Wilmington to battle Sharon for District 10 title
Written: Nov 27, 2009
 By RON PONIEWASZ JR.
rponiewasz@ncnewsonline.com
Two old friends.
One familiar place.
The District 10 championship game.
Wilmington High will square off against archrival Sharon for the second time this season. However, this game will be for the gold in Class AA and is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Slippery Rock University’s N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.
The Greyhounds won the first matchup, 21-7, on Oct. 9 on the Tigers’ home soil.
“I don’t know that that makes a difference,” Wilmington coach Terry Verrelli said. “It’s always difficult to beat a team a second time; that’s a tough situation.
“You just have to prepare hard for no matter who you play.”
Wilmington (11-1) is bidding for a fourth straight District 10, Class AA championship, while appearing in the program’s fifth consecutive district title tilt. The Greyhounds have won nine District 10 crowns since 1994, totaling seven in Class AA and a pair in Class AAA.
“What matters the most is winning this game,” Verrelli said of the team’s tradition. “We want to keep winning, but it has to be looked at as another game; the past has nothing to do with it.”
The Tigers (10-2) are seeking their first district championship since 2001.
“We’re trying to get back to playing Sharon football, and we’re starting to get there,” Sharon coach Bob Fromm said. “We’re trying to get to where Wilmington has been.”
Wilmington is the only defending state champion still competing in the postseason. Thomas Jefferson (Class AAA) and Steelton-Highspire (Class A) lost last weekend, while Liberty (Class AAAA) was ousted two weeks ago.
“I have tunnel vision,” Verrelli said. “Last year’s accomplishments are in the past. The fact that we’re the only state champion left doesn’t mean much unless we can continue to win.”
The Greyhounds have won their last seven meetings against Sharon. The Tigers’ last win came in 2003, 13-12, in the regular season.
“Wilmington is the class of our (region) until someone knocks them off,” Fromm said. “Our (region) is pretty tough and there’s usually someone from our region still playing in the PIAA western final.”
Former New Castle boys basketball coach John Sarandrea is the superintendent at Sharon, while Len Rich, a Laurel grad, is the school’s principal.
The teams tied for the Region 3 championship with 6-1 marks. Wilmington earned the championship by virtue of its head-to-head regular season victory.
Jason Ondic, a 5-foot-8, 165-pound sophomore quarterback, directs the Sharon attack. Ondic took over the reins earlier in the season for an injured Ron Howard.
Ondic is 18 of 24 for 242 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.
“He can throw, but they’re more of a running team,” Verrelli said.
Ondic has been filling in for the injured Ron Howard, a 5-10, 155-pound senior quarterback. According to Fromm, Howard tripped and broke his tibia after the Greenville game. He has missed the last three games.
However, Fromm is optimistic about Howard’s playing status.
“We’re trying to make it not be a season-ending injury,” Fromm said. “He got his cast off late last week and he might be able to dress for this game.
“Jason Ondic has stepped in and played awesome for us.”
Last week, Ondic notched 184 rushing yards on 22 carries and a 15-yard touchdown run.
Howard completed 41 of 69 aerials for 788 yards with five touchdowns and 10 interceptions before his late-season injury. He also has accumulated 493 rushing yards on 112 attempts and eight touchdowns.
Verrelli isn’t concerned about the uncertainty surrounding the Sharon quarterback situation.
“It doesn’t matter what quarterback is in there,” Verrelli said. “Howard has super quickness.
“We’ve got to prepare for the plays they run. They’re not doing anything different from when Howard was in there.”
Kevin Brown, a 5-5, 180-pound senior running back, has rushed 126 times for 541 yards and seven touchdowns. Brown scored two touchdowns last week against General McLane, including the game-winner on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Sharon has allowed 157 points, but 46 came in a season-opening 46-7 loss to Farrell. The Tigers are surrendering 13 points a game.
“They’re kind of an even-front team,” Verrelli said. “They like to crowd the line of scrimmage and force you to throw. They’re very aggressive.”
Wilmington’s Jake DeMedal ranks fourth in Lawrence County in passing with 867 yards. DeMedal, a 6-2, 175-pound senior quarterback, is 57 of 96 with nine touchdowns and six interceptions.
“DeMedal is a pretty good, heady athlete,” Fromm said. “He runs the team well and he gets them in a rhythm.
“He can throw it pretty effectively, too.”
Sutton Whiting and Derrick Burns pace the Greyhounds’ ground game. Whiting, a 5-8, 155-pound junior running back, is third in the county with 1,025 rushing yards on 100 attempts. He has 18 touchdowns and a county-best 112 points.
Burns, a 5-11, 205-pound senior running back and University of Pittsburgh recruit, has accumulated 909 rushing yards on 89 carries with 18 scores. He shares the county lead in touchdowns with Whiting, while ranking second in scoring with 110 points.
“They have two totally different styles,” Fromm said of Whiting and Burns. “Whiting is pretty shifty, he’s certainly fast and hits the hole hard.
“Burns does things too. But he can be more of a bruiser. He has a body that if he runs low and hard he’s tough to bring down.”
Wilmington’s defense has posted four shutouts and is allowing just 9.5 points a game.
“They’re as vanilla as vanilla can get,” Fromm said of the Greyhounds’ defense. “They read extremely well and react and fly to the football. They’re a pretty fundamentally sound football team.”
The winner advances to the PIAA playoffs and will meet the District 6 champion in the PIAA quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s George P. Miller Stadium. Tyrone battles Forest Hills for the District 6 crown at 7 p.m. Friday in Altoona.
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