Ones to watch at County Invitational

The Washington-Greene County Track Coaches Invitational takes place Saturday at Canon-McMillan High School starting at 9:30 a.m.

Girls javelin is the premier event at the meet as several of the nation's top throwers will be in attendance led by Fort Cherry senior and Wake Forest signee Jesse Merckle.

According to milesplit.com, Merckle has the third-ranked girls high school javelin throw of the outdoor season at 151-0, which ranks 12th on the WPIAL's all-time list. Canon-McMillan's Mira Carrozza, a South Florida signee, has the second-best throw in Class AAA of 138-10 according to the WPIAL girls track honor roll compiled by Jim Faiella. Carrozza's throw would rank 16th on the milesplit.com list.

Big Macs teammate Anna Lombardo (124-0) ranks seventh in Class AAA. Fort Cherry's Jenna Lucas has the second-best throw (131-1) of any sophomore in the nation. Waynesburg's Richelle Tharp (122-5) and Fort Cherry's Beka Bellhy (118-8) also rank among the WPIAL's best.

* With the emergence of Canon-McMillan senior Shawn Johnson, the boys triple jump will likely draw a wall of spectators around the outside of the fence near the jumping pit.

Johnson has posted the top long jump and triple jump marks of the WPIAL season, and some of the nation's best marks too.

During a meet at Canon-McMillan Tuesday, Johnson triple jumped a school record 48-10 3/4, the eighth best mark in the nation and second best in Pennsylvania to Reading's Imani Brown (49-3 1/4). Johnson's best long jump of 23-5 is the top mark in the state and ranks 40th nationally.

Big Macs teammate Kelvin Parnell should push Johnson in the long jump and Washington's West Jones and Mijerean Witcher are among the top distances in Class AA. Jones jumped 44-5 earlier this season.

* As always, the boys 100 will draw attention, and the field looks particularly crowded. Wash High boasts four of the top 10 times in Class AA in Matt Brower (10.9), Shai McKenzie (10.93), Darius Spinks (11.0) and Chivar Brown (11.1). Trinity's John Lachinsky has run an 11.2 and Canon-McMillan, which hasn't submitted times and distances to the boys honor roll always contends in the event.

Ringgold's outstanding crop of sprinters (Demetrius Louis, Quad Law, Joey Wall and Alfon Cook) are all struggling with injuries. If two or three run, the Rams might be able to push Washington in the 400 relay.

In the girls sprints, Washington sophomore Alyssa Wise is one to watch as is Ringgold's Christina Wills. Wise has the top Class AA time in the 100 (12.1) and 200 (25.4). Wills ranks third in Class AAA at 12.2.

* Dustin Fuller ran his first open 400 dash recently and posted a 49.83, which leads Class AA runners. He'll be pushed by Trinity's Josh Urso, who ranks second in Class AAA at 50.3.

Fuller owns the top times in the 110 high hurdles (14.83) and 300 hurdles (39.8).

* The boys high jump features three of the WPIAL's premier jumpers in Washington's Josh Wise and Jones in addition to Johnson. Wise has cleared 6-6 already this season.

* Prexies senior Joe Phillips had a 49-8 in the shot put Thursday against Waynesburg. The mark ranks second in Class AA.

Quick hits

Tonight could be the best night of the regular season.

Ringgold at Greensburg-Salem
South Fayette atWashington
California atMonessen
Clairton at Chartiers-Houston
Central Valley atTrinity
Burgettstown atSteel Valley

All six games I find intriguing for different reasons.

Can Ringgold win a big road game and put Demetrius Louis in the same type of playmaking positions they found for him last week? Louis is a dynamic talent.

South Fayette took Steel Valley's best shot last Friday and survived. Will they absorb Washington's best punches this week? The key to this game could be the first quarter. Wash High plays better from the front.

California is getting it done with ball control and defense. Monessen has not allowed a point. Which defense stands tallest and leads its team to a key Tri-County South win?

Like most opponents who play Clairton, Chartiers-Houston will try to shorten the game and limit the Bears' touches. How competitive the Bucs are could be an indicator or what type team they'll be come playoff time.

Central Valley is one of the top teams in Class AAA. It will be interesting to see how Trinity bounces back from a tough home loss in a game that has no impact on their postseason chances.

Word from Burgettstown is that Steel Valley canceled this weekend's JV game. Hmmmmmmm ... are forces aligning in the Blue Devils' favor?

* A key matchup in the California-Monessen game will be Trojans linebacker Brenden Wright against Greyhounds multi-purpose quarterback Chavas Rawlins. So far, they've been two of the better players in ClassA.

* Washington senior Joe Phillips recently added an offer from Division I-AA Youngstown State. According to Prexies coach Mike Bosnic, Ohio University is extremely interested. Bowling Green already offered Phillips.

* I will send updates via Twitter from tonight's Ringgold at Greensburg-Salem game. Follow me @TheMikeKovak.

* We'll also be twittering from South Fayette-Washington, California-Monessen and Clairton atChartiers-Houston.

* Please follow @sportsOR, @kipapens (this guy literally has nothing else to do but Twitter), @buccos12 and @CDuganOR.

Camp Kovak soaks in the scene at historic Wash High Stadium

The Wash High Prexies football team huddled just outside their locker room on the practice field at Wash High Stadium. As the players talked and chanted, coaches scurried about with a large, white water cooler.

About five minutes prior, Prexies head coach Mike Bosnic informed me that the coaching staff was planning to pelt players with water balloons before the start of Wednesday's third practice session.

That's where the water cooler came into play.

Displaying the stealth that they no doubt once showed during their playing days, coaches carried the cooler past unsuspecting players, opened it and unleashed an assault. At first, the Prexies scattered before a few players realized, "Hey, let's throw balloons back at them."

That's exactly the type of thing that can break up the monotony and exhaustion of training camp, not that the youthful Prexies seem to mind the hard work. Actually, that's been the catch phrase around Wash High Stadium.

"These guys have really taken to everything we've asked them to do," Washington head coach Mike Bosnic said. "We've structured this a lot like a college camp. Practice sessions, weight lifting, a lot of film study. They've responded well."

Top players: Joe Phillips, Jaylin Kelly
Phillips is wearing a walking boot on his right foot, the result of a stress fracture, but Bosnic expects the senior to be healthy for the regular season. Phillips is moving to fullback on offense, where he'll be a lead blocker for what could be a loaded Washington backfield. Phillips will be counted upon along the defensive line.
Kelly, a junior, is already considered one of the more promising prospects in the WPIAL Class of 2013. He's a punishing runner with a nose for the end zone, and one of the better linebackers around.

Watch out for: Josh Wise, Shai McKenzie
Wise enters his second year as starting quarterback, and he's emerging as Wash High's on-field leader. McKenzie, in limited opportunities as a freshman running back, averaged a first down on every touch.

Key position(s): Offensive line
The front five were exposed a year ago when Wash High played top-flight teams like South Fayette and Clairton. That unit must improve in order for the Prexies to contend for a home playoff game or a conference title.


Follow me on Twitter @TheMikeKovak

Quick hits

Just got off the phone with Wash High football coach Mike Bosnic who told me that senior fullback/defensive end Joe Phillips will not practice this week because of a stress fracture in an ankle.

Bosnic does not believe that the injury will keep Phillips, who holds several scholarship offers including one from Bowling Green, from missing substantial time. Bosnic added that the fracture happened in a "weird" place, and that it is already in the process of healing.

* Wash High senior Dustin Fuller, a WPIAL track champion in the 300 hurdles and 1,600 relay as a junior, is trying out as a kicker for the football team.

Fuller also plays soccer during the fall.

* Spoke briefly with Ringgold head coach Matt Humbert Saturday, a day before the Rams headed to California University for a week of football camp.

There's no doubt the second-year head coach is excited about the addition of Fred Johnson, who transferred from Uniontown. Johnson was an All-Conference player for the Red Raiders, and looks like a lock to start in the Rams secondary. Humbert also said Johnson will get touches on offense.

Twitter Thursday

Places like Consol Energy Park celebrate Thirsty Thursday. Here at The Varsity Letters, a new feature for the 2011-12 school year will be Twitter Thursday.

What's that? Well, Twitter Thursday will celebrate recent tweets from athletes with local ties.

First, please follow me on Twitter (@TheMikeKovak). Second, the featured tweets will come from people I follow. It could be a football player from the Mon Valley, a baseball player from Greene County or a track athlete from Washington. It could come from a college athlete who once called a local high school home or a local golf coach.

One aspect of Twitter that amazes me is that many high school athletes don't realize what they say on Twitter is public domain. We won't focus on the obscene ones here, but don't be surprised if you're occasionally left wondering what the post meant.

Maceo Saunders, Trinity basketball
@maceo22
From Aug. 3 "haha all i gotta say is that... i got more options than @MicahMason22 has shoes hahaha"

Ralph Cindrich, Avella grad/former Pitt football player/super agent
@RalphCindrich
from Aug. 11 "Bad news: "Maine 'Redneck Olympics' Reportedly Warned to Drop 'Olympics' or Face Lawsuit." Really wanted to get in the spirit of this 1."

Joe Phillips, Washington football
@JCPhillips2012
From July 19 "all yall people missing practice make me sick. 41-0 9/3/10 remember"

We'll be back next week with more tweets.

Wash High's Phillips lands first offer

At 6-2, 270, Washington High School's Joe Phillips has the size to play key positions along the offensive and defensive lines to go with the speed and agility to play other places like fullback, tight end and linebacker.

Phillips, who will be a senior, landed his first scholarship offer last week from Virginia Military Institute. The Keydets play at the Division I-AA level and their 2010 schedule included Virginia and Army.

According to Prexies head coach Mike Bosnic, Phillips is drawing interest from Youngstown State and Bowling Green.

* Trinity quarterback Brad Martin will play at Division III Allegheny College.

Martin put together a solid senior season for the Hillers, throwing for nearly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. The latter is a Hillers single-season record and he also owns the school record for longest completion at 99 yards.

Martin is the seventh senior from Trinity's 2010 football team headed to a college program.

* Trinity graduate Andrew Sweat (pictured), slated to start at linebacker for Ohio State, has been tabbed a First-Team All-Conference pick.

* A pair of seniors from Chartiers-Houston are headed to Division III Hiram College, where they will play football.

Scott Betts, the starting catcher on the Bucs' PIAA-playoff qualifying baseball team, was a two-year starter at center and played defensive end and linebacker. A three-year letterwinner, Betts was a first-team all-conference pick in 2010.

Evan Bender, an outfielder on the C-H baseball team, started at quarterback, receiver and linebacker during his varsity career.

Follow me on Twitter @TheMikeKovak