BleacherCoaches.com

How did Westmont and Richland do?

Shaler 2TDs Gateway 2TDs

Shaler won the 1st team vs. 1st team battle 2-1.

Gateway has some ridiculous athletes, but they're very undisciplined. Lots of silly penalties like jumping offsides, holding, illegals downfield, and even 2 personal fouls (imagine that from a Terry Smith coached team).

It's tough to go by the 10-plays-and-out scrimmages. Both teams did some good things. I think if the two teams played a game in a few weeks, Gateway would win, but Shaler could hang with them. I think Gateway will be good, but not as good as they have been in reaching 4 WPIAL AAAA title games in the last 8-10 years.

Shaler is very young, with good soph and junior classes. Shaler junior TE/LB JP Holtz played well today, and is on everyone's radar, At 6'4" 225, Holtz is a major D1 prospect already with heavy interest from Pitt, PSU, WVU, and a lot of other places. JP's also an excellent hooper, but he'll play football in college.

Titan, how do you predict that Shaler will do this year overall?

Our buddy Hollywood is helping out at A.G. this year in AAA. I wonder how they did today...

Shaler will struggle because of youth and inexperience, and their biggest problem is a small and inexperienced line. That won't bode well in AAAA.

Holtz is very very good, and an excellent athlete. Holtz will be a big time player and a major D1 recruit. To show his versatility, he played WR and some RB last year, and as a FROSH, he actually quarterbacked Shaler to a 1st round playoff win over a Mike Hull (now at PSU) led Canon-Mac team two years ago. You just don't see freshman QBs lead their team to a playoff win, much less in WPIAL AAAA. He's an athletic kid who can throw a baseball 88MPH, dunk a basketball by jumping straight up in the air under the basket, and run a 4.6 40yd dash, plus he's 6'4" 225 with plenty more room to fill out. JP is the real deal and has the potential to be a monster at TE or H-Back or posibly even FB or LB, I know Joe and Wanny both think so.

With that said, Shaler really only has to go 2-4 (barring upsets) in section to make the watered down WPIAL football playoffs. They could finish 2-7 and still make the playoffs, how messed up is that? I have a feeling based on what I saw today that every game will be difficult for Shaler, but the potential is there to go 3-6, or 4-5. Anything beyond that and Neil Gordon should get coach of the century.

In addition, their schedule is brutal with non-conference games against Upper Saint Clair (season opener) and Bethel Park (week 3)...Shaler alsos play a weaker AAAA team in Hempfield in week 2, plus a meat grinder section which includes games at North Allegheny, North Hills, at Erie McDowell, Pine-Richland, at Seneca Valley, and Butler.

By AG do you mean Albert Gallatin? Fayette County offers some of the worst AAA/AAAA football in the WPIAL.

Crushers2834 wrote:How did Westmont and Richland do?

richland scrimmaged penn cambria and penns valley from what i was told the new qb, not sure on the name, can sling it around pretty well but the recievers dropped alot of balls. also heard they played pretty good d, also was told they got pretty good line play. but if they can throw the ball and combine that with rizzo running the ball it could be a very successful season for the rams

Week 2 on the "rug" will tell a LOT !

Does anybody have any info on how the new LV Rams did?

Manfred wrote:Week 2 on the "rug" will tell a LOT !

yes it will, and dont get me wrong i think the rangers will win, but i could see richland having a very successful season

Agreed. Heard from a lil' birdie that Rizzo is a lean, mean, fightin' machine at 220 #. No mud on the rug to slow him down.

:oops: HOW DID WESTMONT DO?????? Is this the year for another "new Coach?" Not only in the Varsity but also in the Jr. High? 7th and 8th???? or will mediocrity rule. I think they should get rid of the "split tail" at Super. and get a guy with a "set"................