It’s Clairton-Farrell in the semifinals ... again
Both Farrell’s Anthony Pegues and Clairton’s Wayne Wade are throwbacks.
Each is the head coach of their respective alma mater. They have been on the sideline for a state championship team as assistant coaches. And both are looking for their first PIAA Class 1A crown as a head coach.
About the only difference is that Wade actually took the field against Farrell during his playing days with the Bears. And there are a few current Steelers coaches who may have a lingering memory or two of that experience.
“He’s a little older than me,” said Pegues, who is in his first year as the Steelers head coach. “But a lot of our coaching staff actually played against Wayne Wade back when they played at Three Rivers Stadium.”
Farrell may have won that 1990 meeting, 40-20, but Clairton has had the advantage since. The Bears have taken the last four state tournament meetings between the two, in 2008, 2009, 2010 and their most recent tilt in 2016.
“When they were back in the WPIAL, it was always a rivalry because it was either them or Rochester every year and they’ve always been that type of program,” Wade said. “For us, they’re always there for us to go to the state championship and I’m thinking that they feel the same way.”
Only there is a big difference between their meeting Friday at 7 p.m. at North Allegheny and some of the others in recent years. This time, Farrell is the reigning state champion.
“I think that’s a real advantage,” said Pegues. “We’ve been in this game the last five years, we are the defending state champions and this is one of those games that we have an edge in because we have been there in the past. This group at Clairton is fairly new, but they’re still Clairton and they’re going to be ready to play.”
Farrell resembles those Clairton powerhouse teams from the 2008-10 years in another way. The Steelers have quite a few players getting looks from FBS colleges. Senior Melvin Hobson, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound left tackle is receiving interest from Pitt, Temple and Youngstown State. Junior center Gary Satterwhite II (6-1, 295) has a few glances aimed in his direction from Pitt and Duke.
Having two Division I prospects anchoring the line is a boon to running backs Anthony Stallworth and Jaden Harrison, who have both put up solid numbers this year. In his first year as a starter, Stallworth has rushed for 1,552 yards and is averaging 10.6 yards per carry with 15 touchdowns, while Harrison is 24 yards short of 1,000, is averaging 12.7 a trip and has 13 scores.
“We call them ‘Thunder and Lightning’ because one is bigger and stronger (Stallworth) and one is really quick,” Pegues said. ”Both of these kids were kind of backups last year and got a lot of work on the scout team against our first-team defense.”
Last week in a 28-0 win against District 9 champion Coudersport, Stallworth carried 22 times for 163 yards and a score, while Harrison scored twice, once on the ground and once on a 74-yard pass from quarterback Raymond Raver.
Like Clairton, Farrell lost its first two games this season against opponents from a higher classification. The Steelers, though, have rebounded in a big way and, not including a 1-0 forfeit against Cambridge Springs, they have averaged 46.6 points per game.
Clairton will counter with a defensive unit that has allowed only 40 points in its last seven games and has three shutouts under its belt in that time. The Bears are also coming off a bye week after their 41-19 win over Sto-Rox in the WPIAL final.
“We had a few days off, but we got after it a couple days last week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,” Wade said. “They do something well up front and we’ll have to move some guys around up front, but we’ll run our typical defense because we’ve been successful with it pretty much all year.”
Clairton, though, has the kind of offense that can counterpunch or run and gun with Farrell. Senior quarterback Brendan Parsons has completed 98 of 192 passes for 1,885 yards and 19 touchdowns and leads the team with 999 rushing yards. He also has a great rapport with wide receiver Kenlein Ogletree, who has 41 catches for 876 yards.
“Most of the time he’s kind of looking for Kenlein because most teams have been playing him oneon-one or he has single matchups,” Wade said. “That combination has helped us open up our offense and Kenlein is a heck of a receiver.”
Still, even though Farrell has not been able to get through Clairton for more than a decade, it did make it through Our Lady of the Sacred Heart last year in the state semifinals on its way to a state championship. And, at the end of the day, it’s still Bears against Steelers for a trip to Hershey for the fifth time in 12 seasons.
“For us, they’re the team that we have to play to get to Hershey,” Wade said. “Last year is gone and I even had last year’s film on them and didn’t watch it because last year doesn’t really matter, so we’re just looking forward to kicking it off Friday and trying to get to Hershey.”