Kyle McWreath doesn't have any scholarship offers and, according to the senior from Trinity High School, he hasn't been in contact with too many schools at this point.
It's time.
McWreath has played maniacal defense through the Hillers' first two games, wins over Canon-McMillan and Trinity.
"I don't think we've ever had a guy go as hard as he does on every play," Trinity coach Ed Dalton said.
McWreath definitely went hard against Chartiers Valley and helped Trinity secure a key 9-6 victory. Besides rushing for 119 yards and a 32-yard touchdown, he was easily the game's best defensive player.
"We knew he was gassed when he asked to come out for a couple plays on defense," Dalton said. "In three years, I don'[t think he ever asked to come out on defense before."
Defense will be McWreath's future at the collegiate level and he looks like a natural at middle linebacker.
"I definitely want to play college football but no one is really looking at me right now. I don't have any offers or anything like that," McWreath said. "I think about it sometimes but it's not where I'm focused. We're a tight team and we're playing together."
* This is either a sign of how far high school football has evolved or a sign of the apocalypse. Class A California went 21 consecutive plays with calling a run. The passing game worked as the Trojans picked up a key win over Carmichaels in the Tri-County South.
Quarterback T.D. Conway, one of the area's better baseball players, went 20 of 36 for 248 yards and three touchdowns.
* With its shutout of McGuffey, Belle Vernon – Trinity's next opponent – has allowed 14 points through two games. Considering the Leopards played Hopewell and its sensational junior running back Rushel Shell in Week 1, it's an impressive number.
* Beth-Center's Jeff Tarley has eight touchdowns through two games. Eight.
* Here's a statistical oddity – Burgettstown has scored all 20 of its points this season in the final 2:14 of the games. The Blue Devils scored on the final play of a 10-6 loss at Deer Lakes.
* Several top players were out this week. Chartiers Valley played without Wayne Capers (and lost). West Allegheny is without Mike Caputo (and won). Woodland Hills is without Lafayette Pitts (and dropped to 0-2).
Another significant injury is at Charleroi. The Cougars, with barely over 30 players were minus tailback Quentin Briggs during Friday's loss at Brownsville, which dropped the Cougars to a disappointing 0-2 in the Interstate Conference.
Briggs, one of the tougher runners I've seen in recent years, isn't as well known as the previously mentioned players but, judging from results, it can be debated that he's as valuable to his team.
* Ringgold registered one of its better wins recently with a 37-9 smackdown of Hampton. Quad Law, mentioned on this blog as this year's breakout player, ran for two touchdowns and Demetrius Louis, who Ringgold followers said to look for, also had a touchdown run.
The Rams are 2-0 entering Keystone Conference play and will face one of the longest road trips imaginable for a regular season football game when it plays at WPIAL newcomer Hollidaysburg.
And head coach Matt Humbert has yet to lose in four games as coach. The Rams have scored 30-plus points in each game.
* It might be time to bolster expectations for Trinity, Chartiers-Houston, Ringgold, California and Jefferson-Morgan.
20 comments:
Just a question. If some of you think Clairton needs to play 2A football, should Rochester as well?
I realize Clairton is outside of the OR coverage area...however Clairton is in a conference with 4 teams in the OR coverage area...and this is a blog about high school sports among other things so here we go...
Last night might have been one of the most unimpressive, sloppy, heartless, un-energetic 55-6 victories I have ever seen. They arent playing as a team, they are fighting on the sidelines...they are just going through the motions. I dont like where his is headed. My feeling is we are going to blow through a weak Black Hills Conference, blow through a weak class A playoff field, and then meet a TEAM in Rochester and get beat. I hope I am wrong...but if this continues we will get beat this year.
I have no problem with the Clairton talk. You guys are the most active on the board. If it bothers others, I suggest they start conversations pertaining to other topics.
Anon, I noticed during the Clairton at Wash High game that one player was particularly upset about something along the sideline very late in the game. It was over not getting the football. Silly stuff but you might have a point about Rochester. It's never wise to overlook a Matsook-coached team.
anon, i couldnt agree more...
I wasn't at that game but I also noticed some in fighting last week myself. Not sure what the coach's are doing about it if they didn't already do something. I say if a player wants to wine and dine about not getting the ball, BENCH HIM.
They benched Desimon Green for about 1/2 to 2/3 of the game. He was out the entire 2nd and 3rd quarter plus. I am not sure what is going on there. Josh Yohe wrote about some in fighting and crap in the locker room. I've seen this movie before...it doesnt end well.
every team has in fighting and complaining about playing time.the head coach needs to take control of the situation. some players have a valid point about getting more playing time, but they need to keep their mouths shut and work their butts off in practice. i think clairton will be fine the teams that are losing have bigger problems.
well ill tell you guys about clairton. they have no competition in single A. Accept rochester and that game between those two teams wont be played until around thanksgiving at heinz. unless they put the rams on the same side of the bracket as the bears. but when i go to the clairton games. they look so bored out there. like its not fun everybody wants the ball to get there name in the paper. Tom Nola better be getting those kids minds right. or they will lose to a team like rochester. matsook is already a better coach than nola. every time they play each other down heinz matsook out coaches nola bad. trust me look at the history but nola seems to always win against him. my final point is the (Clairton Bears) hands down has the best talent in The State Of Pennsylvania in Class A and i would hate to see them lose because of greed like stats and a coach who can't get control of his team.
I wished Clairton played a schedule like Steel High, Dunmore and the other eastern 1A school do. They seem to play some decent 4A schools, good 3A schools, very good 2A schools and 2 or 3 1A schools on a yearly basis. I think Clairton would fair very good with a schedule that looked like this;
1 Washington
2 Steel Valley
3 Peters Township
4 Monessen
5 South Park
6 Serra Catholic
7 Elizabeth Forward
8 Brentwood
9 TJ
This schedule would never happen and i'd say Clairton would go 8-1 to 7-2 with that schedule.
Joe who would they lose to besides TJ? lol they would kill those teams on that schedule and probably beat TJ.
I'd guess Peters Township due to size and depth issues. And I wouldn't sleep on South Park and Steel Valley in that hypothetical schedule. But that schedule alone would get alot of people in the Clairton area even more excited. Could you imagine TJ, Steel Valley, and South Park coming into Neil C. Brown Stadium.
South Park got blown away by TJ 48 to 0 so there out and we would mercy rule them peters township never wins in anything so there out we scrimmaged steel valley two years ago at neil c. brown stadium and beat the shoulder pads off of them and i guarantee they wouldn't agree to scrimmage us again so joe i like your schedule but TJ and only TJ would give us a game on this schedule and you know it your just being nice i see lol.
The WPIAL is unique in the fact that there are so many teams and schools in this area that compete on all four levels. When you get out towards Southern Columbia, Dunmore, Steel High, Bishop McCort, etc they are in a conference/league with teams of all classes just to make up a schedule that is relatively close geographically. Southern last year was the only team outside of Manheim in the state championship game to give selinsgrove a close game, 35-28. Selinsgrove was the undefeated AAA state champion. Southern only made it to the quarter finals in the state playoffs in class a. McCort pounded on AA and AAA teams all year long...so did Steel High and Southern. People around here get in such a bubble thinking that a class A team couldnt compete with the big boys when, in fact, it is done weekly around the state. The good class A teams do it week in and week out and, more times than not, take care of business. I have NO doubt that Clairton would only lose to a handful of teams (tops) in the WPIAL and would give ANY team in the WPIAL a game. The truth is none of the big boys want to play Clairton because it is a no win situation for them. If they win they are supposed to beat a class a team, if they lose its an embarrassment. I can tell you that Clairton will play anybody, anywhere, any time.
Well As A Bigtime Clairton Bear Football Alum.I would love to see Clairton play the Big Boys. When i was in high school. I would've loved to play Mckeesport. it's right Across river road. Hey i say you can only put 11 guys on the field at a time. Peolple say well the Quad AAAA kids are so much Bigger than those little schools players. I say what thats not true. How do you know how big a clairton kid is gonna be growing up. Compared to a Woodland Hills kid. Thats crazy its about how many kids that school has. And thats it. There 11 vs. Clairton's 11. And hey Clairton has 11 athletes who are very fast. So if there (AD - Ferrae) will not be scared to move up next year they would open some eyes in the WPIAL.
If there is such a thing as a down year at Clairton, next year might be it, at least to a point. 9 of Clairtons 11 defensive starters are seniors. This year and last year would have been a great time to play the TJ's, the McKeesport's, the Aliquippa's, etc. We'll see though, Clairton always has talent.
There are down year's at Clairton, just not many.
2001 - 4-5, missed playoffs and shutout 3 times
2005 – 4-5, missed playoffs
There were a couple of seasons were they just got into the playoffs and were knocked out in the first round by Fort Cherry and Chartiers-Houston.
Correct...Clairton is a good team and a good program, but they do have their share of "down" years. Our down years, however, are typically 4-5...not 0-9 or 1-8 or 2-7. Sometimes Clairton's shear athletic ability carries them through games. Next year I think Clairton could be a little down...they have a lot of senior starters this year, but they will still have talent next year.
I like the Clairton talk. I havent had a chance to come on here too awful much but I am enjoying what I read. I am actually a little surprised that the Clairton bashers havent been out too much on this blog...but we havent made it to the Fort Cherry/Char Houston portion of our schedule yet so I guess Ill give it some time.
Char Houston has had a pretty good start to their season...maybe they will contend with Brentwood for the #2 spot in the conference. Im curious to see how upset the Buc's faithful are that they have to play at Clairton two years in a row?
Serra is down, Fort Cherry is down (what happened to them by the way???), Carlynton is terrible, Avella and Bentworth are what they are...that leaves Brentwood and CH. Im interested to see what team gives Clairton the best game. My guess is Brentwood...but even at that, thats still a 5 TD difference game.
You are probably looking at Rochy/Clairton at Heinz again. However, I see some things from Clairton that I dont like...some sideline fighting, poor attitudes, etc. If they meet an Avonworth, a Beth Center, a Sto-Rox, a Springdale in the Semi-Finals, I think that could be a very dangerous game for Clairton if they keep these attitudes and they continue to play the way they did last week. I think, as one poster put it, Clairton looks bored at times. They are the best team in the state in Class A talent wise, it would be very hard to argue against that...but they need some leadership. IMO, the only team that can derail Clairton is Clairton. If they play to the best of their ability, they cant be stopped. At this point, I just question if that hunger and desire are there. They have won 3 WPIAL titles in 4 years. They have played in 4 title games in the last 6 years. They have made it to the state title game twice and won it once. They made it to the highest point in their respective class. They have achieved their goals. Sometimes teams can lose focus and not have that desire. We'll see...
Correct...Clairton is a good team and a good program, but they do have their share of "down" years. Our down years, however, are typically 4-5...not 0-9 or 1-8 or 2-7. Sometimes Clairton's shear athletic ability carries them through games. Next year I think Clairton could be a little down...they have a lot of senior starters this year, but they will still have talent next year.
I like the Clairton talk. I havent had a chance to come on here too awful much but I am enjoying what I read. I am actually a little surprised that the Clairton bashers havent been out too much on this blog...but we havent made it to the Fort Cherry/Char Houston portion of our schedule yet so I guess Ill give it some time.
Char Houston has had a pretty good start to their season...maybe they will contend with Brentwood for the #2 spot in the conference. Im curious to see how upset the Buc's faithful are that they have to play at Clairton two years in a row?
Serra is down, Fort Cherry is down (what happened to them by the way???), Carlynton is terrible, Avella and Bentworth are what they are...that leaves Brentwood and CH. Im interested to see what team gives Clairton the best game. My guess is Brentwood...but even at that, thats still a 5 TD difference game.
You are probably looking at Rochy/Clairton at Heinz again. However, I see some things from Clairton that I dont like...some sideline fighting, poor attitudes, etc. If they meet an Avonworth, a Beth Center, a Sto-Rox, a Springdale in the Semi-Finals, I think that could be a very dangerous game for Clairton if they keep these attitudes and they continue to play the way they did last week. I think, as one poster put it, Clairton looks bored at times. They are the best team in the state in Class A talent wise, it would be very hard to argue against that...but they need some leadership. IMO, the only team that can derail Clairton is Clairton. If they play to the best of their ability, they cant be stopped. At this point, I just question if that hunger and desire are there. They have won 3 WPIAL titles in 4 years. They have played in 4 title games in the last 6 years. They have made it to the state title game twice and won it once. They made it to the highest point in their respective class. They have achieved their goals. Sometimes teams can lose focus and not have that desire. We'll see...
The Bears are still going to have talent at the skill positions next year. "Mudpuppy" Coles is going to be a great running back over the next 3 years along with very talented receivers. The weakness at Clairton next season will be QB and the OL/DL. Losing Norris and Green will be huge on the DL. I'd still pin Clairton as the favorite to win the Blackhills but probably fall short somewhere in the playoffs.
THIS IS TURNING INTO A CLAIRTON BEARS BLOG SITE AND I LOVE IT GO BEARS (16 AND 0) SEE YOU IN HERSHEY
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