WPIAL Class A Playoffs 2015: Wildcats set for first-round test with Springdale
Written: Nov 05, 2015
  By Ron Poniewasz
New Castle News
The Shenango High football team claimed the Big Seven Conference championship this season.
That crown, the first for the Wildcats since 2003, propelled them to a second-straight home playoff game. And it will be against a familiar foe.
Shenango will square off against Springdale at 7:30 p.m. Friday on the Wildcats’ home field in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs. Shenango topped the Dynamos last year in the opening round, 35-7, at home.
“It’s more about just staying focused and not reading in too much to last year. It’s two different teams getting ready to play,” said third-year Wildcats coach Mike Commesso.
The fifth-seeded Wildcats are ranked No. 4 in the WPIAL in Class A by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Fourth-year Springdale coach Dave Leasure isn’t putting stock in his team seeking revenge.
“We’re going up there to win a football game. It’s a different year and different teams,” Leasure said.
The 12th-seeded Dynamos (5-4) took fourth place in the Eastern Conference and have lost their last two games.
“They look kind of big,” Commesso said of Springdale. “They run some power formation, two tight ends.
“They’re a wing-T team and you have to be real disciplined against them. It seems like it’s a lot of the same type of stuff from last year, but they’re a little bit of a younger team.”
Sammy Carey, a 6-foot-1, 158-pound junior quarterback, directs the Dynamos’ ground-oriented attack. He has completed 28 passes in 56 attempts for 504 yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions.
Ben Sowinski, a 5-10, 182-pound junior fullback, leads Springdale’s rushing attack with 817 yards on 129 carries.
“He seems like he runs the ball well,” Commesso said of Sowinski. “He seems like he’s quick and he has the potential to bust one if you’re not disciplined.”
The Dynamos are averaging 22.4 points a game offensively and allowing 22.4 markers a matchup defensively.
“They’re big up front; that’s their strength. They like to try and come right at you,” Commesso said of Springdale’s offense. “They’re multiple with their defense.
“They ran two different fronts from what we saw. They bounce around a little bit depending on the offense they’re facing. You’re not sure what you’ll get.”
Springdale hung in for a half each against heavyweights Clairton and Jeannette in consecutive weeks. The Dynamos trailed the Bears 14-0 at the break and the Jayhawks 10-0 at recess before falling 48-13 and 33-6, respectively.
Shenango quarterback Evan Kendall is a dual threat. Kendall, a 6-2, 190-pound senior quarterback/defensive back, is 56 of 95 through the air for 926 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Kendall has rushed for 105 yards on 33 attempts with a touchdown.
“Kendall is really good,” Leasure said. “He can move around back there and he has a strong arm.
“They’re a running team, but they have the ability to spread you out and let him make some plays with his arm or legs.”
Hunter Waskin, a 5-8, 160-pound senior running back/defensive back, ranks fifth in the county in rushing with a team-best 573 yards on 83 carries with 11 scores.
Jason Wallace, a 5-9, 205-pound senior running back/defensive back, is next on the team in rushing with 499 yards on 87 attempts with eight touchdowns.
“The running game is Shenango’s strength,” Leasure said. “I’m impressed with their entire offense.
“Wallace is a tough, hard-nosed runner. He does it all for them. He’ll block, he’ll run the ball, he’ll catch it out of the backfield. He anchors the inside of their defense, too, from the Sam linebacker position.”
The Wildcats are outscoring their opponents, 31.4-11.9. Shenango posted one shutout and held four other foes in single digits.
“They’re very sound up front defensively,” Leasure said. “They’re not real elaborate, but what they do, they do it very well.
“You won’t be able to out formation them. They’re simple enough that they can adjust to anything.”
Commesso embraces the luxury of playing a playoff game at home.
“It’s nice to be at home,” he said. “You’re more relaxed and at ease. You have the crowd behind you; you’re more comfortable.
“We’re excited for the community to come out and support the kids. It’s one last game for our seniors to play on our home field.”
Both coaches agree the formula for success will be basic.
“We have to be able to run the ball. We have to be able to control the ball and eliminate turnovers,” Commesso said. “Defensively, we have to keep doing what we’ve been doing. We’ve been so good at keeping opponents off the scoreboard in the first half.”
Said Leasure, “It certainly isn’t going to be easy. We have to win the turnover battle; we have to get some and we can’t give it up. We have to avoid giving up the big play, make them drive it on us. Offensively, we have to find a way to make a big play. We don’t have a whole lot of speed. We have to be disciplined. If we can do that for four quarters, we will have a shot.”
The winner moves on to meet the survivor of the Frazier-South Side Beaver battle Nov. 13 at a time, date and site to be determined. Shenango defeated the Rams in a Big Seven Conference clash earlier in the year, 27-7.
(Email: rponiewasz@ncnewsonline.com)
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