Breaking down Freeport, Karns City, North Catholic, Union/A-C Valley’s matchups in WPIAL, D9 football playoffs
The air’s supposed to be colder by now, but luckily that isn’t a requirement for high school football playoffs.
Butler County has four teams getting ready for the postseason Friday night, with Karns City gunning for another District 9 title against a familiar foe, and a pair of WPIAL Class 3A teams in Freeport and North Catholic looking to start a march. Union/A-C Valley also hopes to play spoiler.
Let’s take a look at what to expect from each clash. Bring a coat just in case. All games are at 7 p.m. Friday.
District 9 Class 2A final, at Brookville High School
The Gremlins have just one blemish on their record this season, and it was caused by the same team they’re meeting Friday.
Since that 43-14 setback Oct. 2 at Central Clarion’s place, Karns City has hung 78 points on Ridgway, downed a Class 6A school in Butler and a 1A power in Port Allegany, and capped its regular season with a road win at Oil City.
The Gremlins have four very capable ballcarriers, led by senior quarterback Cole Johnston, who’s gone for 854 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground this season. Behind him are seniors Bryce Galan (578 rushing yards), Tyson Frazer (398) and Owen Kaufman (384).
The Wildcats held Karns City’s vaunted rushing attack in check last time — one of the Gremlins’ two touchdowns was a Galan punt return — but Joe Sherwin’s crew has been waiting and hoping for another chance against them.
Now they’ve got it. Don’t expect Johnston and the attack to make as many mistakes this time around.
District 9 Class 1A quarterfinals
Sophomore quarterback Andrew Kifer has been solid this season, throwing for 1,389 yards and 12 touchdowns, but the Falcon Knights’ engine is junior Parker Bish, who’s rumbled for 1,066 yards and 11 touchdowns, and has also hurt teams with his receiving skills, adding 438 yards and seven touchdowns.
Union/A-C Valley will have to use its momentum, earned with three straight wins in which it scored at least 34 points, against Brockway, which has averaged 55 points per outing over the second half of the season. Rovers senior quarterback Aiden Patton doesn’t make many mistakes and has an effective stable of receivers, paced by senior Caleb Daugherty’s 720 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
WPIAL Class 3A first round
Since its only defeat of the campaign — a 42-28 road loss to North Catholic — Freeport has only given up 9.5 points per game, including a 34-12 win over Burrell and one of the WPIAL’s top rushers, Antonio Perkins.
Senior Danny King has been effective both through the air and on the ground, passing for 1,436 yards, 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He leads the Yellowjackets with 638 rushing yards, as well. Against the Bucs, King had a handful of long passes, hitting classmate Bryson Paga for a few big gains.
West Mifflin isn’t a team to underestimate, though. The Titans’ four losses have come against teams that are a combined 33-6. They enter with some momentum, too, having won their past two in shutout fashion.
WPIAL Class 3A first round, at Mars Athletic Complex
An 0-3 start is well in the rearview mirror for the Trojans, who haven’t tasted a loss since Sept. 11. North Catholic has benefited from a balanced attack, with Anthony Greene and Nate Swisher having collaborated for over 1,500 rushing yards, while Will Waskiewicz has continued the recent tradition of productive wideouts at NC with 901 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns.
Beaver did beat Highlands and WPIAL rushing king Tevin Owen-Cratsenburg earlier this fall, but the Golden Rams didn’t have a pass catcher as lethal as Waskiewicz.
