominion.
ANTHONY SPECA
Central Catholic, so., TE/ILB
He earned a spot on the Max-
Preps freshman all-American
team and has offers from Pitt,
Penn State, Notre Dame, West
Virginia and Purdue, among
others.
DON’T MISS
9.17 Canon-McMillan
at Mt. Lebanon
One of the wildest games from
2020, when the Big Macs rallied
from a 17-0 deficit to pull off a
24-17 stunner.
9.24 Central Catholic at
North Allegheny
North Allegheny has won the
last three regular-season titles
while the Vikings have
won back-to-back WPIAL
championships.
10.8 Central Catholic at
Mt. Lebanon
These 6A powers met twice last
season with host Central Catholic
losing 37-30 on Oct. 9. The Vikings
got the last laugh, though,
as they plowed through the host
Blue Devils in the WPIAL semifinals,
35-0.
Expectations are high for Central Catholic quarterback Payton Wehner and coach Terry Totten.
DISTRICT PLAYOFFS TO
NOW FEATURE 5 TEAMS
Central Catholic in
search of 3-peat in
largest classification
Class 6A may have been the
hardest-hit classification when it
came to playing football during a
global pandemic in 2020.
There are only eight football
teams now in the biggest class
in District 7.
Seven weeks of conference play
with four 6A games in those seven
weeks equals 28 total games.
Only Norwin was able to play
all seven of its regular-season
games. North Allegheny and Baldwin
were only able to play four.
Six of the 28 league games
were postponed because of
covid-19-related protocols.
“We actually played more football
than I thought we would,”
Mt. Lebanon coach Bob Palko
said. “With that said, it feels so
good to be able to prepare without
all of the restrictions. We are
very grateful.”
While the three district playoff
games went off without a hitch,
with Central Catholic claiming a
second straight WPIAL 6A championship,
the pandemic reared
its ugly head again in the state
playoffs when the Vikings had
to forfeit their PIAA
quarterfinal game
against McDowell.
Now, with the
hope of returning
to a more normal
schedule in 2021,
the WPIAL will welcome
an additional
team to the 6A postseason
this fall, with
the top five teams qualifying for
the district playoffs.
The fourth- and fifth-place finishers
will square off in the quarterfinals,
and the top three teams
enjoy a bye into the final four.
“Hopefully we are back on
track for a full season with fans
and no restrictions,” North Allegheny
coach Art Walker said.
“You take stuff for granted. High
school football in Western Pa. is
a community event. We hope to
have that back this season.”
So who is the team to beat in
Class 6A? Well, it depends on
who you ask.
“I hear Mt. Lebanon is strong,”
Central Catholic coach Terry
Totten said.
Palko countered:
“Central has some
really good returners
and reloaded,
too. NA has some talent,
and don’t sleep
on Seneca Valley.”
“Central Catholic,”
Walker said
when asked who the
favorite was.
“Everyone has something positive
going on,” Canon-McMillan
coach Mike Evans said. “I have
tremendous respect for the
coaches and programs in this
league.”
Seneca Valley coach Ron
Butschle is hedging his bets when
it comes to picking a winner.
“There is never a year that
our conference isn’t the toughest
in Pa. top to bottom. North
Allegheny, Central and Mt. Lebo
will all return strong teams.”
For the third straight season,
there is a new face on the
Class 6A sidelines as coach Mike
Brown takes over at Hempfield
for Rich Bowen. The Spartans
hope to reach the postseason for
the first time since 2016.
Tim Sweeney begins his second
season at Baldwin after his first
year netted only five games played
and a 2-3 record, and Palko begins
his third season at Mt. Lebanon
with high hopes.
The veteran 6A coaches include
Butschle, now in his second
stint and fifth season currently,
10th season overall on the Seneca
Valley sidelines; Evans, in season
seven at Canon-McMillan;
and Dave Brozeski in his eighth
season at Norwin.
The graybeards of the class
continue to be Totten at Central
Catholic and Walker at North Allegheny.
Both are starting their
17th season after Walker left the
Vikings job to Totten when he
took over the Tigers in 2005.
by DON REBEL
“There is never a
year that our
conference isn’t
the toughest in Pa.
top to bottom.”
RON BUTSCHLE
SENECA VALLEY COACH