WPIAL Playoffs: Lancers, ’Cats and ‘Canes get first-round matchups

By Ron Poniewasz Jr.

New Castle News

GREEN TREE — WPIAL playoff football is coming to Lawrence County on Friday.

Neshannock and Shenango high received home games at last night’s WPIAL football pairings which was held at the DoubleTree Hotel. New Castle, the third WPIAL qualifier from the county, will open the postseason on the road.

The Lancers (9-0) claimed the No. 3 seed and will open against 14th-seeded Greensburg Central Catholic (5-4). The Wildcats (6-3) earned the No. 7 seed and will welcome 10th-seeded Springdale (6-3).

The Red Hurricane (4-5) secured the No. 13 seed and will visit fourth-seeded Hampton (8-1). All first-round games across the district are set for 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Neshannock is making its third straight trip to the WPIAL playoffs, while hosting a district postseason game for the second straight season. Last year, the Lancers opened the playoffs with a 40-9 home win over Brentwood.

“We’re pretty excited about the opportunity and challenge that lies ahead,” said third-year Neshannock coach Fred Mozzocio. “We don’t know a whole lot about Greensburg Central Catholic yet, but we’ll get acclimated to them.”

Shenango, guided by second-year coach Mike Commesso, is appearing in the WPIAL playoffs for the first time since 2006. This marks the first home playoff game for the Wildcats since a 37-16 loss to Freedom in the first round of the 2003 playoffs.

“It’s been an exciting season for us,” Commesso said. “I’m really excited or our kids and our program. It’s great and we’re very excited.

“We never really talked about playoffs or first or second place. We had our goals. We’re excited to have that opportunity for our community to play at home. We’re proud of the situation we’re in and the position to represent our school and community. We just wanted to get better every week and we did that. Our reward is a home playoff game.”

New Castle reached the WPIAL playoffs for the second straight season under third-year coach Joe Cowart. The ’Canes won their last three games to secure the postseason berth.

“It’s exciting for us,” Cowart said. “We had a slow start to the year; we’re excited with how we’re playing right now and we’re glad to have the opportunity.”

Neshannock is attempting to reach the semifinals for the third straight season. The Lancers won the Big Seven Conference championship outright and finished undefeated. It’s the first outright league crown and undefeated mark in program history for Neshannock.

“”We talk about different things like that. It’s setting their own legacy,” Mozzocio said of this year’s squad. “They’ll be seeing that picture on the wall years down the road with their accomplishments on it. That’s gratifying to watch.”

Neshannock is winning by an average of 36.5 points a game. The Lancers’ closest challenge was a 41-14 decision over Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

“We’ve got great veteran leadership,” Mozzocio said of his team’s ability to stay focused. “They’ve kept the younger guys pretty grounded.

“We have a lot of young men on this football team that have played deep in the playoffs. They’re focused and they know what it takes to get back to this point.”

Frank Antuono, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound sophomore quarterback/defensive back, has stepped in well in his first season as the Lancers’ starting quarterback. Antuono is 68 of 111 for a county-best 1,353. He also leads area signal callers with 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

“Frank has certainly improved, there’s no doubt about that,” Mozzocio said. “He improves every week. He’s just a very hard worker.

“Frank puts a lot of study in each day and it’s paid off for him. He’s got a great group of receivers and running backs. Those guys are like brothers.”

Shenango’s last playoff win was a 42-27 decision over Waynesburg in 2002. Wildcats junior Dylan Kleckner helped get the team started right when he booted a game-winning 20-yard field goal as time expired in the season opener in a 23-22 road win over Western Beaver.

“It may have set the tone for the season,” Commesso said of Kleckner’s game-winning boot. “If nothing else, it was nothing but positive momentum for our program.

“The kids were excited and they were believing in each other. I believe it did set the tone for our kids to have that confidence and momentum. If that kick doesn’t go through the uprights, maybe we do lose some momentum and confidence.”

New Castle got off to a slow start in the competitive Parkway Conference, losing its first four games. But the ’Canes regrouped to win four of their last five games.

New Castle opened the season with a 55-7 loss to Class AAA power and conference foe West Allegheny. The ’Canes closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak, which included a 49-0 road win over Hopewell.

“I think we’re playing the best football we have all year,” Cowart said. “We’re excited to be in the tournament and one of our first goals was to get into the dance. We’re looking forward to doing our best.

“We’re night and day better than we were Game 1. We’re a team that was on the wrong end of a lopsided game of Game 1. Look at how we progressed Week 1 to Week 9. We struggled running the ball in the opener to running for over 300 yards in the last game. We’ve created an offensive and defensive identity.”

New Castle’s Daylyn Glenel, a 5-9 160-pound junior running back/defensive back, ranks third in the county in rushing with 829 yards on 132 attempts. Glenel has rushed for over 100 yards in five straight games. He leads the county in scoring with 96 points, which includes 15 touchdowns and three two-point conversions.

“Daylyn is a special football player,” Cowart said. “He’s tough, fast and quick. He’s shown the ability to get tough yards and to be an explosive football player.

“We’re leaning on him, but we’re leaning on all 11 on both sides of the ball. Everyone has to play well and the kids have been doing that.”

New Castle is bidding for its first playoff win since 2009, a 45-38 decision over Greensburg Salem.

*****

WPIAL PLAYOFFS

CLASS AAAA

FRIDAY

Connellsville at Pine-Richland, 7:30 p.m.

Bethel Park at Altoona, 7:30 p.m.

Plum at Penn Hills, 7:30 p.m.

Mount Lebanon at McKeesport, 7:30 p.m.

Fox Chapel at Penn Trafford, 7:30 p.m.

Upper St. Clair at North Allegheny, 7:30 p.m.

Norwin at Central Catholic (at Cupples Stadium), 7:30 p.m.

North Hills at Woodland Hills, 7:30 p.m.

CLASS AAA

FRIDAY

Laurel Highlands at Central Valley, 7:30 p.m.

West Mifflin at Indiana, 7:30 p.m.

NEW CASTLE at Hampton, 7:30 p.m.

Gateway at Ringgold, 7:30 p.m.

Moon at Thomas Jefferson, 7:30 p.m.

Mars at Montour, 7:30 p.m.

Knoch at West Allegheny, 7:30 p.m.

Bell Vernon at Franklin Regional, 7:30 p.m.

CLASS AA

FRIDAY

Waynesburg at South Fayette, 7:30 p.m.

South Park at Beaver, 7:30 p.m.

New Brighton at Highlands, 7:30 p.m.

McGuffey at Seton-La Salle, 7:30 p.m.

Kittanning at Aliquippa, 7:30 p.m.

Shady Side Academy at Mount Pleasant, 7:30 p.m.

Steel Valley at Washington, 7:30 p.m.

Beaver Falls at Apollo-Ridge, 7:30 p.m.

CLASS A

FRIDAY

Avella at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, 7:30 p.m.

South Side Beaver at Frazier, 7:30 p.m.

Riverside at Beth-Center, 7:30 p.m.

Mapletown at Avonworth, 7:30 p.m.

Chartiers-Houston at Clairton, 7:30 p.m.

Springdale at SHENANGO, 7:30 p.m.

Greensburg Central Catholic at NESHANNOCK, 7:30 p.m.

Brentwood at Jeannette, 7:30 p.m.