WPIAL Friday Night HighLights – Week Eleven

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, November 12, 2017 | 1:38 AM

There was a major chill in the air Friday with game time temps in the upper 20’s. While fans, bands, officials, coaches and players had to bundle up or think toasty thoughts, these players performances were scorching hot in leading their teams either to a title game next Saturday at the last exit on the Highway to Heinz or into the Final Four midway through the Road to RMU.

Phil Jurkovec – Pine-Richland

Not only does he plant a mean flag, he is kinda pretty good at throwing and running with the pigskin. Pine-Richland senior quarterback Phil Jurkovec had a little extra fire in his eye as he put on a dominant performance in this WPIAL Class 6-A Semifinals contest. Jurkovec was 18 of 20 passing for 432 yards and five touchdowns, plus he rushed for 107 yards and scored on a 47-yard run as the Rams rolled pas the rival North Allegheny Tigers 49-25.

Troy Fisher – Pittsburgh Central Catholic

He may not put up gaudy numbers, but all Pittsburgh Central Catholic quarterback Troy Fisher does is win. He and his mates are heading to Heinz Field, a fourth trip to the big house on the North Shore for Fisher and his fellow Vikings seniors thanks to his 10 of 16 passing for 144 yards and two long bookend touchdown tosses of 75 and 66 yards as the defending champions knocked off the Penn Hills Indians for the second time in three weeks with a 17-8 WPIAL Class 6-A Semifinals victory.

Brady Walker – Gateway

The hook and lateral. A football play used more in desperation than on your standard third and two. A play that has haunted Gateway for 12 months after they lost to rival McKeesport in the waning seconds on that very play in last years WPIAL Class 5-A Semifinals. In the rematch on Friday, Gators quarterback Brady Walker did his part to change the outcome, hitting on 20 of 31 passing for 226 yards and two touchdown tosses and a scoring run as his teammates held on to clinch a spot in the 5-A title game swith a thrilling 28-21 win over the Tigers.

Kavon Morman – Montour

The sweetness of a second straight postseason Montour fourth quarter rally for victory was like relaxing in your favorite chair with your favorite beverage while listening to the sweet sounds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir…or is that the Morman Tabernacle Choir? Quarterback Kavon Morman was 15 of 21 passing for 204 yards while rushing for 117 yards and three touchdown runs of 40, 3 and 5 yards as the Spartans scored 21 unanswered fourth quarter points to upset the South Fayette Lions 35-27 in a Class 4-A Semifinals eye-brow raiser.

Justin Vigna – Thomas Jefferson

Excuse me while I practice for my PA announcing duties at Heinz Field: “Justin Vigna on the carry for the Jaguars.”  “Justin Vigna on the carry for the Jaguars.”  “Justin Vigna on the carry for the Jaguars.”  “Justin Vigna on the carry for the Jaguars.”  “Justin Vigna on the carry for the Jaguars.”  “Justin Vigna on the carry for the Jaguars.”  On Friday, Thomas Jefferson running back Justin Vigna carried the ball a mind numbing 44 times for 203 yards and two touchdowns as the Jaguars are headed back to Heinz Field after shutting out the Belle Vernon Leopards in a Class 4-A Semifinals contest.

Ricky Guss – Quaker Valley

For the first time in school history, Quaker Valley will hop on the Guss Bus and head down Ohio River Boulevard to play for a football championship. For the second time in less than a month, the Guss Bus derailed the ‘Lionel Train’ as QV quarterback Ricky Guss fired three touchdown passes while rushing for 117 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Quakers help Lionel Deanes to 59 yards rushing in a WPIAL Class 3-A Semifinals win by a score of 40-7.

Kam Williams – Steel Valley

You never want a hungry up and coming program to gain confidence that an upset is brewing. So Steel Valley delivered a knock out punch in the second quarter with 21 unanswered points in ending the break out season for Burgettstown. The young man delivering more of the body blows was Kam Williams, who rushed for 221 yards and scored four first half touchdowns on runs of 47, 25 and a pair of 4-yard jaunts as the defending champion Ironmen blanked the Blue Devils 42-0 in a Class 2-A Quarterfinals whitewash.

Zach Swartz – Washington

Any hopes of a #7 over #2 upset in the WPIAL Class 2-A Quarterfinals were quickly dashed when Washington dropped 47 first half points on East Allegheny. While Nick Welsh rushed for 155 yards on the ground, quarterback Zach Swartz was near perfect in the air as he hit on 9 of 10 passes for 253 yards and four touchdown throws that covered 58, 27, 64 and 8 yards as the Little Prexies remained undefeated with a 54-7 thrashing of the Wildcats.

Tre’sean Howard – Clairton

With suspensions from a fracas in Round One and with a couple of injuries as well, Clairton found itself playing shorthanded as the three-time defending WPIAL Class 1-A champs headed to Charleroi High School to face Carmichaels in a Quarterfinals contest. But the black and orange did have Tre’sean Howard in the lineup and that more than balanced the scales. Howard scored the games first two touchdowns on runs of 21 and 47 yards, then added a 70-yard punt return for a score and a 95-yard kickoff return to the house as the Bears rolled to a 37-12 conquest of the Mighty Mikes.

Seth Howard – Jeannette

Down by eleven points to Rochester in the fourth quarter, Jeannette head coach Roy Hall rolled the dice and made a change at quarterback with the talented Robert Kennedy being moved to receiver and Seth Howard called to lead the team under center. You could say the gamble paid off handsomely as Howard hit the jackpot and rallied his mates with a 9-yard touchdown run to pull the team within three points, then capped off the game winning drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass with under a minute left as the Jayhawks edged the Rams 30-26 in a WPIAL Class 1-A Quarterfinals thriller.

Tags: Clairton, Gateway, Jeannette, Washington