The Herald, Sharon, PA Published Friday, Oct. 16, 1998
Football '98


BACK TO HERALD...
  • Football previews
  • Football '98 page
  • Sports page
  • Home page



  • WEEK 7 PREVIEW
    MCAC A showdown set

    By Brad Isles
    Herald Assistant Sports Editor

    If you happen to drive through the town of Sharpsville Saturday afternoon, say, about 1 p.m., don't get too nervous if there aren't any lights on. And a word of advice: Don't break down, because there won't be anybody there to help you.

    After all, there's a football game at that time. And it just so happens the game is against Mercer County Athletic Conference Class A arch-rival Kennedy Christian.

    Even though Kennedy Christian, technically, has the home field in the first league game for the two this season, expect a strong Sharpsville contingent to rally behind its team. Two years ago, Blue Devils fans wrapped around the track and it seemed like the entire town was there. Sharpsville coach Paul Piccirilli expects it to be even bigger Saturday.

    "This town's been going nuts," he said. "That's one area where I think we have an advantage, we have a town."

    It's safe to say that each of these teams has been looking to this game since the start of two-a-days back in August.

    Riding on the game's outcome in recent years has been a berth in the District 10 playoffs, and may, too, this year. The Blue Devils have gone on to the postseason after victories the past two years. Last year Sharpsville rode the win all the way to the PIAA Class A title.

    Kennedy Christian is hoping to stop that streak.

    To do so, the Golden Eagles (0-0, 5-1) will rely on the powerful running attack of Jason Cecil and Brian Trimboli. Cecil leads all area rushers with 146.7 yards/game and has scored an area-best 110 points. Trimboli isn't that far back, with 83.3 yards rushing/game and 66 points.

    "Our offensive line has to continue to do its job and its done well all year," said Kennedy coach John Turco. "We've got two good backs and we're not going to change. ... We're going to do what we do best."

    In order to get the most out of his two backs, Turco utilizes their abilities on special-team returns. Each returned kicks for scores two weeks ago and Cecil had another last week.

    That leads to Sharpsville's most important key -- stopping the big play -- and that begins in the backfield.

    "No. 1, we have to stop Cecil," Piccirilli said. "Then we have to work our way back to Trimboli and then (to quarterback Shawn) McClure."

    Sharpsville (0-0, 6-0), which is currently ranked third in Class A by the Harrisburg Patriot-News, has big-play capability of its own.

    Reggie Burns (103.2 yards/game) is running at full speed after sitting out the second game of the season with a foot injury. He had a 60-yard kick return last week. Then there's Justin Napotnik, who chipped in a 49-yard punt return a week ago, and is averaging over 90 yards/game on the ground. Quarterback Brad Allen has also guided the Sharpsville offense very well, completing 66 percent (42 of 64) of his passes for 687 yards and 5 TDs.

    "If we're going to win, we've got to stop Napotnik and Burns," Turco said. "And we can't let Allen throw the ball."

    While both teams have potent offenses -- Sharpsville's averages 44.5 points and 383 yards per game, and Kennedy's averages 40.8 and 346 -- each has a defense that gets overlooked.

    The Blue Devils have allowed just 21 points so far this year and give up 85 yards/game. The Golden Eagles allow 12.5 points and 216 yards, most of which came in their only loss, 35-0, to powerful Warren JFK.

    But when it comes down to a game between two rivals like this, all stats, and what the teams have done so far in the season, get thrown out the window.

    "It wouldn't matter if both teams were 0-9, 10-0 or if one team was 10-0 and the other was 0-10, it's Sharpsville-Kennedy Christian," Piccirilli said. "It's a big rivalry in all sports. I expect there to be a lot of emotion in the first quarter and after that, things will settle down and we'll see some good football."

      TONIGHT

    • Wilmington (4-1) at Greenville (6-0) -- This game features two of the premier powers in Mercer County, even though they play in different leagues and are in different classifications.

      The Trojans, two-time defending District 10 AAA champions, haven't lost a regular-season game since a 14-13 setback to Reynolds in 1995, a span of 29 games.

      Wilmington, four-time defending D-10 AA champ, hasn't lost a regular-season game against a district opponent since a 34-21 loss to Mercer late in the 1994 season, a span of 35 games.

      The Hounds, ranked 10th in AA, are coming back after a bye week, an unfamiliar term for a scholastic team in this area of the state, so they have had plenty of time to scout the Trojans and their always-potent ground attack.

      Greenville finally made it into the state's top 10 for the first time this year, entering this week at No. 9. Leading the Greenville attack is Todd Shimshock and his 99 yards/game rushing. He also has 84 points on the year.

      Wilmington's offense, led by quarterback Matt Robison, will attempt to get through the stingy Trojans' defense, which allows less than a touchdown per game.

    • Sharon (3-0, 5-1) at Hickory (2-2, 2-4) -- What can be said about a team coming off a 70-0 victory over Reynolds, as is the case with the Tigers, who are still ranked third in the state in AA?

      Well, running back T.J. Phillips needs 170 yards on

      the ground to reach the 5,000-yard plateau. Only two other players in Mercer County history -- Greenville's Joe Korcinsky and Sharon's Mike Archie -- have done that, according to Herald records.

      Hickory, meanwhile has lost three consecutive games, including a 13-0 setback to Franklin last week. Also, the Hornets are 1-for-the-'90s against the Tigers.

      Hickory's last victory over Sharon was 14-13 back in 1991. Twice the Tigers have reached the 60-point mark -- 63-6 last year and 62-9 in '93. The past four meetings, the Tigers have outscored Hickory, 140-15.

    • Grove City (1-2, 1-5) at Slippery Rock (2-2, 2-4) -- Grove City has had the upper hand in the series between these two arch-rivals of late, winning the last three contests.

      Neither team is having the success it expected it would coming into the season. After all, the Eagles made it to the District 10 AAA final last year. But this game will go far in determining who the league champ will be.

      Second-year Grove City coach Jeff Bell said his team is having the best week of practice its had all season and hopes that carries over into the game, allowing the Eagles to snap a two-game losing streak.

      More importantly, he hopes they can hold on late should they have a lead in the game. Twice this season -- in the first game against Meadville, a 27-22 loss, and two weeks ago against Brookville, a 21-20 loss -- the Eagles lost fourth-quarter leads and, subsequently, the game.

      The Rockets gave first-year coach Brendan Smith his second victory of his Slippery Rock career last week, despite getting a scare from winless Mercer. The Mustangs led 13-7 at halftime before a 20-point third quarter led the Rockets to a 34-19 victory.

    • West Middlesex (4-2) at Saegertown (3-3) -- The Big Reds continue to prove on the field that they shouldn't be eliminated from the Class A title chase and will warm up for a showdown with Sharpsville next week with a French Creek Valley Conference opponent.

      West Middlesex has fared well in its FCVC games so far this season, going 2-1, with the only loss being a 7-6 setback to Conneaut Lake.

      Walt Novosel has done well in replacing Clint Doolin at quarterback after Doolin went down with an injury against Monaca. Novosel is 14 of 29 for 215 yards in his two starts.

      West Middlesex meets a reeling Saegertown team which has lost three of its last four games. Roger Grayson had 26 carries for 109 yards in a 15-14 loss last week and now has 437 yards on the year. Jeremy Artman leads the team with 439.

    • Mercer (0-3, 0-6) at Reynolds (0-3, 0-6) -- Last week the NFL had its Bagel Bowl -- a game featuring two winless teams -- in the guise of the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. The MCAC gets into the action with the only two winless teams in the league clashing.

      Mercer has played the best between the two recently, even leading Slippery Rock last week at halftime. Offense has been a problem for Reynolds. They've only scored 21 points and are coming off a 70-0 loss to Sharon.

    • Lakeview (1-4, 1-5) at Linesville (5-0, 5-1) -- The Sailors have hit a slide and it doesn't get any easier this week in going against FCVC-leading Linesville.

      Linesville is rolling, having outscored its last three opponents 114-22, while gaining 1,200 yards in the three wins. Pat Harakal rushed for 196 yards last week in a 37-14 win over Maplewood. He now has 615 on the season, along with 9 TDs.

      Lakeview, meanwhile, has lost four straight and has been outscored, 171-27 in that span. The Sailors' last victory over the Lions was 17-16 in the first game of the '96 season.

    • Liberty (1-1, 1-5) at Brookfield (2-1, 3-3) -- Brookfield looks to inch up the Trumbull Athletic Conference standings and will do so with a victory.

      Despite a 32-7 loss to Newton Falls last week, Warriors' quarterback Spike Bayus completed 6 of 13 for 105 yards. Chris Miner hauled in 5 passes for 105 yards.

    • Champion (2-1, 2-4) at Hubbard (2-1, 3-3) -- The Eagles are coming off a very disappointing 16-15 double-overtime loss to Liberty last weekend and have three losses for the first time since the '95 season.

      Carmen Tanferno has been a steady factor for Hubbard, rushing for 104.7 yards/game with 7 TDs. Quarterback Matt Kanetsky, however, hasn't done quite as well and last week completed only 2 of 15 attempts and had a pair of passes picked off.


      SATURDAY

    • Farrell (4-0, 5-1) at Western Beaver (3-2, 4-2) -- The Steelers are keeping pace with league-leading Rochester (5-0, 6-0) so far and look to do so again this week.

      Western Beaver is led by quarterback Gary Birmingham, who has 533 yards passing while completing 27 of 61 attempts with 4 TDs and 4 INTs. Brian Foster leads the team with 8 scores and Kurt Brown is the team's top ground gainer with 374 yards rushing and has 9 catches for 173 yards.

      Farrell quarterback J.J. Wilson has opened eyes throughout the WPIAL with his strong arm and his running ability. Last week he had over 100 yards on the ground and threw for 73 in the Steelers' 40-0 rout of Neshannock.

      Despite outscoring its opponents by a 2-1 margin each game while racking up 272 yards of total offense, the Steelers are still ranked as an honorable mention in the state Class A poll.


    Your ad could be here! advertising@sharon-herald.com (724) 981-6100 Ext. 261


    Back to TOP
    BACK TO HERALD Football previews // Football '98 page // Sports page // Home page

    Updated Oct. 16, 1998
    Questions/comments: herald@pgh.net
    For advertising and Web site design info: advertising@sharon-herald.com
    Copyright ©1998 The Sharon Herald Co. All rights reserved.
    Reproduction or retransmission in any form is prohibited without our permission.