Highlanders putting ‘win’ in Baldwin
Baldwin just clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2013 and needs one more win to secure its first winning season in 16 years, but the Highlanders have even bigger goals in mind.
“I feel like we can go all the way,” senior quarterback Mason Stahl said. “States or bust.”
No question about it, these Highlanders are aiming high. And based off their recent play, they could very well have a deep postseason run in their future.
Baldwin won its fourth game in a row and earned what coach Loran Cooley called the biggest win in his three years at the school when the Highlanders outlasted visiting Bethel Park, 31-28, in a double-overtime thriller Friday. After coughing up a two-touchdown lead late in regulation, the Highlanders claimed victory courtesy of Joey Moeller’s 22-yard field goal. It was Bethel Park’s first conference loss, while Baldwin, which began the season 1-3, improved to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the Class 5A Allegheny Eight Conference.
“The resiliency. The confidence. A year ago in a situation like this, we didn’t finish games. Now we’re figuring out how to do that,” said Cooley.
Stahl passed for 197 yards and two touchdowns and scored his 10th rushing touchdown of the season. Baldwin played without leading rusher Angelo Priore, who sat out with back spasms.
A week earlier, Priore put the Highlanders on his back, rushing for 173 yards in a 23-0 win at West Allegheny. The Indians had not been shut out at home in 15 years.
Cooley said he expects Priore to be ready for Friday’s game at Penn Hills, which is 7-1 and last season earned what Baldwin wants to seize this season — WPIAL and PIAA titles. The Highlanders close the regular season at home against defending conference champion Peters Township.
Hempfield
Nathan Roby, all 5 feet 7 and 155 pounds of him, isn’t going to intimidate anybody with his size, especially at the Class 6A level. But pound for pound, you won’t find many players more productive or more valuable to their teams.
A senior running backfree safety, Roby leads Hempfield in rushing (729 yards), receiving (43 catches for 482 yards) and touchdowns (12). Defensively, he’s second in tackles (72) and tied for first in interceptions (two) and forced fumbles (one). He’s a special teams star, too, leading the team in return yardage (488).
Spartans coach Rich Bowen raved about Roby, who ranks among the Class 6A leaders in rushing (third), receiving (second) and touchdowns (second).
“He’s been fantastic,” said Bowen. “Running and pass-catching wise, he’s everything you want in a player. He’s not very big, but he never gets knocked backward. He’s always falling forward.”
Hempfield is just 2-6, but Roby showed he can play with the best in last week’s 62-35 loss at top-ranked North Allegheny. Roby, who is receiving interest from some PSAC schools, rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns and had five receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Belle Vernon
The Belle Vernon defense has been an opportunistic bunch this season. The Leopards (6-1) have forced 22 turnovers — 14 interceptions and eight fumbles — and have scored six touchdowns directly off their opponents’ miscues.
Sophomore Devin Whitlock has been one of the standouts. Whitlock has had pick-6s each of the past two games and has three interceptions overall. Opponents never quite know where Whitlock is going to line up. He has started four games at cornerback, two at safety, and last week at outside linebacker.
“If we put him at nose tackle, he’d probably even be good there,” Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert joked.
Whitlock’s versatility shows up on offense, too. He’s second on the team in rushing, receiving and touchdowns.
Also scoring defensive touchdowns for the Leopards have been Craig Dongilli, Andrew Pacak, Max Bryer and Cole Weightman. Nolan Labuda has a team-high four interceptions and Dakota Marion has notched a team-best five sacks.
Thomas Jefferson
It’s the WPIAL’s version of Montana-Rice or Manning-Harrison. That’s how prolific Thomas Jefferson’s Stump-Deabner quarterback-wide receiver duo has been the past few seasons, and it showed again last week when it helped the Jaguars improve to 8-0.
Shane Stump connected with Dan Deabner for four touchdowns in a 60-0 rout of Laurel Highlands. Stump finished with six touchdown tosses in the game, all in the first half. The two seniors have now hooked up for 10 touchdowns this season and 33 during their careers. They did it 18 times last season.
Sto-Rox’s Eric Wilson and Amahd Pack (Sept. 27 vs. Northgate) and Cornell’s Zaier Harrison and Isaiah Langston (Oct. 11 vs. Laurel) are the only other WPIAL duos to hook up for four touchdowns in a game this season.