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.

Meyer creates stir before Big 33 game

CAMP HILL, Pa. (AP) — Urban Meyer created a minor stir at a news conference Friday for a high school All-Star football game between Ohio and Pennsylvania without saying a word.
Imagine what Ohio State’s new coach could do on the recruiting trail in Pennsylvania, long fertile territory for prospective talent for the Buckeyes. There’s an added twist, too, in the interstate recruiting battles: Ohio State, Penn State and Pitt each have new coaches.
“There’s change. There’s maybe a little level of discomfort in what had happened in Columbus,” Meyer said when asked about how the dynamics of having three new coaches at each school might affect recruiting tussles. “Just keep fighting through it, and work as hard as you can moving forward.”
Ten minutes late, Meyer was seated before a bank of microphones right next to the Big Ten’s other high-profile new hire, the Nittany Lions’ Bill O’Brien, at the news conference to promote the Big 33 high school football game between Ohio and Pennsylvania. Also in attendance were Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, new Pitt coach Paul Chryst and Temple coach Steve Addazio — Meyer’s offensive coordinator at Florida.
Among the Pennsylvania contingent of coaches at the podium, Addazio was the dean of the delegation — and he’s only in his second year.
“I’ll take all the advice I can get,” O’Brien joked.
“Let me tell you something. I’m in no position to give any advice, OK,” Addazio retorted, drawing chuckles. “It’s hysterical to me sometimes how fast our business moves.”
Each member of the Pennsylvania contingent offered Meyer a cordial welcome upon his late arrival. Later, when they walked out on stage during a high-tech introduction before at least a couple hundred people inside an auditorium, Meyer was introduced before O’Brien — but O’Brien drew the biggest round of applause.
This is still Nittany Lions territory, after all.
“If you compare head coaches, I would say that Urban’s got the proven track record. I’ve never coached a game yet,” said O’Brien, the former New England Patriots offensive coordinator entering his maiden season as a head coach. “What we try to do at Penn State is talk about Penn State .... At the end of the day, we worry about the kids who choose Penn State.”
For Meyer, it was his second trip this week into a hostile football territory that also lies in a Ohio State recruiting target area. Meyer was at a high school football camp outside Detroit on Wednesday to speak to attendees from across the country. Michigan coach Brady Hoke and Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi were among other coaches in attendance.
“You don’t have to think about the difference in how it was or how it’s going to be,” Meyer said Friday about recruiting, “except that it’s a street fight every day and you work as hard as you can.”
Meyer and O’Brien are acquaintances from when Meyer was an assistant at Notre Dame and O’Brien an assistant at Georgia Tech.
Chryst, a former assistant at Wisconsin, concurred with O’Brien that recruiting was about finding the “right fit.”
“Our job is to let players know, prospects known, who we are. Then to me it’s about finding a fit,” Chryst said. “You want football to be great in this state ... we can all be strong with Pennsylvania kids.”
Chryst made those comments with O’Brien and Addazio sitting before the microphones — but before Meyer arrived.
———
Tight end Adam Breneman, who has verbally committed to Penn State for the Class of 2013, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during offseason drills Thursday and will miss his senior season at Cedar Cliff High School. Breneman, considered one of the prospects in the country, chose Penn State over Ohio State. He told The Patriot-News of Harrisburg that he now intends to enroll at Penn State early, and that he’s working with Penn State’s medical staff within NCAA guidelines.

BeeGraphix Football Classic

It's all-star football weekend, and the area gets in on the fun with Saturday's BeeGraphix Football Classic. The game kicks off from Belle Vernon at 7 p.m. and features players from southern Allegheny County, Washington County, Greene County, Westmoreland County and Fayette County.
The North looks strong along the offensive line and boasts speed in Canon-McMillan's Kenyadda Brown, the Washington County champion in the 100 and 200 dashes during track season. Quarterback Tanner Garry (Bowling Green) and Corey Garry (Robert Morris) were two of the more highly recruited players on the North roster.
South coach Ed Woods was impressed with the practice habits of Trinity products John Laschinsky and Brandon Robertson. Several South skill position players are headed to Division II programs including Ringgold's Alfon Cook (Slippery Rock), Beth-Center's (Sal Faieta) and California's T.D. Conway (Cal U).

North Team
1-Zach Hamilton, Chartiers-Houston P/K
2-Vincent Magnone, Washington WR
3-Tanner Garry, Fort Cherry QB
4-Kyle Rodriguez, Frazier WR
5-Jalen Morris, Washington OL
6-Kenyadda Brown, Canon-McMillan RB
7-Dan Lis, Chartiers-Houston QB
8-Kyle Cline, Bentworth WR
10-Billy Simpson, Bentworth TE
12-Rock Vargo, Frazier OL
13-Anthony Cinello, Bethel Park QB
14-Tony Kudyba, Frazier OL
16-Keith Cox, McGuffey OL
18-Santo Piccolomini, Geibel WR
21-Dalton Barbus, Southmoreland TE
23-Connor Mcklveen, Southmoreland WR
24-Mason Tororice, Elizabeth-Forward TE
27-Zach May, South Park OL
31-Asa Costelnock, Southmoreland OL
32-Wade Durbin, West Greene TE
34-Corey Garry, Fort Cherry FB
35-Zack Soyring, Canon-McMillan FB
40-Austin Hague, McGuffey OL
43-Cody Stolar, South Park WR
51-Galega Atte, Bethel Park OL
52-Joe Graziani, Canon-McMillan OT
53-Brian Cumpston, Canon-McMillan C
54-Mike Dunlap, Bethel Park OL
55-Ryan Tucker, South Park OL
58-Bob Mele, Chartiers-Houston OL
65-Matt Pawlak, McGuffey OL
67-Nate Grandelis, Chartiers-Houston OL
71-Ben Bowman, Fort Cherry OL
75-Ryan Schilinski, McGuffey OL

South Team
2-Sal Faieta, Beth-Center QB
3-Jake Riddell, Laurel Highlands QB
3-Alfon Cook, Ringgold WR
5-Tre Hall, Brownsville RB
6-Nick Zupper, Waynesburg RB
7-Jake Burritt, Belle Vernon TE
7-TD Conway, California QB
7-Denzel Beasley, Laurel Highlands RB
10-Dominic Gibson, Uniontown WR
12-John Laschinsky, Trinity WR
18-Tyler Kamenos, Mapletown WR
20-Mike Rumble, Mapletown RB
21-Lamar Bell, Brownsville WR
23-Deshan Brown, Beth-Center RB
25-Kyle Gray, Mapletown FB
28-Tyler Yocca, Trinity WR
30-Brandon Robertson, Trinity FB
36-Skyler Dickinson, California FB
35-Sheldon Chun, Carmichaels FB
35-Adam Cole, Belle Vernon FB
48-Jake Sofran, Beth-Center FB
52-Desmond Davis, Monessen C
54-Mike Beveridge, Ringgold T
55-Tevan McDowell, Waynesburg T
62-Derek Bedenbaugh, Trinity T
63-Dylan Gaskill, California G
66-Chris Hall, Uniontown T
68-Brendan Wright, California G
72-Jeff Blaker, Jeff-Morgan G
73-Mike Kope, Charleroi G
78-Juwan Mull, Monessen T
83-Joe Phillips, Jeff-Morgan TE
86-Daniel Davis, Waynesburg TE
92-Rashad Craig, Albert Galatin OT

Diddy's son lands scholarship to UCLA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Combs, the 18-year-old son of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, will attend UCLA on a $54,000 football scholarship.
It is one of 285 athletic scholarships the university hands out every year.
It comes at a time when student fees are rising and a year after the university had to use more than $2 million in student fees to cover an athletic department funding gap.
Money for Combs’ scholarship will not affect need-based scholarships awarded by the university, UCLA spokesman Ricardo Vazquez told the Los Angeles Times.
“There is a big separation between financial aid based on need and how that’s funded and how athletic scholarships are funded and awarded to students,” he said, noting that athletic scholarships come from athletic department ticket sales, corporate partnerships, media contracts and private donations.
The newspaper said Justin Combs defended taking the scholarship on Twitter: “Regardless what the circumstances are, I put that work in!!!! ... PERIOD.”
The senior Combs is worth an estimated $475 million and gave his son a $360,000 Maybach car for his 16th birthday, the Times said.
Justin Combs, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound defensive back, graduated from New Rochelle Iona Prep in New York with a 3.75 grade point average. He also had scholarship offers from Illinois, Virginia and Wyoming.
If needy students are unaffected, there is no problem, said Emily Resnick, outgoing president of UCLA’s Undergraduate Students Association. “If his athletic abilities deserve it, then more power to him.”
Joelle Gamble, who will graduate from the university in a few weeks, said the scholarship could be considered an investment since UCLA would probably benefit by the celebrity Combs could bring to the school.
“It’s how college athletics works. This is how we’re going to get money,” she said.
A few years ago, former Southern California basketball coach Tim Floyd said fame was a factor when he offered a scholarship to rapper Master P’s son, Romeo, for the 2008-2009 season. But Romeo left the team in 2010 after playing just 19 minutes in two seasons as a Trojan.

Michigan football recruit faces backlash for posted picture

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Logan Tuley-Tillman insisted he didn’t think it was a big deal when he posted a picture on his Twitter account of him burning an envelope from Ohio State.
The Michigan football recruit found out otherwise.
“It’s been kind of crazy,” Tuley-Tillman said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The highly touted offensive tackle from Peoria, Ill., has committed to the Wolverines’ 2013 recruiting class, and posted the photo Saturday.
“I wanted to do it and send a message because people kept saying I was going to flip to Ohio,” Tuley-Tillman said. “I don’t know why they sent me that letter when they know I’m committed to Michigan. I don’t like the state of Ohio or that school. I can’t wait to play them.”
Tuley-Tilman was picking up on Brady Hoke’s penchant of referring to the rival as Ohio, not Ohio State, since taking over college football’s winningest program in 2011.
NCAA rules prohibit Hoke commenting on recruits until they sign a letter of intent.
Hoke, though, has said he isn’t a big fan of social media when it is used for sharing personal thoughts and pictures for all to see.
Wolverines offensive line coach Darrell Funk, according to Tuley-Tillman, has been in touch since the inflammatory picture heated up one of the best rivalries in sports.
“He told me to be careful,” Tuley-Tillman said.

Monessen's Rawlins commits to WVU

Monessen junior Chavas Rawlins doesn't see himself playing any place other than quarterback in college, and when it comes to producing quality players at the position with record-setting numbers, West Virginia football coach Dana Holgorsen has the market cornered.

And Holgorsen will have Rawlins as a student starting in 2013.

One of the WPIAL's most sought-after prospects, Rawlins committed to West Virginia Friday - one day after a visit from Mountaineers quarterback coach Jake Spavital.

"He told me I'm their No. 1 quarterback target," Rawlins said. "As soon as I heard that, I thought, 'Man, I'm taking that.'"

Rawlins received 20 scholarship offers - the first two from Akron and Pitt; the last from Nebraska. Some schools originally recruited Rawlins, a strong-armed, mobile quarterback with a 6-4 frame, as a quarterback only to ask him to change positions after receiving other commitments.

West Virginia told Rawlins he was their top quarterback target for the Class of 2013, and he jumped at the opportunity to play in an offense which established a bowl game record 70 points scored against Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

Rawlins also likes the prospect of competing in the Big 12 Conference, which West Virginia joins in the coming athletic year.

"(Texas and Oklahoma) are schools as kid you want to play against," Rawlins said.

West Virginia is also interested in Rawlins' brother, Justice, a sophomore linebacker. Justice Rawlins already has offers from Pitt and Rutgers, and believes West Virginia will offer after he gets a couple games in this fall.

"Him playing at West Virginia would mean the world to me," Chavas said. "If he's with me down there, that will motivate me even more. I'm sure they will offer him pretty soon. He passes the eyeball test and he's a great player."

Sex offender costs Ohio State football recruit

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio State recruit has told the Buckeyes he will not attend the university, according to several published reports, amid concern that a convicted sex offender had interactions with players and recruits associated with the program.
Alex Anzalone, one of the nation’s top linebacker recruits, committed to Ohio State last month in what was turning out to be a stellar class for new coach Urban Meyer.
But Anzalone, of Wyomissing will reopen his recruiting process, after being contacted by Charles Eric Waugh, 31, of Ashland, Ky. In 2008, Waugh pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of underage sexual content. And this year, across Twitter, he contacted several Ohio State coaches athletes, and even recruits, including Anzalone. He also posed for photos with some of them.
Dr. Sal Anzalone, Alex’s father, told the Reading Eagle late Friday that “something is just not right at Ohio State. It’s not for him.”
As news spread of Anzalone’s decision, and of Waugh’s past, the school put out a statement on Friday night.
“The issue surrounding the individual from Kentucky is being treated by the Department of Athletics as a student-athlete welfare issue. When the University became aware that this individual had been seen in pictures — taken in public places — with student-athletes, proactive precautions were taken and the Department of Athletics alerted more than 1,000 Ohio State student-athletes about this person,” the statement said.
“The email message also reminded them of the negative implications that can be realized through simple associations on social networking sites. This individual is not associated with Ohio State. He is not a booster. He has not engaged in any activities on behalf of the University. The Department of Athletics will continue to monitor this issue and it will remain proactive in its efforts with regard to precautions for its student-athletes.”
Anzalone visited Columbus last month during spring game weekend. While there, he and other potential recruits posed for a photo with Waugh, who later posted it on Twitter.
“You don’t want your son to go to a place where there’s a potential issue,” Sal Anzalone told the Eagle. “You expect the staff to have some sort of control on how things are handled with recruits when they visit. This is ridiculous.”

Blogger's take on Pitt football recruiting

Here's an interesting piece on the 50 players Pitt football has offered.

http://panthersprey.blogspot.com/2012/04/ranking-pitt-football-offers-1-50.html

Four WPIAL players on ESPN 150

Central Valley's Robert Foster is considered the WPIAL's top prospect and the No. 23 recruit in the country from the Class of 2013 according to the ESPN150. Belle Vernon's Dorian Johnson not far behind at No. 26.

North Allegheny's Patrick Kugler and Clairton's Tyler Boyd also made the list.

For the complete ESPN150, click here.

Trinity coaching update II

One day the next head football coach at Trinity High School is slated to be Mike Wall, a former Hillers quarterback who played football at the University of Tulsa and coaches in Texas.

The next, Washington head coach Mike Bosnic is the frontrunner.

On the next day, it's Niel Loebig, the former South Fayette quarterback who played and coached at Duquesne University and is currently coaching in Florida.

Joe Kuhns, Derek Bochna, Ron Skiles and a few others have all been linked to the Trinity coaching search at one point or another. Hillers assistant coach and former Washington High School head coach Bill Britton applied for the opening. Peters Township head coach Rich Piccinini also expressed interest.

Like coaching searches at the college level, Trinity's situation has been a fluid one, but it's also a search that appears to have reached a conclusion.

After weeks of interviews and rumors, multiple sources have confirmed Trinity is set to hire Ryan Coyle as its football coach. All the move needs is official approval from the Trinity School Board.

Coyle worked as an assistant at Mt. Lebanon. Long-time Blue Devils head coach Chris Haering recently left Mt. Lebanon to join Paul Chryst's coaching staff at Pitt. Coyle also was an assistant at Shaler, where he worked for Neil Gordon.

While I don't know much about Coyle at this point, here is what I do know about the coaching search:

• The job was Bosnic's to lose. There are many aspects of Trinity's job which makes it attractive to locals as well as outsiders. In the end, Bosnic preferred staying at Washington.
• Loebig and Wall were serious candidates.
• Loebig once worked as offensive coordinator at Duquesne University, where he holds several passing records. He spent the 2011 season working as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Lely High School in Naples, Fla.
• Despite a job as an offensive assistant for Georgetown High in Texas, Wall expressed serious interest in the position. One source said Wall was also offered coaching position after Bosnic removed himself as a candidate. Wall, however, was not offered the job despite his interest and willingness to move his family from Texas to Washington.

Fort Cherry hires Shiel

One football coaching search came to an end Monday night, and it officially brought an end to an era in Fort Cherry football.

Jim Shiel was hired as Fort Cherry's new football coach at Monday night's school board meeting.

Shiel is an 1981 graduate of Fort Cherry and played football for the Rangers under the direction of legendary head coach Jim Garry. One of the longest-tenured coaches in PIAA history, Garry coached Fort Cherry for Fort Cherry football for its first 43 years and won a Washington County-record 265 games. He was succeeded in 2003 by Tim Garry, his son. He coached the past 9 seasons and went 49-42.

A physical education teacher at Fort Cherry, the 49-year-old Shiel coached the 7th & 8th grade team last fall.

Trinity and Jefferson-Morgan have yet to fill their respective positions. Trinity is down to three finalists and expected to hire April 5. Jefferson-Morgan opened its application process once again last week.

Trinity coaching search

The Trinity School Board will meet Thursday and there is a chance the board will be asked to approve the hiring of a varsity football coach.

If the hiring occurs, it will put to rest weeks of speculation and rumor. Naturally, any time the Trinity football job is opened, the name Guy Montecalvo gets mentioned. Thanks to his incredible success at Washington and the respect Montecalvo earned during his distinguished coaching career, he's always had ardent supporters in the Trinity community.

File that rumor under wishful thinking.

According to sources, the interview process has intensified and Trinity brought on former Penn Hills and Shaler head coach Neil Gordon as a consultant to hire the replacement for Ed Dalton, who took over at Trinity in 1999 and recently accepted the athletic director and football coaching duties at McGuffey.

As many as nine candidates have been interviewed and a frontrunner is believed to be Mike Wall.

A former quarterback at Trinity who went on to play the position at Tulsa, Wall emerged as a candidate the last time the Trinity School Board opened the job during a long-standing clash between Dalton and members of the school board. At one point, Rich Piccinini was hired as Trinity's football coach, but the board elected to table the hire and retained Dalton later the same day. Piccinini is now the football coach at Peters Township.

Wall was a three-year starter at Trinity and started 11 games at Tulsa, where he also spent two years as a grad assistant. Wall lives in Texas, where he's a social studies teacher and an offensive assistant at Class 4A Georgetown High School.

One snag in hiring Wall could be financial. Another could be luring him away from coaching in Texas.

Other candidates include former Duquesne University offensive coordinator Niel Loebig, former Waynesburg and California coach Joe Kuhns and former McGuffey coach Derek Bochna. Former Washington coach Bill Britton, who served as an assistant at Trinity for Dalton, is a favorite of the players. Britton has head coaching history plus a knowledge of the program and players. According to sources, Britton has not been interviewed but it could be because of familiarity.

Washington & Jefferson offensive line coach Todd Young is believed to be a candidate. A dark-horse could be Washington's Mike Bosnic.

Varsity notebook

Talk about splash hires.

First, McGuffey High School made waves when it hired Ed Dalton as its athletic director and football coach. The hire put a possible end on lengthy headbutting between Dalton and the Trinity School Board.

It also landed the Highlanders an energetic, passionate football coach with previous experience as an athletic director.

The opportunity to move back into an administrative position was an attractive choice for Dalton, who served as Trinity's athletic director for a little more than a decade. That ended when the board moved Dalton back to the classroom.

Must say it was weird seeing Dalton's first tweets as McGuffey football coach, urging followers and McGuffey football players to go and "Like" the football team's new Facebook page. Associating Dalton with McGuffey will take time, but I'm sure the returning players are already excited.

Less than a week after Dalton landed at McGuffey, Waynesburg welcomed back Russ Moore.

The outgoing Moore galvanized a fan base at Waynesburg during the latter half of the 1990s. His stint culminated with the Raiders winning the 1999 WPIAL Class AA championship in convincing fashion, a 30-3 win over then arch rival Washington. It's the lone football title in Waynesburg history, though the Raiders did reach the championship game in 1958, 1959 and 2000.

Moore resigned following the 1999 season in hopes his resignation letter would instead get the school to upgrade stadium facilities. It's a decision Moore regrets.

Now, after a two-year head coaching tenure at Ringgold, where Moore teaches, and several assistant coaching stops, he's head back to the place he calls home.

* Dalton and Moore are replacing fine head coaches, and two well-respected guys with the reputation of getting the most of their talent.

Derek Bochna didn't always win at McGuffey but the soon-to-be WPIAL Hall of Famer didn't always have a lot to work with there. When Bochna had good running backs, the Highlanders were a good team.

Joe Kuhns spent three years at Waynesburg after a successful tenure at California. The Raiders progressed under the direction of Kuhns and flirted with the postseason in 2011.

* Each coach faces a difficult task.

 McGuffey is dropping to Class AA and will compete in the Century Conference following a winless season. The Highlanders first two games are at South Fayette and home against Seton-La Salle - each quarterbacked by a Brumbaugh brother (Brett at South Fayette, Luke at Seton-La Salle).

Waynesburg losses its top rusher and a strong offensive line. The Raiders must also deal with increasing interest.

* For all the attention given to the incident during the boys basketball game between Woodland Hills and Peters Township, it's surprising and a bit alarming that one subject never came up in conversation.

What if Shakim Alonzo's punch to the ear of Peters Township's Gabe Pritz had connected with Pritz's temple instead of his ear? Or what if the unsuspecting Pritz had suddenly turned as Alonzo connected and the punch shattered an eye socket?

When I asked Peters Township coach Gary Goga that question last Thursday, he said I was the first person not affiliated with his team to ask that. Amazing.
* I say let Alonzo keep his scholarship to the University of Cincinnati football team. In reading extensively on this story, the punch appears to be an isolated incident. While it should be considered a criminal act, Division I recruits have faced more serious charges and played college football.

* Here's a name to keep in mind as Trinity searches for a football coach - Todd Young.

Young has spent the past 12 years at Washington & Jefferson College, and is the Presidents offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.

* Here's a few names that pop into mind when thinking about the Observer-Reporter All-District boys basketball first team: Zach Challingsworth (South Fayette), Jaisen Irwin (Monessen),Christian Koroly (Trinity), Earl Pinkney (Monessen), Gabe Pritz (Peters Township), Gannon Walls-Mitchell (Bentworth),  Josh Wise (Washington) and Joe Yamber (Avella).


On the girls side, possibilities are Beka Bellhy (Fort Cherry), Jessica Dorazio (Bentworth), Erika Ford (South Fayette), Carolena Gasbarro (Fort Cherry), Morgan Kurtz (Trinity), Jessie Merckle (Fort Cherry), Mariah Ward (Monessen) and Sammie Weiss (McGuffey).

Meyer's recruiting practices questioned

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — There must have been a lot of interesting give-and-take when the Big Ten football coaches met at the conference offices on Friday.
New Ohio State coach Urban Meyer faced off with at least a couple of coaches who have been reported saying they question his poaching of recruits who had already committed to other programs.
Meyer’s first recruiting class on Wednesday included eight players who initially had said they were attending another school, including four who originally said they were going to Penn State and one each who had declared they would go to Michigan State and Wisconsin. Two others had verbally committed to Notre Dame.
“We had an opportunity to discuss a number of issues with each other and conference staff, including those that have arisen this week,” Meyer said in a statement issued after the meeting on Friday. “It should be noted that my coaching staff is in full compliance with our recruiting efforts, and no one on this staff did anything illegal or unethical.”
He said his staff would continue to be “relentless.”
Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema and Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio, in particular, have been quoted expressing their displeasure with Ohio State raiding other team’s recruits.
Bielema was upset over losing out on offensive lineman Kyle Dodson, who had said he was coming to Wisconsin, but then ended up signing with the Buckeyes.
“There’s a few things that happened early on I made people be aware of that I didn’t want to see in this league that I had seen take place at other leagues,” Bielema said on Wednesday’s first day for the signing of national letters of intent in football. “Other recruiting tactics, other recruiting practices that are illegal. I was very up front and was very poignant to the fact. I actually reached out to coach Meyer and shared my thoughts and concerns with him and the situation got rectified.”
Bielema did not go into further detail.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Dantonio also said Meyer was not living up to protocol between Big Ten coaches.
The newspaper reports that Dantonio on Wednesday said of Ohio State that, “It’s a new program, a new head coach and a new testing of the waters.”
“It’s a two-way street. It’s always a two-way street. There’s always got to be the other person listening as well. But I do think that when it becomes a matter of twisting somebody — when you’re a 50-year-old man or a 40-year-old man twisting a 17-year-old — that’s when it’s wrong,” he said. “I’m not saying that’s happening in the Big Ten Conference. But I see that happening around the country, when somebody de-commits on the day of signing.
“That’s when you have to wonder about the tactics.”

WPIAL football schedules released

The WPIAL released its schedule grid for the 2012 football season.

Check out the first four games for Canon-McMillan, which was cross-scheduled with Pittsburgh Central Catholic. Also of note, there will be no Washington-McGuffey non-section game.

And the Tri-County South teams each received an open date, with Avella having an open date in Week 1 and Beth-Center in Week 9. TCS is the lone WPIAL conference with open dates. It begs the question, who are the schools supposed to schedule?

For the schedule grid, click here.

Statement from Piccinini's lawyer

In case you haven't read the Observer-Reporter, Post-Gazette, watched the local news or CNN Friday afternoon, the Peters Townsip football program is being investigated by police for allegations of knowingly playing injured players against the advice of athletic trainers. Click here.

PT football coach Rich Piccinini released a statement through his lawyer Friday night.


For 22 years,  Rich Piccinini has coached football without even a
whisper of impropriety. The excellent reputation that he has earned
over 2 decades should speak volumes as to the absurdity of the
"Mortland report."  The investigated and unfounded witch hunt in
August has reared its ugly head in January, this time in a meritless
CYS complaint, presumably made by an  anonymous source. Playing time
in high school football in Western Pennsylvania , a currency that has
become more valuable than gold to the obsessed and disgruntled, has
undoubted motivated yet another round of baseless allegations.
Considerable resources have already been dedicated by a "real"
superintendent, athletic director and principal to investigate the
accusations and the result was that there is no truth to Mr Mortland's
conclusion. While no one welcomes a police investigation, hopefully
this second  inquiry will yet  again expose the allegations as
scurrilous attacks on Mr. Piccinini and, importantly,put them to  rest
again and forever.
Robert G. Del Greco, Jr., Esq.
Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C.

Thoughts on WPIAL football alignment

"Man, what we're they thinking."

"I'm surprised, but when it comes to (the WPIAL) you know to expect the unexpected."

"I can't believe what they did to the Tri-County South."

"You just can't keep any rivalries any more."

Those were a small sampling of comments from the eight football coaches I had the chance to speak with since the WPIAL released its football alignment for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Judging from reaction, it's not well-received.

Let's recap the major changes.

1. Class AAAA and Class AAA went from four conferences to three.
2. The vast majority of conferences have nine teams. There are eight-team and 10-team conferences.
3. The larger conferences means teams will not have to schedule their open date. Ten-team conferences will play nothing but conference games during the regular season. The WPIAL will schedule the open dates for nine-team leagues. Those schedules should be released in two weeks.
4. In Class AAAA and AAA, five teams per conference will qualify for the playoffs. The 16th team will be determined via a wild-card system.

For a look at the alignment, please read the post below.

Now for some thoughts on the alignment, by classification.

Class AAAA

1. Section 3 looks weaker on paper than the other two conferences with Gateway and McKeesport being the only consistent programs.
2. Being grouped with Penn Hills and Woodland Hills does not mean the end of football for Canon-McMillan or Peters Township. It's Quad-A. To be good, it means beating Penn Hills and Woodland Hills, whether it's during the regular season or the postseason.
3. One reason I like the alignment is it eliminates the unbalanced non-conference schedules for Class AAAA schools. Some play mostly Class AAA competition, while others face a steady diet of Quad-A powers from other conferences.
4. One reason I don't like the alignment is it likely eliminates the chances for schools like Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Gateway and North Allegheny to schedule intriguing out-of-state matchups.

Class AAA

1. Trinity looks like a big winner. The Hillers return a bulk of talent from 2011, and the mashup of the Big Eight and Keystone Conference looks manageable. FYI, Trinity has defeated West Mifflin six consecutive seasons.
2. Ringgold might have wanted to stay with more Keystone Conference teams, but adding Belle Vernon and Elizabeth Forward to the schedule should bring more fans out.
3. Gotta feel bad for Chartiers Valley.
4. Section 1 and Section 2 look even on paper. Of course, nothing can compare with the powerful Parkway Conferece and it's nice to see that powerhouse league intact.

Class AA

1. Washington can't seem to stay in a conference for very long. The Century Conference was a nice fit for the Prexies and some in the conference don't like them being shipped off to the Interstate Conference.
2. Washington and Waynesburg once had an intense rivalry. Can it be recaptured? Ehhhh.
3. Not sure why McGuffey and Washington are in different conferences. Hopefully the WPIAL recognizes these two should at least be scheduled for non-conference games the next two years. Last time they played, there was an overflow crowd at McGuffey.
4. If I ruled the WPIAL, Washington would stay in the Century Conference and South Allegheny would be in the Interstate. Makes sense geographically, and Washington could maintain rivalries with South Fayette and McGuffey.

Class A

1. Wow. Just wow.
2. Section 4, which I will call the Black Hills Conference until told otherwise, has an unfair glut of high-caliber teams. Clairton won its third straight PIAA title and owns the WPIAL record for consecutive wins. Bishop Canevin reached the semifinals. Brentwood and Fort Cherry won playoff games. All told, seven of the 10 teams reached the postseason.
3. Given the strength of the new-look Black Hills, California and Monessen won't be annual locks for postseason play like the teams were in the Tri-County South.
4. Beth-Center has wanted out of the TCS for a couple years. Not only did B-C not get its wish, the Bulldogs are the top dog in the WPIAL's weakest conference. Winning postseason games after playing lesser competition is a difficult task.

WPIAL football alignment for 2012-13

Class AAAA (26 teams)
Section 1: Butler, Central Catholic, Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley, Shaler
Section 2: Baldwin, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan, Mt. Lebanon, Penn Hills, Peters Township, Plum, Upper St. Clair, Woodland Hills
Section 3: Altoona, Connellsville, Gateway, Greater Latrobe, Hempfield, Kiski Area, McKeesport, Norwin, Penn-Trafford

Class AAA (27 teams)
Section 1: Albert Gallatin, Belle Vernon, Elizabeth Forward, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, Uniontown, West Mifflin
Section 2: Ambridge, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Chartiers Valley, Hopewell, Montour, Moon, New Castle, West Allegheny
Section 3: Derry, Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Hampton, Highlands, Hollidaysburg, Indiana, Knoch, Mars

Class AA (35 teams)
Section 1: Burgettstown, Keystone Oaks, Quaker Valley, McGuffey, Seton-La Salle, South Allegheny, South Fayette, South Park, Steel Valley
Section 2: Burrell, Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, Ford City, Freeport, Kittanning, Shady Side Academy, Summit Academy, Valley
Section 3: Aliquippa, Beaver, Beaver Falls, Ellwood City, Freedom, Mohawk, New Brighton, Riverside
Section 4: Brownsville, Charleroi, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland, Washington, Waynesburg, Yough

Class A (37 teams)
Section 1: Apollo-Ridge, Avonworth, Leechburg, North Catholic, Northgate, Riverview, Springdale, West Shamokin, Wilkinsburg
Section 2: Laurel, Neshannock, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Rochester, Shenango, South Side Beaver, Sto-Rox, Union, Western Beaver
Section 3: Avella, Bentworth, Beth-Center, Carmichaels, Frazier, Geibel, Jefferson-Morgan, Mapletown, West Greene
Section 4: Brentwood, Bishop Canevin, California, Carylnton, Chartiers-Houston, Clairton, Fort Cherry, Imani Christian, Monessen, Serra Catholic

Son of Barry Sanders commits to Stanford

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Barry J. Sanders’ performance Saturday in the All-American Bowl was a bit like father Barry Sanders’ NFL career. He could have done more before he left.
The younger Sanders will get his chance to show more next season at Stanford. He announced he would sign with the Cardinal — and not his father’s alma mater of Oklahoma State — following the game Saturday.
He had only three carries in the game, including a 10-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, and his West teammates beat the East 24-12.
His father, the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma State, stood near his son and other family members when Barry J. announced his decision to go to Stanford on national television in the fourth quarter of the game.
“I think everyone understood my position (about the college choice),” Barry J. Sanders said, wearing a black hat with the block Cardinal “S” on the front. “That program (Oklahoma State) made my family, and I thank them for it. I’ll always have orange in my blood.”
The Cardinal might have won the recruiting, but they lost the game. Oklahoma State beat Stanford this week in the Fiesta Bowl.
Sanders put Stanford on the top of his list weeks back. But he couldn’t commit until he met the school’s eligibility standards. Sanders said he was told Friday that he would be admitted after taking the college entrance exams more than once.
“I believe I’ll be playing with the greatest student athletes in the world,” he said.
Sanders, 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, rushed for 1,324 yards (9.5 yards per carry) and 27 touchdowns this season at Oklahoma City Heritage Hall. The team won two state championships while he was there.
It wouldn’t bother Sanders if Stanford developed another efficient passer such as Andrew Luck, who finished second in the Heisman voting the past two seasons.
“I have faith in the program, that they’ll find a quality quarterback,” he said. “The bowl game showed that with a Heisman Trophy candidate they still ran the ball 30 times. It’s definitely not going to take away from me, whatever quarterback they have.”
Sanders’ final decision also came down to Florida State and Alabama. All commitments are nonbinding. It won’t become official until Feb. 1 at the earliest, the first day letters of intent can be signed.
The other touchdowns from the West came from quarterback Cyler Miles, who starred this year at Mullen High School in Denver and has committed to Washington. Miles was 7 of 8 (the incompletion was a drop), including a game-record 79-yard TD pass to Dorial Green-Beckham and had the game’s first score with a 4-yard run.
Miles also was sacked three times, including once by Shelby (Crest High School), N.C., lineman Johnathan Bullard, who plans to head to Florida after a strong defensive game that also included another tackle behind the line for 12 yards in losses.

Indoor football game to benefit Dryer family

The Pittsburgh Sabres, a founding member of the Western Pennsylvania Indoor Football League and a recent addition to the Gridiron Developmental Football League, offers an outlet for those seeking to play competitive football and an opportunity to be noticed by franchises such as the Pittsburgh Power.

One of the Sabres' co-owners and team captain is Adam Henderson, a Trinity High School graduate who played a key role in organizing the Hillers roster for the highly successful Trinity-Washington Alumni Football USA game which took place last July.

Henderson's team recently played a game to benefit Lower Burrell police officer Derek Kotecki, an 18-year veteran of the Lower Burrell police force who was shot and killed Oct. 12 trying to arrest a fugitive.

"We had just got done playing that game when I woke up Monday (Dec. 19) and heard about the gutless tragedy Sunday night," Henderson said.

East Washington police officer John Dryer, also a veterinarian, was fatally shot during a traffic stop along Interstate 70.

Henderson, who shares ownership of the Sabres with Josh Myers, immediately began putting together a second memorial game.

"The idea hit me right away," Henderson said. "We received a lot of positive feedback. We created an invitation on Facebook and invited about 4,100 people."

The Pittsburgh Sabres will play defending WPIFL champion AK Valley Hurricanes tonight at Southpointe Fieldhouse, which is located just off Interstate 79. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. Admission is $5 and all proceeds benefit Dryer's family. Memorial T-shirts can also be purchased at the game.

At least three members of the Pittsburgh Steelers - Pro Bowl receiver Mike Wallace, cornerback Keenan Lewis and special teams ace Arnez Battle - are scheduled to appear. Henderson is hoping a few more Steelers show up since Dryer's son, Benjamin, is a die-hard Steelers fan.

Benjamin Dryer will join Henderson on the field for the coin toss and serve as an honorary captain. Members of the Sabres will sign a game ball for Dryer, who has autism, and Henderson plans on having the Steelers in attendance sign a game ball for officer's son as well.

"I saw Ben at the funeral and, of course, he's crying. When I talked to him, I let him know some Steelers were coming to the game," Henderson said. "His face lit up and he started talking about the Steelers."

For more information, visit the WPIFL website or the Pittsburgh Sabres page.