Last Saturday night Protime went bowling with his buddy, Osgood Abernathy. Protime tried as he may to get his swag back like the old days, but just couldn’t manage. In addition to his lousy keggling, he dropped the bowling ball on his big toe, slipped and fell at the foul line (twice), got a blister on his thumb, and the next day had a sore achilles tendon. Protime’s conclusion is that bowling can be a very dangerous non-contact sport and it can cause you to get upset.
Speaking of upset, how about 8 of them last week across the state. The biggest probably being Governor Mifflin’s upset of nationally ranked Harrisburg. Not far behind had to be Quaker Valley’s 2-0 victory over Aliquippa in a defensive slugfest. Protime is kicking himself for a couple of those upsets he wanted to predict but didn’t. That being said, he was still 13-7. Protime now stands at 261-59 for the year or a .817 percentage. The Purveyor of Prognostication will now unveil this week’s picks and he also wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!
State College 10-2 vs. Pine-Richland 13-0 – Pine-Richland is the third best scoring machine in PA with 637. State College stands at fourth best of the west with 541. QB Tommy Friberg has thrown for 1,834 yards and 25 touchdowns. His top receiver is Brandon Clark (44 receptions, 743 yards, 14 TDs). RB Tristen Lyons has journeyed for 949 yards and 14 scores, while Isaiah Edwards averages 10 yards a carry and has also tallied 14 TDs. Cam Renfrew has converted on 64 of 70 extra points. The Little Lion defensive pride is led by Tyson Brennan and Jackson Heasley (12.5 sacks). The Ram offense begins with Notre Dame bound Phil Jurkovec. PJ has amassed 3,286 yards and 33 touchdowns passing, plus 898 yards and 17 more scores running. Jason DeFrancisis is the leading WR with 58 grabs for 997 yards and 10 TDs. Ray Falcone is back from what was thought to be a season-ending injury. He has accounted for 40 catches, 819 yards, and 10 scores. Jordan Crawford is the premier RB totaling 1,040 yards and 22 TDs (he has another 5 receiving PJ’s passes). Vittorio Orsini’s leg has gotten a workout this year, connecting on 75 out of 79 PATs. Tyler King (over 100 tackles) and Tommy Camino (12 sacks) head up a strong P-R defense. The Rams are on a collision course with defending 6A champs, St. Joes Prep. They win 41-21.
Gateway 12-1 vs. Hollidaysburg 8-3 – Gateway actually has the #1 passer in the west in Brady Walker (3,510 yards-38TDs). Courtney Jackson is one of the elite wideouts in D-7 (67 snags for 1,396 yards and 21 TDs). Derrick Davis is the freshman running back that plays like a senior. Filling in for Isaiah Cameron he has scored 5 TDs in the past three weeks, plus he registered a sack and 2 INTs in the Gators’ win over Penn-Trafford last week in the D-7 AAAAA title game. For the Golden Tigers, let’s begin with kicker, Vlad Hilling. He made 3 FGs last week in the 30-27 upset of Grove City. That gives him 9 for the year on 10 attempts. He also is 43 of 44 on PATs. Quarterback Brady Walters is a pretty good passer and runner, so Gators beware. Walters has tossed the ball for 1,406 yards and 16 TDs, but has rushed for 667 yards and 12 scores. Jack Sauserman heads the receiving corps with 34 catches, 686 yards, and 13 TDs. Patrick Young does the most damage on the ground by lugging the football for 942 yards, scoring 12 times. Gus Dellinger is the top Tiger tackler. The Gators prove to be too slippery for the upset-minded Golden Tigers. In a real battle, Gateway 24 Hollidaysburg 17.
Thomas Jefferson 11-1 vs. Erie Cathedral Prep 11-0 – Can the third year in a row playing Prep be a charm for Coach Cherpak and his TJ Jaguars? The Jags come into this contest with the #2 defense in all of PA (48 points allowed). Pitt recruit Devin Danielson anchors the line (on both sides), while Max Shaw and James Martinis hunt down the most ball carriers. Offensively, Shane Stump has 1,496 yards passing and 24 TDs. WR Garret Fairman has come down with 45 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns. The running game is Justin Vigna and his 1,824 yards and 23 tallies. A.J. Meshanko has kicked 63 extra points. For the Ramblers of Cathedral Prep, QB Joe Mischler is the key for the #5 scoring offense in the west. Joe is the son of coach Mike Mischler, and has pitched the pigskin for 2,772 yards with 35 touchdowns. Two of his faithful receivers are Terry Roberts (34 snags for 1,029 yards and 14 scores) and Tyler Oedekoven (32 snags for 962 yards and 9 TDs). RB Matt Lupo has galloped for 821 yards and 14 scores, while RB Billy Lucas has turned in 626 yards and 12 scores. K Anthony Lupo has been good on 57 of 62 PATs and is 6 of 6 in the field goal department. Notre Dame recruit, Matt Bauer is the Rambler top tackler along with Hunter Orlando. Roberts has 5 picks to his credit. Protime sees a hard-fought game going to the fourth quarter before Prep kicks it up a notch and wins 27-21.
Sharon 9-3 vs. Forest Hills 11-1 – Two of Sharon’s losses are to unbeaten teams (So. Range, Ohio is in the state semis) and Forest Hills lost to an undefeated team by the name of Bishop Guilfoyle by 3 points. The Sharon Tigers are led by WR Ziyon Strickland who has 74 pass catches for 1,124 yards and 9 TDs. He also has 6 touchdowns rushing and 2 more on punt returns. His QB, Lane Voytik, is pretty efficient with 2,164 yards and 26 TD strikes. RB Jordan Wilson has 967 yards and 13 TDs plus another 2 TDs receiving. Frank Shaffer is the other wideout that Forest Hills better keep an eye on as he has 25 catches and 6 TDs. Zach Dignall leads a hungry Tiger defense in tackles and has 15 tackles for losses. Shaffer is the other top tackler. The green and gold Rangers are led by QB Adam Cecere who has tossed the agate for 2,213 yards and 19 scores. Jon Long is the leading receiver with 56 grabs for 1,089 yards and 9 TDs, but Eric Elgin actually leads in TD receptions with 12. Long is the top ground gainer also with 609 yards. Elgin tops the tough Ranger ‘D’ with 122 tackles. Protime has been waffling on this one, so he decided to flip a coin seven times. The Rangers won the majority of the flips and therefore will win the game in overtime, 27-26.
Wilmington 12-0 vs. Clarion 12-0 – One of three games featuring two teams without a blemish. The Greyhounds love to run. (Is that a surprise?) Jack Patton has 889 yards and 14 TDs, Bryson Verrelli has 825 yards and 16 TDs, and Cameron Marrett has 820 yards with 15 scores. QB Robert Pontius has chipped in 7 rushing TDs, but has also passed for 751 yards and 8 TD tosses. The Bobcats of Clarion counter with a pretty good running game of their own. Colton Rapp put in 965 yards so far with 14 scores. Logan Minich has 908 yards and 12 TDs. QB Spencer Miller will run, but has 937 yards through the air and 8 TDs. WR Keeven Weaver has 21 receptions. The offensive and defensive lines are anchored by Zac Bauer and Colt Stimmell. Bauer has 62 pancake blocks on offense and 124 tackles for the defense. Miller has 106 take downs, and Nick Porciello has 12 sacks for the Bobcat ‘D’. Archer Mills has booted 56 PATs and 3 FGs. Protime has gone against Clarion the past two weeks and they’ve proved him wrong. Maybe that’s what drives them, but Protime sees the Greyhounds being a little better, 21-17.
Washington 12-0 vs. Steel Valley 11-0 – The Little Prexies are led offensively by RB Nick Welsh and his 1,979 yards rushing with 26 TDs. QB Zach Schwartz passed for 1,765 yards and 26 TDs so far. The top two wide outs are Isaiah Schoonmaker (30catches, 692 yds, 11 TDs) and Dan Walker (25 catches, 514 yds, 8 TDs). Washington is 10th in the west in scoring and 7th in points allowed. The defending state champs, Steel Valley Ironmen, come into the game riding a 26-game win streak. RB Kameron Williams has 836 yards and 14 scores to lead the offense. They have used 2 quarterbacks, Ronnell Lawrence and Trey Karfelt. Karfelt played last week in the overtime win against Riverside. Amonte Strothers and Trevon Adams are the top receivers. Adams has over 500 yards running the ball too. Protime did some extensive research for this game as far as who they played, biorhythms, etc. He’s calling for Wash High to end the Ironmen’s streak, 22-20.
Ligonier Valley 13-0 vs. Dunmore 13-0 – The Rams are 4th in all of PA in scoring with 602 points. They are 5th in the west in scoring defense, allowing only 78 to date. Dunmore is #1 down east in scoring defense with 71 points given up. When John Caldwell is the QB for the Rams they usually throw. He has passed for 1,363 yards and 19 TDs. His favorite target is Aaron Tutino who has 52 snabs for 1,018 yards and 16 scores. Jackson Daugherty has come down with 40 catches, 857 yards and 10 TDs. QB Daugherty has hit for 515 yards and 8 TDs, but when he is the QB, Ligonier usually runs as evidenced by his 1,043 yards and 19 TDs. Peter Stoll has kicked 60 of 65 points after. The tenacious ‘D’ is led by Joey Dubics (116 tackles) and Nathan Burns (13 sacks). The Bucks counter with QB Gavin Darcy and his 1,385 yards tossing the football to go along with his 26 TDs. WR Nate Fangio gets the majority of passes, catching 26 for 658 yards and 9 TDs. Steve Borgia has 8 TD catches on only 14 receptions. The Bucks running game is by committee. They have four RBs with over 400 yards, but under 600. Frank Damiano (578 yds-14 TDs) leads, then comes Billy Donvito (567-8), Caleb Kilmer (487-4), and Christian Buckley (433-2). In the battle of the unbeatens, LV triumphs 23-21.
Homer-Center 11-1 vs. Bishop Guilfoyle 12-0 – The Wildcats are having a phenomenal season with the one loss being to unbeaten 2A powerhouse, Ligonier Valley. Freshman QB Ben Schmidt is over the 1,000 yard passing barrier with 1,055 and 8 TDs. Brother and wide receiver Nick Schmidt has 16 catches and 2 TDs. RB Jesse Lee has bounded for 1,120 yards and 18 scores. Mike McCracken has donated 850 yards and 11 TDs to the cause. Dakota Sunday and T.J. Tagliati leads the ‘Cat defense. Sunday and Tim Alcon have 5 picks each. For the BG Marauders, we have Mark Conrad at QB (1,056 yds-10 TDs-0 INTs), Josh Yasulitis at RB (1,051 yds-18 TDs), and Mike Berish at WR (30 grabs, 424 yds, 4 TDs). When Yasulitis is quarterback, Conrad plays receiver and caught all 6 of Josh’s total TD passes. Berish has 691 yards rushing and 6 scores. Kicker Kolton McGhee is a big-time threat, making 44 of 45 PATs and 5 of 7 FGs including a 49 yarder. Max Sankey has 18 sacks for the fifth best ‘D’ in PA. He also has 106 tackles, while Yasulitis has 107. Conrad has 10 interceptions. BG is victorious 24-12, winning their 60th straight. (By the way, the last team to beat BG is Homer-Center on November 23rd, 2013.)
Imani Christian Academy 11-2 vs. Jeannette 12-1 – For the second week in a row Imani gets a chance to avenge a loss in the regular season as Jeannette beat the Saints 54-36 back in September. Imani is led by QB Tawan Wesley and his 2,581 yards passing and the 33 touchdowns that go with it. Sam Fairley is the top target as he has pulled in 68 passes for 1,282 yards and crossed the goal line 18 times (22 altogehter). Rahmon Hart, Jr. is the other wideout that the Jayhawks need to cover because he has 52 snags for 863 yards and 10 TDs. The Saints also have a 1,000 yard rusher in the person of Asante Watkins (1,117 yds-16 TDs). Watkins has scored 5 other touchdowns for a total of 21. For the Jayhawks, who are 6th in the west in scoring, QB Robert Kennedy can beat you with his arm or his feet. He has passed for 1,269 yards and 22 TDs, plus has scooted for 936 yards and another 17 scores. Imani Sanders and Seth Howard both have 8 rushing TDs. WR Marcus Barnes has hauled in 25 passes for 446 yards and 8 TDs, while WR Tre Cunningham has 5 TD receptions. Protime’s crystal ball says Imani 40-38.
Farrell 10-2 vs. Ridgway/Johnsonburg 9-3 – This is rematch of last year’s game won by Farrell. The Steelers’ Isaac Clarke calls the signals for the #7 western PA offense. He has put the pigskin in the air for 1,937 yards and 28 TDs. On top of that he appears to have only thrown one interception all year. Jourdan Townsend is the go to receiver with 58 receptions, 1,286 yards, and 20 TDs. He also returns kicks. RB Christian Lewis gives Coach Jarrett Samuels an added dimension on offense. Lewis has traversed for 1,213 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Tymir Green (131 tackles) and Tyrie Hammonds (103 tackles) bolt down the Steeler defense. For the Elkers of Ridgway, it’s the dynamic duo of QB Johnny Mitchell and RB Neil MacDonald that usually generates offense. Mitchell has 813 yards passing and 500 more running the ball. He has 11 TDs passing and 6 more when carrying the agate. His cohort, MacDonald has rambled for 1,092 yards and scored 14 times. He has also caught 20 passes and 5 have gone for scores. MacDonald has over 1,700 all-purpose yards. Defensively, the Elkers are led by Evan Furlong’s 150 tackles and MacDonald’s 110. Protime thinks the difference will be Clarke if he has time to throw. Farrell 26 Ridgway 14.
Two Eastern Games of Interest:
Bishop McDevitt 10-2 vs. Berks Catholic 12-0 – McD plays a tougher schedule and their losses are to Cumberland Valley and Harrisburg, but Berks is especially strong defensively. The Saints were a couple plays away from possibly beating Cathedral Prep last year and would love nothing better than to have that opportunity again. The Crusaders have another quality QB in the person of Chase Diehl. Chase has a 142.3 QB rating hurling the ball for 28 TDs and 2,792 yards. T’nyis Becker and Nazir Burnett both have 52 nabs of Diehl passes. Burnett has 1,110 yards with 15 TDs, while Becker has 841 yards and 4 TDs. RB Qualik Davis has contributed 981 yards on the ground to go along with his 13 scores. Dray Donley and James Lawson are the premier tacklers for McD. The Saints RB Cooper Lutz averages an amazing 14.8 yards a run. And he has run for 1,169 yards, scoring 22 TDs. He has 3 receiving TDs as well. QB Terrence Derr has accounted for 958 yards and 11 TD passes to a variety of wide receivers. Brandon George shows the way for the #3 defense in the east along with freshman Anthony Myers. The team has 20 INTs to date, so McD better be careful when throwing. According to the crystal ball, Berks will prevail in a tight one, 24-17.
Bethlehem Catholic 11-2 vs. Selinsgrove 11-2 – Becahi has some real playmakers in WR Daizhun Rhodes, QB Javon Clements, and RBs Matt Bisko and Zahir Seabrooks. Rhaodes has scored 6 TDs receiving, 5 rushing, and 1 each on kickoff and punt returns. He has 45 catches for 874 yards at his primary position. Clements has 2,197 yards throwing and 19 TDs for the Golden Hawks. Bisko has escaped for 21 touchdowns and 947 yards running, while Seasbrooks has chipped in with 767 yards and 7 scores. The Seals counter with one of the most productive passers in PA. Logan Leiby has fired the ball for 3,444 yards and 38 touchdowns. Jarrett Inch catches the most passes with 68 grabs. He has 1,080 yards and 13 TDs. His WR comrade, Ricky Cope, has 29 receptions for 708 yards and 10 tallies. Joseph Kahn has gained 1,052 markers on the ground, scoring 12 times. Hunter Croman (112) and Clayton Sheesley (111) lead the Selinsgrove defense in tackles. Seventeen of Sheesley’s take downs are for losses. Bethlehem Catholic finds a way to win 35-31.
One Response
No Southern/Nuemann Goretti prediction