Football recruiting news

 Mike White | 10:20 a.m., Friday, January 30, 2009

Two more members of the Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 have made their college decisions.

McKeesport fullback/linebacker Nico Price has made a verbal commitment to Ohio University. Price (6-0, 235) was one of the best fullbacks in the WPIAL last season. He's a punishing blocker who also ran for 1,052 yards on 152 carries and scored 14 touchdowns.

Gateway running back/defensive back Brian Williams will attend the Naval Academy. Williams (5-7, 155) rushed for 1,666 yards on 215 carries, and also scored 21 touchdowns. On defense, he had 32 tackles and two interceptions.

Other recruiting news

*Williams is one of two WPIAL players who recently decided to attend the Naval Academy. The other is North Allegheny slotback/receiver Harry Austin.

*One of the top linebackers in the country is considering Penn State, but we won't know his decision until Wednesday, the first day high school seniors can sign a binding letter of intent with colleges. Jelani Jenkis of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Maryland visited Penn State, and will decide among the Nittany Lions, Florida, Stanford, Notre Dame and USC.

*Did you know Connecticut has commitments from five Eastern Pennsylvania players? They are: defensive back Tevrin Brandon of Bethlehem Catholic, defensive end Tyler Bullock of Mechanicsburg, kicker-punter Chad Christen of Red Land, receiver Malik Generett of York William Penn and offensive lineman Steve Greene of Bishop Carroll.

Fab Five?

Mike White | 9:50 p.m., Wednesday, January 28, 2009

We at the Post-Gazette pick a Fabulous Five all-star team at the end of the season. It is the top five players in the WPIAL and City League.

Usually at this point of the season, the Fab Five starts coming into focus. Not this year.

It's virtually impossible to pick a Fabulous Five at this point. It's hard to pick even three right now. This is not to say there are no talented players in the area. But the overall talent in the WPIAL and City League is down, compared to recent years. There are no real standouts who are "definite" picks. Heck, there is only one senior (McKeesport 7-footer Zeke Marshall) in all of the WPIAL and City League who has signed with a Division I college.

Marshall would be a solid pick for the Fab Five. Maybe. He sometimes disappears offensively, but it's not always his fault. Sometimes, McKeesport doesn't exactly do a lot to get him a lot of touches. And sometimes, he doesn't exactly go all-out to get the ball.

There are so many others to consider for the Fab Five. If Chartiers Valley keeps winning and goes deep into the postseason, it might be hard to keep T.J. McConnell off the Fab Five. He's a junior who is committed to Duquesne. Another junior, Tom Droney, has scholarship offers from Pitt, Notre Dame and Davidson. Are they definite Fab five selections?

Personally, I think a lot of of Franklin Regional guard Nick Novak. I saw him in the spring and liked him, and saw him for the first time this season against Penn Hills Tuesday night. This isn't to say he's a big-time Division I prospect, but there isn't a better "high school" player around. He wouldn't be able to drive to the basket at the Division I college level like he does now, but he's an excellent "high school" player. He's averaging 29 a game. You see that statistic from a 6-foot guard and you'd probably think he's shooting a lot of 3-pointers. But Novak rarely shoots them. There is no one better this season at making moves to the basket, hitting pullup jumpers and drawing fouls.

There are hordes of other players who deserve consideration for the Fab Five. Beaver Falls' Todd Thomas is one that comes to mind right away. He's been a four-year starter and has a chance to reach 2,000 points. But he's not scoring as much as he did in years past. Should he still be on the Fab Five?

There are a lot of other players who are worth a look - like Keystone Oaks' Corey Bellovich, Greensburg Salem's Chris Klimchock, Perry's Vaughn Morgan, Peters Township's Nick Wilcox, Mt. Lebanon's Evan Pierce, Hempfield's Nate Perry, Plum's Andrew Cressler, Latrobe's Jeff Yunetz, Serra's T.J. Heatherington. There are countless others who might have to be seriously considered, but I'm getting a little tired of typing names. Someone might make the Fab Five and I haven't mentioned his name yet. I think there is a good chance some team in Class AAAA not seeded in the top eight for the playoffs will make a run at the title.

What do you think? Who would be your Fabulous Five right now? Let me know.

The best method for picking this team might be to use patience. Wait until the playoffs play out. That will clear up the picture some.

One thing is for sure. This Fabulous Five won't be anywhere near as good as some of the recent teams. Consider this: Two years ago, here was the Fabulous Five: DeJuan Blair, Schenley; D.J. Kennedy, Schenley; Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette; Herb Pope, Aliquippa; Jonathan Baldwin, Aliquippa. All five are now Division I college athletes. Two are starting at Big East Conference schools in basketball.

So give me your Fabulous Five right now.

A pair of 1 vs. 2 matchups

Mike White | 8:45 a.m., Tuesday, January 27, 2009

They are only non-section contests, but two boys' basketball games this week match teams that are ranked 1-2 in their respective classes.

Tonight, Peters Township plays host to Latrobe in a Class AAAA showdown. Peters Township is the Post-Gazette's No. 1-ranked WPIAL Class AAAA team and Latrobe No. 2. Although Latrobe is 16-2, many question how good the Wildcats are because they play in Section 1, which is thought to be the weakest - from top to bottom - of the four Class AAAA sections. But Latrobe is experienced, they have a go-to guy in senior guard Jeff Yunetz and a lot better than people think.

Peters Township is 16-1 and has won 14 games in a row.

Prediction: Peters Township by five.

But Friday night brings us one of the most interesting matchups of the season when Hampton plays at Chartiers Valley in another 1-2 matchup. Chartiers Valley is 17-0 and the Post-Gazette's No. 1-ranked Class AAA team. Hampton is 15-3 and ranked No. 2.

Chartiers Valley has been awfully impressive, averaging 84.3 points a game this season, and creating havoc with a pressing defense. I've felt it would be interesting to see how Chartiers Valley does against a team with size, because Char Valley doesn't have a starter taller than 6 feet 2. This game will give an answer because Hampton might have to be the biggest team in the WPIAL. Hampton has two 6-7 players in Bill Luther and Tim Donegan. C.J. Brown is 6-8. Coach Joe Lafko doesn't always play the three together, but this team dwarfs every opponent.

Luther isn't your typical 6-7 player. On offense, he plays on the perimeter and is an excellent shooter - for a 6-7 player or a 5-10 player. Hampton will have trouble with Char Valley's quickness and it will be interesting to see if Hampton plays man-to-man and if the big players come out to guard Chartiers Valley's shooters. A key to the game, though, is Hampton point guard Matt Madia. He's talented and averages 19 a game. How well he plays against Chartiers Valley's pressure will be pivotal to Hampton's success.

Prediction: Chartiers Valley by 9.

Live blog from Pittsburgh Classic

 Look below for a live blog from the Pittsburgh Basketball Classic.

Six pack at Robert Morris

 Mike White | 3:30 p.m., Saturday, January 23, 2009

Notes, thoughts and anecdotes from the local high school scene.

Want to see the high-scoring Chartiers Valley basketball team against Aliquippa? Want to check out possible Pitt recruit Tom Droney of Sewickley Academy? Want to see how 7-foot McKeesport center Zeke Marshall looks? Want to see a couple other interesting matchups?

Then go to Robert Morris College's Sewall Center tomorrow.

The Pittsburgh Basketball Classic is a six-game event run by John Giammarco, director of the Pittsburgh Basketball Club. Giammarco tries to promote basketball in Western Pennsylvania and also runs summer leagues and other events in the area. Tomorrow, his event starts at 11 a.m., with Lincoln Park facing Montour. It finishes at 8 p.m., with Beaver Falls meeting North Allegheny. In between, Bishop Canevin plays Sewickley Academy at 12:30. Chartiers Valley faces Aliquippa at 2. McKeesport takes on Upper St. Clair at 5. Central Catholic plays Gateway at 6:30.

The Chartiers Valley-Aliquippa game might be fun to watch because Chartiers Valley averages 84 points a game, by far the best in the WPIAL. Aliquippa has been known to like a fast pace also and the Quips are averaging 68 points a game.

Sewickley Academy's Droney had a triple double Friday night against Vincentian. A junior guard, Droney has narrowed his college choices to Pitt, Notre Dame and Davidson.

McKeesport is playing well lately and one of the reasons is Marshall, an Akron recruit who his scoring much more in the past few weeks.

Tickets for the event are $6 for adults, $3 for students with a student ID, and $2 for senior citizens and kids age 12 and under.

Running of the Colts

Chartiers Valley has been impressive all season with its offense, but the Colts have been scoring at a ridiculous clip lately. In two consecutive games recently, Chartiers Valley scored 64 points in a half. Friday's 95-67 victory against South Park was the fifth time this season Char Valley has scored 90 or more. And get this: Over the past five games, the Colts are averaging 94 points.

Remember this bite?

Sports Illustrated recently ran a story on memorable biting incidents in sports. The magazine brought up seven incidents - and one of them happened in the WPIAL.

It was 1987 when Monessen girls' basketball player Nicole Naccarato bit the arm of West Greene's Victoria Lynn Martin. A month after the game, Naccarato was found guilty of harassment and fined $300.

Good news for Nate

I did a story this fall on Seneca Valley football coach Ron Butschle and his 1-year-old son, Nate, who was battling a possible fatal disease. Nate Buschle had Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare disease in which too many white blood cells grow in certain tissues and organs, and damage them. The disease primarily affects children and is treated much the same way as career.

Well there is good news for Nate. He recently underwent a biopsy of the original site of the disease and he is now in remission.

Ron Butschle, by the way, resigned as Seneca Valley's coach after the season.

Coach indicted

A shocking story out of Kentucky, where David Jason Stinson, the football coach at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, was indicted recently on one count of reckless homicide in the death of one of his players, Max Gilpin.

Gilpin, a sophomore lineman, died this summer at Kosair Children’s Hospital, just three days after he collapsed at a team practice. Gilpin's temperature reached 107 degrees at the hospital after the collapse. Stinson is facing up to five years in prison if found guilty of the charge.

Here is a story in the Louisville Courier-Journal: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090122/NEWS01/90122023/1008.

Live blog from Pittsburgh Basketball Classic

 Mike White | Sunday, January 24, 2009

3:55 Chartiers Valley ran its record 17-0 with another impressive victory, pushing past Aliquippa, 89-65, in the third game of the Pittsburgh High School Basketball Classic at Robert Morris' Sewall Center. One girls' game and three more boys' games are still to be played.

It was another typical Chartiers Valley win, full of 3-pointers, pressure defense and five players in double figures. Junior guard T.J. McConnell led with 23 points, Eli Maravich and Teagan Lindsey each had 18, Matt Noszka 15 and Wayne Capers 10. It is the ninth time this season that Chartiers Valley has had at least five players in double figures. The Colts have had six in double figures three times. Chartiers Valley is a Class AAA team and Aliquippa Class AA.

Chartiers Valley is enjoyable to watch. The Colts succeed without a starter taller than 6-2 and they have averaged 93.5 points over the past six games.

"We won't see a team that good in Double-A," said Aliquippa coach Marvin Emerson. "We won't see a team in Double-A that shoots that well."

Chartiers Valley made 11 3-pointers, which is right on its season average. But what is overlooked about this Chartiers Valley team is its defense. The Colts play a full-court, trapping style that forces many turnovers. They had 17 steals against Aliquippa. McConnell led with seven. He averages eight a game.

"I know people don't believe the steals statistic, but there have been a few games where he had 11 and 13 steals," said Tim McConnell, Chartiers Valley's coach and T.J.'s father.

After the game, Robert Morris assistant coach Andrew Toole introduced himself to McConnell outside the Chartiers Valley locker room and told McConnell what a pleasure his team is to watch.

3:19 - Chartiers Valley is going to be good for a while. T.J. McConnell is a junior. Freshman Wayne Capers, son of former Steeler Dwayne Capers, has two 3-pointers and eight points today. And he doesn't even start. Matt Noszka is a starter and a sophomore.

3:15 - This one's over. Char Valley has opened up a 75-54 lead. It's showtime for the Colts now. They'll certainly get their average of 84 points.

3:07 - Chartiers Valley leads, 61-45, after three quarters. T.J. McConnell now has five steals. Amazing how many times Char Valley has gotten layups off simply slipping screens. This isn't one of Aliquippa's better teams. It's not that the Quips are horrible, but they lack shooters. The Quips don't have a 3-pointer in the game.

3:00 - Chartiers Valley coach Tim McConnell took his son, T.J., out of the game earlier and I think he yelled at him "you stink."

2:47 - Pittsburgh Basketball Club director John Giammarco and former Montour and Cornell coach Ed Wovchko presented the Pittsburgh Basketball Club summer league MVP to Beaver Falls' Todd Thomas, a Pitt football recruit.

2:43 - Chartiers Valley is having an "off" day shooting. The Colts have only four 3-pointers at halftime and lead, 43-32. This is a team that averages 11 3-pointers a game. They have made "only" 4 of 13 in the first half.

2:25 - Chartiers Valley is up to its old tricks. The Colts lead after the first quarter, 26-21. They average 84 points a game and have averaged over 90 the past five games.

2:10 - Chartiers Valley coach Tim McConnell says his son, T.J., averages eight steals a game. I might believe him. T.J. has two in the first three minutes.

1:50 - Sewickley Academy defeated Bishop Canevin, 68-50, in the second game. Tom Droney scored 18 points for Sewickley Academy. Nick Blodis added 17 and Peter Schramm 17. Grant Warford led Bishop Canevin with 16 and Jake Presken 14.

1:55 - Dave Gambridge, one of the officials for the Aliquippa-Chartiers Valley game, just handed me a small book called "Common Sense Officiating." It is 113 pages. He wrote it.

1:30 p.m. - Not a bad crowd so far at Robert Morris' Sewall Center, at least for 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. games. This is my first chance this season to see Sewickley Academy's Tom Droney. He's the junior guard who has narrowed his college choices to Pitt, Notre Dame and Davidson. He faced a box-and-one much of the first half and showed some poise, not forcing shots and letting the game come to him. He's been willing to set up his teammates and has a number of assists so far.

Sewickley Academy led at halftime, 31-26, and has opened up a 45-31 advantage late in the third quarter.

* By the way, the final three games will be televised live by PCN cable television.They're worth checking out. You have Upper St. Clair vs. McKeesport at 5 p.m., Gateway vs. Central Catholic at 6:30, and Beaver Falls vs. North Allegheny at 8. Check out Central Catholic guard Lucas Mickens. He's been getting a little bit of Divisioin I interest. Air Force has been in to see him.

1:15 p.m. In the first game this morning, Lincoln Park defeated Montour, 65-51. Lincoln Park's Justin Hosack, who became eligible to play only nine days ago, scored a game-high 28 points for Lincoln Park. Dave McCauley added 25. Alan Heter scored 17 for Montour.

* Transfers are having an impact on the first two games. Hosack was originally ruled ineligibleby the WPIAL and PIAA. Both organizations said he transferred from Hopewell to Lincoln Park after last season for athletic reasons. Hosack took his case to court and a Beaver County court judge overturned the ruling Jan. 16.

In the Sewickley Academy game, Peter Schramm is having a little impact on the inside. A 6-7 junior, Schramm transferred from Knoch to Sewickley early in the school year and was ruled ineligible by the WPIAL. But the PIAA overturned the ruling.

From state champion pitcher to Ravens doctor

 Mike White | 9:20 p.m., Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Twenty-eight years ago this month, Leigh Curl was playing for the North Hills girls' basketball team and had 34 points and 28 rebounds in a five-overtime loss to Valley.

This past Sunday, Curl was at Heinz Field and got some television time while tending to Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee after he went down in the game against the Steelers. Curl is the Ravens' orthopedic team doctor.

Curl was the first female team orthopedic doctor in the NFL. She was an outstanding athlete at North Hills High School (basketball and softball) and went on to have a successful basketball career at the University of Connecticut.

She also was extremely successful in high school. As a junior in 1980, Curl helped North Hills win a Class AAA state softball title. That year, the state tournaments (baseball and softball) were played in Shippensburg in a double-elimination format over a five-day period. That is unlike today when games are played at different sites over a two-week period and the tournament is single-elimination. North Hills went 5-0 in the state tournament that year, and Curl pitched all five games. That was my senior year in high school and knew most of the players. I was also working part-time at the Post-Gazette and covered North Hills' games in the tournament.

What I remember most about that week-long tournament is what happened to the baseball teams. Because it was double-elimination over a five-day period, some teams had to play more than one game in a day. By Thursday of that week, teams that were still alive in the losers bracket were pretty much out of pitchers and were using third-team outfielders on the mound. The double-elimination format at one site lasted only a few years. One reason is because it was too expensive for schools. If a team went on to the championship, a school had to pay for five days of housing and meals.

Anyway, back to "whatever happened to so and so." To me, it's always interesting to see what some standout high school athletes make of themselves after their playing days are over. Just this week, I learned that former Chartiers Valley basketball star Mike Colbert lives in Las Vegas and is the Sportsbook director for Cantor Gaming. Colbert is the WPIAL's all-time leader in 3-pointers with 302.

Hal Koenemund was a sharpshooting guard on Blackhawk's 1992 state championship team. He also played at Robert Morris. He now runs his own restaurant, "Hal's" in Ross Township. I've been there. The place has good food, a nice atmosphere and Hal even waits on tables. He also has a basketball hoop in the back of the building.

Former Mt. Lebanon football standout Matt Smith, a one-time Post-Gazette Class AAAA player of the year, runs Olive or Twist in downtown Pittsburgh with Dan Prunzik, another Mt. Lebanon graduate who went on to play football at the University of Maryland. The place also has good food and all kinds of different martinis.

Jones never thought he'd play college football

 Mike White | 1:25 p.m., Sunday, January 18, 2009

Notes and thoughts while on the recruiting and high school basketball trail.

Sto-Rox High School junior quarterback Paul Jones has made a decision on his college future. He will play at Penn State.

No one is more surprised than Jones.

It's not that Jones' choice of Penn State is surprising. He has liked the Nittany Lions for a while and made a verbal commitment to PSU yesterday while on a visit to the university. It's just that Jones never thought he'd be a hotshot high school player headed to a major college. Jones never played football until seventh grade and was a lineman his first season. Only two years ago, he thought his future was in baseball or basketball. Committing to Penn State, Jones turned down scholarship offers from Pitt, West Virginia, Iowa and North Carolina State, among others.

"I never expected this," Jones said last night while on his way home from State College. "My freshman year [in high school], I thought I'd be playing basketball at some small college. Then I started getting used to my body and I turned out to be a football player."

Jones still plays basketball and might play baseball this season.

More from Jones

Here are some more comments from Jones about his Penn State commitment:

About what he likes about Penn State: "Growing up, I always had blue and white around me. Going up there for visits, the whole environment is just special. As soon as you get there, you get goosebumps, just thinking about playing on that field."

On how his family is big on Penn State: "My mom [Jenifer] went to Penn State and my dad has always been big on Penn State. I sent some text messages to my cousins telling them I committed. They said they expected it."

On what school he liked second: "It was Penn State and then just everybody else."

On Kevin Newsome, a quarterback recruit in Penn State's recruiting class this year: "No matter where you're going to go, you're going to have some competition. If he beats me out and does start, then hopefully that will make the team better."

On Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who recruited Jones: "He tells you the truth. Everything he said, 'Coach Paterno backed it up, too."

On how Penn State recruited him: "They said they were just going to be brutally honest with me. They basically told me that their quarterback recruiting was going to depend on me. If I was going to wait to commit, then they were going to go after more quarterbacks, so they wouldn't be caught in a bad situation at the quarterback position. If I did commit early, that was it. They said they were done recruiting quarterbacks."

About how long Joe Paterno will coach: "Coach Paterno didn't say anything about it to me. But I got to talk to Daryll Clark. He sees Paterno coaching as long as he can because that's what keeps his heart beating."

What does it mean?

Jones' commitment means Penn State has landed two of the top players in the WPIAL for next season. The other is Canon-McMillan junior Mike Hull.

I don't think next year is a great year for big-time prospects in the WPIAL/City League - and two of them already are gone. What does Jones' commitment mean to Pitt? Well, the Panthers have a quarterback in this recruiting class in Kolby Gray of Houston, Texas, who committed last week. But Pitt did offer Jones a scholarship and you have to believe the Panthers would have liked to land him. Unless Pitt lands a top quarterback in next year's class, it's looking like Tino Sunseri or Kolby Gray will be Pitt's quarterback of the future.

Colts on the run

On to some basketball notes. Isn't the Chartiers Valley boys' basketball team a little ridiculous? The Colts are averaging 82 points a game, the best in the WPIAL.  Friday night against South Park, Char Valley scored 64 - IN THE FIRST HALF!!!

Although junior guard T.J. McConnell averages 20 a game, the Colts don't rely simply on him. They regularly place five players in double figures. McConnell is known as an excellent 3-point shooter, but he's developed into much more than a standstill shooter. He scores in a variety of ways now and has an uncanny ability to come up with steals. His father, Chartiers Valley coach Tim McConnell, said T.J. is averaging about eight steals a game.

It's hard to see anyone in Class AAA knocking off Chartiers Valley, but what would happen if Char Valley faced a team with some capable big men? Char Valley doesn't have a starter taller than 6-1. Could Hampton be that team? The Talbots have two 6-7 players in Bill Luther and Tim Donegan.

What about TJ?

While on the subject of a T.J., let's talk a little about Thomas Jefferson. The Jaguars had climbed to No. 2 in the WPIAL Class AAA rankings, but did they show their true colors Saturday night at Greensburg Salem? This isn't to say that Thomas Jefferson doesn't have talent. But take a hard look at the Jaguars' schedule and you'll see they won 11 of their first 12 games playing mostly against WPIAL teams that were mediocore at best. Greensburg Salem is above mediocre and the Lions handled Thomas Jefferson, 54-38.

Thomas Jefferson might be one of the top five teams in WPIAL Class AAA, but No. 2 might have been a little too high.

Ones to watch

Chris Hester is averaging 21 points a game for West Mifflin and has loads of potential. But here is another sophomore worth watching: Moon's Aaron Johnson.

Johnson is having an excellent season, averaging 18 points. He's 6-3, has excellent post moves and has shown the ability to shoot from 12 feet and in. But whether Johnson is a future Division I prospect will probably depend on how much he grows.

All-day basketball

John Giammarco, director of the Pittsburgh Basketball Club, works hard trying to promote high school basketball in the area. He has another day-long event next Sunday at Robert Morris College's Sewall Center. It starts at 11 a.m. with Lincoln Park playing Montour. Don't rush to see that one. But at 12:30, Bishop Canevin plays Sewickley Academy. Bishop Canevin is nothing special, but you could see Sewickley Academy star Tom Droney, a junior who says he will choose between Pitt, Notre Dame and Davidson.

One of the most interesting games of the day will be at 2 p.m. when Chartiers Valley plays Aliquippa. That game will have an up and down pace and might be fun to watch. McKeesport plays Upper St. Clair at 5 p.m. McKeesport seems to be coming on. Central Catholic meets Gateway at 6:30 and Beaver Falls plays North Allegheny at 8.

PIHL takes it outside

Colin Dunlap | 1:16 p.m., Saturday, January 17, 2009

Three High School Hockey Games To Be Played Outdoors in PIHL Charity Series

Games presented by Centers for Rehab Services, a part of UPMC

North Allegheny will take on Pine-Richland on Thursday, January 22 at the North Park Ice Rink in the first of a series of three outdoor games featuring teams from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL).

The “PIHL Outdoor Charity Series” is presented by the Centers for Rehab Services, a part of UPMC. Proceeds from the series will benefit the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.

The other two games in the series will be Thursday, Feb. 5, when Mt. Lebanon faces off against Bethel Park at the South Park Ice Rink, and on Wednesday, Feb. 18, when South Park meets Peters Township, also at the South Park rink.

All games are scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and can be purchased in advance by contact the participating schools. Walk-up sales will be available on game days. For complete details, or to make a donation to the cause, please visit the PIHL website at www.pihlweb.com.

Hopewell freshman gets national honor

 Mike White | 10:08 p.m., Thursday, January 15

Hopewell High School running back Rushel Shell was the best freshman football player in the country this past season. At least that's what one web site says.

Maxpreps.com, a high school web site, has selected Shell the national freshman of the year. Shell had a terrific season for any running back, let alone a ninth-grader. He rushed for 1,576 yards on 181 carries and scored 14 touchdowns. He had three consecutive 200-yard games and was the first freshman ever named to the Post-Gazette Fabulous 22. He already has been offered a scholarship by Pitt.

Maxpreps listed receiver Davonte Neal of Arizona, and quarterback Marty Mauk of Kenton, Ohio, as the other two finalists. Mauk is the younger brother of former University of Cincinnati quarterback Ben Mauk.

Here is a link to the maxpreps story on Shell:

http://www.maxpreps.com/FanPages/content/article.mxp/articleid-5e16130c-f011-4423-985a-6e2e75be9e68