CB West no longer favored in Class AAAA

By The Associated Press

The coach is gone, and so is Central Bucks West's traditional role of PIAA Class AAAA football favorite.

Coach Mike Pettine Sr. retired after coaching the Bucks to a third successive Class AAAA title in December, leaving behind last year's runnerup, Erie Cathedral Prep, as the new favorite. CB West beat Prep 14-13 in last year's final.

CB West may not be an undefeated PIAA champion again, as it was the last three years, but many of Pennsylvania's traditional high school football powers, such as Cumberland Valley, Berwick, Erie Cathedral Prep, Bethlehem Catholic, Sharon and Southern Columbia, all look to field strong teams.

Erie Prep has seven starters returning, including lineman Charles Rush (6-foot-4, 275 pounds), who had 40 tackles and five sacks; linebacker Joe Dipre, a Kentucky recruit, and quarterback-defensive back Ed Hinkle, who takes over an offense that averaged 46 points per game.

Cathedral Prep coach Mike Mischler also received a boost when junior

running back Jawan Walker was readmitted after being expelled last winter. Walker will be on academic probation at the start of the school year and will likely miss the first four games. He rushed for 1,449 yards and scored 22 touchdowns in 1999.

Pettine may have gone, but Central Bucks West still is expected to be a force in eastern Pennsylvania under new coach Mike Carey, who inherits a 45-game winning streak but only four returning starters.

Among those leaving were AP Big School player of the year Dustin Picciotti, who now plays at Pittsburgh after rushing for 37 touchdowns last season.

"I don't remember us ever being this thin on defense," said Carey, who coached the offensive and defensive lines last year. "Usually we have a couple of key players returning on the defensive line or at linebacker. But we have some seniors who have been waiting in the wings."

Challengers to CB West in the East include Parkland, Coatesville, Pennridge, Wilson and Bethlehem Catholic.

Bethlehem Catholic is the defending District 11 Quad-A champion and a team to watch, despite a tough schedule that includes Cincinnati Moeller, Glen Mills, Allentown Central Catholic and Brooklyn Prep. Mike Borda returns at quarterback after completing 52 of 95 passes for 959 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Cumberland Valley was expected to be down until five transfers moved in, four of whom should start, notably Steve Stoner, who was the starting quarterback at Trinity in Camp Hill.

North Hills is seen as the team to beat in the WPIAL (District 7), the nation's largest high school athletic conference. Coach Jack McCurry has 14 starters returning, but also has some holes.

"We have to find a replacement at quarterback and we lost both of our inside linebackers, one of which was a four-year starter," McCurry said. "We think we're going to be a good team, but there are other good teams in the area. For us to challenge, we've got to stay healthy because we don't have a lot of depth."

Woodland Hills, the defending WPIAL Quad-A champion, is expected to contend again. Penn Hills and McKeesport, with quarterback Cecil Howard, who is headed for Syracuse, should also be in contention.

Berwick experienced a down year in 1999 and -- here's a surprise -- failed to make the PIAA Class AAA playoffs. This time, coach George Curry has eight defensive regulars returning, along with quarterback Al West.

Allentown Central Catholic, the 1998 PIAA Class AAA champion, also looks to be loaded, led by Frank Novogratz, who threw for 800 yards and seven touchdowns.

Defending PIAA Class AAA champion Strath Haven must replace running back-defensive back Mark Jones, a Tennessee recruit.

West Allegheny and Belle Vernon are regarded as the top AAA teams in the West. West Allegheny lost to Strath Haven in the state title game, but coach Bob Palko has 12 starters returning, include son Tyler, a 6-2½ quarterback who completed 77 of 140 passes for 1,402 yards and 18 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Joe Slappy caught 30 passes for 513 yards.

Belle Vernon returns linebackers Scott McClintock (6-4, 230), a Michigan recruit, and Eric Gill (6-5, 240), who will play at Pitt.

In Class AA, defending PIAA champion Tyrone returns star running back Jesse Jones and standout lineman Scott Gummo. Mount Carmel lost to Tyrone in the final and then lost coach Whitey Williams, who moved to Nazareth, so the Red Tornadoes must rebuild a team that has been in the PIAA finals four times since 1994.

Waynesburg, Aliquippa and Washington also look to be strong in the West in AA.

Waynesburg is the defending WPIAL champion and returns 11 starters, including running back-linebacker Lanfer Simpson, who gained more than 1,500 yards last year and was in on more than 100 tackles. Lee Fritz passed for 1,001 yards and ran for another 900.

Aliquippa has Division I prospects in quarterback-defensive back Bernard Lay and linebacker-tight end Monroe Weekley. The Quips also have running back Gerris Wilcox, who was the leading rusher at Beaver Falls last year. Sharon was 10-3 last year and again looks to be strong under longtime coach Jim Wildman.

The one consistent in Class A is Southern Columbia. The Tigers have played in five PIAA Class A title games since 1994, although they have won just once. Southern got a big boost when Nate Schiccatano transferred from Shamokin. He has Division I-A size (6-3, 218) with 4.5 speed in the 40 and should fit in perfectly with coach Jim Roth's wing-T offense.

Steelton-Highspire, with quarterback Dave Bowers back, should challenge Southern Columbia in the East. The Rollers were 12-1 last year and lost to Southern Columbia 32-25 in a PIAA Class A quarterfinal.

In the west, Monessen, Farrell, Duquesne, and Rochester all look to be strong.