Mark your calendars for the Midwestern Conference finale. The WPIAL schedule-makers did everyone a favor this year and saved the Aliquippa-Beaver Falls game until Week 9. There is a strong possibility both teams enter that game undefeated. Due to the realignment in AA with Ford City and Kittanning merging, Summit Academy moved back to the Allegheny Conference and Quaker Valley was added to the Midwestern Conference.
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.
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=zY1Ao-3LGm9U.k-7C5fBVz2JY&w=640&h=480]Aliquippa
@qbclub1335
Aliquippa carries a WPIAL-leading 20-year playoff streak. Most impressively, the Quips have reached Heinz Field each of the last 7 years. The Quips have also dominated in the regular season, having not lost a conference game since 2009. Over the last 5 seasons Aliquippa is 62-3 against WPIAL opponents with their only losses coming to South Fayette in the 2010, 2013 and 2014 Championship Games. The Quips once again will have a powerful rushing attack as both Kaezon Pugh (1621 yards, 25 TDs) and DiMante Bronaugh (1262 yards, 24 TDs) return for their senior seasons. Second-leading receiver Jassir Jordan (410 yards, 4 TDs) returns for his senior year along with junior TE Robert Cashaw. The Quips will have to find a new quarterback, but that shouldn’t be a huge problem as they averaged less than 9 pass attempts per game last season. Statistically, Aliquippa had the best offense and defense in AA last season and the second-highest scoring offense in the entire WPIAL. They scored at least 40 points and held every opponent under 20 until they met South Fayette in the Championship game. Pugh and Bronaugh are good enough to carry the Quips back to Heinz Field and maybe to another WPIAL title.
Beaver Falls
The Tigers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs last year by Apollo-Ridge, which marked the first time since 2009 their season was not ended by South Fayette. A trio of talented juniors will lead the way for Beaver Falls this year. QB Dalton Cleckley threw for 329 yards and 7 TDs while RB Derrell Carter ran for 750 yards and 10 TDs and TE Donovan Jeter had 161 receiving yards and 3 TDs. Jeter, the younger brother of Pitt basketball player Sheldon Jeter, has a number of D-1 offers to play both football and basketball and is rated as a 4-star defensive end prospect. The Tigers are loaded in the backfield along with Carter as junior Neshaud Akins and sophomore Torian Leak both ran for over 200 yards last year. If there is any team in the conference that can challenge the Quips, it is Beaver Falls. Circle October 30 on your calendar, it’s going to be a great one.
Beaver
@BeaverBobcats
The Bobcats earned a home playoff game last season by winning a 3-way tie for 2nd place in the conference but lost to South Park in the first round. Beaver has made the playoffs in 8 consecutive seasons but have only made it past the quarterfinals once. Rising junior Darius Wise led the team in rushing with 818 yards, was second in receiving with 272 yards and led the team in scoring with 22 total TDs. Fellow junior Landon Pontoli figures to step in as the starting quarterback after seeing time in relief duty last season. Beaver’s wide open passing attack has rewarded them with one of the better offensive units in AA for a number of years. Last year, the Bobcats scored 34+ in every regular season game except their 55-0 thrashing at the hands of Aliquippa.
Quaker Valley
@QuakerValleySD
The Quakers missed the playoffs by one game in the brutal Century Conference last season. They should be able to compete for their second playoff berth in 3 years (after a 13-year postseason drought) with the move to the Midwestern Conference this season. Amos Luptak was forced into duty when QB Dane Jackson suffered a preseason injury and threw for 867 yards and 10 TDs. Most of the other significant contributors on offense graduated but Luptak is just a junior so Quaker Valley will be able to build an offense around his skill set for two seasons.
Laurel
@Laurel_Football & @LaurelSpartans
Since the Spartans run to the Class A semifinals in 2009, they have only been back to the playoffs once (in 2013). Laurel returned to AA last season and finished a solid 5th in the conference, winning 3 of their last 4 games. Dual-threat QB Jake McDougal returns for his senior season after accounting for over 1000 yards of total offense last season. Most of the other offensive skill position players have graduated but Dylan Hinkle and Jesse Pacifico, a pair of sophomores RBs who averaged over 15 yards per carry as freshmen, figure to see increased roles.
Ellwood City
@EC_Wolverines
The Wildcats have only been to the playoffs twice in the last 14 years but they have the potential to make a run for the postseason this year. RB Nick Ioanilli and QB DJ Barrett will be the focal points of the offense once again this season. Ioanilli led the team in rushing with 1141 yards, receiving with 189 yards and scoring with 15 TDs. Barrett averaged just 7.3 pass attempts for game but accounted for 587 yards of total offense and 8 total TDs between passing and rushing. Third-leading rusher River Kelly (255 yards, 3 TDs) also returns for his senior season. Strangely, Ellwood City only allowed 14 more points than they scored last season but none of their games were close (every game had a double-digit margin of victory).
Mohawk
@Mohawk_Football
The Warriors haven’t been to the playoffs since 2005. They will need to improve on defense if they’re going to make a run at a playoff spot this season after finishing 2014 with the 5th worst defense in AA. Mohawk allowed over 41 points in each of their 7 losses. Junior RB Cayne Yakubik led the team in rushing last year with 712 yards and 10 TDs. Fellow junior Jesse Wolfe was Mohawk’s second-leading receiver last year and should provide some stability for whoever takes over under center.
New Brighton
The Lions made the playoffs each of the last two seasons after a 9-year playoff drought. They lost a hard-faught opening round game to Highlands and had 14 seniors graduate. Junior RJ Debo figures to take over at quarterback for a team that lost nearly all of their key offensive contributors.
Freedom
@FHSDAWGPOUND
The Bulldogs have made the playoffs only once in the last 10 years and spent 2014 back at the bottom of the Midwestern Conference. Freedom was a young team with just 6 seniors graduating so the underclassmen did gain valuable experience. Juniors Noah Wolf and Nick Henderson split time at quarterback last season. Wolf threw for 820 yards and 5 TDs while Henderson threw for 586 yards and 3 TDs while also leading the team in receiving with 299 yards. Two of the top three rushers – junior Dean Ward and senior Jake Pinkerton – both return. Freedom will have to improve on both sides of the ball after losing 6 of 8 games by over 30 and the other 2 by over 20.
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