Sunday, December 23, 2007

Left out

Trinity seniors Andrew Sweat and Michael Yancich deservedly were first-team selections at linebacker to the Associated Press Class AAA all-state team. Sweat became the first area player in more than a decade to earn two straight first-team mentions. Yancich was the O-R Player of the Year.

The Class AAAA team was released Saturday and it had one glaring omission - Canon-McMillan sophomore Mike Hull.

In two varsity seasons, Hull has been named first-team All-Great Southern Conference unanimously. He's an excellent two-way player as he established a C-M single season record with 1,300 rushing yards and he added 120 tackles. For my money, Hull was the runner-up in the Player of the Year competition with Sweat third and Burgettstown's Dan Conley fourth.

Granted, Quad-A is loaded with exceptional talent but Hull is one of the state's best football players and his omission is a shame. Hull deserves a second-team mention.

18 comments:

Mapod said...

Hull is a good player but as you stated the Quad A is loaded with talent. Most of the AP has not even heard of Hull, cause the team is not a big name school. Now if he played on the Upper St. Clair, PCC, Gateway school he would have been all-state.
Question I have to ask you, is what happen to the Trinity Sr in the winter sports. I seen none is play basketball or Wrestling?

Anonymous said...

I got to see Sweat and Yancich play 3 times this year and I've got to be honest in saying that I did not see anything they did that made them all-state players. They are obviously tremendous athletes, but how does a team with 2 all state linebackers get completely steamrolled by TJ? This defense gave up 34 to CM, 33 to BH, 44 to CV and 35 to TJ? A defense with 2 true all state LB's does not get worn out like this on a regular basis.

mike_kovak said...

Well it takes a lot more than two players to be good at the Triple-A level. Trinity had more than two good players but not as many good players as TJ.

If you do not think Yancich and Sweat are all-state players, you must be on something mood-altering.

Or you just don't like Trinity.

mike_kovak said...

Can't agree more about Hull. C-M needed to win a few more games for him to get more recognition.

As for the Trinity seniors, Sweat is graduating early to enroll at the Ohio State. Hard to believe, anon, that the Buckeyes would want a player whom who state "hat I did not see anything they did that made them all-state players" would be wanted early by a team playing for the national championship.

Gosh, some people really need brains.

Back to the subject, Weaver never played basketball at the varsity level. Yancich was a role player last year and while he would start this year for the Hillers, he's going to try track and spend the winter lifting weights.

Anonymous said...

No Kovak, I've got plenty of brains, to my point, how does a team with 2 all state LB's give up 44 to CV? Granted, TJ was a state championship team, what about BH and CM? I've got nothing against Trinity, other than they under achieve with plenty of talent, probably the number 1 division 1 producing school in Washington County over the past 5 years. You're so brilliant, you're a high school sportswriter, enlighten us!

mike_kovak said...

Funny how the smartest people always stand behind a cloak of anonymity.

Mike Yancich and Andrew Sweat are phenomenal high school players. That is why they had over 70 Division I scholarship offers between them.

As for why Trinity gave up points, the answer is easy. The secondary. They were not good early in the year, and that is being polite. TJ scores points against everybody. Not sure if you noticed but they went 16-0.

Hey, I picked Trinity to win its conference. So, IMO, they did underachieve. But there are schools, Trinity and C-M are among them, where Division I talent is at several positions but the wins don't pile up.

Scholarships never guarantee wins.

As I said before, it takes more than a couple players. It takes a lot more. And, as I previously stated in the O-R, Trinity lacks speed at most positions and playmakers at receiver and in the secondary. Can't win big games at that level without those components.

Anonymous said...

You've got to be kidding me that you don't think Yancich and Sweat are GOOD players. Is there a hidden reason or are you blind. Yancich wasn't even recruited for a position that he excelled at. You must have been in the restroom for most of the games that you did see. Trinity lost to State Champion. Even though they lost they did have a great year. Maybe the expectations were far to high. It is a shame about Hull. He is highly talented and a great young man. As far as Trinity basketball, you must know something so spill the beans.

Anonymous said...

It is ashame Mike Hull was overlooked. He ended the regular season as the leading rusher in the wpial at the quad a level. As for the argument he was not on a high profile team ,it makes his accomplishments even more impressive. He did play in a conference that boasts two state champs in three years. I thought the all-state team should be comprised of the best football players. Since a team from the wpial won the state title in quad a, you would think that the season leading rusher in that classification would receive some consideration------even if he is a sophmore!

Anonymous said...

Just to set the record straight, CV ran the ball at will against your 2 all state LB's, go back and watch the film. I'll say one thing for Big Ed, he sure can get scholarships to some huge programs for some kids that severely underachieve. TE to OSU, QB to UConn and now these 2 guys. I wish them the best of luck at PSU and OSU, from what I've seen, they will need it.

Anonymous said...

For your information there are 11 players on the field when the offense runs against a defense and vice versa. Maybe you should go back to kindergarten and learn how to count. I wonder where you got your scholarship from, or were you always in the seats cutting on some other young person. I'm sure they have many friends/fans and your not one they would want anyway. The TE you refer to will now have two bowl rings. How many do you have. And better yet most of these young men have some highly impressive academic achievements. You wouldn't know anything about that Huh.

mike_kovak said...

I've got to agree with the last post. So what if any of the Trinity kids ever see the field in college? The fact is all of them are getting a quality education for free. Sweat and Yancich are two of the highest quality high school student-athletes I've ever dealt with. Period.

And Andy Miller will be playing for the national championship a second straight year as a member of the Ohio State football team. Overrated, underachiever, whatever, that fact impresses the heck out of me.

I did see the Chartiers Valley-Trinity game and, yes, the Colts dominated. Trinity also killed itself with turnovers.

As for the QB at UConn, he's been a topic on the board before. I did a story earlier this year on Endres before the Huskies beat Pitt and the people at UConn love him. And I mean love him. They see him as their starting quarterback in two years. Not too shabby, especially considering UConn can win 10 games this year.

Mapod said...

I have seen alot of good players that played on bad teams make it to college and to Pros. 2 players do not make a team, as 1 running back does not either. Sweat Yancich and Hull are very talented. Only they know how far they can go. Seen anon is a CM fan, than if Hull is an offensive power why did CM fail to make the playoffs? it takes 11 not 1 or 2.

Mapod said...

Sorry they did make playoff, with a losing records.
Mike question still remanins with Trinity no Sr. in Basketball and Wrestling, not just Sweat and Yanich but the whole school, what has happen?

mike_kovak said...

I never received a copy of the Trinity roster this year but I do believe there is one senior on the team. As for wrestling, I just don't know. Don't follow it. That's Joe Tuscano's turf.

It is peculiar that a school the size of Trinity would struggle to get seniors on the team.

But I can't imagine it being problems with the coaches. Boys basketball coach Joe Dunn is one of the best there is, and one of the most enjoyable people I deal with at this job. Wrestling coach Jeff Bricker is also a good guy and from the little I've covered of Trinity wrestling, seems like he's easy to work with.

Mapod said...

Mike I do have to ask any more information about Daulton leaving Trinity? I just heard the same about Dunn. I seen Trinity play BB once this year, team in loaded with Freshman and Sophmores. I beleive only 2 Jr and no Sr, This team will go thru growing pains but will be a team to watch in the future. This team in two years, might just be as good as Joe first two season that he had, as team talent/

Anonymous said...

Funny how you Trinity jock sniffers want to talk about what impressive students these kids are when everyone realizes they are huge dissappointments athletically. So the kid at OSU will have 2 national championship game rings, thats great, the ball boys will have the same rings. Back to the point of the conversation, these 2 LB's were not all state players, they got that recognition based on scholarsip offers for their athleticism and potential. As for you morons that say it takes 11 players you know nothing about defense if you don't realize that the primary tacklers in a defensive scheme are you ILB's, and they got trucked in the games I mentioned by a bunch of no names. They may be great students, they may be great kids, they may even be great college players, BUT THEY DID UNDERACHIEVE THIS YEAR!

Anonymous said...

Kovak you are a joke. How fustrustrating it is to read your articles and your trash that you publish on your blog. Have you ever played a down of football in your life? How you put down and belittle the players on the Trinity Football Team other than your select few is ridulious. These are kids.... they are not getting paid big bucks to play. It is unfortunate though that Washington and Greene County residence have to pay to read the garbage that you write for the OR.

Anonymous said...

All I have to say is Mike Hull is better than Sweat & Yancich he proved that in the game and remember he got two more years. He is first team all state in my eyes for him to lead the rushing statistics on the team he was on is a tribute to how good of an athlete he is.