What would a team comprised of Division I college football's best WPIAL alumni look like? I attempt to answer that question, continuing with the defensive side of the football.
The Pittsburgh area’s Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League, better known as the WPIAL to those in the region, has long been known for producing talented football players. While demographic shifts and the decline of football across the Rust Belt has harmed the overall depth of talent coming out of the WPIAL as compared to the hey-day years of the 1980s and earlier, the league still consistently sends dozens of player to the Division I college football ranks annually.
There are currently 77 alumni of WPIAL schools playing college football across 22 of the 128 total teams of the FBS level, including 30 players combined at the in-state schools of Pitt, Penn State, and Temple. Here is my projection of what a team of the WPIAL’s best college football players for the 2016 season what would like, continuing with the defensive side of the football. The starting line-up will be broken down as follows: 1 quarterback, 2 running backs, 2 wide receivers, 1 tight end, 2 offensive tackles, 2 offensive guards, 1 offensive center, 2 defensive ends, 2 defensive tackles, 2 outside linebackers, 1 inside linebacker, and 4 defensive backs.
Defensive Ends
Starters: Ejuan Price, Pitt and Chase Winovich, Michigan - There's a solid group of three defensive ends to choose from at the defensive end position, but no two distinguished themselves more than Pitt's Ejuan Price and Michigan's Chase Winovich. Price and Winovich, who hail from Woodland Hills and Thomas Jefferson respectively, have both been key for their teams in getting to the quarterback. Price is among the top ten players in the nation in sacks, notching nine on the year already, while also adding three forced fumbles and 32 tackles. Winovich has been responsible for four sacks, a forced fumble, and 28 tackles for Michigan, the country's number one defense.
Back-Ups: Rori Blair, Pitt and Angelo Natter, Army - While Natter has yet to see the field for Army to my knowledge, the Central Catholic product is a depth selection at this role. Blair, on the other hand, has also played well for Pitt despite injuries, generating three and a half sacks, a forced fumble, and 21 tackles.
Other players at the position: None
Defensive Tackles
Starters: Treyvon Hester, Toledo and Brock Boxen, Akron - A pair of MAC products lead the way in Toledo's Treyvon Hester, a Penn Hills grad, and Akron's Brock Boxen, a former Beaver Falls Tiger. Hester has shined for the Rockets, notching five sacks, 27 tackles, and a forced fumble in his senior year. Boxen is just a sophomore, but his 23 tackles and two sacks earn him distinction on this list.
Back-Ups: Jaleel Fields, West Virginia and Brenon Thrift, Penn State - One of the many players to walk the halls of Aliquippa and go on to college football, West Virginia's Jaleel Fields has produced eight tackles in his sophomore season. Thrift took a longer road to college football out of Gateway High School, following former Gators head coach Terry Smith to Temple and eventually Penn State, with a stop at Lackawanna Community College in between. While he has not played at Penn State, Thrift had three sacks and three and a half tackles for a loss last season for Lackawanna.
Other players at the position: Rashad Wheeler, Pitt
Outside Linebackers
Starters: Mike Caprara, Pitt and TJ Neal, Auburn - While both players have missed time this season, a common theme at this position group, Caprara and Neal were the clear choices. Caprara has been productive since graduating from Woodland Hills, with 26 tackles in his 7 games this year to go along with two and a half sacks. Neal, a McKeesport grad, is a grad transfer to Auburn after starting every game for two years at Illinois. Neal has 266 career tackles. This season, he has posted 21 tackles in seven games.
Back-Ups: Elijah Zeise, Pitt and Deaysean Rippy, Colorado - Elijah Zeise was expected to have a big sophomore year for Pitt as a starting outside linebacker, but the North Allegheny grad had those plans derailed by injury. Still, his would-be starting spot gives him recognition here. Rippy hasn't played this season, but he's the only other available player who's ever dressed for a college game at outside linebacker. Rippy is a redshirt senior at Colorado, who came to the school from Pitt after graduating from Sto-Rox.
Other players at the position: Connor Slomka, Army; Kaezon Pugh, Pitt; Tymar Sutton, Iowa State
Insider Linebacker
Starter: Quintin Wirginis, Pitt - Wirginis has missed some time for Pitt, but it's been a strong junior season on the whole for the middle linebacker out of Fox Chapel. His 17 tackles and three sacks in eight games, as well as his starting role, were enough to make Wirginis the pick.
Back-Up: Brett Zanotto, Maryland - Brett Zanotto came to Maryland from Franklin Regional in the Murrysville area and after leading all Terrapins freshmen in tackles in 2015, he's picked up where he left off. Zanotto has gained steam as the season has gone on, posting 23 tackles (including 19 over the last five games) and one sack for Maryland. It was a tight call between Zanotto and Wirginis.
Other players at the position: Hodari Christian, West Virginia
Cornerbacks
Starters: Trevon Mathis, Toledo and Damar Hamlin, Pitt - Trevon Mathis of Woodland Hills got on the field quickly at Toledo and hasn't relinquished his playing role since his freshman season. As a junior, Mathis has been the number one corner for the Rockets, accounting for an interception, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, and 36 tackles. He is joined by Damar Hamlin, a Central Catholic grad who has earned playing time as a freshman for Pitt. Injuries thrust Hamlin into the mix at corner for the Panthers in the Virginia Tech game, despite a redshirt appearing likely. The true frosh has recorded eight tackles in his three playing appearances in 2016.
Back-Ups: Therran Coleman, Pitt and Bricen Garner, Pitt - While neither Garner nor Coleman have seen the field for Pitt as true freshmen, they are the only other Division I cornerbacks from the WPIAL currently playing at the college level.
Other players at the position: None
Safeties
Starters: Malik Hooker, Ohio State and Jordan Whitehead, Pitt- Unlike their defensive back counterparts at corner, the safety group out of the WPIAL has been absolutely loaded at the Division I level. Ohio State's Malik Hooker, a converted basketball star out of New Castle, has been absurd for the Buckeyes, tying for fifth in the country overall in interceptions; Hooker has five picks, two of which he returned for a score, and four more passes defended. He's also racked up 55 tackles. Whitehead's sophomore season hasn't gotten exactly as he'd hoped and is now out for at least the remainder of the regular season with an injury, but he accounted for 65 tackles, a forced fumble, two passes defended, and a pick six in his nine games played.
Back-Ups: Montae Nicholson, Michigan State and Demetrious Cox, Michigan State - Given all of their competition for these spots, it was difficult to determine who would hold the other two safety roles down, but the distinction goes to two Michigan State teammates: Gateway's Montae Nicholson and Jeanette's Demetrious Cox. Nicholson has been stellar for the Spartans. In his junior year, the Gateway product has often been the backbone of Michigan State's defense, accounting for 65 tackles, an interception, and two defended passes from his role as a safety. His partner Cox has battled through some injuries to account for 52 tackles, five passes defended, and a pick-six, excelling as one of the best players on the field in his own right.
Other players at the position: Khaleke Hudson, Michigan; Dravon Henry, West Virginia; Zach Guiser, Akron; John Petrishen, Penn State; Reggie Mitchell, Pitt; Terrish Webb, Pitt; Dennis Briggs, Pitt; Lamont McPhatter, Ball State; Tre Tarpley, Vanderbilt; Troy Apke, Penn State; Delvon Randall, Temple; Anthony Battaglia, Army; Shawn Featherstone, Akron
