24 • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 • VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
THE FAVORITE
1. Clairton (11-3)
The Bears will be looking for
their 15th WPIAL title. Coach
Wayne Wade feels his team has
some unfinished business after
falling to Farrell in the state
playoffs. They only graduated
four starters.
Preseason rankings
2. Shenango (6-4)
3. Greensburg CC (7-4)
4. Jeannette (9-2)
5. Burgettstown (9-1)
* RECORDS FROM 2019
THE STARS
ISAIAH BERRY
Clairton, sr., RB/DB
Berry rushed for 1,042 yards
and 15 touchdowns in 2019. He
will help take pressure off new
quarterback Jonte Sanders.
BRETT BIRCH
Jeannette, jr., WR/DB
Birch, who already is receiving
Division I offers, had 23 catches
for 246 yards last season.
AARON GUNN
Union, sr., OG
Gunn is a top-20 player in the
state. The 6-foot-3, 309-pounder
is dominant on the inside. He is
committed to Louisville.
SHANE KEMPER
Burgettstown, sr., RB/FS
Kemper is a 6-2, 185-pound
physical back. He rushed for 234
yards and two TDs in 2019.
REIS WATKINS
Shenango, sr., QB/RB/LB
The 6-3, 230-pound Watkins will
be a force at running back and
linebacker but will start the season
BREAKDOWN
A CLASS Clairton senior Don Napper will help the Bears defend their WPIAL crown.
at QB. He rushed for 1,269
yards and scored 13 TDs in 2019.
DON’T MISS
9.11 Clairton at Jeannette
This is usually the final
regular-season game for both
teams, but the condensed schedule
moved it to the opener.
9.17 West Greene at California
The top teams from 2019 in the
Tri-County South square off early.
10.2 Burgettstown
at Shenango
The new teams to the Big Seven
Conference will square off in
Lawrence County, possibly for
the conference title. Both have
talented RBs.
GOOD LUCK SPRINGDALE! adno=129845_V6 BEARS OOZING CONFIDENCE
Clairton possesses talent
to repeat as champion
Clairton returned to the top
of Class A in 2019, and with numerous
key starters returning,
many feel the Bears are the team
to beat in 2020.
Clairton coach Wayne Wade
agrees.
He also agrees Class A got a
little stronger with the addition
of Burgettstown, Shenango
and Carmichaels, all of whom
dropped down from Class 2A.
“A lot of people have us ranked
either No. 1 or No. 2 in the state,”
Wade said. “I know Bishop Guilfoyle
returns a lot of starters and
that Steelton-Highspire is going
to be good.
“Those teams that dropped
down are good, along with
Jeannette, Cornell and
Greensburg Central Catholic got
(several) transfers. We’re looking
forward to the challenge.”
Sto-Rox, a Class A finalist in
2019, and Laurel moved to Class
2A after PIAA realignment.
Two key players returning for
Clairton are running back Isaiah
Berry and wide receiver and
Jonte Sanders, though Sanders is
moving to quarterback this season
to replace four-year starter
Brendan Parsons.
Clairton graduated only four
seniors from the WPIAL championship
squad. The Bears lost
to Farrell in the PIAA playoffs.
“I would say they are the team
to beat,” Jeannette coach Roy
Hall said. “But there are a lot of
good teams.”
The Jayhawks lost some key
players to graduation, but Hall
is counting on players like quarterback/
running back Roberto
Smith, quarterback James
Sanders, wide receiver Brett
Birch, linebacker Toby Cline and
lineman Tavon Briston.
Just in the Eastern Conference,
Jeannette, Greensburg Central
Catholic and Springdale should
be strong. Burgettstown, Shenango,
Cornell and Our Lady of the
Sacred Heart will battle in the
Big Seven, while West Greene
will face tough challenges from
California, Carmichaels and Jefferson
Morgan in the Tri-County
South.
West Greene coach Brian Hanson
said he doesn’t want people
to forget about his Pioneers, who
reached the semifinals in 2019
and fell to Sto-Rox.
“I know we lost 85% of our
offense with the graduation of
Ben Jackson (Army) and Kolin
Walker (Waynesburg), but
most of our line returns and
Corey Wise is a capable running
back,” Hanson said. “I like what
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Jefferson-Morgan returns. California
will be good, and Carmichaels
is good. Our conference
is ground-and-pound other than
Monessen, which has players
that play well in space.”
Monessen has a new coach in
Shane Swope. It had two tackles
— Mark Mizerak (Greensburg
Central Catholic) and Trevian
Thompson (Clairton) — transfer.
Newcomer Shenango, with
running back Reis Watkins, and
Burgettstown, with running back
Shane Kemper, feature strong
ground games and should be the
favorites in the Big Seven Conference.
Shenango also will return
quarterback Tino Campoli when
he recovers from an injury.
Cornell is restocking the
shelves in the Big Seven, and
Rochester and OLSH look to
make a jump with young squads.
Union is led by senior guard Aaron
Gunn.
by PAUL SCHOFIELD