Guido: Quarterbacks highlight Greater Allegheny clash between Highlands, Armstrong

By: George Guido
Saturday, October 15, 2022 | 5:11 PM

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The stage is set for Friday’s big showdown between Highlands (8-0, 4-0) and Armstrong (7-1, 4-0) at Golden Rams Stadium.

The winner will clinch at least a share of the Greater Allegheny Conference title. Both teams already have secured WPIAL playoff berths in Class 4A.

Two of the WPIAL’s top quarterbacks will be featured.

Armstrong’s Cadin Olsen keeps moving up the WPIAL all-time passing charts. The senior, who has committed to Penn, has 6,654 career passing yards, 12th on the all-time WPIAL list. Olsen passed for 349 yards Friday against Mars, passing Geno Pellegrinelli (Charleroi), Rob Kalkstein (Gateway) and Andrew DiDonato (South Fayette) on the list.

He needs 117 yards to catch Adam DiMichele (Sto-Rox) for the No. 11 spot.

Meanwhile, Chandler Thimons of Highlands needs 61 yards to catch Deer Lakes graduate Aris Hasley for first place in Alle-Kiski Valley history. Hasley, a 2020 Deer Lakes grad, had 4,752 in his career with the Lancers.

Deal Fields dedicated

Shady Side Academy had its formal opening Friday and Saturday of the Gene Deal Fields complex, named after the long-time athletic director and coach who spent more than 40 years at the school.

The artificial-turf complex can host baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. The $2.2 million facility was funded through private donations.

Deal, the athletic director when Shady Side rejoined the WPIAL in 1993, was humbled by the honor over the weekend.

“You just do your job and don’t even think of something like this,” Deal said as the first event, a girls soccer game between Shady Side and Sewickley Academy, began Saturday morning. “All the people I’ve worked with for the past 41 years are part of this. I’ve been lucky.”

Deal gave considerable credit to Shady Side President Bart Griffith for the leadership in creating the complex.

“Bart played for me on the ‘92 football team. He has a heart of gold,” Deal said. “It’s been a lot of fun. I didn’t know how this would end up.”

Deal is now in charge of alumni engagement at Shady Side.

“After 41 years I can still walk to work,” he quipped.

For you trivia buffs: the first goal scored at the Gene Deal Fields came off the foot of Sewickley Academy junior Libby Eannarino with 21 minutes, 43 seconds to go in the first half. The first Bulldogs goal came from Lucille McCargo on a penalty kick with 15:44 left in the opening half.

The first national anthem was sung by Shady Side senior Sloane Simon.

Detail was an important part of the field created by Strata Architects. It features artificial mounds on the baseball bullpen and batting cages next to the baseball and softball field dugouts.

Seating will be added behind home plate before the spring begins, and the terraced, cemented bleachers are built into a hillside. A plaza overlooks the fields for standees.

Deer Lakes clinches

Deer Lakes football team clinched its third WPIAL playoff berth Saturday without putting on shoulder pads.

Even though the Lancers lost to East Allegheny, 42-7, on Friday, Shady Side Academy’s 30-0 victory over Valley means that Deer Lakes is in the postseason. No matter what happens over the final two games, Deer Lakes (4-4, 2-1) owns tiebreaker victories over Valley and Knoch.