Five storylines from 2011-12

Early commits from Class of 2013
The Class of 2012 failed to produce a Division I scholarship player, but the same cannot be said for the upcoming senior group.
There are already three players committed to Division I programs.
Waynesburg native Scott Orndoff, the son of former Waynesburg and West Greene head coach Scott Orndoff and a big-time prospect from Seton-La Salle, was Pitt's first recruit after the hiring of coach Paul Chryst.
He'll be joined at Pitt by South Fayette's Zach Challingsworth, whose recruitment made headlines. Challingsworth recently attended a prospect camp at Pitt, and, after not receiving a scholarship offer that day, committed to Toledo. The day after Challingsworth committed, Pitt invited him back down to the football offices, where an offer was extended. Challingsworth waited a day and changed his committment to Pitt.
Monessen's Chavas Rawlins was also wooed by Pitt, but for the strong-armed quarterback, West Virginia and its high-flying offense was the choice. Rawlins had approximately 20 offers when he committed to WVU in May.

Strange twist to Spridik removal
Coaching positions are opened for many reasons. Bentworth volleyball didn't figure to be one of those positions, not after Greg Spridik compiled a 107-18 record with two PIAA playoff appearances in seven years.
Spridik, however, had his position opened in December - a result of Act 24 of 2011. Spridik's firing was traced to a drug arrest in 1980, a conviction which hadn't shown up on any previous clearances. Spridik also had clearence as a PIAA official.
Alyssa Dye was eventually hired to replace Spridik.

Dalton says "See ya" to Trinity, "Hello" to McGuffey
Ed Dalton and the Trinity School Board rarely saw eye-to-eye, and the battles between the two were well-documented, including having his football position opened on multiple occasions only to gain it back.
In February, Dalton put an end to the battle, at least for the foreseeable future, when he became the athletic director and football coach at McGuffey.
To many, the move was a curious decision. McGuffey's football program is not as stable as Trinity's, but, for Dalton, it was an easy decision. It gave him the opportunity to become an athletic director again.

Repeated excellence
Canon-McMillan wrestling, Peters Township girls soccer, Peters Township girls tennis and Chartiers-Houston softball and enjoyed championship seasons, something all four programs are accustomed to having.
C-M won its third straight WPIAL team title, and second straight PIAA team title at the individual tournament. PT girls soccer won a second straight PIAA championship and made a third appearance in the state title game in the last four years. PT girls tennis won its third WPIAL and PIAA championship since 2006. C-H softball won a second consecutive WPIAL title and the ninth in program history.

Tracking success
Was the 2012 track season the best in local history? The possibly exists. Historians would be hard pressed to find a better one.
At the PIAA championship meet, there were 11 top-three finishes. Washington's Dustin Fuller, Fort Cherry's Jessie Merckle and Waynesburg's Marissa Kalsey won state titles. WPIAL and school records books were assaulted this season, and the Washington boys track team were absolutely dominant in winning the WPIAL team titles.
Fuller won four golds at the WPIAL meet - the first time a male accomplished the feat since 1982.
Canon-McMillan's Shawn Johnson swept the jumps at the WPIAL meet - the first time the feat was accomplished by a male since 1986.
Canon-Mac's Mira Carrozza placed second in the girls Class AAA javelin, the highest placement by a Big Macs athlete at the state meet.

Washington's Josh Wise, Fort Cherry's Sean Darragh won WPIAL titles on the boys side. Wash High's Alyssa Wise, Waynesburg's Peyton Hampson, Kalsey, Merckle and Carrozza were WPIAL champs on the girls side.

Boys Athlete of the Year Finalists

Over the past 12 years, the Observer-Reporter has recognized an United States Olympian (Coleman Scott), a NCAA football All-American (Dan Mozes) and one of the nation's premier marathoners (Jeff Weiss) among others as its Boys Athletes of the Year.

2011 - Christian Brumbaugh, South Fayette
2010 - Mike Hull, Canon-McMillan
2009 - Nick Wilcox, Peters Township
2008 - Dan Conley, Burgettstown
2007 - Andrew Sweat, Trinity
2006 - Robert Heller, Ringgold
2005 - Jeff Weiss, McGuffey
2004 - Coleman Scott, Waynesburg
2003 - Colby Giles, Carmichaels
2002 - Dan Mozes, Washington
2001 - Lanfer Simpson, Waynesburg
2000 - Michael Sutton, Washington

Some years, the choice was easy. Other years, it was a difficult selection.

The O-R Boys Athlete of the Year falls under the difficult category. Time will tell if any of the finalists prove as successful as many of their predecessors, but there were many to choose from.

Zach Challingsworth, South Fayette
The Pitt football recruit played receiver, quarterback, defensive back, punter and kick returner for the Lions and was a first-team All-State pick. He was also on the O-R All-District basketball first team.

T.D. Conway, California
A two-sport (football, baseball) standout headed to Cal U for football. Conway owns several Trojans passing records and pitched the baseball team into the WPIAL Class A finals this spring.

Andrew Erenberg, Peters Township
Erenberg competed against some of the toughest competition the WPIAL can offer as a vital member of the football and baseball teams at Peters Township. An All-State selection and Fordham signee, Erenberg rushed for 1,343 yards with 17 TD. In baseball,. he batted .468 with 22 RBI.
Dustin Fuller, Washington
Fuller played soccer and kicked for the football team last fall, but made his mark in track. In fact, it's been some time since an area athlete had a better track season than Fuller. He became the first male to win four events at the WPIAL championships, and followed it with four medals at the state meet, including one gold and one silver.

Tanner Garry, Fort Cherry
Fort Cherry's career passing leader went for 2,171 yards and 23 TD as a senior with 12 rushing TDs. The future Bowling Green football player wrestled this winter after playing basketball as a junior. In baseball, he batted nearly .500 and struck out 88 as the team's top pitcher.

Quad Law, Ringgold
There wasn't much Law couldn't or didn't do on the football field during his senior season, which was one reason why he was selected the O-R Player of the Year. The future Gannon multi-purpose threat, was an All-State player as he rushed for 1,341 yards and averaged 11.2 per carry.

Chavas Rawlins, Monessen
Name the sport, and chances are Rawlins plays it for Monessen and he excels. It's football, however, where the WVU recruit shines as he accounted for 16 TDs as a junior.

Cody Wiercioch, Canon-McMillan
In his first season with the Big Macs, Wiercioch went unbeaten on his way to WPIAL and PIAA titles. The O-R Wrestler of the Year also helped C-M win team championships at the state and district level.

Josh Wise, Washington
The rare three-sport athlete who excels in every sport he particpates, Wise helped the Prexies qualify for the playoffs in football, basketball and track, where Wash High won a WPIAL title. Wise made the All-District basketball first team and was a WPIAL high jump champion.

Challingsworth, Ellis make PIAA Class AA All-State team

Also on this list is Waynesburg resident Scott Orndoff, a Wisconsin recruit who plays at Seton-La Salle.

The 2011 Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State football team. With players’ school, height, weight and class.
CLASS AA
QUARTERBACK
Steve Franco, Tyrone, 6-3, 190, Sr.
Blake Rankin, Bloomsburg, 6-4, 195, Sr.
RUNNING BACK
Roman Clay, Lancaster Catholic, 5-11, 205, Jr.
DeShawn Coleman, Hickory, 6-1, 175, Jr.
Dylan Evans, Pen Argyl, 6-3, 190, Sr.
David Williams, West Philadelphia Catholic, 6-1, 188, Jr.
WIDE RECEIVER
Zach Challingsworth, South Fayette, 6-2, 170, Jr.
Shakur Nesmith, Imhotep Charter,  6-4, 185, Sr.
Nick Patton, Tyrone, 6-2, 150, Sr.
TIGHT END
Scott Orndorff, Seton-La Salle, 6-5, 240, Sr.
LINEMEN
J.J. Beggan, Seton-La Salle, 6-4, 280, Sr.
Matt Bell, Hickory, 6-3, 280, Sr.
Adam DePietro, Lancaster Catholic,  6-6, 300, Sr.
Jonathan Green, North Schuylkill, 6-3, 295, Sr.
Christian Skrepenak, GAR Memorial, 6-9, 350, Jr.
Michael Mooney,  Malvern Prep, 6-5, 260, Sr.
SPECIALIST
Kyle Armagost, Moniteau, 6-1, 195, Sr.
Darrell Crawford,  GAR Memorial, 5-9, 165, Sr.
KICKER
No selection.
DEFENSE
LINEMEN
Eric Ellis, Washington, 6-1, 225, Sr.
Eric Joraskie, Mount Carmel, 6-4, 265, Jr.
Shakir Soto, GAR Memorial, 6-3, 230, Jr.
Malcolm White, Wyomissing, 6-0, 265, Sr.
Connor Maloney,  Malvern Prep, 6-4, 270, Sr.
LINEBACKER
Alex Anzalone, Wyomissing, 6-3, 205, Jr.
Mack Behe, Penn Cambria, 6-2, 175, Jr.
Tristin Freeman, West Philadelphia Catholic, 6-0, 215, Sr.
Cody Shustack, Mount Carmel, 5-10, 200, Sr.
Brandon Smith, Lewisburg, 6-1, 200, Jr.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Demetrious Cox, Jeannette, 6-1, 190, Sr.
Alex Filarsky, Lakeland, 6-1, 170, Sr.
Reggie Mitchell, Shady Side Academy,  5-9, 155, Sr.
Shailek Powell, GAR Memorial, 6-0, 180, Sr.
SPECIALIST
Zack Ripic, Towanda, 5-11, 185, Sr.
Charles Sweigert,  Lancaster Catholic,  6-0, 185, Sr.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Steve Franco, Tyrone
COACH OF THE YEAR
John Franco, Tyrone

Garry likes Bowling Green, Challingsworth hearing from BCS programs

Tanner Garry's quest to play Division I college football may become reality.

Garry, who put together a record-setting senior season and a varsity career as a Rangers quarterback, heard from a variety of colleges, from Division I to II, and as recently as a couple weeks ago thought he'd get an invitation to walk on at Pitt.

The Panthers struggles at the quarterback position are well-documented.

"I was hearing from Pitt every week for a while," Garry said, "but they haven't talked to me in a couple weeks so, I guess I'm somewhat on the outs with them."

Garry spoke with Bowling Green offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero Thursday night via telephone and believes his chances of joining the Falcons for the 2012-13 school year are much improved.

"Right now, I'd say it's about 90 percent. I had my first real conversation with (Ruggiero) and I came away feeling pretty good," Garry said.

Garry will visit Bowling Green Jan. 20 and, if things go well, he plans on walking on the football team.

Originally, Garry hoped to land a late scholarship offer from Bowling Green after one recently opened up, but Ruggiero told Garry the Falcons planned on giving that scholarship to their punter.

"What they're telling me is if I go there next year and prove I'm a capable player that they'll give me a scholarship for my sophomore year," Garry said.

Garry passed for 2,171 yards and 23 touchdowns in 11 games for Fort Cherry. He also rushed for 702 with 12 touchdowns.

* If recent activity is any indication, South Fayette junior Zach Challingsworth will be one of the more sought-after football players in the WPIAL next year.

Challingsworth has no official offers but is hearing from several Division I programs, and Division I-AA Villanova.

Maryland coach Greg Gattuso – a former Pitt assistant – recently visited South Fayette to talk to Lions head coach Joe Rossi about Challingsworth, a talented 6-2 receiver. Toledo and Villanova are close to offering.

Challingsworth has also heard from Pitt and Ohio State recently, and he's intrigued at the possibility of being recruited by new Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer.

"It is exciting to know they're interested, and it would be pretty neat playing for a coach like that and seeing what he did at Florida," Challingsworth said. "There's a lot of schools interested. We'll see what happens. Things won't really pick up until March."

Challingsworth, a starter on the basketball team, had more than 700 yards receiving on 48 catches, 250 yards rushing and scored 10 touchdowns. He also intercepted five passes for South Fayette.

Garry and Challingsworth were both selected to the Observer-Reporter Elite 11.

Player of the Year worthy

Brief bios on players who were considered for the Observer-Reporter Football Player of the Year, which will be published Wednesday.

Zach Challingsworth, South Fayette
Challingsworth has received interest from West Virginia, Penn State, Toledo, Maryland, Pitt and Villanova. Maryland was the most recent to visit South Fayette and talk with Lions head coach Joe Rossi about the dynamic Challingsworth, a first-team Century Conference receiver and punter. Challingsworth caught 48 passes for 740 yards, rushed for 520, passed for 60 and scored nine touchdowns to go with five interceptions.

Eric Ellis, Washington
Ellis made the Century Conference second team as an offensive lineman, but it's on defense where the senior made his biggest impact. Among Ellis' 55 tackles were a single-season school record 18 sacks and 25 tackles for loss. Ellis forced turnovers - five fumbles, one interception - and recovered six fumbles. He even blocked two punts and two kicks.

Andrew Erenberg, Peters Township
One of the area's better baseball players, Erenberg enjoyed his best football season as a senior. Erenberg turned down a scholarship offer from Kent State (the first local running back since Wash High's Travis Thomas to be recruited by D1 schools at the position) to commit to Fordham. Erenberg, also a starting safety, rushed for 1,343 yards and scored 18 touchdowns and he rushed for 3,500 yards during his three years with the Indians.

Sal Faieta, Beth-Center
A four-year starter at linebacker, Faieta made significant strides as a quarterback during his senior season. Colleges like Youngstown State like Faieta at linebacker, and he finished with 85 tackles. His efficiency as a quarterback was noticeable. Faieta passed for 1,315 yards and averaged 16.6 yards per completion. He passed for 18 touchdowns and rushed for 10.

Tanner Garry, Fort Cherry
The Offensive MVP of the Black Hills Conference, Garry put together a record-setting season at Fort Cherry. He completed 110 passes for 2,171 yards and 23 touchdowns. As the season progressed, Garry became fort Cherry's top option in the run game and he gained 702 yards with 12 rushing touchdowns. Garry also started at linebacker and safety, and had a knack for making a big play in key games.

Percy "Quad" Law, Ringgold
Dynamic, shifty and fast, Law turned negative plays into highlight-reel material. As the quarterback in Ringgold's version of the spread offense, Law rushed for 1,341 yards and 14 touchdowns despite missing parts of two games due to injury. Before his leg injury, Law was averaging nearly 15 yards per carry. He also passed for 637 yards and made key plays with his arm in both of Ringgold's biggest wins – at Greensburg-Salem and versus Highlands in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs.

A few thoughts from the first round

The cliche has a few variations, but it goes a little something like this, "Big-time players make big plays in big games."

Over the last two weeks, no player from the Observer-Reporter coverage area has made more plays than Fort Cherry senior Tanner Garry.

And there's been plenty of competition.

Garry has been the best football player on the field in Fort Cherry victories at Chartiers-Houston and at Beth-Center. The latter made Fort Cherry the third-place team in the Black Hills Conference, which represented itself well in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs. The latter came in the first round.

Need big-time completions? Garry has thrown for 400 yards the past two games, and three touchdowns (all against Beth-Center).

Looking for a quarterback who can break the big run? Garry has rushed for more than 330 yards and five touchdowns against a pair of defenses that stuffed the run for most of the season.

He's even intercepted a couple passes.

Thanks, in part, to Garry's play, Fort Cherry (7-3) finds itself in the quarterfinals against Bishop Canevin (10-0), which rallied for a 10-point deficit in the second half to beat Chartiers-Houston.

Fort Cherry suddenly looks like a team capable of making a postseason run. Garry is playing the best football of his career, the Rangers run defense is punishing, as is the offensive line. And Garry has catapulted himself into the Player of the Year picture.

* There's little doubt that Aliquippa deserves the No. 1 ranking in WPIAL Class AA and the top seed in the playoffs.

After Beaver and Beaver Falls made an early exit from the playoffs, anyone else wondering if the Quips didn't face much competition during the regular season?

* Zach Challingsworth may be one of the more under-appreciated players in Class AA.

The South Fayette junior caught a pair of touchdowns in the Lions' first-round win at Beaver Falls and helped a defensive effort that forced five turnovers, which helped the 11th seed advance.

He's a consistent presence, and has been since the beginning of his sophomore season.

* If you're South Fayette head coach Joe Rossi, what do you do if senior quarterback John Lerda is healthy enough to play against Seton-La Salle in the quarterfinals?

Lerda was a 1,000-yard passer before missing the last two games. His replacement, freshman Brett Brumbaugh, is 2-0. He's completed 27 of 36 passes in those games, though Beaver Falls did force him into four interceptions.

* Washington senior Eric Ellis is having the type of season that lands a player on the all-state team.

Ellis, a defensive end, has a single-season Prexies record 18 sacks . He had 3 1/2 against Mt. Pleasant. Ellis has also been in on a handful of turnovers, recovering fumbles throughout the season and even an interception against the Vikings.

* Unless you're Clairton or Aliquippa or Pittsburgh Central Catholic, winning in the postseason can be difficult.

It's particularly tough when you're a program without a postseason win since 1999.

But Ringgold broke a seven-game postseason skid with a 14-10 win against Highlands at Joe Montana Stadium. Highlands deserves credit for the defensive job it did against Ringgold's run game, but Quad Law made a couple big plays passing to help the Rams advance.

Learning how to win in the postseason is a big step.

WPIAL Class AA playoffs preview

Top seeds: 1. Aliquippa (9-0), 2. Jeannette (9-0), 3. Seton-La Salle (9-0), 4. Freeport (7-2)
Defending champion: South Fayette
Best first-round game: South Fayette at Beaver Falls
Sleeper: Washington
Players to watch: Shai McKenzie (Wash High) pictured, Jaylin Kelly (Wash High), Zach Challingsworth (South Fayette), Kevin Hart (Seton-La Salle), Scott Orndoff (Seton-La Salle), Mikal Hall (Aliquippa), Dontez Williams (Steel Valley), Trey Hall (Aliquippa), Demetrious Cox (Jeannette), Jordan McCrae (Greensburg C.C.)
Noteworthy: South Fayette topped 50 points in the WPIAL semifinals last year against Beaver Falls. The Lions offense isn't as potent this year but the talented Challingsworth is a challenge for any defense.
Washington deserved better than the No. 8 seed. Anyone who feels otherwise, feel free to explain. That said, the road to a WPIAL Class AA championship always runs through Aliquippa. If the Prexies beat Mt. Pleasant in the first round, it sets up a matchup with the Quips.
One thing is certain, Wash High, which should be bolstered by the return of Kelly this week, won't be intimidated.
Two years ago, Aliquippa - as the No. 8 seed - knocked off top-seeded South Fayette in an epic quarterfinal.
Quotable: "It doesn't matter who we play or where we're seeded," Prexies lineman Jalen Morris said. "We just need to worry about ourselves."
Championship: Seton-La Salle over Greensburg Central Catholic

Week 3 thoughts

The WPIAL schedule makers sure weren't kind to Washington. The Prexies opened the season with Clairton (a game the schools scheduled) and they played Seton-La Salle Friday night. Things won't be easy this week either as Wash High hosts South Fayette.

At least Washington had the opportunity to schedule its game against Clairton. Waynesburg was not afforded the same opportunity, but the Raiders have been forced to navigate an equally brutal opening month.

Waynesburg started its season against Greensburg Central Catholic. The Raiders played Jeannette Friday night. This week, they're awarded with a crossover game against Beaver Falls.

* Credit Burgettstown with manhandling its first three opponents and continuing its surprising start to the 2011 season with another easy win - this time over South Allegheny to open play in the Century Conference.

It marks the first time since 2000 that the Blue Devils are 3-0. That team, which competed in Class A, failed to make the playoffs.

Burgettstown's schedule gets extremely difficult in the coming weeks. The Blue Devils are at Steel Valley and at South Fayette. After a home game against Quaker Valley, they are at Seton-La Salle and Keystone Oaks.

If Burgettstown can find a way to win two of those games, the season finale against Washington could be a scenario where the winner gets into the playoffs and the loser goes home. Stress the "could be" in that sentence.

* There are several outstanding football players locally in this year's senior class, but I entered the season thinking the top two talents were Ringgold's Demetrius Louis and South Fayette's Zach Challingsworth.

Both are juniors, and their performances Friday night did nothing but reaffirm my belief.

Louis missed the Rams' Week 2 loss at Hampton. He returned against Hollidaysburg and rushed for 253 yards and four touchdowns on nine carries. No player in the coverage area possesses Louis' combination of size, speed and strength. As one person put it Friday night, "He's the most talented guy I've seen in a while."

Challingsworth caught seven passes for 101 yards, rushed eight times, intercepted two passes, punted and even threw a 28-yard touchdown pass as the Lions' eeked out an important win over Steel Valley. Considering his work ethic, Challingsworth's chances of landing at a Division I school are considerable.

* Yes, Penn-Trafford blew out Peters Township in Week 1, but is anyone else starting to think it wasn't such a terrible loss considering how well Penn-Trafford has played this season?

Andrew Erenberg is on a short list of the area's top players.

* Huge games coming up for Ringgold, Chartiers-Houston, Washington and South Fayette, and California and Monessen. Huge.

* The list of local unbeatens is rapidly shrinking. Burgettstown, Chartiers-Houston, Beth-Center, Monessen and California are the only teams on that list.

C-H hosts Clairton this week. California, which picked up a nice non-conference win over Riverview in double overtime, plays at Monessen, which has yet to allow a point.

Player profile, Zach Challingsworth

Name: Zach Challingsworth
School: South Fayette
Class: Junior
Sport: Football
Measurables: Challingsworth is listed at 6-2, 170, and he's playing multiple positions on offense in addition to defensive back.
As a sophomore, Challingsworth was one a favorite target of quarterback Christian Brumbaugh.
"Zach's so talented. We just couldn't get him five, six touches a game," South Fayette coach Joe Rossi said. "We need to get him at least 10-15 touches."
This year: Challingsworth enters the Lions' key home game Friday night against unbeaten Steel Valley as the team's leading rusher and receiver.
He's had only nine carries, but posted 100 yards. Challingsworth also has five catches for 135 yards and one touchdown. The majority of his rushed come out of the wildcat formation, which South Fayette installed during the offseason.
"I can play quarterback and just be an athlete instead of running routes the entire game. I can go out there be a competitor and give it my all," Challingsworth said. "It’s tough. Coming out to practice, you have to be ready to learn every day. I’m learning the quarterback position. It’s tough every day but it’s getting better."
Rave reviews: Opposing coaches, even ones in different classifications, praised Challingsworth play during summer 7-on-7 camps. He also earned high marks for his play in summer basketball leagues.
Challingsworth isn't afraid to do the little things, like offer advice to underclassmen during football practice or rough it up inside during basketball season.
He's also an explosive athlete, as his two touchdown receptions against West Philadelphia Catholic in last year's PIAA Class AA title game or a come-from-behind block of a 6-6 Division I recruit in the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinals against Eastern York suggest.
"It was a good summer coming back from losing 19 seniors but things are coming together well," Challingsworth said. "We still have targets on our backs and if my name is going around then I individually have a target on my back. We’re all in this together."
College material: Toledo has expressed major interest in Challingsworth and is expected to offer soon. Pitt, West Virginia, Duquesne and Villanova are also among Challingsworth's early suitors.
"He just works hard," Rossi said. "When you have a kid with talent that comes ready to work every day, it just adds to the total package. The other kids knew right away that watching how Zach works would be a positive for them."

Camp Kovak visits defending WPIAL Class AA champs

South Fayette's football camp has a different feel to it this year, and it has little to do with the Lions coming off their first WPIAL championship since 1964.

That feeling has a lot more to do with the loss of 19 seniors from last year's team. Gone are all-state players Christian Brumbaugh, Jeff Davis, Nick Faraci, Tyler Challingsworth and Eric Myers. Many of their replacements are sophomores and juniors with precious little varsity experience, even some seniors unable to crack the depth chart a year ago.

It's been a learning experience for most players, and coaches too. Stoppages to correct mistakes are common. So are up-downs when the coaching staff isn't happy with execution.

"We're back to fundamentals. There's a lot of work to do," head coach Joe Rossi said. "In some ways, we're starting from square one."

Graduation hit South Fayette hard, but the cupboard is hardly empty. Junior Zach Challingsworth will be a focal point offensively, as will senior Trevor Fiorentini. Rossi expects big things from seniors Tyler Patterson and Nathan Smith as well.

Given South Fayette's depth at receiver, the Lions will still employ a spread offense though they could mix in more suprise packages than in the past.

Plus, it helps that the offensive line returns three players.

"We need two linemen to fill those two spots and we need some quarterback play," Rossi said. "That's the key. We have some talent around them."

Top players: Zach Challingsworth, Trevor Fiorentini
Challingsworth played for PA Swag this summer, though he did not travel with the team when Gateway's Darrell Turner was shot and killed in North Carolina on their way to a football camp in Florida.
He'll play receiver, safety and even a little quarterback for South Fayette in an attempt to get him more touches.
Fiorentini started at fullback and linebacker last year, and he switched to tailback when Jeff Davis was not able to finish the PIAA Class AA championship game last year. Fiorentini has size and moves, plus he scored 13 touchdowns as a junior.

Watch out for: Grant Fetchet
Fetchet, a sophomore, is seeing ample time at tailback during camp and should become a key offensive contributor. He's not as big as Davis, but shows some burst. South Fayette likes their running backs to catch passes, so tailback is a vital role.

Fitting in: South Fayette has assumed the mantle of preseason favorite in the Century Conference, and why not? The Rebels, with players like Kevin Hart and Wisconsin commit and Waynesburg resident Scott Orndoff, will be strong. Washington should also be improved as the Prexies return a wealth of players who gained valuable experience last year.
Still, the perception remains that South Fayette may not experience much drop-off. I talked to at least one coach of another team who expects the Lions to compete for a WPIAL title.

Quick hits

Waynesburg played for the WPIAL baseball championship June 1 and lost during three games during the 2011 season - all by one run. The success wasn't enough to keep some parents from creating friction with head coach Steve Coss.

Coss, who coached the Raiders for three years, recently resigned. For more on the story, http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sports11/08-24-2011-scholastic-notebook.

* Peters Township senior Andrew Erenberg has scholarship offers from Kent State and Fordham. Erenberg rushed for more than 1,000 yards with 18 touchdowns as a junior.

* Heard from more than one person affiliated with Clairton that the Bears believe they will play Fort Cherry twice - the second time coming at Heinz Field for the WPIAL championship.

* Not sure how good South Fayette will be following the loss of the majority of its top players from last year, but don't expect the Lions not to compete for the postseason. After watching junior Zach Challingsworth during practice Tuesday, the guess here is he'll be one of the better players in Class AA if not the WPIAL.

* That said, Washington beat South Fayette during a 7-on-7 camp during the offseason. That doesn't mean much right now, but expect the Week 4 meeting between the Prexies and Lions to be highly competitive.

* Mat Matters, a blog dedicated to high school wrestling done by colleague Joe Tuscano, is engaged in a heated debate concerning the transfer of Cody Wiercioch from Charleroi to powerhouse Canon-McMillan.

I'm not a passionate opponent of transfers. As I've stated before, what about the student who leaves one high school for another because of the band? To me, there's not much difference no matter what points others mention.

Still, the recent transfers remind me of a situation that occurred when I first broke into the business at the Beaver County Times.

Like Canon-McMillan wrestling, Blackhawk boys basketball was already an established program when Brandon Fuss-Cheatham transferred from Keystone Oaks and Darren Tielsch from Montour. Each move set off a heated debate, and Blackhawk was often referred to the WPIAL Traveling All-Stars.

Blackhawk's head coach at the time, John Miller, had ties to the AAU basketball. Canon-McMillan wrestling has ties to the popular Quest Wrestling in Canonsburg.

* According to sources, former Monessen and Greensburg Central Catholic athlete Josh Stepoli is in North Carolina, where he is staying with a cousin, A.J. Jackson.

Jackson was a basketball standout out Monessen before he played at East Tennessee State and, later, Robert Morris.