The Century Conference lost Quaker Valley in the AA shuffle this season. Two-time defending PIAA Champions South Fayette are still the team to beat in the conference, but with the graduation of the WPIAL’s all-time leading passer Brett Brumbaugh, the door may be open for a challenger. Seton-La Salle’s Paris Ford and Steel Valley’s DeWayne Murray are talented enough to put their teams in contention and battle with South Fayette for the conference crown.
Make sure to bookmark my WPIAL Standings Page (the only one available with all tiebreakers listed!). I should note that teams are organized in this preview based on my predicted order of finish.
All helmet images are courtesy of the PA Helmet Project.
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South Fayette
@sflionsports
The two-time defending PIAA Class AA Champions look to reload after the Brumbaugh Era drew to a close in 2014. The Lions carry a WPIAL-leading 32 game unbeaten streak into the season. Drew Saxton saw some spot duty in mop-up time last year as a freshman and figures to be the heir apparent under center. Do not think for a second that Brett Brumbaugh’s graduation eliminates South Fayette from contention this season. Leading rusher Hunter Hayes (2103 yards, 33 TDs) and leading receiver Nick Ponikvar (1055 yards, 11 TDs) both return for their senior seasons. The Lions were dominant on both sides of the ball last season – they were one of 12 WPIAL schools to score over 400 points in the regular season and the only team to score more than 21 against their defense was Aliquippa’s 22 in the WPIAL Championship. The Lions have one of the most innovative offensive approaches in the high school game and have been highlighted in James Light’s Film Breakdown site.
Steel Valley
@SteelValleyCity
The Ironmen have reached the playoffs in 5 of the last 6 seasons but have only made it past the first round once since 2001 (a 2007 trip to the quarterfinals). They could be a force to be reckoned with this season as junior DeWayne Murray is one of the most explosive backs in the entire WPIAL. Murray ran for 1255 yards last season as a sophomore after rushing for 1488 as a freshman. Murray was the leading rusher and receiver for Steel Valley last season, who also bring back second-leading receiver Trey Earl Edwards and third-leading rusher Eliisha Hughes. The Ironmen have a run-centered offense that is always capable of hitting a big play (4 of their top 5 rushers averaged over 12 yards per carry and their top 2 receivers both averaged over 18 yards per catch) and should threaten for the conference title as long as Murray stays healthy.
Seton-La Salle
@SetonLaSalle
Last year, the Rebels had a highly-publicized goal of an undefeated season and a WPIAL Championship, which they have not won since 2004. Their quest was derailed (twice) by conference rival South Fayette. The undefeated season came to an end in Week 8 with a 41-14 drubbing by South Fayette and their playoff run ended in the semi-finals with a 35-21 loss to the Lions. Seton-La Salle lost a lot of their offensive firepower to graduation, but junior DB/WR Paris Ford is a highly skilled player who will be the focal point of the offense. Only two of their top six rushers from last year return – senior Liam Sweeney who averaged 5.6 yards per carry and sophomore Lionel Deanes who averaged 4.4 yards per attempt. The Rebels typically have a balanced offense and a solid defense but will have to find a replacement under center for 2200-yard passer Tyler Perone.
South Park
The Eagles reached the playoffs for the second straight year in 2014 after a slump of 7 years without a postseason trip. Dual-threat QB Nick Scholle graduated after leading the team in rushing and passing, but the Eagles run-oriented attack should be just fine as Adam Staudt (595 yards, 7 TDs) and Ty Washington (407 yards, 4 TDs) return for their senior seasons, along with sophomore Damon Smith who was the fourth-leading rusher last season. South Park did not throw often last season, averaging less than 10 pass attempts per game, but when they did it often resulted in a big play. Seven of their top eight receivers averaged over 11 yards per catch. Leading receiver Brandon McMurray (202 yards, 3 RDs) returns for his senior season.
East Allegheny
@eahsfootball
The Wildcats missed the playoffs for the third straight season in 2014 and look to build upon the end of their season where they won 2 of their last 3 games. Dual-threat QB Deon Smith returns for his senior season after accounting for over 1500 yards of total offense (901 passing yards, 12 TDs and 607 rushing yards, 7 TDs). Leading receiver Rocco Dunn (349 yards, 5 TDs) also returns. If the Wildcats are going to compete for a playoff spot, they will need to shore up on defense where they allowed 35+ in 4 of their 5 losses.
Sto-Rox
@StoRoxSD
The transition to AA did not go well for the Vikings who finished just 1-8 after reaching Heinz Field three straight years in Class A. Sto-Rox struggled on both sides of the ball, allowing 40+ points in all 8 of their losses and not breaking 20 points after Week 2. Deion Liddell took over under center in Week 4 last season and the freshman QB threw for 952 yards and 5 TDs. Leading receiver Jordan Arnet (438 yards, 3 TDs) also returns. It will be interesting to see how Sto-Rox deploys senior Billy Frauens who saw time at quarterback, running back and wide receiver last year.
Carlynton
@CarlyntonSports
The Cougars have not made the playoffs since 2001 and enter 2015 with a 13-game losing streak. Their last win came in September 2013 over Westinghouse. Carlynton struggled to compete after moving up to AA last season and having just 31 players on their roster. The good news is that last year’s team graduated just 6 seniors so plenty of underclassmen got valuable playing time. Junior RB Isiah Canton led the team in rushing while a group of four sophomores (QB Courtney Mickens, RB Brandon Rogersm WR DeAndre Williams and TE Ray Bordenick) were all significant contributors.
Keystone Oaks
@KOGoldenEagles
The Golden Eagles rebounded from an 0-4 start to win 3 of their last 5 games, but ultimately missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Juniors Alex Smith and Nick Nrivnak figure to be the focal points of the offense after Smith saw some spot duty at QB last season and Hrivnak was the team’s leading receiver (428 yards, 4 TDs). WR Cody Cerminara and TE Leo Palmer both return for their senior seasons. Keystone Oaks was competitive in their losses last season, only losing 2 of 6 by more than 2 scores.
South Allegheny
@southallegheny
The Gladiators have made the playoffs just once in the last 27 years and graduated most of their major contributors on offense. Rising senior RBs Joe Tokar and Brendan Forrester should be the workhorses for the offense as junior Tyler Hinnerman figures to be the heir apparent at quarterback after playing a handful of snaps last year. The Gladiators will have to shore up their defense which allowed 34.9 points per game last season.
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