WestPac Preview 2012

[SRV]

Blacklick Valley Vikings

2011 Season (3-5)
2012 Projected Record (6-4)

Quick Insight
Yeah, you read that right 6-4! I think Blacklick Valley is the dark horse this year and makes a huge turnaround thanks to team MVP Johnny Sheesley. They have the backfield coming back and some other key contributors. The Vikings are going to have to execute this year and play every week with the idea of winning football games. Last year they took themselves out of games and they need to not let that happen this year. The coaching staff is going to have to dedicate themselves this year because they might not have a season like this in a long time.


Schedule Outlook-
@Meyersdale
Rockwood
Purchase Line
@Windber
Conemaugh Township
@Portage
Ferndale
@Conemaugh Valley
North Star
@Saltsburg

The stars have aligned for the Vikings. They have the roster and they have the schedule to make some noise. I would be nuts to say that Blacklick could run the table this year...but...could they? Get your Vegas slips ready and put a check beside the Vikings! Don't let me down Bill!

Projected Starters (Offense)-
QB- Johnny Sheesley (Sr)
FB- Grant Riegel (Sr)
WB- Matty Worthington (Sr)
WB-Derek Brothers (Sr)
TE- Tyler Gaydos (Jr)
SE- Kieran Keating (Sr)
OL- Ken Carney (Sr), Derek Laney (Sr), Charlie Litzinger (Sr), Matt Villa (Sr), Lonnie Elliot (Sr)

[SRV]

Berlin Brothersvalley Mountaineers

2011 Record- (8-3)
2012 Projected Record (8-2)

Quick Insight
You really don't have to look at the roster when it comes to Berlin...you just know they are going to have a good year. Coach Paul is doing great things for Berlin. They seem to deem a player "the guy" and the team rallies around him. Berlin has quietly built a strong foundation for success. The whole program is tasting success from junior high up (ask Portage...that is HUGE for your program). I expect a lights out season for Berlin and with a weak WestPac this year...watch out for Glotfelty to rush for over 2,000.

Schedule Outlook-
Conemaugh Township
@Portage
Ferndale
@Conemaugh Valley
North Star
Northern Cambria
@Shade
Meyersdale
@Rockwood
@Windber

I think Berlin runs the table easily up to Week 5. I am just a little nervous traveling to Berlin for the North Star match up. Week 5 will be the "unofficial" WestPac championship game and I think the early season match up favors North Star. I can easily see Berlin getting 8 wins maybe even 9 or 10. This is going to be a good Berlin squad.

Projected Starters (Offense)-
QB- Blake Miller (Sr)
RB- Drew Glotfelty (Sr)
FB-Braden Boyer (Sr)
WR-Ryan Custer (Sr), Luke Bonus (Sr)
TE-Luke Sprowls (Jr)
OL- Levi Bowser (Sr), Lucas Tharp (Sr), Logan McKenzie (Sr), Collin Stoltzfus (Sr), Wyatt Horning (Sr)

[SRV]

North Star Cougars

2011 Record- (10-2)
2012 Projected Record- (9-1)

Quick Insight
I wrap up my preview with the team I think is the front runner for the 2012 WestPac Title. North Star lost quality players but the cupboard is not bare. They return the best WR in the WestPac Conference in Tony Stasiser. They return one of the best running backs in the WestPac Conference, Thomas Miller. And I predict they will finish with the best team defense in the conference.

Schedule Outlook
Portage
@ Ferndale
Conemaugh Valley
Saltsburg
@ Berlin
Shade
@ Meyersdale
Rockwood
@ Blacklick Valley
@ Conemaugh Township

The season begins hosting Portage. I really feel North Star has the advantage in Week 1 because Portage will be playing a lot of young and new faces. You could argue that North Star will not test their mettle until Week 5 when they have to face a tough Berlin team at Berlin. I think that will be North Stars only chance of defeat this season. I predict a 9-1 2012 season (just in case of a minor upset)

Potential Starters (Offense)-
QB- Brantley Rice (Sr)
RB- Thomas Miller (Jr)
FB- Brady Shroyer (Sr)
WR- Tony Strasiser (Sr), Cory Fritch (Jr)
TE- Rusty Miller (Sr)
OL- David Saylor (Sr), Austin Conner (Sr), Josh Timilak (Sr), Derek Mullen (Jr), Levi Albright (Jr)

[SRV]

WestPac Pre-season "STUDS" Board

QB-
1. Chad Esienhuth - Ferndale
2. Johnny Sheesley- Blacklick Valley
3. Brantley Rice - North Star

RB/FB
1. Drew Glotfelty- Berlin
2. Brock Medva- Shade
3. Thomas Miller- North Star
4. Evan Price- Portage
5. Shane Corson- Conemaugh Valley

WR/TE
1. Tony Strasiser- North Star
2. Carlos Mason- Ferndale
3. Ken Domonkos- Conemaugh Township
4. Rusty Miller - North Star
5. Nick Roberts- Conemaugh Valley


Defensive (Overall and reviously not mentioned)
1. Tanner Cahill- Conemaugh Township
2. Matty Worthington- Blacklick Valley
3. Matt Orner- Shade
4. Grant Riegel- Blacklick Valley
5. Blake Miller - Berlin

[Coach]

Absolutely tremendous writeups and previews. Thanks SRV!

[Coach]

SRV- Make a prediction... I thought some of these may be fun.


Most likely to stun the conference-
Coach with the toughest job this year-
Sophomore sensation-
Rising junior that makes a huge jump-
Top 3 conference games of the year-
League MVP-

[SRV]

My Dark Horse
Blacklick Valley

Coach with the toughest job
I would say Shade's coach because he will have to be on the hot seat if they don't produce this year- Last year they had the roster...this year they have the roster...in this conference you can easily get close to .500 with 4-5 good players.

Sophomore Sensation(s)
I think Meyersdale has some sophomore lineman that are going to contribute but nobody gives credit to them (haha) Depending on this off season I think Jared Maurizio of Windber could have a break out year at WB for them if they stay single wing. Also, if Taylor Cahill is anything like his brother... he may have to contribute to help out this CT team.

Rising Junior-
Thomas Miller should have the best junior season in the conference for North Star but he isn't exactly rising. Isiah Sajatovich from Ferndale could have a very nice year if the Jackets sling the ball around like I expect them to.

Top 3 Conference games (how bout games of the weeks)
Week 1- Ferndale @ Conemaugh Valley
Week 2- Berlin @ Portage
Week 3- Portage @ Shade
Week 4- Windber @ Blacklick Valley
Week 5- North Star @ Berlin (Potential WestPac Championship) *
Week 6- Windber @ Conemaugh Township
Week 7- Portage @ Windber
Week 8- Conemaugh Township @ Portage
Week 9- North Star @ Blacklick Valley
Week 10- Berlin @ Windber

League MVP-
Drew Glotfelty- Berlin

[richaboli]

SRV:
I bet there aren't better preseason write ups as good as this in the WPIAL. Wait, I'll take that back. I bet there aren't better preseason write ups as good as this in Pennsylvania.
If you don't write high school sports for a big newspaper, you seriously should!

[GreenMachine]

Great write up's SRV I can just imagine how difficult it is to try and write up some outlooks and possible players per position with graduation of players at mostly Single A schools. As for the Mustang's, look for a total Shake-Up in the lineup when It comes to the skilled positions. Brady Warner although listed as the backup last year will not be the starting QB for Portage as he was only the #2 QB last year because the scheduled backup out of camp Michael Bryja(Jake's Brother) broke his growth plate in the first preseason game. I can't really fill in names to positions quite yet offensively as they threw out a ton of looks during their 7 on 7 at PITT however i'll try and keep ya updated as 7 on 7's continue and other offseason activities conclude.

[SRV]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.
I am retired so I have lots of time on my hands these days... last year I can the itch to really get involved with High School Football.
I would write for the newspaper if they threw six figures my way $$$$$$. hahaha

GreenMachine- I had heard that Bryja was the back up. I don't want to steal teams thunder so I did leave out a few notes for some teams just to keep people guessing. I did take into account all the pieces though when I did my season predictions.

I would like to get to some JV games this year to look at the upcoming crop (something I wasn't able to do last year).