District 10: Class AAAA could grow next year

FRIDAY ACROSS THE STATE: Schools across the state were required to submit their respective enrollment numbers to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association by October 15.

And according to a report by John Dudley in Friday's Erie Times-News, the enrollment numbers could shake things up in District 10.

Currently, Erie McDowell is the lone Class AAAA team in the entire district. The Trojans, thus, have played this season as a football-only school in District 7's (WPIAL) Foothills Conference, against the likes of RivalsHigh No. 39 Gateway and McKeesport.

Dudley says that McDowell has made it quite clear that it would be interested in remaining a football member of the WPIAL in the future.

But, depending on how the classification numbers shake out, Dudley writes, the possibility looms that Erie Strong Vincent could also bump up to Class AAAA next season. And that could lead to Erie Cathedral Prep, a usual Class AAA powerhouse, playing up in Class AAAA next year.

With DuBois scheduled to join District 10 for football only next year also at a Class AAAA level, the district could have four Class AAAA teams. And that could foil McDowell's plan on joining the WPIAL.

BISHOP McCORT STANDOUT FEATURED IN MAGAZINE

He admitted he hadn't seen it yet, but Bishop McCort running back and return man Josh Seidel was pretty excited to learn about his new-found fame on Thursday.

Seidel was featured in the Oct. 26 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine as one of the weekly "Faces in the Crowd."

"I was surprised when I heard about it," Seidel told the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat. "I think it's an honor. It's a big thing. I'm still shocked about it."

The accolade comes after Seidel broke the school's single-game rushing record with a 326-yard performance against Richland. Seidel also tied the school record with six touchdowns in one game, a record previously held by his father who died from cancer just prior to this season.

THURSDAY NIGHT'S ACTION

Pennsbury 43, William Tennent 12

Pennsbury running back Dante Devine racked up 236 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons remained a perfect 8-0 on the season.

"I think that we started to feel like we got into a flow late in the first half," Devine told Kevin Cooney of the Bucks County Courier Times. "The guys were doing a good job getting off the line. We found some holes and we didn't make the same mistakes that we did earlier in the half."

The Falcons rushed for a total of 493 yards in the game. With the loss, William Tennent falls to 1-7.

Penn Hills 48, Fox Chapel 7

It took them a while to get going, but now Penn Hills appears to be on a roll, just in time for the WPIAL playoffs.

"Well, if you're going to peak, this is the time to do it," Penn Hills coach Ron Graham told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "We're looking forward to trying to progress, but we still have a lot of things to work on in a short period of time."

Penn Hills running back Chris Washington had four touchdowns on just 88 total yards in the win, three of those touchdowns coming in the first half. His teammate, Kei Pasch'l, had 112 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.

After starting the season a dismal 1-3, Penn Hills is now 4-4, including a 3-1 record in the conference. Fox Chapel falls to 3-5 overall, 0-4 in the conference with the loss.

FRIDAY NIGHT PREVIEWS

* An easy night for RivalsHigh 100 No. 55 Bishop McDevitt? Rod Frisco at the Harrisburg Patriot-News seems to think so, predicting a big win for the Crusaders over Carlisle.

* In the Beaver County Times, Jim Equels Jr. writes that Friday's matchup between Beaver Falls and Center feels more like a playoff game. With a win, Beaver Falls (7-0) is guaranteed at least a share of the Midwestern Athletic Conference title in WPIAL Class AA. Center (6-1) needs to win this week and next week against Beaver to have any shot at all.

* The odds are against St. Pius X this week against Owen J. Roberts, Don Seeley of the Pottstown Mercury writes. Roberts has won 13 consecutive meetings between the two schools, with Pius' last win coming in 1995.