CTK ’14: WPIAL A Tri-County South Conference Preview

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, August 23, 2014 | 10:56 PM

Respect. The Tri-County South Conference doesn’t have much of it from the rest of WPIAL Class A, and the only way to earn it is to “show up” in the postseason.

The much-maligned Tri-County South is 0-12 in playoff games the past three years. Since the 2007 season, the only Tri-County South teams to win a playoff game are Monessen and Beth-Center. But Monessen is no longer in the conference.

The last Tri-County South team to win a playoff game other than Beth-Center or Monessen was Jefferson-Morgan in 2006.

Will things change this year? Well, Beth-Center looks to be the cream of the crop again, but some other teams have some experienced players. Here is an overview of the Tri-County South:

AVELLA EAGLES:

What a memorable season it was for Avella in 2013 as the Eagles qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1976. It was the longest playoff drought in the WPIAL. And now the Eagles are looking to soar even more.

With five starters returning on offense and defense, Avella figures to be a playoff challenger once again. The top returnee is undoutedly Santino Parris, who threw for 1,443 yards last season. He will be one of the top offensive threats in the conference.

Leading the running attack with be Nick Kusich, who led the team in rushing a year ago with close to 600 yards. Brandon Miller returns on the offensive line. Graduation took away the top receivers, but junior Tyler Fraysier is poised to step in.

On defense, watch lineman Derek Allen, who led the team in tackles last year, including 10 for losses. Dakota Umphrey is back at defensive end. Paris and Kusich will play linebacker.

BENTWORTH BEARCATS:

This isn’t Ron Skiles’ first rodeo as Bentworth’s coach. It’s not his second, either. But it’s his third.

Skiles is in the first year of his third stint as coach and takes over a team that has won only 14 games since the 2006 season. Bentworth’s last winning season was 2005, which also was the last time the Bearcats made the playoffs.

The Bearcats must get better on both sides of the ball. The running game has some potential with the return of Ethan Tush and Ty Mitchell. Quarterback Angelo Rios-Lopez also returns. Dustin Carpenter will be one of the defensive leaders at linebacker.

BETH-CENTER BULLDOGS:

It’s easy to pick the Bulldogs as the team to beat in this conference. In the six years that the Bulldogs have been in the Tri-County South, they have won the title four times. The only times they didn’t, they finished second in the conference to Monessen.

Well, Monessen isn’t in the Tri-County South any longer, so guess who is the annual pick to finish first? Beth-Center, of course.

This year’s Beth-Center team has plenty of potential again, but the Bulldogs would certainly like to do more than win a conference title. They have lost in the first round of the playoffs three consecutive seasons.

Leading the returnees is running back Anthony Welsh, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards last year as a sophomore. Nico Brown and John Sofran also will add to the running game. But Gino Faieta was a talented quarterback who graduated. Trent Cunko will step into the position.

Dan Smith will lead the lines while linebacker Jason Stay is one of the top defensive players.

CALIFORNIA TROJANS:

The Trojans lost a number of key players from last year’s team. But there is hope because California moves out of the Black Hills Conference and into the Tri-County South. The Black Hills was certainly tougher than the Tri-County South. But California played in the Tri-County South for years before being moved in 2012.

Even though this year’s team will be inexperienced, many believe the Trojans will still finish in the upper half of the Tri-County South. James Bongiorno is one of the top returnees. Known more for his play at linebacker, Bongiorno also will play running back this year.

Malik Jackson and K.C. Zajicek were battling for the quarterback position heading into preseason practices.

No matter what, California hopes to improve its defense after allowing 26 points a game last season, which tied for the second-worst in the Black Hills.

CARMICHAELS MIGHTY MIKES:

Graduation hit the Mikes hard as all of the top skill-position players and a number of linemen are no longer around. Still, Carmichaels has enough to make Ryan Krull’s second season as coach another good one after the Mikes finished 8-2 last year.

Sam Penich will be one of the conference’s best linemen. He was an all-conference pick last season along with defensive back Nate Barker.

Coty  Allen was also a top defensive back last season, but he adds quarterback to his duties this season, taking over for Brandon Lawless. Mike Blaskinsky and Shawn Dulaney will try to lead a running game where graduated Brennan McMinn excelled last year.

FRAZIER COMMODORES:

The Commodores hope to play a playoff tune once again this season after going 7-3 last year. With the return of five starters on both offense and defense a postseason berth is a definite possibility again.

Nick Smalich returns after leading the team in rushing last year with 802 yards. Coach Mike Steeber, in his fifth year, figures to have a nice running attack with Smalich. Nate Zurich gives Frazier a good target at tight end after catching 29 passes for 471 yards last year. He also plays linebacker.

Hunter Patterson, who played receiver the past two years, looks like he might be the QB who takes over for talented Charlie Manack, who threw for almost 1,800 yards a year ago. Patterson also plays defensive back. Steeber believes L.A. Ross could open some eyes at running back.

Other returning starters are WR-DB Ethan Weiser, lineman Joe Horvath and lineman Darren Osborne.

JEFFERSON-MORGAN ROCKETS:

The Rockets missed the playoffs last year for the third time in four years, but coach Liam Ryan’s team could very well be in the postseason this year. Six starters return on offense and six on defense.

Kailin Foster and Dalton Fowler return at running back, but Ryan is expecting big things of junior running back Trevor Knhia.

Joe Headlee or D.L. Garrett figure to be the quarterback. Austin Clark and Joe Confordini return at receiver. Other returning starters are linemen Ian Wolfe and Zach Shaffer and defensive back David Blaker.

MAPLETOWN MAPLES:

The Maples finished 5-4 last season, but missed out on a playoff spot. But it was another step forward for this program. In 2010, Mapletown was winless, but then won two games and three games in the next two seasons. Will Mapletown take another step forward this year?

Zach Brown was an all-conference lineman a year ago. He’ll be blocking for senior Adam Hein, who rushed for 604 yards last season. Hein’s brother, Matt, also will see some time at running back.

Matt Rush will be the quarterback. Ben Boone, last year’s quarterback, moves to receiver.

The lines have potential. Besides Brown, the Maples will count on Harley Gee and Chace Johnston.

WEST GREENE PIONEERS:

Two years ago, West Greene won four games. It was a big improvement for the Pioneers, who hadn’t won four games since the 2003 season. But then West Greene went down again last season and won two games.

So maybe this will be another up year for the Pioneers. There will be no conference championship, but maybe West Greene can put up a fight for the last playoff spot in the conference.

West Greene likes its group of linemen. One of them is 6-6, 245-pound Craig Weaver. Also counted on are linemen Will Van Norman, Beau Jackson and Perry Ingram.

A big question is quarterback. Dalton Wildman graduated after leading the team in passing and throwing a year ago. Owen Main will now be the main man behind center.

Donovan Weaver is one of the players who could lead the running game.

MSA SPORTS PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:

9.    West Greene Pioneers

Tags: Avella, Bentworth, Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Frazier, Jefferson-Morgan, West Greene