Trib HSSN Football Player of the Week for 2022 Week 7

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, October 16, 2022 | 9:08 PM

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As the dust cleared on Week 7 of WPIAL football, only one team had clinched a playoff berth in the district’s Class 5A.

No, it wasn’t one of the expected heavyweights: Gateway, Penn-Trafford, Pine-Richland, Penn Hills, Bethel Park or Upper St. Clair. It was Franklin Regional, a team that missed out on the postseason two years ago and won only three games last fall.

“We were projected to finish last, and we proved everybody wrong being the underdog,” Franklin Regional quarterback Roman Sarnic said. “I really feel it brings the (winning) culture back to the school since we haven’t won a conference since 2013.”

Sarnic has been a big part of the Panthers’ success this season. He has thrown for 848 yards and nine touchdowns, and rushed for more than 700 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“Roman has been a guy that we know we can count on to make a big play when we need it,” Franklin Regional coach Lance Getsy said.

On Friday in Week 7, Sarnic did it all in a big conference home victory over Hempfield.

The senior completed 7 of 12 passes for 199 yards and first-quarter touchdown tosses of 41 yards and 33 yards to junior wide receiver Ayden Hudock.

Sarnic also rushed for a team-high 166 yards on 18 carries with touchdown runs of 14 and 15 yards.

“Roman has really taken on the mentality of a young man that will do whatever it takes to help his team win,” Getsy said.

The win was big for the Panthers in many ways.

It clinched a playoff berth, at least a share of the 5A Big East Conference title and the top-seed out of the conference.

Plus, it hurt the playoff hopes of conference foe Hempfield.

Franklin Regional will visit 5A Northeast Conference leader North Hills in a nonconference game in Week 8 before visiting defending champion Penn-Trafford in the regular season finale.

WPIAL Week 7 Honorable Mentions

Ryan Palmeiri, Pine-Richland

Much like Sarnic, Pine-Richland quarterback Palmieri continued to shine as he keeps torching opposing defenses through the passing attack and in the ground game.

The senior who started the season at running back, connected on 13 of 21 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown pass of of 14 yards to senior Brad Gelly. He also rushed 14 times for 173 yards and scoring runs of 45 and 21 yards as the Rams won at Shaler, 42-7, for their fourth consecutive victory.

Cadin Olsen, Armstrong

One big game at home in the 4A Greater Allegheny Conference taken care of with a victory, now a battle for the GAC title on the road for the blue and orange. The leader of the Armstrong offense was on full display in Week 7 as the quarterback enjoyed an out-of-this-world performance in a win over the visiting Fightin’ Planets.

The River Hawks senior connected on 19 of 25 passes for 349 yards and four touchdowns: 50 and 22 yards to junior wide receiver Isaiah Brown, 15 yards to senior running back Dozick Zablocki and 4 yards to sophomore wide receiver Kyan Kline. Olsen also scored on a pair of 1-yard runs in Armstrong’s win over Mars, 55-31, setting up a Week 8 showdown for first place when the River Hawks travel to undefeated Highlands.

Braylan Lovelace, Leechburg

Last fall, when Leechburg finally clinched a WPIAL football playoff berth, ending a 31-year drought, there was a great celebration for a long-suffering Class A program. Junior Braylan Lovelace, a Pitt recruit, finally had helped lead the team back into the postseason after three decades littered with zero- or one-win campaigns.

The senior running back again was leading the way to victory in Week 7 and another WPIAL playoff berth, even though there was little celebration by the Blue Devils for just getting into the Class A 16-team bracket. Lovelace rushed for 279 yards on 18 carries and scored five touchdowns on runs of 57, 2, 20, 55 and 23 yards as Leechburg rolled over visiting Riverview, 57-12.

2022 HSSN Players of the Week

Week 6: Landan Stevenson, Mapletown

Week 5: Jake Wolfe, Montour

Week 4: Jaren Brickner, Beaver Falls

Week 3: Jake Phillips, Hempfield

Week 2: Luke Cignetti, Shaler

Week 1: Cruce Brookins, Steel Valley

Week Zero: Conlan Greene, Penn-Trafford

Tags: Armstrong, Franklin Regional, Leechburg, Pine-Richland