What a play by Troy in the backfield. Vote @HSforMen's Polamalu for the 2014 Pro Biwl
Intimidation
PGProBowlChallenge
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Vote Troy 2014
Pro Bowl voting is kicking off, make sure @HSforMen's Troy Polamalu gets there!
Vote Troy 2014
PGProBowlChallenge
Gameday: Baltimore Ravens
4:25pm
Heinz Field
TV: CBS
Radio: WDVE and other affiliates
Recommended Ravens Blogs/Twitter
I did a guest spot on the Purple Reign Show Podcast this week
What To Watch For
1. Troy Polamalu
Every now and then an opportunity comes around to use my blog and Twitter-sphere to help with outreach and promotions. This year, I'm taking part in a promotional campaign to help Troy Polamalu get to the Pro Bowl. For the rest of the season, I'll be tweeting, posting links on Facebook and posting here different links/pictures/memes of Troy being awesome or reasons he should be voted to the Pro Bowl. As part of the campaign, the promoters (which I am one) get points based on how many people click the links, and how many people share the links/posts with their friends and followers. At the end of the season, the promoter with the most points wins a trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. There are other weekly prizes that can be earned as well. So if you see me posting links/photos/anything related to promoting Troy for the Pro Bowl, please click the link and hit "share" (on Facebook) or retweet (on Twitter). Some of the prizes include NFL.com gift certificates, so maybe if I'm fortunate enough to win one I'll even give something away to the follower/friend that shared the most posts. Thanks in advance!
2. Offensive Line Play
The Steelers and the Ravens have both been atrocious in the trenches this year. Two weeks ago, the Ravens made a trade to acquire Jaguars tackle Eugene Monroe and the Steelers made a seemingly concurrent move to pick up Levi Brown from Arizona. Monroe started last week while Brown tore his triceps in pre-game warmups and had to be placed on the injured reserve list. Through Week 6, the Steelers line ranked 29th in run blocking while the Ravens ranked 31st according to Football Outsiders. Baltimore was slightly better at pass protection, ranking 18th while the Steelers ranked 28th. Neither offensive line is very good at this point, but the offensive line that is able to patchwork together a decent game will be the deciding factor in who comes out on top.
3. New Faces, Old Place
The Ravens have turned over almost their entire defensive unit in the last two years by transitioning out old players and players they could not afford to pay. Despite all the new faces, the Ravens are still one of the top defenses in the league and excel at rushing the passer. Terrell Suggs is probably sitting at home licking his chops thinking about taking on Kelvin Beachum. Suggs is currently 3rd in the league with 7 sacks through 6 games and the Ravens are 3rd in the league as a team with 22 sacks. The Ravens improved their pass rush with the addition of Elvis Dumervil this offseason who already has 5 sacks. The Steelers will need to give their tackles help to hold back Suggs and Dumervil if they are going to have any success passing the ball.
4. Joe Flacco
After winning the Super Bowl last year, everyone wants to enter into a debate about where Flacco belongs on the echelon of NFL quarterbacks. The fact of the matter is that he is a totally different quarterback at home and on the road. This season he is 2-1 at home with a 64% completion percentage, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. On the road, Flacco has a 54% completion percentage and has thrown 4 TDs and 8 interceptions. He has thrown at least one interception in each of his road games, which include a 5-pick performance against Buffalo. "Road Joe" is much, much worse than "Home Joe" and the Steelers need to take advantage of this. The secondary should have decent matchups as Torrey Smith is the Ravens only real receiving threat and Ray Rice has been generally ineffective in the running game. The defense will need to capitalize on the opportunities that Flacco gives them, because the chances will certainly be there.
5. Last Possession
The Steelers and Ravens have a long history of playing tight, hard-hitting games. This is the best rivalry in football and if it seems like it has lost some of its luster this year, that's only because the Steelers are currently 1-4 and the Ravens are 3-3. If the Steelers were 4-1 and clinging to a division lead this game would have an entirely different feel. Yet in games like this, the records truly go out the window. The Ravens are the defending Super Bowl Champions and they came into Heinz Field and won last year. Regardless of how this season turns out, the Steelers can not let their rivals come in and own their home turf. The game will be close - with these two teams it always is - and the team with the last possession will likely have an opportunity to win the game. We've seen the Steelers take advantage of this with last-minute scores to defeat the Ravens in 2008 (Santonio Holmes touchdown) and 2010 (Isaac Redman touchdown). The Ravens have had their last-minute wins, including a TJ Douchemandzadeh score and a Torrey Smith touchdown. Both Flacco and Ben are capable of leading game-winning drives, and the quarterback that gets the ball in his hands last will likely be the one walking off the victor.
Vote Troy 2014
Proud to be promoting @HSforMen's Troy Polamalu for the 2014 Pro Bowl! It's never too soon to start voting!
PGProBowlChallenge
Vote Troy 2014
PGProBowlChallenge
Friday, October 18, 2013
WPIAL Week 8 Games of the Week and Playoff Scenarios
I spent most of my time this week putting together a YouTube Video of the Playoff Scenarios as they currently stand heading into Week 8.
Also, don't forget to check out my WPIAL Standings Page, it's the only one you'll find with Gardner Points and WPIAL Point Differential Tiebreakers listed.
Seneca Valley and Bethel Park square off in a non-conference game that will play a big factor in how the seeding shakes out in Quad-A. Seneca Valley's only loss this year was to Central Catholic while Bethel Park has been defeated by Upper St Clair and Woodland Hills. With Bethel Park hanging on to the 3rd place spot in the Southeastern Conference, a win would almost guarantee the Black Hawks a home game in the first round. Seneca Valley has secured a first round home game but can go a long way towards proving themselves as a title contender with a win.
Honorable Mentions: Kiski (4-2, 4-3) at McKeesport (6-0, 7-0), Penn-Trafford (4-2, 4-3) at Gateway (6-0, 7-0), Pine-Richland (3-3, 4-3) at North Hills (3-2, 4-3), Peters Twp (3-3, 3-4) at Woodland Hills (5-1, 5-2)
Foothills Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: McKeesport, Gateway, Hempfield, Kiski, Penn-Trafford
- McKeesport and Gateway have secured first round home games
- The five playoff teams have already been decided, but the race for 3rd place is tight. Hempfield, Kiski and Penn-Trafford are all 4-2 in conference. Hempfield beat Kiski and Kiski beat Penn-Trafford. Hempfield plays Penn-Trafford in the season finale next week.
- Latrobe can not finish in the Top 5 in the conference but is still alive for the 16th playoff spot.
Northern Eight Conference
- Conference Champion: Central Catholic
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Central Catholic, Seneca Valley, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland
- Seneca Valley has secured a first round home game
- The five playoff teams have been decided and the last two weeks will be a battle to determine third place. North Hills (3-2) finishes with Pine-Richland (3-3) and North Allegheny (3-2). North Allegheny already has a win over Pine-Richland.
Southeastern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Upper St Clair, Woodland Hills, Bethel Park
- Upper St Clair has secured a first round home game
- Upper St Clair can clinch the conference championship with a win over Plum
- Penn Hills clinches a playoff berth with a win over Mt Lebanon
- Peters Twp clinches a playoff berth with a win over Woodland Hills or losses by Baldwin and Mt Lebanon
- Baldwin clinches a playoff berth with a win over Canon-McMillan and losses by Mt Lebanon and Latrobe
The Race For 16th
Per the WPIAL tiebreaking system, the 16th playoff team in Quad-A will be decided by the 6th place team with the best overall record, non-conference games included.
Baldwin - 3-4
Latrobe - 2-5
Mt Lebanon - 2-5
The defending AAA Champions got a run for their money from New Castle last week and have a chance to secure the Conference Championship at home this week. Montour has gotten stronger as the season has moved forward and is currently locked in a 3-way tie for 3rd place. West Allegheny is a legitimate contender to repeat as AAA Champions, while Montour is looking to keep pace with the winner of the New Castle-Moon game in the hopes that they can earn a home playoff game. Elsewhere in AAA, Ringgold and Highlands play an important non-conference game that will help determine the seeding in the top half of the AAA bracket. Ringgold currently sits in 3rd place in the Big Nine Conference while Highlands is in a 3-way tie for first in the Greater Allegheny Conference.
Honorable Mention: New Castle (4-2, 5-2) at Moon (4-2, 5-2), Knoch (2-4, 3-4) at Indiana (2-4, 2-5), Ringgold (5-2, 5-2) at Highlands (6-1, 6-1)
Big Nine Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: West Mifflin, Thomas Jefferson, Ringgold, Elizabeth Forward
- West Mifflin and Thomas Jefferson have secured home games
- Belle Vernon clinches a playoff berth with a win over Laurel Highlands and losses by Uniontown and Albert Gallatin
- Ringgold plays a non-conference game, but will clinch a 3rd place finish if Elizabeth Forward loses
Greater Allegheny Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Highlands, Franklin Regional, Mars
- The Greater Allegheny Conference playoff race will become clearer after this week when Indiana and Knoch face off. Indiana and Knoch are currently tied for 6th place and Indiana has a win over 5th place Hampton while Knoch has a win over 4th place Hollidaysburg. With Hollidaysburg facing Mars and Hampton facing Franklin Regional, the potential exists for a 3-way tie for 4th/5th/6th place heading into the last week of the season. Even if Hollidaysburg and/or Hampton win, they could still be surpassed by Knoch or Indiana in the last week of the season.
Parkway Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: West Allegheny, Central Valley, New Castle, Moon, Montour
- West Allegheny and Central Valley have secured first round home games
- West Allegheny clinches the Conference Championship with a win over Montour
- Hopewell has had a season to forget, going 0-7 to date, but they might get off the schnide this week when they play Freedom, who is also winless and from a lower classification (AA).
The Race for 16th
The "Wild Card" spot in AAA is decided based solely on Conference Record, which means this will come down to the last week of the season.
- Indiana - 2-4, 30 Gardner Pts
- Knoch - 2-4, 30 Gardner Pts
- Uniontown - 2-4 20 Gardner Pts
- Ambridge - 2-4, 10 Gardner Pts
This is not just the AA game of the week, this is THE game of the week for the entire WPIAL. Two undefeated rivals square off with the Midwestern Conference title on the line. Aliquippa is loaded with Division 1 talent, led by defensive back/runningback Dravon Henry who has narrowed his list to Pitt, Ohio State, West Virginia and Alabama. If there is a team in the conference that can match Aliquippa from a talent perspective it is Beaver Falls. Elsewhere in AA, Summit Academy can clinch their first playoff berth in school history with a win over Shady Side Academy.
Honorable Mentions: Summit Academy (4-2, 4-3) at Shady Side Academy (6-0, 7-0), Valley (4-2, 5-2) at Kittanning (6-0, 7-0) South Park (5-1, 5-2) at South Fayette (6-0, 7-0), Greensburg Central Catholic (4-2, 4-3) at Yough (3-3, 3-4)
Allegheny Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Shady Side Academy, Kittanning, Valley
- Summit Academy clinches the first playoff berth in school history with a win over Shady Side Academy or a Burrell loss
- East Allegheny is currently in 5th place with a 3-4 conference record but can not make the playoffs due to head-to-head losses to Summit Academy (4-2) and Valley (4-2) and only one remaining conference game.
- Burrell (2-4) has a head-to-head victory over Summit Academy but must win out by beating East Allegheny this week and Deer Lakes in the finale AND Summit Academy has to lose both of their remaining games to Shady Side Academy and Freeport in order for Burrell to reach the playoffs.
Century Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: South Fayette,Quaker Valley, South Park, Seton-La Salle
- South Fayette clinches the Conference Championship with a win over South Park
- Quaker Valley clinches the first home playoff game in school history with a win over Burgettstown and a South Park loss
Interstate Conference
- Conference Champion: Mt Pleasant
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Washington, Mt Pleasant
- Washington has secured a home playoff game
- Jeanette clinches a playoff berth with a win over Waynesburg and a Yough loss
- GCC clinches a playoff berth with a win over Yough
Midwestern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Beaver Falls, Aliquippa
- Beaver Falls and Aliquippa have clinched home playoff games
- The winner of Aliquippa-Beaver Falls wins the Conference Championship
- Due to the fact that 5th place Mohawk (3-3) plays a non-conference game, New Brighton and Beaver can not clinch playoff berths this week. The potential exists for New Brighton, Beaver and Mohawk to end the season in a 3-way tie where two will make the playoffs if New Brighton and Beaver win this week then Beaver loses to Aliquippa and Mohawk beats New Brighton next week.
I know you're probably thinking I'm just giving another plug to my alma mater. However, this is a big game in Class A. North Catholic has already clinched the Eastern Conference and the only remaining question is where they will be seeded. Neshannock's only loss is to Sto-Rox, the presumed top seed in Single-A. The Lancers fell on a last-minute goal-line stand by Sto-Rox. This is a measuring stick game, not only for North Catholic but for the Eastern Conference to see how they stack up against the Big Seven.
Honorable Mention: Sto-Rox (6-0, 7-0) at Laurel (5-1, 6-1), Monessen (5-1, 6-1) at Chartiers-Houston (4-2, 5-2), Beth-Center (7-0, 7-0) at Avella (4-2, 5-2)
Big Seven Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Sto-Rox, Neshannock, Laurel
- Sto-Rox clinches the Conference Championship with a win over Laurel
- Neshannock plays a non-conference game but can clinch a home playoff game with a Laurel loss
- Western Beaver clinches a playoff berth with a win over Shenango
- Rochester (2-4) is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1996. The Rams currently have the longest playoff streak in Class A and the 4th longest in the WPIAL. They will be eliminated with a loss to OLSH or if Western Beaver beats Shenango.
Black Hills Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Clairton, Fort Cherry, Monessen
- Chartiers-Houston clinches a playoff berth with a win over Monessen and a Brentwood loss
- Clairton plays their last conference game this week and is currently in a 3-way tie for first place with Fort Cherry and Monessen. However, the 5-time defending WPIAL Champions are in danger of not having a home playoff game. The top 2 in the conference host playoff games. Assuming Clairton, Fort Cherry and Monessen win out, the tiebreaker would fall to the WPIAL Points Tiebreaker. If Clairton beats Serra by 10+ as they should, they would need Fort Cherry to beat Chartiers-Houston by 6 or less OR Monessen to beat Chartiers-Houston or Carlynton by 7 or less.
- Chartiers-Houston is currently in 4th place with a 4-2 conference record but faces Monessen (5-1) and Fort Cherry (6-1) to close out the season. If the Bucs lose both games, they could be surpassed by Brentwood (3-3) who closes out with Carlynton (2-4) and California (2-4). Brentwood would need to win just one of those games to make the playoffs because they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Chartiers-Houston.
Eastern Conference
- Conference Champion: North Catholic
- Playoff Berths Clinched: North Catholic, Avonworth, Apollo-Ridge
- Avonworth clinches a home playoff game with a win over Wilkinsburg.
- West Shamokin is in the playoffs for the first time in school history with a win over Leechburg.
- Springdale misses the playoffs for the first time since 2001 with a loss or a West Shamokin win.
Tri-County South Conference
- Conference Champion: Beth-Center
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Beth-Center, Carmichaels
- Frazier plays a non-conference game, but can clinch a playoff berth with a Mapletown loss
- Avella clinches their first playoff berth since 1976 with a win over Beth-Center or a Mapletown loss
Also, don't forget to check out my WPIAL Standings Page, it's the only one you'll find with Gardner Points and WPIAL Point Differential Tiebreakers listed.
AAAA
Game of the Week
Seneca Valley (5-1, 6-1) at Bethel Park (6-2, 6-2)
Seneca Valley and Bethel Park square off in a non-conference game that will play a big factor in how the seeding shakes out in Quad-A. Seneca Valley's only loss this year was to Central Catholic while Bethel Park has been defeated by Upper St Clair and Woodland Hills. With Bethel Park hanging on to the 3rd place spot in the Southeastern Conference, a win would almost guarantee the Black Hawks a home game in the first round. Seneca Valley has secured a first round home game but can go a long way towards proving themselves as a title contender with a win.
Honorable Mentions: Kiski (4-2, 4-3) at McKeesport (6-0, 7-0), Penn-Trafford (4-2, 4-3) at Gateway (6-0, 7-0), Pine-Richland (3-3, 4-3) at North Hills (3-2, 4-3), Peters Twp (3-3, 3-4) at Woodland Hills (5-1, 5-2)
Playoff Scenarios
Foothills Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: McKeesport, Gateway, Hempfield, Kiski, Penn-Trafford
- McKeesport and Gateway have secured first round home games
- The five playoff teams have already been decided, but the race for 3rd place is tight. Hempfield, Kiski and Penn-Trafford are all 4-2 in conference. Hempfield beat Kiski and Kiski beat Penn-Trafford. Hempfield plays Penn-Trafford in the season finale next week.
- Latrobe can not finish in the Top 5 in the conference but is still alive for the 16th playoff spot.
Northern Eight Conference
- Conference Champion: Central Catholic
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Central Catholic, Seneca Valley, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland
- Seneca Valley has secured a first round home game
- The five playoff teams have been decided and the last two weeks will be a battle to determine third place. North Hills (3-2) finishes with Pine-Richland (3-3) and North Allegheny (3-2). North Allegheny already has a win over Pine-Richland.
Southeastern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Upper St Clair, Woodland Hills, Bethel Park
- Upper St Clair has secured a first round home game
- Upper St Clair can clinch the conference championship with a win over Plum
- Penn Hills clinches a playoff berth with a win over Mt Lebanon
- Peters Twp clinches a playoff berth with a win over Woodland Hills or losses by Baldwin and Mt Lebanon
- Baldwin clinches a playoff berth with a win over Canon-McMillan and losses by Mt Lebanon and Latrobe
The Race For 16th
Per the WPIAL tiebreaking system, the 16th playoff team in Quad-A will be decided by the 6th place team with the best overall record, non-conference games included.
Baldwin - 3-4
Latrobe - 2-5
Mt Lebanon - 2-5
AAA
Game of the Week
Montour (4-2, 5-2) at West Allegheny (6-0, 7-0)
The defending AAA Champions got a run for their money from New Castle last week and have a chance to secure the Conference Championship at home this week. Montour has gotten stronger as the season has moved forward and is currently locked in a 3-way tie for 3rd place. West Allegheny is a legitimate contender to repeat as AAA Champions, while Montour is looking to keep pace with the winner of the New Castle-Moon game in the hopes that they can earn a home playoff game. Elsewhere in AAA, Ringgold and Highlands play an important non-conference game that will help determine the seeding in the top half of the AAA bracket. Ringgold currently sits in 3rd place in the Big Nine Conference while Highlands is in a 3-way tie for first in the Greater Allegheny Conference.
Honorable Mention: New Castle (4-2, 5-2) at Moon (4-2, 5-2), Knoch (2-4, 3-4) at Indiana (2-4, 2-5), Ringgold (5-2, 5-2) at Highlands (6-1, 6-1)
Playoff Scenarios
Big Nine Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: West Mifflin, Thomas Jefferson, Ringgold, Elizabeth Forward
- West Mifflin and Thomas Jefferson have secured home games
- Belle Vernon clinches a playoff berth with a win over Laurel Highlands and losses by Uniontown and Albert Gallatin
- Ringgold plays a non-conference game, but will clinch a 3rd place finish if Elizabeth Forward loses
Greater Allegheny Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Highlands, Franklin Regional, Mars
- The Greater Allegheny Conference playoff race will become clearer after this week when Indiana and Knoch face off. Indiana and Knoch are currently tied for 6th place and Indiana has a win over 5th place Hampton while Knoch has a win over 4th place Hollidaysburg. With Hollidaysburg facing Mars and Hampton facing Franklin Regional, the potential exists for a 3-way tie for 4th/5th/6th place heading into the last week of the season. Even if Hollidaysburg and/or Hampton win, they could still be surpassed by Knoch or Indiana in the last week of the season.
Parkway Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: West Allegheny, Central Valley, New Castle, Moon, Montour
- West Allegheny and Central Valley have secured first round home games
- West Allegheny clinches the Conference Championship with a win over Montour
- Hopewell has had a season to forget, going 0-7 to date, but they might get off the schnide this week when they play Freedom, who is also winless and from a lower classification (AA).
The Race for 16th
The "Wild Card" spot in AAA is decided based solely on Conference Record, which means this will come down to the last week of the season.
- Indiana - 2-4, 30 Gardner Pts
- Knoch - 2-4, 30 Gardner Pts
- Uniontown - 2-4 20 Gardner Pts
- Ambridge - 2-4, 10 Gardner Pts
AA
Game of the Week
Aliquippa (5-0, 7-0) at Beaver Falls (6-0, 7-0)
This is not just the AA game of the week, this is THE game of the week for the entire WPIAL. Two undefeated rivals square off with the Midwestern Conference title on the line. Aliquippa is loaded with Division 1 talent, led by defensive back/runningback Dravon Henry who has narrowed his list to Pitt, Ohio State, West Virginia and Alabama. If there is a team in the conference that can match Aliquippa from a talent perspective it is Beaver Falls. Elsewhere in AA, Summit Academy can clinch their first playoff berth in school history with a win over Shady Side Academy.
Honorable Mentions: Summit Academy (4-2, 4-3) at Shady Side Academy (6-0, 7-0), Valley (4-2, 5-2) at Kittanning (6-0, 7-0) South Park (5-1, 5-2) at South Fayette (6-0, 7-0), Greensburg Central Catholic (4-2, 4-3) at Yough (3-3, 3-4)
Playoff Scenarios
Allegheny Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Shady Side Academy, Kittanning, Valley
- Summit Academy clinches the first playoff berth in school history with a win over Shady Side Academy or a Burrell loss
- East Allegheny is currently in 5th place with a 3-4 conference record but can not make the playoffs due to head-to-head losses to Summit Academy (4-2) and Valley (4-2) and only one remaining conference game.
- Burrell (2-4) has a head-to-head victory over Summit Academy but must win out by beating East Allegheny this week and Deer Lakes in the finale AND Summit Academy has to lose both of their remaining games to Shady Side Academy and Freeport in order for Burrell to reach the playoffs.
Century Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: South Fayette,Quaker Valley, South Park, Seton-La Salle
- South Fayette clinches the Conference Championship with a win over South Park
- Quaker Valley clinches the first home playoff game in school history with a win over Burgettstown and a South Park loss
Interstate Conference
- Conference Champion: Mt Pleasant
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Washington, Mt Pleasant
- Washington has secured a home playoff game
- Jeanette clinches a playoff berth with a win over Waynesburg and a Yough loss
- GCC clinches a playoff berth with a win over Yough
Midwestern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Beaver Falls, Aliquippa
- Beaver Falls and Aliquippa have clinched home playoff games
- The winner of Aliquippa-Beaver Falls wins the Conference Championship
- Due to the fact that 5th place Mohawk (3-3) plays a non-conference game, New Brighton and Beaver can not clinch playoff berths this week. The potential exists for New Brighton, Beaver and Mohawk to end the season in a 3-way tie where two will make the playoffs if New Brighton and Beaver win this week then Beaver loses to Aliquippa and Mohawk beats New Brighton next week.
A
Game of the Week
Neshannock (6-1, 6-1) at North Catholic (7-0, 7-0)
I know you're probably thinking I'm just giving another plug to my alma mater. However, this is a big game in Class A. North Catholic has already clinched the Eastern Conference and the only remaining question is where they will be seeded. Neshannock's only loss is to Sto-Rox, the presumed top seed in Single-A. The Lancers fell on a last-minute goal-line stand by Sto-Rox. This is a measuring stick game, not only for North Catholic but for the Eastern Conference to see how they stack up against the Big Seven.
Honorable Mention: Sto-Rox (6-0, 7-0) at Laurel (5-1, 6-1), Monessen (5-1, 6-1) at Chartiers-Houston (4-2, 5-2), Beth-Center (7-0, 7-0) at Avella (4-2, 5-2)
Playoff Scenarios
Big Seven Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Sto-Rox, Neshannock, Laurel
- Sto-Rox clinches the Conference Championship with a win over Laurel
- Neshannock plays a non-conference game but can clinch a home playoff game with a Laurel loss
- Western Beaver clinches a playoff berth with a win over Shenango
- Rochester (2-4) is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1996. The Rams currently have the longest playoff streak in Class A and the 4th longest in the WPIAL. They will be eliminated with a loss to OLSH or if Western Beaver beats Shenango.
Black Hills Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Clairton, Fort Cherry, Monessen
- Chartiers-Houston clinches a playoff berth with a win over Monessen and a Brentwood loss
- Clairton plays their last conference game this week and is currently in a 3-way tie for first place with Fort Cherry and Monessen. However, the 5-time defending WPIAL Champions are in danger of not having a home playoff game. The top 2 in the conference host playoff games. Assuming Clairton, Fort Cherry and Monessen win out, the tiebreaker would fall to the WPIAL Points Tiebreaker. If Clairton beats Serra by 10+ as they should, they would need Fort Cherry to beat Chartiers-Houston by 6 or less OR Monessen to beat Chartiers-Houston or Carlynton by 7 or less.
- Chartiers-Houston is currently in 4th place with a 4-2 conference record but faces Monessen (5-1) and Fort Cherry (6-1) to close out the season. If the Bucs lose both games, they could be surpassed by Brentwood (3-3) who closes out with Carlynton (2-4) and California (2-4). Brentwood would need to win just one of those games to make the playoffs because they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Chartiers-Houston.
Eastern Conference
- Conference Champion: North Catholic
- Playoff Berths Clinched: North Catholic, Avonworth, Apollo-Ridge
- Avonworth clinches a home playoff game with a win over Wilkinsburg.
- West Shamokin is in the playoffs for the first time in school history with a win over Leechburg.
- Springdale misses the playoffs for the first time since 2001 with a loss or a West Shamokin win.
Tri-County South Conference
- Conference Champion: Beth-Center
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Beth-Center, Carmichaels
- Frazier plays a non-conference game, but can clinch a playoff berth with a Mapletown loss
- Avella clinches their first playoff berth since 1976 with a win over Beth-Center or a Mapletown loss
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Wait For It: Steelers WIN
19
6
The Steelers got the ball first and came out with the first offensive series in two weeks with two WR screens, the second of which Ben threw off the back of Heath's head. 3-and-out.
The Jets were able to pick up a first down and pin the Steelers deep, giving them an early edge in field position.
Kelvin Beachum came out determined to do his best Mike Adams impression and took a holding penalty then almost gave up a sack that would have been a safety if Ben was not Ben. Probably the play of the first quarter right there for Ben to get away from that pressure. Two straight 3-and-outs.
The Jets keep in on the ground and work their way down to the 2 where the Steelers eventually stand strong on a 3rd down run and force a field goal.
0-3
The offense sticks to the screen game and Bell picks up a first down then AB single-handedly puts the team on his back and atones for another Beachum holding penalty by turning a WR screen on 3rd and long into a first down. Ben gets sacked as the quarter ends.
Second Quarter
Ben comes out of the break and slings his best pass of the year to Heath down the seam, fitting it in right over the linebacker's arms and right in front of a safety for a huge 30-yard gain to flip the field. The offense doesn't do much else, but AB is able to get 9 yards on 3rd down to get us into field goal range.
3-3
Jason Worlids shows up for the first time all season and sacks Geno Smith on 3rd down, forcing a 3-and-out. Big stand by the defense after the offense put points on the board.
Ben goes right back to what works and hits Heath to get things rolling. Ben and Manny were finally able to connect to get across the 50 then a horsecollar tackle on Will Johnson moved us into field goal range. Haley goes deep into the playbook and calls a reverse pass by Antonio Brown to Felix Jones. Jones is wide open but bobbles the ball and barely comes down with it before running out of bounds inside the 20. The offense sputters out and Suisham gives us a lead.
6-3
Geno takes a shot deep for Stephen Hill who is wide open behind the coverage but the ball is luckily overthrown. Woodley puts an end to things with a 3rd down sack. Two straight 3-and-outs from the defense. Solid.
The Steelers take over with 4 minutes left in the half and Ben goes to work, hitting Heath then hooking up with AB three times to move us into Jets territory. After another penalty on Beachum that knocks us out of field goal range, Ben goes back to AB who almost picks it up all by himself again and gets us back into Suisham's range. 48 yards kaboom.
9-3
The Jets get the ball back with 45 seconds left and would seem content to sit on the ball but Geno is able to convert a 3rd down with 20 ticks left. Geno connects on a few short outs then hits Hill on a pump-and-go down the sideline to get them into field goal range. Hill gets blasted by Troy but is able to hang on. The fact that the Jets were able to add points before the half is crazy. One tackle in bounds and the half is over.
9-6
Halftime
A halftime lead, what is this?
Third Quarter
All the commentators gushed at halftime about Geno Smith's 45-second field goal drive before the half and seemed to think this was reason enough to turn him loose in the second half. Maybe Rex Ryan was listening because they came out with 3 pass attempts and went 3-and-out.
The Steelers finally had a whiff of field position and pounded Le'Veon Bell for two carries to get into a 3rd and 1. Good field position, 3rd and short, with a lead. You would think they would keep it on the ground and keep things rolling. But credit Haley, he went for the juglar. Ben goes play-action and bombs one downfield to a wide open Manny Sanders who just blew past Cromartie and summersaults into the end zone.
16-6
The Jets come back and start working in their tight end and are able to move the ball. They start mixing runs and passes and have the Steelers defense on their heels as they move into field goal range. Geno gets greedy and tries to go for it all and Ryan Clark makes a great play coming over the top and making the pick.
Lost in the fact that it was the Steelers first turnover of the year was that Ryan had a LOT of grass in front of him and might have brought it back 100 yards if he hadn't tripped over the 10 yard line.
A lead! And a turnover! What is this?
The Steelers don't do much with it, but the turnover prevented a Jets scoring drive so that was good enough.
Vince Williams blows up a screen pass and the Jets go 3-and-out again. If you're keeping score at home, that's 4 3-and-outs for the defense.
The Steelers had the lead and put together one of those 7-minute second half drives that extend the lead and suck the will out of the other team.
Ben hit AB to convert a 3rd down then picked up some more yardage on a pass interference call on Cromartie. Heath got in on the act to move us into the red zone.
Fourth Quarter
Facing a 3rd and 10 at the 12, Ben stepped away from pressure, saw a running lane and took it and was able to pick up the first down by the nose of the ball. It was nothing but backwards from there as Bell lost yards then a Beachum hold put us at the 14. A screen pass to Bell got us back inside the 10 but Haley decided to get cute again and call another reverse pass by Brown.
This one didn't work and wound up with Brown getting run out of bounds for a sack. At least he didn't throw a pick.
19-6
The game starts to get a little sloppy after that with the teams trading off drives that really don't do anything. The Jets work their way out near midfield but a holding penalty on Willie Colon puts an end to their chances. A backbreaking penalty by Colon? Never would've expected that!
With 7 minutes left, the Steelers start to go into grind it out mode and just run the ball. They take a few minutes off before the Jets get the ball back.
With the Jets in desperation mode, Ziggy comes up with a sack but Smith is able to complete a few passes and move them across midfield. They catch the Steelers napping on a run to get inside the 25. Two plays later, Jarvis Jones comes free and hammers Smith right in the numbers as he's letting the ball go and the pass floats right to Lawrence Timmons.
Two turnovers
In one game
I can't even. What is going on?
The Steelers take over with 3 minutes left and the running game takes over. Ben doesn't even have to throw another pass and they take all but 20 seconds off the clock. Great close-out by the O-line and Bell/Dwyer/Jones.
A win! It's a win!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Gameday: New York Jets
1:00pm
MetLife Stadium
TV: CBS
Radio: WDVE and other affiliates
Recommended Jets Blogs/Twitter
What to Watch For
1. Jets Defensive Line
The Jets defensive line has been the anchor of their defense so far this season. Muhammed Wilkerson, selected one pick before Cameron Heyward in 2011, has quietly emerged as a dominant force on their defensive line. The Jets under Rex Ryan show a variety of defensive fronts and are capable of lining up in a 3-4, 4-3 or Bear look. Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson, one of their first round picks this year, have the athleticism, strength and position flexibility to cause problems from any alignment. The Jets get the majority of their pass rush from these two. Wilkerson leads the team with 4 sacks and Richardson has 2 1/2.
2. Steelers WRs vs Jets CBs
News came out this week that Antonio Cromartie might miss the game because of a knee injury he suffered during practice. It appears that Cromartie will play, but rookie Dee Milliner and top backup Kyle Wilson are both out. This gives the Steelers a clear advantage on everyone except for Cromartie. He will likely follow Antonio Brown around the field, which should mean a clear mismatch for Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery. Markus Wheaton is out as he recovers from his broken finger, but Sanders and Cotchery have been successful at getting separation this year. Cromartie is a big physical corner that will likely press Brown and play tight on him close to the line. AB has the speed to get away from him downfield, but that will require the line to hold against the Jets defensive front for more than a few seconds.
3. Pressure Geno Smith
Through the first 4 games of the season, Geno Smith threw 8 interceptions. Last week against Atlanta, the Falcons decided to sit back on defense and try to play coverage (like the Steelers have done for most of this year) and Geno Smith picked them apart for 3 TDs and 0 INTs. As I'm sure you're aware, the Steelers have yet to record a turnover this season. They can't simply sit back and wait for a turnover to come to them. They have to be aggressive on defense and get after Geno Smith. They need to force him to rush throws. Jarvis Jones has gotten pressure but has yet to record a sack this season. The Steelers are going to need to get pressure and force Geno Smith into bad throws lest they suffer the same fate the Falcons did.
4. New Faces in New Places
The Steelers made some roster changes this past week. Cam Heyward surpassed Ziggy Hood at defensive end and will be starting, though with how much the D-line rotates, Ziggy will still see time. There was some disagreement this week whether the change was more due to Cam playing well or Ziggy playing poorly. Cam has definitely outplayed Ziggy this year, but Ziggy hasn't played terrible either. Personally, I think this move was based on Cam's play more than Ziggy's. Mike Adams was demoted down the depth chart after his terrible game against the Vikings. The Steelers traded for Levi Brown and as of Saturday it remained up in the air if Brown or Kelvin Beachum would get the start at left tackle. The Steelers also added safety Will Allen back to the squad after he was cut by the Cowboys and linebacker Stevenson Sylvester who was still available after being cut by the team in camp.
Friday, October 11, 2013
WPIAL Week 7 Games of the Week and Playoff Scenarios
With two-thirds of the season in the books, the schedule is winding down an the playoff picture is rapidly becoming clearer. In Quad-A, 10 of the 16 playoff spots are already decided with 3 more capable of being locked up tonight. Only 7 8 spots have been decided in AAA (Montour clinched a spot with their Thursday night win over Blackhawk). Four of the remaining spots in the AAA bracket can be decided tonight. In AA 8 teams have also clinched but only 3 more can lock up spots this week. Class A is still wide open with only 4 teams having secured their spots in the postseason. At least one conference title will be won tonight (by the winner of the Washington-Mt Pleasant game) but two other schools (North Catholic and Beth-Center) could earn their conference crowns as well. Don't forget to check out my WPIAL Standings Page, the only one you'll find with Gardner Points and WPIAL Points Tiebreakers.
A few weeks ago I chose two games in Class A for my Game of the Week. It's not something I do often, but this matchup in the Southeastern Conference is too good to pass up. Bethel Park was the only team to defeat Upper St Clair last season in a bizarre game where Bethel Park only tallied 107 total yards and 3 first downs. The Blackhawks got two big plays on special teams that made the difference last year. The two teams collide again this year with first place in the Southeastern Conference on the line. Bethel Park is led by RB Alex Minton who has 620 yards of total offense between rushing and receiving, leading the team in both categories. The Panthers hopes at revenge will be on the shoulders of Trevor Morrow (533 yards, 8 TDs) and Mac Pope (245 yards rushing, 135 yards receiving, 9 total TDs). The biggest question in this game is not if Upper St Clair will get revenge but if Bethel Park will be able to score at all against the Panthers defense who have not allowed a point since Woodland Hills scored 10 on them in the season opener.
Honorable Mention: North Hills (3-1, 4-2) at Seneca Valley (4-1, 5-1)
Foothills Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: McKeesport, Gateway, Penn-Trafford, Hempfield
- Kiski clinches a playoff berth with a win over Penn-Trafford or a Connellsville loss
Northern Eight Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Central Catholic, Seneca Valley, North Allegheny, North Hills
- Pine-Richland clinches a playoff berth with a win over Shaler
Southeastern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Upper St Clair, Bethel Park
- Woodland Hills clinches a playoff berth with a win over Canon-McMillan
I had some rousing discussions on Twitter this week about how outside of the top 4 teams (West Allegheny, Central Valley, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin), this is a down year for AAA. Most of this sentiment rises from the fact that the once brutally-tough Parkway Conference has lost its bite in the middle and bottom of the league. That said, we return once again to the Parkway for our AAA Game of the Week. New Castle's only loss this season was a 29-6 defeat to Central Valley in the opening week of the season. Since then, the Red Hurricane have gone 5-0 and scored over 32 points each week. Before Blackhawk stormed back against them last week, they hadn't given up more than 13 points since the opener against Central Valley. New Castle will lean on dual-threat QB Julian Cox and Ohio St recruit WR/DB Malik Hooker while West Allegheny will continue to ride the backfield duo of Chayse Dillon and Tory Delmonico who both have over 550 yards of total offense.
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Forward (4-2, 4-2) at Ringgold (4-2, 4-2)
Big Nine Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: West Mifflin, Thomas Jefferson
- The winner of Elizabeth Forward-Ringgold clinches a playoff berth
- If Elizabeth Forward loses to Ringgold, the Warriors can clinch a playoff berth with an Albert Gallatin loss
- If Ringgold loses to Elizabeth Forward, the Rams can clinch a playoff berth with a Trinity loss
Greater Allegheny Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Highlands
- Franklin Regional clinches a playoff berth with a win over Hollidaysburg or a Knoch loss
- Mars clinches a playoff berth with a win over Knoch
Parkway Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: West Allegheny, Central Valley, New Castle, Moon
- Montour clinched a playoff berth with a win over Blackhawk on Thursday night
In the first two weeks of the year, Washington and Mt Pleasant disposed of Greensburg Central Catholic. In the last two weeks, Jeanette got the same treatment. Now only these two remain atop the Interstate Conference. With every other team holding at least two losses, the winner of this game will secure the conference title. Washington's season had a cloud cast over it when RB Shai McKenzie, one of the top players in Pennsylvania, suffered an ACL injury and was lost for the season. The Prexies responded with Malik Wells, Jordan West and Kurt Adkins picking up the load and continued to steamroll opponents. This week will be the biggest test of the season for Washington's defense as they will need to contain Viking RB Tyler Mellors whose 860 yards are the second most by any back in Class AA this season.
Honorable Mentions: Shady Side Academy (6-0, 6-0) at Jeanette (4-2, 4-2), Seton-La Salle (5-1, 5-1) at Quaker Valley (5-1, 5-1), Valley (4-1, 5-1) at Summit Academy (3-2, 3-3)
Allegheny Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Shady Side Academy, Kittanning
- Valley clinches a playoff berth with a win over Summit Academy
Century Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: South Fayette, Seton-La Salle, Quaker Valley
- South Park clinches a playoff berth with a win over Steel Valley
- South Fayette plays a non-conference game but can clinch a home playoff game with a South Park loss
Interstate Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Washington, Mt Pleasant
- The winner of Washington-Mt Pleasant wins the Conference Championship
Midwestern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Beaver Falls
- Aliquippa clinches a playoff berth with a win over Ellwood City
- Aliquippa clinches a home playoff game with a win and a Beaver loss
The slate of games in Class A this week is one of the weakest of the season, but it does provide two intriguing matchups from the Tri-County South. Comprised mostly of small schools with even smaller football teams, the Tri-County South Conference has been heavily maligned since losing Monessen and California to the Black Hills Conference in the last realignment. Perennial TCS powerhouse Beth-Center already has a playoff berth wrapped up and takes on Frazier with the chance to avenge their only loss from last season. The Bulldogs can also wrap up the conference title with a win and an Avella loss to Carmichaels. Avella is just one win away from clinching their first playoff berth since 1976.
Honorable Mention: Avella (4-1, 5-1) at Carmichaels (4-1, 5-1)
Big Seven Conference
- No playoff berths clinched
- Sto-Rox clinches a playoff berth with a win over Western Beaver or a Rochester loss
- Neshannock clinches a playoff berth with a win over OLSH
- Laurel clinches a playoff berth with a win over Rochester
- Western Beaver clinches a playoff berth with a win over Sto-Rox and losses by Rochester, OLSH and Shenango
Black Hills Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Clairton, Fort Cherry
- Monessen does not have a scheduled opponent this week but can clinch a playoff berth with a loss by Carlynton
Eastern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: North Catholic
- North Catholic clinches the Conference Championship with a win over Wilkinsburg
- Avonworth clinches a playoff berth with a win over Springdale
- West Shamokin clinches a playoff berth with a Springdale loss
- Apollo-Ridge clinches a playoff berth with a win over Northgate and a Riverview loss
Tri-County South Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Beth-Center
- Beth-Center clinches the Conference Championship with a win over Frazier and an Avella loss
- Frazier clinches a playoff berth with a win over Beth-Center or a Mapletown loss
- The winner of Carmichaels-Avella clinches a playoff berth
- The loser of Carmichaels-Avella can clinch a playoff berth with a Mapletown loss
AAAA
Game of the Week
North Allegheny (3-1, 4-2) at Central Catholic (5-0, 6-0)
Highmark Stadium
This game lost a little of its luster when North Allegheny fell to Gateway in a non-conference game last week. However, this is still two perennial powerhouses of Quad-A battling it out with the conference title on the line. Central Catholic has already scored victories over Seneca Valley and North Hills, who are currently tied with North Allegheny for second place with only 1 conference loss. The traditional North Allegheny-North Hills showdown still looms on the horizon, but if the Tigers want any hope of holding on to their conference crown, they will need to topple the Vikings. North Allegheny will need a big week from Pitt recruit Elijah Zeise, who leads the team with over 500 receiving yards and is a shutdown corner. Central Catholic has gotten big contributions from their running game and Luigi Lista-Brinza is just 80 yards away from a 1000-yard season.
Bethel Park (5-1, 5-1) at Upper St Clair (6-0, 6-0)
A few weeks ago I chose two games in Class A for my Game of the Week. It's not something I do often, but this matchup in the Southeastern Conference is too good to pass up. Bethel Park was the only team to defeat Upper St Clair last season in a bizarre game where Bethel Park only tallied 107 total yards and 3 first downs. The Blackhawks got two big plays on special teams that made the difference last year. The two teams collide again this year with first place in the Southeastern Conference on the line. Bethel Park is led by RB Alex Minton who has 620 yards of total offense between rushing and receiving, leading the team in both categories. The Panthers hopes at revenge will be on the shoulders of Trevor Morrow (533 yards, 8 TDs) and Mac Pope (245 yards rushing, 135 yards receiving, 9 total TDs). The biggest question in this game is not if Upper St Clair will get revenge but if Bethel Park will be able to score at all against the Panthers defense who have not allowed a point since Woodland Hills scored 10 on them in the season opener.
Honorable Mention: North Hills (3-1, 4-2) at Seneca Valley (4-1, 5-1)
Playoff Scenarios
Foothills Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: McKeesport, Gateway, Penn-Trafford, Hempfield
- Kiski clinches a playoff berth with a win over Penn-Trafford or a Connellsville loss
Northern Eight Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Central Catholic, Seneca Valley, North Allegheny, North Hills
- Pine-Richland clinches a playoff berth with a win over Shaler
Southeastern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Upper St Clair, Bethel Park
- Woodland Hills clinches a playoff berth with a win over Canon-McMillan
AAA
Game of the Week
West Allegheny (5-0, 6-0) at New Castle (4-1, 5-1)
I had some rousing discussions on Twitter this week about how outside of the top 4 teams (West Allegheny, Central Valley, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin), this is a down year for AAA. Most of this sentiment rises from the fact that the once brutally-tough Parkway Conference has lost its bite in the middle and bottom of the league. That said, we return once again to the Parkway for our AAA Game of the Week. New Castle's only loss this season was a 29-6 defeat to Central Valley in the opening week of the season. Since then, the Red Hurricane have gone 5-0 and scored over 32 points each week. Before Blackhawk stormed back against them last week, they hadn't given up more than 13 points since the opener against Central Valley. New Castle will lean on dual-threat QB Julian Cox and Ohio St recruit WR/DB Malik Hooker while West Allegheny will continue to ride the backfield duo of Chayse Dillon and Tory Delmonico who both have over 550 yards of total offense.
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Forward (4-2, 4-2) at Ringgold (4-2, 4-2)
Playoff Scenarios
Big Nine Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: West Mifflin, Thomas Jefferson
- The winner of Elizabeth Forward-Ringgold clinches a playoff berth
- If Elizabeth Forward loses to Ringgold, the Warriors can clinch a playoff berth with an Albert Gallatin loss
- If Ringgold loses to Elizabeth Forward, the Rams can clinch a playoff berth with a Trinity loss
Greater Allegheny Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Highlands
- Franklin Regional clinches a playoff berth with a win over Hollidaysburg or a Knoch loss
- Mars clinches a playoff berth with a win over Knoch
Parkway Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: West Allegheny, Central Valley, New Castle, Moon
- Montour clinched a playoff berth with a win over Blackhawk on Thursday night
AA
Game of the Week
Mt Pleasant (6-0, 6-0) at Washington (6-0, 6-0)
Honorable Mentions: Shady Side Academy (6-0, 6-0) at Jeanette (4-2, 4-2), Seton-La Salle (5-1, 5-1) at Quaker Valley (5-1, 5-1), Valley (4-1, 5-1) at Summit Academy (3-2, 3-3)
Playoff Scenarios
Allegheny Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Shady Side Academy, Kittanning
- Valley clinches a playoff berth with a win over Summit Academy
Century Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: South Fayette, Seton-La Salle, Quaker Valley
- South Park clinches a playoff berth with a win over Steel Valley
- South Fayette plays a non-conference game but can clinch a home playoff game with a South Park loss
Interstate Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Washington, Mt Pleasant
- The winner of Washington-Mt Pleasant wins the Conference Championship
Midwestern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Beaver Falls
- Aliquippa clinches a playoff berth with a win over Ellwood City
- Aliquippa clinches a home playoff game with a win and a Beaver loss
A
Game of the Week
Beth-Center (6-0, 6-0) at Frazier (5-1, 5-1)
Honorable Mention: Avella (4-1, 5-1) at Carmichaels (4-1, 5-1)
Playoff Scenarios
Big Seven Conference
- No playoff berths clinched
- Sto-Rox clinches a playoff berth with a win over Western Beaver or a Rochester loss
- Neshannock clinches a playoff berth with a win over OLSH
- Laurel clinches a playoff berth with a win over Rochester
- Western Beaver clinches a playoff berth with a win over Sto-Rox and losses by Rochester, OLSH and Shenango
Black Hills Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Clairton, Fort Cherry
- Monessen does not have a scheduled opponent this week but can clinch a playoff berth with a loss by Carlynton
Eastern Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: North Catholic
- North Catholic clinches the Conference Championship with a win over Wilkinsburg
- Avonworth clinches a playoff berth with a win over Springdale
- West Shamokin clinches a playoff berth with a Springdale loss
- Apollo-Ridge clinches a playoff berth with a win over Northgate and a Riverview loss
Tri-County South Conference
- Playoff Berths Clinched: Beth-Center
- Beth-Center clinches the Conference Championship with a win over Frazier and an Avella loss
- Frazier clinches a playoff berth with a win over Beth-Center or a Mapletown loss
- The winner of Carmichaels-Avella clinches a playoff berth
- The loser of Carmichaels-Avella can clinch a playoff berth with a Mapletown loss
Thursday, October 3, 2013
WPIAL Week 6 Games of the Week
We have passed the halfway point of the WPIAL season with 5 teams having clinched spots in the postseason. In the top two classifications, the top 5 teams from each conference reach the playoffs along with the top 6th place team. In Class A and AA, the top 4 from each conference make the postseason. You can find the current standings (with tiebreakers) on the WPIAL Standings Page. This week, as many as 28 teams could punch their tickets to November football. The best story is the Avella Eagles, who are a win away from securing their first playoff berth since 1976. That could come this week if the Eagles can get past Frazier. Last week, Quaker Valley defeated Steel Valley 14-7 to secure their first playoff appearance since 1999. In AAA, Moon can clinch their first playoff appearance since 2007. On the other side of the coin, traditional Class A powerhouse Rochester is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1996, the longest streak in Class A and 4th longest in the WPIAL behind Woodland Hills (1995), Thomas Jefferson (1994) and Aliquippa (1994).
This is a non-conference game but features two of the winningest programs in Quad-A in the last decade. Both teams feature Division 1 recruits. Gateway is led by the tandem of WRs in Monte Nicholson (192 yards, 7 TDs), WVU commit Ricky Rodgers (275 yards, 3 TDs), and Temple commits Delvon Randall (288 yards, 5 TDs) and Anthony Davis (157 yards, 1 TD). Gateway has the talent and ability to test anyone on the outside. However, this may be the best secondary they face all season with Pitt-commit Elijah Zeise lining up at cornerback for North Allegheny. While Gateway's strength is through the air, their weakness is in run defense where they allowed over 200 yards last week to Hempfield (over 150 by Joey DeFloria). Art Walker's teams are known for a ground-and-pound approach and this holds true this season as 3 players for the Tigers have over 30 rushing attempts and 190 yards.
Honorable Mention: Central Catholic (4-0, 5-0) at Pine-Richland (2-2, 3-2), Bethel Park (4-1, 4-1) at Penn Hills (3-1, 4-1)
Foothills Conference
- Gateway clinched a playoff berth
- McKeesport clinches a playoff berth with a win over Latrobe and a Connellsville
- Penn-Trafford clinches a playoff berth with a win over Connellsville
- Hempfield clinches a playoff berth with a win over Altoona and a Connellsville loss
Northern Eight Conference
- Central Catholic clinched a playoff berth
- Seneca Valley clinches a playoff berth with a win over Shaler and a Fox Chapel loss
- North Allegheny plays a non-conference game but can clinch a playoff berth with a Fox Chapel loss and a Shaler loss
- North Hills clinches a playoff berth with a win over Fox Chapel
- Pine-Richland clinches a playoff berth with a win over Central Catholic and losses by Fox Chapel and Shaler
Southeastern Conference
- Upper St Clair plays a non-conference game but can clinch a playoff berth with a Mt Lebanon loss
- Bethel Park clinches a playoff berth with a win over Penn Hills and a Baldwin loss
The Parkway Conference is once again featured as the Game of the Week in AAA and for good reason. Both Central Valley and Moon have fallen to West Allegheny over the last three weeks. The winner will have a solid grasp on second place in the Parkway Conference. Moon can clinch their first playoff berth since 2006 with a win or with losses by Chartiers Valley and Blackhawk. Central Valley has been carried by their two-headed backfield combination of Jordan Whitehead and JaQuan Pennington. Moon's offense runs through workhorse back Cole Black who has almost as many yards as Whitehead and Pennington combined. This is shaping up to be an old-fashioned slug-fest out by the airport.
Honorable Mention: Knoch (2-2, 3-2) at Franklin Regional (3-1, 4-1)
Big Nine Conference
- West Mifflin clinched a playoff berth
- Thomas Jefferson clinches a playoff berth with a win Laurel Highlands and an Albert Gallatin loss
- Elizabeth Forward clinches a playoff berth with a win over West Mifflin and an Albert Gallatin loss
Greater Allegheny Conference
- Highlands clinches a playoff berth with a win over Derry and a Knoch loss
Parkway Conference
- West Allegheny plays a non-conference game but can clinch a playoff spot with a Chartiers Valley loss
- The winner of the Central Valley-Moon game clinches a playoff berth
- The loser of the Central Valley-Moon game clinches a playoff berth if Chartiers Valley and Blackhawk both lose
- New Castle clinches a playoff berth with a win over Blackhawk and a Chartiers Valley loss
I've been giving the Century Conference a lot of love this season, so before getting into this game I'm going to talk about the other great AA games on this week's slate. South Fayette-Quaker Valley is the best because it matches two undefeated teams with first place on the line, but in the Interstate Conference, Jeanette takes on Mt Pleasant in a game in which the winner will have the inside track towards a home playoff game. Both teams are chasing Washington (who throttled Jeanette last week) and a win by undefeated Mt Pleasant would set up a showdown with Washington next week with the conference title on the line. In the Midwestern Conference, surprising New Brighton already has an upset win over Beaver and takes on undefeated Beaver Falls. Back to the Century Conference, South Fayette boasts one of the top passing attacks in the WPIAL behind QB Brett Brumbaugh (986 yards, 12 TDs) and WR Justin Watson (469 yards, 7 TDs). Quaker Valley has been a bit of a surprise, and is off to one of the best starts in school history after beating Steel Valley last week. The Quakers face a tough test with South Fayette and Seton-La Salle coming to town in consecutive weeks, but with their first playoff berth since 1999 secured, the objective now turns to earning a home playoff game.
Honorable Mentions: Jeanette (4-1, 4-1) at Mt Pleasant (5-0, 5-0), New Brighton (3-1, 4-1) at Beaver Falls (4-0, 5-0)
Allegheny Conference
- Shady Side Academy clinches a playoff berth with a win over East Allegheny
- Kittanning clinches a playoff berth with a win over Ford City
Century Conference
- Quaker Valley has clinched a playoff berth
- South Fayette clinches a playoff berth with a win over Quaker Valley or a South Allegheny loss
- Seton-La Salle clinches a playoff berth with a win over Burgettstown
Interstate Conference
- Mt. Pleasant has clinched a playoff berth
- Washington clinches a playoff berth with a win over Brownsville or a Waynesburg loss
- Jeanette clinches a playoff berth with a win over Mt Pleasant and a Waynesburg loss
- Washington and Mt Pleasant clinch a home playoff games if Washington beats Brownsville and Mt Pleasant beats Jeanette
Midwestern Conference
- Beaver Falls clinches a playoff berth with a win over New Brighton
The last two weeks in the Eastern Conference have been awesome. Last week, undefeated North Catholic pounded 1-loss West Shamokin 60-27 while Avonworth edged 1-loss Apollo-Ridge 34-27.. This set up a showdown for all the marbles this week in Ohio Township. With everyone else in the conference sitting on at least 2 losses, the winner of this game has the clear advantage for the conference crown. The Trojans have been without star RB PJ Fulmore for most of the season after he was injured in the season opener, but Jerome Turner (548 yards, 14 TDs) has carried the load. North Catholic has a more balanced offense this season with dual-threat QB Adam Sharlow putting up 700 yards and 5 TDs through the air and adding 463 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. The Trojans can spread the ball around with three receivers (Ryan Kirby, Ronnie Meder and Timon Gribbin) all over 100 yards on the season. The Lopes are almost a mirror image of the Trojans with a 700-yard 10-TD passer in Matt Donovan and a workhorse running back in Moses Giles (489 rush yards, 166 receiving yards, 10 total TDs). On the outside, the Lopes primary target is Jesse Zubik who has 244 yards and 6 TDs through 5 games. These two teams always play tight games, with last year's showdown coming down to a goal-line stand by the Trojans to preserve a victory.
Honorable Mention: Western Beaver (3-1, 3-2) at Laurel (3-1, 4-1), Avella (4-0, 5-0) at Frazier (4-1, 4-1)
Big Seven Conference
- No clinching scenarios
Black Hills Conference
- Fort Cherry clinches a playoff berth with a win over Bishop Canevin and losses by Brentwood and Carlynton
- Clairton clinches a playoff berth with a win over Brentwood
Eastern Conference
- North Catholic clinches a playoff berth and a home playoff game with a win over Avonworth or a Wilkinsburg loss
- Avonworth clinches a playoff berth with a win over North Catholic and losses by Apollo-Ridge, Wilkinsburg and Northgate
Tri-County South Conference
- Beth-Center clinches a playoff berth with a win over Jefferson-Morgan
- Avella clinches their first playoff berth since 1976 with a win over Frazier
- Frazier clinches a playoff berth with a win over Avella and a Mapletown loss
AAAA
Game of the Week
Gateway (5-0, 5-0) at North Allegheny (3-1, 4-1)
This is a non-conference game but features two of the winningest programs in Quad-A in the last decade. Both teams feature Division 1 recruits. Gateway is led by the tandem of WRs in Monte Nicholson (192 yards, 7 TDs), WVU commit Ricky Rodgers (275 yards, 3 TDs), and Temple commits Delvon Randall (288 yards, 5 TDs) and Anthony Davis (157 yards, 1 TD). Gateway has the talent and ability to test anyone on the outside. However, this may be the best secondary they face all season with Pitt-commit Elijah Zeise lining up at cornerback for North Allegheny. While Gateway's strength is through the air, their weakness is in run defense where they allowed over 200 yards last week to Hempfield (over 150 by Joey DeFloria). Art Walker's teams are known for a ground-and-pound approach and this holds true this season as 3 players for the Tigers have over 30 rushing attempts and 190 yards.
Honorable Mention: Central Catholic (4-0, 5-0) at Pine-Richland (2-2, 3-2), Bethel Park (4-1, 4-1) at Penn Hills (3-1, 4-1)
Playoff Scenarios
Foothills Conference
- Gateway clinched a playoff berth
- McKeesport clinches a playoff berth with a win over Latrobe and a Connellsville
- Penn-Trafford clinches a playoff berth with a win over Connellsville
- Hempfield clinches a playoff berth with a win over Altoona and a Connellsville loss
Northern Eight Conference
- Central Catholic clinched a playoff berth
- Seneca Valley clinches a playoff berth with a win over Shaler and a Fox Chapel loss
- North Allegheny plays a non-conference game but can clinch a playoff berth with a Fox Chapel loss and a Shaler loss
- North Hills clinches a playoff berth with a win over Fox Chapel
- Pine-Richland clinches a playoff berth with a win over Central Catholic and losses by Fox Chapel and Shaler
Southeastern Conference
- Upper St Clair plays a non-conference game but can clinch a playoff berth with a Mt Lebanon loss
- Bethel Park clinches a playoff berth with a win over Penn Hills and a Baldwin loss
AAA
Game of the Week
Central Valley (4-1, 4-1) at Moon (4-1, 4-1)
The Parkway Conference is once again featured as the Game of the Week in AAA and for good reason. Both Central Valley and Moon have fallen to West Allegheny over the last three weeks. The winner will have a solid grasp on second place in the Parkway Conference. Moon can clinch their first playoff berth since 2006 with a win or with losses by Chartiers Valley and Blackhawk. Central Valley has been carried by their two-headed backfield combination of Jordan Whitehead and JaQuan Pennington. Moon's offense runs through workhorse back Cole Black who has almost as many yards as Whitehead and Pennington combined. This is shaping up to be an old-fashioned slug-fest out by the airport.
Honorable Mention: Knoch (2-2, 3-2) at Franklin Regional (3-1, 4-1)
Playoff Scenarios
Big Nine Conference
- West Mifflin clinched a playoff berth
- Thomas Jefferson clinches a playoff berth with a win Laurel Highlands and an Albert Gallatin loss
- Elizabeth Forward clinches a playoff berth with a win over West Mifflin and an Albert Gallatin loss
Greater Allegheny Conference
- Highlands clinches a playoff berth with a win over Derry and a Knoch loss
Parkway Conference
- West Allegheny plays a non-conference game but can clinch a playoff spot with a Chartiers Valley loss
- The winner of the Central Valley-Moon game clinches a playoff berth
- The loser of the Central Valley-Moon game clinches a playoff berth if Chartiers Valley and Blackhawk both lose
- New Castle clinches a playoff berth with a win over Blackhawk and a Chartiers Valley loss
AA
Game of the Week
South Fayette (5-0, 5-0) at Quaker Valley (5-0, 5-0)
I've been giving the Century Conference a lot of love this season, so before getting into this game I'm going to talk about the other great AA games on this week's slate. South Fayette-Quaker Valley is the best because it matches two undefeated teams with first place on the line, but in the Interstate Conference, Jeanette takes on Mt Pleasant in a game in which the winner will have the inside track towards a home playoff game. Both teams are chasing Washington (who throttled Jeanette last week) and a win by undefeated Mt Pleasant would set up a showdown with Washington next week with the conference title on the line. In the Midwestern Conference, surprising New Brighton already has an upset win over Beaver and takes on undefeated Beaver Falls. Back to the Century Conference, South Fayette boasts one of the top passing attacks in the WPIAL behind QB Brett Brumbaugh (986 yards, 12 TDs) and WR Justin Watson (469 yards, 7 TDs). Quaker Valley has been a bit of a surprise, and is off to one of the best starts in school history after beating Steel Valley last week. The Quakers face a tough test with South Fayette and Seton-La Salle coming to town in consecutive weeks, but with their first playoff berth since 1999 secured, the objective now turns to earning a home playoff game.
Honorable Mentions: Jeanette (4-1, 4-1) at Mt Pleasant (5-0, 5-0), New Brighton (3-1, 4-1) at Beaver Falls (4-0, 5-0)
Playoff Scenarios
Allegheny Conference
- Shady Side Academy clinches a playoff berth with a win over East Allegheny
- Kittanning clinches a playoff berth with a win over Ford City
Century Conference
- Quaker Valley has clinched a playoff berth
- South Fayette clinches a playoff berth with a win over Quaker Valley or a South Allegheny loss
- Seton-La Salle clinches a playoff berth with a win over Burgettstown
Interstate Conference
- Mt. Pleasant has clinched a playoff berth
- Washington clinches a playoff berth with a win over Brownsville or a Waynesburg loss
- Jeanette clinches a playoff berth with a win over Mt Pleasant and a Waynesburg loss
- Washington and Mt Pleasant clinch a home playoff games if Washington beats Brownsville and Mt Pleasant beats Jeanette
Midwestern Conference
- Beaver Falls clinches a playoff berth with a win over New Brighton
A
Game of the Week
North Catholic (5-0, 5-0) at Avonworth (4-0, 5-0)
The last two weeks in the Eastern Conference have been awesome. Last week, undefeated North Catholic pounded 1-loss West Shamokin 60-27 while Avonworth edged 1-loss Apollo-Ridge 34-27.. This set up a showdown for all the marbles this week in Ohio Township. With everyone else in the conference sitting on at least 2 losses, the winner of this game has the clear advantage for the conference crown. The Trojans have been without star RB PJ Fulmore for most of the season after he was injured in the season opener, but Jerome Turner (548 yards, 14 TDs) has carried the load. North Catholic has a more balanced offense this season with dual-threat QB Adam Sharlow putting up 700 yards and 5 TDs through the air and adding 463 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. The Trojans can spread the ball around with three receivers (Ryan Kirby, Ronnie Meder and Timon Gribbin) all over 100 yards on the season. The Lopes are almost a mirror image of the Trojans with a 700-yard 10-TD passer in Matt Donovan and a workhorse running back in Moses Giles (489 rush yards, 166 receiving yards, 10 total TDs). On the outside, the Lopes primary target is Jesse Zubik who has 244 yards and 6 TDs through 5 games. These two teams always play tight games, with last year's showdown coming down to a goal-line stand by the Trojans to preserve a victory.
Honorable Mention: Western Beaver (3-1, 3-2) at Laurel (3-1, 4-1), Avella (4-0, 5-0) at Frazier (4-1, 4-1)
Playoff Scenarios
Big Seven Conference
- No clinching scenarios
Black Hills Conference
- Fort Cherry clinches a playoff berth with a win over Bishop Canevin and losses by Brentwood and Carlynton
- Clairton clinches a playoff berth with a win over Brentwood
Eastern Conference
- North Catholic clinches a playoff berth and a home playoff game with a win over Avonworth or a Wilkinsburg loss
- Avonworth clinches a playoff berth with a win over North Catholic and losses by Apollo-Ridge, Wilkinsburg and Northgate
Tri-County South Conference
- Beth-Center clinches a playoff berth with a win over Jefferson-Morgan
- Avella clinches their first playoff berth since 1976 with a win over Frazier
- Frazier clinches a playoff berth with a win over Avella and a Mapletown loss
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Steelers trade for Levi Brown
Even at 0-4, the AFC North Cold War isn't over yet. It was announced yesterday that the Ravens had traded a mid-round pick to Jacksonville for former first-round OT Eugene Monroe. Monroe was having a decent season in Jacksonville but with Luke Joeckel waiting in the wings, the Jaguars apparently thought Monroe was expendable (particularly given that his contract expires at the end of this season).
Today, the Steelers announced a corresponding move, adding depth to their offensive line by trading for Arizona LT Levi Brown. Brown was a top 5 pick out of Penn State by the Cardinals in 2007. He broke into the Cardinals starting lineup in 2008 and played the 2008 and 2009 seasons as their right tackle. Most Steelers fans probably remember him for getting posterized by LaMarr Woodley on the Cardinals last gasp in Super Bowl XLIII.
In 2010 he switched to left tackle, where he has played ever since. Following the 2011 season, the Cardinals signed him to a 5-year $30 million contract. Brown tore his triceps in the 2012 preseason and missed the entire year. This was the first time since his rookie year that he did not start a game.
I was able to get some inside scoop on Levi Brown from Scott Allen, editor of RaisingZona.com. You can find him on Twitter @azsportsguy.
How has Levi Brown performed this year?
If you are grading on the curve, I'd say he's had two bad games and two "ok" games. He was awful against St. Louis and New Orleans. He was alright in the Detroit and Tampa Bay games. Go figure the latter are the two games the Cards have won so far. Coincidence? I think not.
What kind of player are the Steelers getting in Brown?
Someone who is big but lacks effort a lot of the time. He'll surprise you in a positive way one moment and then he'll immediately remind you why you complain about him all the time.
Any other thoughts on him?
He's really good on run blocking. His pass protection is just God awful. As it turns out, I hear the Cards were considering just waiving him at some point instead of trading him if he didn't improve. I am really surprised the Steelers were willing to trade for him. Granted, the Steelers didn't give up a whole lot but they have to pay him and they did give up a late round pick for him. I'm not sure he was even worth that. I can tell you Cardinals fans are really excited he's gone.
This isn't the most encouraging analysis for a left tackle, particularly one that is signed through 2016 as Brown is. At this point, things probably can't get much worse than how Mike Adams played against the Vikings. The strange thing is that Max Starks was released yesterday by the Rams, making him available on the free agent market once again. Apparently the Steelers brass is so low on Adams they're willing to give up a pick in next year's draft for a mediocre player signed through 2016. The good news is that Brown restructured his contract with Arizona before leaving so his salary cap hit is at the veteran minimum level for this season. The Steelers need answers and perhaps a change of scenery will do Brown good. The biggest concern for me is giving up a draft pick, even a mid-to-late round pick, next season. The Steelers are already without their 3rd round pick in 2014 because of their trade with Cleveland in order to take Shamarko Thomas. The Steelers cap situation is already bleak heading into 2014, and this move makes things even tighter. All that said, if Brown lives up to his potential and earns his keep on the line, the Steelers may have found their solution at LT for the next 4 years and only had to give up a mid-to-late round pick to do so. As with anything this Steelers season, there is a lot of uncertainty, but we should be willing to give Brown a try (especially given how bad Mike Adams has been.
Today, the Steelers announced a corresponding move, adding depth to their offensive line by trading for Arizona LT Levi Brown. Brown was a top 5 pick out of Penn State by the Cardinals in 2007. He broke into the Cardinals starting lineup in 2008 and played the 2008 and 2009 seasons as their right tackle. Most Steelers fans probably remember him for getting posterized by LaMarr Woodley on the Cardinals last gasp in Super Bowl XLIII.
In 2010 he switched to left tackle, where he has played ever since. Following the 2011 season, the Cardinals signed him to a 5-year $30 million contract. Brown tore his triceps in the 2012 preseason and missed the entire year. This was the first time since his rookie year that he did not start a game.
I was able to get some inside scoop on Levi Brown from Scott Allen, editor of RaisingZona.com. You can find him on Twitter @azsportsguy.
How has Levi Brown performed this year?
If you are grading on the curve, I'd say he's had two bad games and two "ok" games. He was awful against St. Louis and New Orleans. He was alright in the Detroit and Tampa Bay games. Go figure the latter are the two games the Cards have won so far. Coincidence? I think not.
What kind of player are the Steelers getting in Brown?
Someone who is big but lacks effort a lot of the time. He'll surprise you in a positive way one moment and then he'll immediately remind you why you complain about him all the time.
Any other thoughts on him?
He's really good on run blocking. His pass protection is just God awful. As it turns out, I hear the Cards were considering just waiving him at some point instead of trading him if he didn't improve. I am really surprised the Steelers were willing to trade for him. Granted, the Steelers didn't give up a whole lot but they have to pay him and they did give up a late round pick for him. I'm not sure he was even worth that. I can tell you Cardinals fans are really excited he's gone.
This isn't the most encouraging analysis for a left tackle, particularly one that is signed through 2016 as Brown is. At this point, things probably can't get much worse than how Mike Adams played against the Vikings. The strange thing is that Max Starks was released yesterday by the Rams, making him available on the free agent market once again. Apparently the Steelers brass is so low on Adams they're willing to give up a pick in next year's draft for a mediocre player signed through 2016. The good news is that Brown restructured his contract with Arizona before leaving so his salary cap hit is at the veteran minimum level for this season. The Steelers need answers and perhaps a change of scenery will do Brown good. The biggest concern for me is giving up a draft pick, even a mid-to-late round pick, next season. The Steelers are already without their 3rd round pick in 2014 because of their trade with Cleveland in order to take Shamarko Thomas. The Steelers cap situation is already bleak heading into 2014, and this move makes things even tighter. All that said, if Brown lives up to his potential and earns his keep on the line, the Steelers may have found their solution at LT for the next 4 years and only had to give up a mid-to-late round pick to do so. As with anything this Steelers season, there is a lot of uncertainty, but we should be willing to give Brown a try (especially given how bad Mike Adams has been.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
