MSA Sports Friday Night HighLights – Week Eleven

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 13, 2010 | 12:00 AM

Sixteen teams saw their dreams of WPIAL football gold and a trip to the North Show come to an end as they were forced to exit the Highway to Heinz on Quarterfinals Friday. That leaves 16 teams still in the hunt for a gridiron title thanks in large part to these following outstanding performances on a comfortable early November eve.

Alex Papson – North Allegheny

Some players help lift their teams to the next level of the postseason, then there are those players who really do CARRY their teams to the next round. Alex Papson might still be soaking in the hot tub after he carried the pigskin 45 times while gaining 301 yards and scoring three touchdowns, including a back-breaking 62-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter as the Tigers knocked off the Bethel Park Black Hawks 23-13.

Lafayette Pitts – Woodland Hills

The defending WPIAL Class AAAA champions were on the ropes with rubber legs about to go down in the final minutes of a Class AAAA Quarterfinals contest, but Mount Lebanon could not deliver the knock out punch as Woodland Hills won by TKO in OT. Pitt recruit Lafayette Pitts rushed for 177 yards and scored three touchdowns…one coming on an 85-yard kickoff return to begin the second half and one coming on the first play of overtime from 10-yards out that turned out to be the game winner in the Wolverines thrilling 29-22 come-from-behind overtime victory over the previously undefeated Blue Devils.

Steve Dutkowski – North Hills

Legendary North Hills coach Jack McCurry has been playing a game of musical quarterbacks the past several weeks, rotating three guys during a game under center. Friday night, sweet music played whenever Steve Dutkowski's name was called as he ended up hitting on 10 of his 16 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown as the Indians made sure there were no chairs left for Upper St. Clair in the Semifinals with a 16-14 victory over the Panthers.

Austin Miele – Mars

OK, so it wasn't the WPIAL playoff record 448 yards running back Austin Miele ran for a week ago in the opening round, but this performance was even better due to the end results for Mars fans. Miele rushed for 181 yards and scored on a touchdown run and a touchdown reception as the Fighting Planets eliminated the defending Class AAA champion West Allegheny Indians by a convincing score of 29-3.

Ryan Crouse – Thomas Jefferson

Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis would really love this Thomas Jefferson program because they just live up to his old battle cry…just win baby. Sparked by quarterback Ryan Crouse, who was 9 of 15 passing for 218 yards and four touchdown tosses, the Jaguars earned a 13th consecutive trip to the Semifinals by beating the Hopewell Vikings 38-28 despite another great performance by Rushel Shell, who finished with 238 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

Julian Durden – Montour

A week after struggling in the 1 vs. 16 game in the opening round, Montour quickly put to rest any whispers that they might not be all that with an exclamation point victory in the Quarterfinals over Indiana. Running back Julian Durden rushed for 170 yards and scored on an 11-yard run as five different Spartans got into the scoring act to remain unbeaten with a 36-14 mercy-rule rout of the Little Indians.

Lukas Turley – Central Valley

There were many questions about how good this new Central Valley team would be back in August as they prepared for their first ever high school football season. This just in from the jury…they are pretty good. Lukas Turley rushed for 149 yards and scored on a 69-yard touchdown run in the final quarter that was the icing on the Final Four cake as the Warriors blanked the Knoch Knights 16-0.

Christian Brumbaugh – South Fayette

For a second consecutive season, South Fayette goes flying unbeaten through the postseason air on the arm of quarterback Christian Brumbaugh. Brumbaugh was 12 of 17 passing for 328 yards and three touchdown passes along with a scoring run to lead the Lions to an 11-0 record with a 47-13 destruction of the Freeport Yellowjackets.

Andre Williams and Trey Hall – Beaver Falls

While Beaver Falls is the only team left in the Class AA playoffs with a loss on their record, they have a combination that is making opposing defenses seem at a loss. Andre Williams gained 118 yards and scored on a 22-yard run while Trey Hall rushed for 114 yards and scored the other three touchdowns as the Tigers shutout the Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles 28-0.

Bill Arch – Springdale

In a battle of 9-1 Class A teams Friday at Penn-Trafford High School, Springdale ran, and ran, and ran their way past Monessen and into the Semifinals. The #5-seed had 345 total yards on offense, 341 of which came on the ground, led by Bill Arch and his 151 yards rushing with one touchdown and a pair of two-point conversion runs as the Dynamos exploded all over the Greyhounds by a score of 30-6.

Tags: Beaver Falls, Central Valley, Montour, North Allegheny, North Hills, South Fayette, Springdale, Thomas Jefferson, Woodland Hills