PIAA Class A Western Quarterfinals
Sharpsville (12-0) vs. Port Allegany (11-1)
N. Kerr Thompson Stadium @ Slippery Rock University
12/2 7:00 p.m.
Sharpsville always has a decent program and if a team comes out of the region
it has earned its way through. Port Allegany has played the less impressive
schedule of the two teams.
PREDICTION: Sharpsville 21, Port Allegany 14
Clairton (13-0) vs. North Star (10-1)
Cougar Mountain Stadium @ Yough High School
12/2 7:00 p.m.
As much as I'd like to route for the local D-5 team I need to pick with my
brain and not my heart. This one could get ugly. The West Pac champions are not
built to compete with Clairton, especially not this season. The Strasiser
brothers are impressive senior quarterback Max to his (6-5) junior wide receiver
brother Tony, but good luck to the Cougars trying to block the Bears defensive
line. Clairton has athletes all over the field, but the biggest of them all is
Mr. Everything junior Tyler Boyd. Boyd has outscored a lot of the teams in the
state by himself. The Bears have scored an impressive 596 points in 13 games.
PREDICTION: Clairton 42, North Star 13
PIAA Western Final Clairton vs. Sharpsville
PIAA Class A Eastern Quarterfinals
Pius X (12-1) vs. Southern Columbia (12-1)
Andrew S. Leh Stadium @ Nazareth High School
12/2 7:00 p.m.
Pius X is led by a talented group of underclassmen in sophomore quarterback
A.J. Long and junior athlete DuBois Ross. Southern Columbia has been impressive,
especially without talented senior Tyrell Thomas who suffered a torn ACL on the
first day of camp. I know I should not pick against Jim Roth and his experience
in the state playoffs, but I got a feeling about the Royals.
PREDICTION: Pius X 28, Southern Columbia 21
Penns Manor (11-1) vs. Columbia (7-5)
Hershey Park Stadium
12/3 12:00 p.m.
I'm sorry, but who the heck comes up with a neutral site three hours from
Penns Manor and 30 minutes or so from Columbia? If I am Bill Packer I'm madder
than a nest of hornets and I use that to motivate my kids. Good luck to Columbia
trying to stop junior quarterback Danny Ferens. You'd have better luck running
into a cornfield and trying to corral a whitetail. The kid can flat out fly and
has a chance to surpass 2,000 yards rushing. I am a D-6 guy at heart and I'm
picking the local Indiana County boys in this one. How does Penns Manor end up
in the East by the way? Columbia does have Mike Burke one of the most talented receivers in the state. Burke is as talented as they come and he tore up the 7-on-7 circuit this summer.
PREDICTION: Penns Manor 24, Columbia 12
PIAA Class A Eastern Final Pius X vs. Penns Manor