With just one week left in the regular season, the playoff races are coming to a conclusion. There are five conference championships left to be decided and 15 playoff spots still up for grabs. We detailed all of the playoff scenarios earlier this week. Last week’s biggest story was McKeesport throttling Thomas Jefferson to set up a showdown with Belle Vernon at The Beach for the Conference Title. We were fortunate to be joined by McKeesport Head Coach Matt Miller on this week’s edition of the WPIAL Blitz Show to talk about the win over TJ and the upcoming game against Belle Vernon. This week’s show includes:
- Interview with McKessport Head Coach Matt Miller
- A rundown of the Week 8 action
- A look at the playoff picture in every conference
- Playoff bracket predictions
WPIAL Blitz Show Player of the Week Presented by Brute Athletic
Rodney Gallagher (QB-Laurel Highlands)
Congratulations to our Brute Athletic Player of the Week Rodney Gallagher from Laurel Highlands. In a battle for the last playoff spot in the 4A Big Eight conference, Laurel Highlands and Trinity went back and forth all night. Every time Trinity scored, Gallagher had an answer. He finished the night with 100 passing yards and 1 TD on a jump-pass and an incredible 285 rushing yards and 5 TDs. On the whole, Gallagher had 385 yards of total offense and 6 total TDs. A fantastic performance to lead his team to a narrow 39-34 victory and their first playoff appearance since 2015. Check out his highlights from Friday night. Trust me, it’s worth your time:
Honorable Mentions
In addition to Gallagher’s six-TD performance this week, we had our first SEVEN touchdown game of the season, which came from Leechburg’s Braylan Lovelace who ran for 183 yards and 7 TDs en route to a 66-6 victory that clinched the first playoff appearance since 1988 for the Blue Devils. Highlands’ Chandler Thimons threw for 131 yards and 2 TDs and ran for 93 yards and 3 TDs to lead the Golden Rams to victory over Greensburg Salem and to clinch a playoff spot. McKeesport had two players find the end zone three times, Kanye Thompson had two rushing TDs and a kickoff return TD. In the second half it was the dynamic Bobbie Boyd Jr that stole the show, finishing with 227 yards and 3 TDs. Upper St Clair’s Ethan Hiester had one of the best all-around nights, putting up 243 all-purpose yards (163 rushing, 67 passing, 13 receiving), throwing a TD pass and running for another, and defensively racking up 12 tackles (4 for loss), 1 sack and blocking a field goal in overtime to beat South Fayette.
Other top performers included Elizabeth Forward WR Zach Boyd who caught 4 passes and scored on 3 of them, finishing with 192 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs, and a fumble return touchdown. WPIAL leading rusher NiJhay Burt of Steel Valley had 194 yards and 4 TDs. GCC’s Jaydin Canady, in a matchup against his former team, ran for 191 yards and 3 TDs and returned a punt for a touchdown. Mt. Lebanon’s Alex Tecza ran for 179 yards and 3 TDs as the Blue Devils clinched their first conference title since 2010. Penn-Trafford’s Carter Green threw 3 TD passes and ran for 2 more.
Career Accomplishments
Carmichaels QB Trenton Carter joined the 1000/1000 club!
Congratulation to our Quarterback Trenton Carter on becoming the 12th player in WPIAL history to pass for 1,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in the regular season.
Congratulations Trenton! The community and the coaching staff are very proud of you. @Trenton_Carter2 pic.twitter.com/ArcgwYKOgj
— Carmichaels Varsity Football (@MikesFB_) October 23, 2021
Laurel RB Luke McCoy ran for 174 yards and 3 TDs, becoming the school’s all-time leading rusher. McCoy has run for 1511 yards this season and is second in the WPIAL.
West Greene RB Colin Brady ran for 185 yards and 4 TDs on Friday night, taking him over 2,000 for his career. This is noteworthy and impressive because Brady is only a sophomore.
Where to Find Us
Thanks for watching! Follow us on Twitter @WPIAL_Blitz and @BadgleyBruce. Check out past episodes of the WPIAL Blitz Show on the Sports Stream Premium Network Channel. And like our new Facebook Page!
