District 5/6 (AA) Playoff Preview

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Jozey22
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District 5/6 (AA) Playoff Preview

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PIAA District V/VI “AA“ Playoffs
(Semi-Finals)



Ten weeks in, why stop now? This will be the question all 4 remaining teams look to answer in this, the semifinals of the District 5/6 “AA” Playoffs.

As was the case one year ago, both District 5 representatives were ousted in Round 1 of the playoffs, with Chestnut Ridge crumbling against P-O and Bedford eventually falling to CC in OT.

While both semifinal games will feature rematches of regular season contests, the outcomes this time around could certainly be headed in the opposite direction. The Crushers and Mounties look to have the upper hand heading into this weekend’s action, but I’m sure the Red Devils and Golden Eagles will have something to say about this…


Philipsburg-Osceola (9-1) vs Tyrone (9-1)


Revenge anyone?

What better place than home to avenge the only loss of the season? This is exactly what the Tyrone Golden Eagles hope to achieve on Friday evening from the friendly confines of War/Vets Field.

In what amounts to the only negative in a season full of positives, the Golden Eagles will now face the Mounties of Philipsburg-Osceola, this time with much more than a win or a loss on the line.

It’s a match-up the Eagles have been hoping for since the Week 5 loss (7-6 at P-O), and now it’s time to put up or shut up. With a trip to the D5/6 Championship on the line, expect another great battle between two conference contenders, each displaying an impressive (9-1) record.

For the Mounties it’s simple really – stop Brice Mertiff and you’ll keep yourself in the game. Although the Eagles have a handful of skilled players, no one jumps off the roster like Mertiff. Need some proof? Last week in Round 1 of the “AA” playoffs, Mertiff embarrassed the Dragons of Purchase Line to the tune of 238 yards rushing on just 19 carries. As if those numbers aren’t staggering enough, take into account that Brice hit paydirt on 5 of those 19 touches, along with hauling in another TD from quarterback Leonard Wilson (44 yard TD). Oh yeah, he plays defense too. Mertiff began the night by picking off PL’s Eric Goodlin on the Dragons’ first possession of the game. It’s easy to see, the Mounties must make stopping Mertiff their priority if they hope to make a repeat of their stunning defeat of the Eagles back in Week 5.

As for the Eagles, they have a few players to keep an eye on as well. First and foremost will be stopping P-O’s Lou LaFuria. To date, LaFuria has 25 catches for 692 yards and 8 TD’s. Although Lou has not run the ball often, it seems as though he has the ball in his hands at just the right times this season. On LaFuria’s 3 carries thus far, he has gained 74 yards, with two ending up in the endzone. Hand him the ball three times and he’s only been tackled once – not too shabby for your leading receiver.

The Eagles will also need to limit the intensity of P-O’s Ryan Mostyn. As the leading carrier for the Mounties, Mostyn has racked up 534 yards on 112 carries. These numbers may not be the most impressive in the area, but the ability of Mostyn is unquestionable. As a matter of fact, it was the play of this athlete that kept the Mounties on top in the first meeting, slicing through the line to block what would have been the game tying points.

If the Eagles are able to silence the big play of LaFuria and keep Mostyn from becoming a factor, they will win this game. One giant step towards containing these two will be pressuring P-O quarterback Jeff Winters. To date, Winters has completed 59 passes for 1,191 yards and 10 TD’s. More importantly, Winters has been very tough to get a handle on, as he has scrambled 83 times for 350 yards and 5 TD’s. The Eagles must put the pressure on here, as they did in the first meeting.

Although I was a bit harsh on the Mounties early in the year, I really fell they are playing to potential at this point. While I do believe the Mounties record is deceiving, I still feel as though they can beat Tyrone again. I guarantee 7 points won’t get it done this time, but I have a feeling it won’t take more than three scores to end the Eagles season on Friday night.

While I may take some flack for this, I’ll say it anyway. I thought back before the season began that Tyrone had set their expectations entirely too high, being compared to the team of ’99 who won the “AA” State Title. There is no doubt Tyrone of ’04 is very good, but I absolutely feel they are overrated. Don’t get me wrong, they are the front-runner for the D5/6 “AA” crown and they should be, having won it last season and posting 9 wins in 10 tries thus far. However, they do not match up well with P-O and I really believe the Mounties can shock them again, even on their own field.

It will take a mammoth effort from P-O this time around, as the first meeting was likely a mental lapse for most of the Tyrone players. The Mounties will not have the luxury of sneaking up on Tyrone this time around and ultimately, this could be your deciding factor.

I do realize that nearly everyone will be going with Tyrone here, but I disagree IF the Mounties can contain Mertiff. Again, the Eagles have a lot more to offer than just #30, but to me, beating Tyrone can only come about by containing this player.

To date, Mertiff has carried the ball 179 times for 1,631 yards, including 400+ in the last two games combined. Brice has also hit paydirt on 26 occasions, making him one of the most productive players in the “AA” scene, as well as the area.

Mertiff’s backfield mates have thrown up some impressive numbers as well. Fellow runner Brit Mingle has compiled over 600 yards on just over 100 carries (18 TD’s), while quarterback Leonard Wilson has completed 56 passes for 800+ yards and 7 TD’s on the year.

As with most teams at this point in the year, many yards have been compiled and usually through the running game. It’s very interesting to see (as most “experts” will say running is the key in HS football) that 3 of the 4 teams remaining in the “AA” field have 1,000+ yard passers (Central Cambria, McCort, P-O), with the 4th team (Tyrone) having an 800+ yard passer.

As mentioned above, I really feel as though P-O is playing their best football right now, and it couldn’t come at a better time. The Mounties will need to put together a tremendous effort to down the Eagles for the second time this season and this will hinge on containing Brice Mertiff.

In my opinion, LaFuria will come up with another big play to keep the Mounties around for a half, but in the end, Mertiff and the battle-tested Eagles will once again make the trip to the carpet in Altoona. The Eagles will avenge their only loss of the season and keep tabs on the McCort-CC outcome on Saturday evening.

Tyrone re-pays the favor given to them in Week 5, turning out the lights on P-O’s great season.

Tyrone 28, P-O 13



Central Cambria (6-4) vs Bishop McCort (8-2)


As mentioned above, this Week 11 battle featuring two LHAC opponents will be the second go-round, as McCort was able to run around the Devils way back in Week 2, 26-20.

In picking up the victory, Bishop McCort was able to use a balanced attack paced by the running of Shawn Lewis (25 carries, 155 yards, 2 TD’s) and the passing of Mike Sheridan (16-20, 175 yards, 1 TD). While it’s hard to gauge the outcome of this game based upon the performances 8 weeks ago, some of the numbers are certainly glaring. In the Week 2 victory, McCort was able to rack up 369 yards on offense, to just 264 for the Red Devils. Even more impressive was the 18 Crushers’ first downs to just 9 for CC. While much has changed since September, you cannot deny what occurred the first time the two teams met.

Speaking of change, the Red Devils were forced to alter their game plan back in Week 5, as standout running back/defensive back Ryan Krull went down for the count with an ankle injury. Although losing Krull has been a challenge to overcome, the Devils have taken it in stride, as senior quarterback Matt Mesaros has taken the opportunity to light up opposing defenses over the past 5 weeks. Since Krull’s injury, Mesaros has thrown for just under 1,000 yards through five contests, including a 300+ yard performance in Round 1 of the “AA” playoffs one week ago against previously unbeaten and #1 seed Bedford. Now boasting 1,750 yards and 14 TD’s on the year, Mesaros has calmly stepped in to add a dimension to the Red Devils’ attack not present or expected back in Week 2.

While all cylinders seem to be firing in the Red Devils aerial attack, they may also receive a boost to the running game this week as well. Don’t be surprised to see #33 back in action this week, as clearance has been granted for Krull to return to the gridiron. While junior Steve Makin has certainly picked up the slack left by the injury, the Devils would certainly welcome the addition of Krull, as he had racked up 658 yards, 9 TD’s and two 2-point conversion runs through 4 and a half games.

All of this talk of injury has me thinking… how would the Crushers respond if one of their big guns would be removed from the lineup due to injury? Okay, so I’ve heard the injury talk as well. By now we’ve all heard the rumors about Shawn Lewis potentially being unavailable for this game Saturday evening due to a knee injury. While this information is not verified, it certainly would present a challenge for Bishop McCort, while likely making things a bit… different on the Red Devils. I hesitate when I say “different”, as this McCort team will absolutely be prepared to play, regardless of whether one or ten playmakers are out of the lineup. I’ve said it since Week 1 and I still stick to it – Bishop McCort is the most complete team in the LHAC.

In looking at this match up, I see many things that scare me as a CC fan. First, the question of whether or not Lewis will play. To me, this is a moot point, as Jake Livella can and will gladly step into the void left by Lewis if, in fact, Shawn does not play. With Livella being out early in the season due to injury, we’ve not heard much about him. However, in my opinion Livella is a more physical player and will not be intimidated by the CC defense. Lewis added a feature that has been detrimental to CC throughout the ’04 season – speed. While Livella has speed in his arsenal, I really believe he could do some damage with his mental toughness, something Lewis did not have to display in the first game against CC.

With or without the services of Lewis, McCort will be ready to play. In my opinion, the Crushers may be even more dangerous without #3 in the lineup, as they possess an outstanding young quarterback who has done nothing but impress when throwing the football. With targets such as Matt Spangler (37 catches, 366 yards) and Myron Coleman turning into a rising star, Mike Sheridan has two very legitimate threats on the corners of every down. Throw a healthy Livella into the mix and you can see why CC will have their hands full regardless of who’s in the line up come Saturday night.

Like McCort, CC displays many individuals who can, and likely will make a difference in the outcome of this game. The Red Devils do not have the breakaway speed of McCort, but they do possess a very methodical system. The Red Devils are averaging 34 points per game through 10 weeks of play, a number they may need to put up once again if they hope to continue their season beyond Saturday night. Look for a heavy dose of passing, as Mesaros will likely be looking for his reliable receivers in order to pick up the “W”. Three seniors lead the way for the Red Devils in the passing corps, as Derek Natcher leads the area in yards receiving (750+) while teammates Wade Klezek and Luke Espe are also in the top 10.

With so much on the line, I don’t expect this game to be decided until the 4th quarter. I don’t believe it will come down to a last minute drive, but I do feel the outcome will be in doubt until the final stanza.

Central Cambria will certainly try and keep the ball away from McCort and the athletic offense. At the same time, the McCort defense will have to rise to the occasion and allow their offense to be on the field, as time of possession could play a huge role in this game. Although he wasn’t a huge force in the first meeting, I do expect the Crushers’ kicker (Domonkos) to play a major role in this contest. As with time of possession, field position could be costly and a player like Domonkos can and has put his team in position to win games all year long.

The Red Devils have a knack for jumping up early, then having to pull together at the end to close the door. If this is the case here against McCort, I expect a Crushers’ victory. With so many skilled players on the roster, McCort can and will work all angles when the game is on the line.

One final factor that I won’t overlook is the Lewis injury. While Central Cambria has learned and played without their best player for 5 weeks, McCort will likely be playing without their best player for the first time all season. Again, I really like Livella to step up if Lewis is out, but I don’t know how well the Crushers will handle the departure of their main man on offense. In my opinion, this will be the deciding factor in this game – not whether or not Lewis plays, but how well the rest of the McCort team responds to his exit this late in the season.

I do expect 50 points to be scored in this game because of the high-powered offenses, as well as the field conditions. Playing on the turf at Johnstown will only add to the excitement in this one. On a side note – CC is (0-2) on the turf at J-Town this season, having lost to both McCort and the Trojans. Look for Sheridan and Mesaros to set the tone, as well as the play of McCort’s Josh Varga and CC’s Ron Casado. Varga has been a key contributor all season long and will play an even more important role depending on Lewis’ status. CC’s Casado has come up with huge plays and huge games when needed most. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if this kid ends up being the deciding factor in this game.

The first time around wasn’t decided until a late interception, which sealed the deal for McCort and I’m thinking we should expect the same type of game this time around.

Bishop McCort and Central Cambria both have the attributes necessary to move onto the Title game next week, but the one team that will get it done and move on will be the team that plays better when in desperate situations. This seems to have been a yearlong journey for CC, while McCort has not had to deal with a key loss until now. The pieces are starting to come back together for the Devils and I believe things will begin to fall apart for Bishop McCort.

This game will be exciting, with the Devils avenging another regular season loss on their way to the D5/6 “AA” Title next week.

Central Cambria 30, Bishop McCort 20
Last edited by Jozey22 on November 12th, 2004, 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: District 5/6 "AA" Playoff Preview

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OH HAPPY DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you my man Jozey!
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Re: District 5/6 (AA) Playoff Preview

Post by Coach »

Tyrone beat up P-O to make you 1-0 on your predictions so far. They just manhandled the Mounties! 34-0
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