Four of the past five WPIAL Class AAAA champions and six of the past 10 have come from the Quad East Conference. There’s a good chance history will repeat itself in 2004.

The Quad East is undoubtedly the strongest conference in Class AAAA again. Most consider Central Catholic, Penn Hills and Woodland Hills all among the top five teams in the entire WPIAL. All three of them play in the Quad East.

PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC:

It seems everyone is picking Pittsburgh Central Catholic as the team to beat this year. Don’t be surprised if the Vikings end up as the #1 or #2 ranked team in the state.

“I’m not really worried about polls or people’s opinions,” said Central Catholic coach Art Walker. “All I know is we have a target on our back this year, and the more people who rate us highly makes that target bigger.”

The Sporting News/Student Sports magazine ranks Central Catholic #6 in the country.

There are a number of reasons for such acclaim – players.

Central Catholic has a number of starters back from last season’s team that won the WPIAL title and made it to the PIAA championship game before losing to North Penn.

The best-known player is pint-sized halfback Eugene Jarvis, the Post-Gazette Player of the Year in 2003. A 5-foot-7, 165-pound senior, he rushed for 1,683 yards and scored 225 touchdowns. West Virginia and Akron are among a handful of Division I schools that have already offered him a scholarship.

“Our goal is to finish what we started last year,” Jarvis said.

Some other key players are back from an offense that averaged 34 points a game. Senior Shane Murray is one of the best quarterbacks in Class AAAA. He completed 86 of 184 for 1,308 yards last season and also rushed for 631 on 87 attempts. Senior John Pelusi is considered among the best tight ends in the state. He has scholarship offers from Pitt, Boston College, West Virginia, Stanford, Northwestern and Connecticut.

A major question mark with this team, though, is the offensive line, where three key players graduated.
“But we have some guys stepping up and coming through. We’ll be OK,” Pelusi said.

On defense, the Vikings should be solid. Junior Nate Williams looks like a top linebacker. Senior linebacker Bob Helt is a player to watch after missing all of last season with a knee injury. He can bench press 390 pounds and is also the team’s backup quarterback.

Besides playing in the tough Quad East, Central Catholic has a rough non-conference schedule to start the season. The Vikings open at Gateway and play St. Joseph’s Prep in the second week. St. Joseph’s is a perennial power from Philadelphia and is ranked No. 16 in the country by Sporting News/Student Sports.

BALDWIN:

The Highlanders made the playoffs last year, mainly on the strength of workhorse running back Fred Bacco, who rushed for 1,751 yards. Bacco has graduated, but with six teams going to the playoffs from the Quad East, the Highlanders seem to be a good bet to see the postseason again.

Baldwin returns 10 starters from last year’s team. The Highlanders always seem to have some big linemen and this season is no exception. Senior tackle Keith Huebner is 6-7, 290 and junior tight end Jason Pinkston 6-5, 260.

In the backfield, watch out for senior fullback Chris Bova (6-0, 235) and Justin Hargrove (6-4, 230).

Other returning starters are junior offensive guard Jim O’Rourke (6-0, 250), senior receiver Julian Pinkston (6-4, 190), senior defensive end Frank Berta (6-2, 220), senior linebacker Sean McDonough (5-10, 215), senior receiver-running back Chris Kozak (5-9, 175) and senior receiver Eric Schleicher (5-11, 165).

CONNELLSVILLE:

Second-year coach Andy Robertson believes he has the smallest team in Class AAAA, but he also believes his team should be much-improved on last year’s 1-9 season.

Nine starters return from last season.

Quarterback Andy Schleihauf didn’t have great statistics (25 of 62 for 201 yards, 165 yards rushing), but he does have a year of experience under his belt. Senior Zach Blackstone (6-1, 230) led the team in rushing with 171 yards on 49 attempts.

On defense, senior linebacker Jason Doppleheuer (6-0, 205) led the team in tackles last season. Senior center-defensive lineman D.J. DeWitt was second-team all-conference.

HEMPFIELD:

Hempfield must find a way to get its offense going if it hopes to win one of the six playoff spots. The Spartans averaged only nine points a game last season.

But if experience means anything, then Hempfield’s offense should be improved.

Craig Gordon was the team’s leading rusher last season with 587 yards on 125 carries.

Anthony Constantine is back at quarterback. Constantine started last season as a sophomore.

NORWIN:

The Knights have a new coach in Dan Conwell, who takes over for Tim McCabe.

Like Hempfield, Norwin also needs to find more offense. Norwin averaged only 10 points a game last season.

Quarterback T.J. Salopek gives reason for optimism.

Last year as a sophomore, he completed 72 of 155 for 901 yards.

PENN HILLS:

Star quarterback Anthony Morelli has graduated, but Penn Hills still has an offense filled with talented skill-position players.

Senior David Harvey is ranked among the best receivers in the state and already has Division I scholarship offers. He caught 35 passes for 656 yards last season. The question is will Penn Hills have a quarterback to get him the ball?

Coach Neil Gordon has always liked a run-oriented team, even when he had Morelli. This season, the Indians might have the best one-two running punch in Class AAAA.

Senior Ed Collington rushed for 959 yards on 109 attempts lasts season while senior Ken Lewis had 884 on 158 attempts.
“But we have to have a line to block for those guys and I don’t know what’s going to happen at quarterback,” Gordon said.

Senior J.R. Robinson figures to be one of the best linemen in the conference.

PENN-TRAFFORD:

The Warriors are newcomers to the conference after years in the Quad South. Things will be much tougher in the Quad East for Penn-Trafford, but the Warriors could be a middle-of-the pack team.

Penn-Trafford features offensive lineman Jason Kacinko (6-6, 300), who has about one dozen Division I scholarship offers. Pitt, Wisconsin, Maryland and North Carolina State are among the schools that have offered.

Dave Bucar (5-11, 250) is another returning starter on the offensive and defensive lines.

Junior Tyler Huether (6-1, 190) returns at quarterback. As a sophomore, he completed 68 of 122 for 991 yards and eight touchdowns.

Other returning starters are senior receiver-defensive back Mike Rasky (6-2, 185), senior receiver-running back-defensive back Chavare Chism (5-11, 180) and senior running back-linebacker Kevin Mullen (5-9, 205).

WOODLAND HILLS:

Woodland Hills used a lot of non-senior players last year. That should pay dividends the next two seasons.

The Wolverines won’t have a heavily recruited star senior like recent years (Steve Breaston, Ryan Mundy and Devon Lyons). But the Wolverines still have enough talent to challenge for conference and WPIAL titles.

Woodland Hills should have one of the best linebackers in Class AAAA in senior Jim Kelly (6-3, 215), the team’s leading tackler last season.

Two other seniors who might get Division I college interest are offensive tackle Dan Kirk (6-3, 285) and defensive lineman Jon D’Alessandro (6-1, 260).

Woodland Hills also has two juniors who will command Division I attention next season. Darrin Walls is one of the best junior defensive backs in the WPIAL.

Wes Lyons, the younger brother of Devon, is worth watching at receiver and defensive back.

MSA SPORTS NETWORK PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH:

1) Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings

2) Penn Hills Indians

3) Woodland Hills Wolverines

4) Baldwin Highlanders

5) Penn-Trafford Warriors

6) Connellsville Falcons

7) Hempfield Spartans

8) Norwin Knights