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Monday, 06 September 2010 20:35

Written by Mike White

The best college prospect in Western Pennsylvania isn't in the WPIAL.

He is Ben Koyack, a tight end who plays at Oil City High School. He is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior who is ranked by some scouting services as the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania and one of the top five tight ends in the country.

How good is Koyack? Well, check it out for yourself. Below is a highlight film of Koyack by way of Pennsylvaniascout.com and youtube.com.

You have to be impressed by his speed and athletic ability. But see for yourself.

Wayne Capers the QB?

Chartiers Valley's Wayne Capers wants to be a receiver in college. That's fine. That's the position he likes best.

But Capers has the tools and athletic ability to be a Division I quarterback.

I saw Capers play against Montour Friday night, and he is awfully impressive. And don't think he's just a runner. He throws a nice ball and has a good arm. He would certainly need some refinement as a thrower to play QB at the Division I level. But remember, he is only a junior.

The athletic ability is there. I say he's a smaller version of Terrelle Pryor. Now please don't think I'm saying Capers is as good as Pryor was in high school. But with the offense Chartiers Valley runs, and the way Capers plays, he's like a smaller version of Pryor. Capers is listed at 6 feet 2.

Sometimes Capers stands in the pocket and throws, like Pryor used to. Sometimes he runs spread option plays, like Pryor used to. But Capers is excellent at improvising, like Pryor used to be at Jeannette. A QB who can improvise and know when to do it can absolutely destroy defenses on the high school level.

And give credit to Chartiers Valley coach Chris Saluga for giving Capers the freedom to improvise to make plays. I loved this comment from Saluga following the 35-28 loss to Montour Friday, in which Capers threw for 320 yards and ran for 62.

"Sometimes the plays you design don't work. Then there's always him as a backup," Saluga said. "It's kind of like backyard football. But you don't ever want to inhibit something he has with schemes."

Pitt, Penn State and Maryland have already offered Capers scholarships - as an athlete. Meaning most likely as a receiver. But go watch Capers play a game as a quarterback. He's fun to watch.

By the way, Capers is humble, too. He doesn't like attention on himself. Want an example? Before the season started, he asked Saluga if he could make sure Capers doesn't get any player of the week awards in the media. How many kids nowadays would do something like that?

Gateway-McDevitt video

Rod Frisco of www.rodfrisco.com alerts us about some highlights from the Gateway-Bishop McDevitt game Saturday, by way of www.easternpafootball.com. You can see some highlights of McDevitt RB Jameel Poteat, a Pitt recruit, trying to find some running room against Gateway's defense.

Player battles leukemia

The injury to West Allegheny star Mike Caputo (dislocated ankle and surgery) is a real downer. You hate to see any player hurt so bad, no matter if it's a star like Caputo or simply an average player who enjoys playing.

It can be hard for injured players, their parents and coaches to sometimes see the big picture, though. Caputo will play again. He will come back. He will live.

Imagine the plight of Marco Dapkey, a captain of the Neshaminy football team who was blind-sided this summer by leukemia. Rick O'Brien of the Philadelphia Inquirer has a great story on Dapkey. 

Coaches corner luncheons

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt and three high school coaches will be the main speakers at the first Coaches Corner Luncheon Tuesday Sept. 14 at noon. The luncheons (four this year) are run by former Duquesne University coach Dan McCann and are held at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center on Cemetery Lane in the North Hills. Bob Pompeani is the MC for the luncheons and the speakers sometimes are excellent. Lot of good football talk and some good storytelling. Tickets are $24. Call 412-761-7696. The high school coaches who will speak along with Wannstedt are Central Catholic's Terry Totten, Montour's Lou Cerro and Baldwin's Jim Wehner.

This and that

* Clairton allowed only two touchdowns in seven postseason games last year. With some key players lost to graduation, many people (including me) thought this defense wouldn't be as good. Well chew on this stat: Clairton held Washington without a first down Friday. That's right. Not one first down !!!!!!

That is an incredible defensive effort. But I remember a few years ago seeing Clairton hold a pretty good Springdale team to one first down.

* Someone emailed me and suggested that maybe Clairton would've been a better matchup for Cocoa, Fla., than Thomas Jefferson in Saturday's Rally at the Wolvarena. Sorry. Clairton would've been no match for Cocoa, either. It's not like Thomas Jefferson is a bad team. People just need to face the fact that Florida teams are just really good, and the better ones in Florida are better than the cream of the crop in Pennsylvania.

* A crowd of about 5,000 attended the four games in the Rally at the Wolvarena. That's not very good, but I'm not surprised. Football fans around here don't really seem to care about seeing top teams from Florida or Ohio, or outside the area. They'd rather see a Woodland Hills-Central Catholic game, or a game involving two good local teams.

Also, I say this area is driven by stars, too. Yes, there were some Division I players in those games, but I bet more people would've attended if, say, Hopewell and Rushel Shell were playing.

* A quarterback in Texas who is an Oregon recruit attempted 75 passes in a game this weekend. That would never happen around here.

* Best game this Friday: Central Catholic at Bethel Park.

* Love the first name of the talented freshman running back at Central Catholic: "Luigi"

State and WPIAL rankings

Here are the Post-Gazette WPIAL and state rankings after Week 1.

Comments (7)

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written by Florida Yinzer, September 06, 2010 - 01:30 PM

Unfortunately, the WPIAL just can't play with the FL boys. I have been saying for years that the BEST of the WPIAL would struggle to be .500 in Florida. Heck, Pahokee and Belle Glade have interior lineman that run 4.6 40's. One word describes WPIAL high school football when compared to Florida - SLOW. Western PA football just isn't what it used to be.

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written by ochotexto, September 06, 2010 - 03:06 PM

Florida yinzer a bit of an oxymoron., no ? Yeah., the Florida teams were indeed impressive and better but I'd still like to see them play here in November in front of a packed Wolvarena. There are still a lot good players around here ., a lot of the change has come about due to the population decline and the game now is all about speed. Call me back when the Tebows., etc...., become as good as the Marinos, Montanas, Kellys, Unitases., etc...... Don't bury us yet.

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written by Florida Yinzer, September 06, 2010 - 04:57 PM

I'm just a Yinzer transplanted several years ago in FL. Ocho, you illustrate my point. Like any Yinzer who never left SW PA, you are stuck in the distant past. The WPIAL was king of the hill back when Marino, Montana, Kelly, Unitas & Namath played. That was then & this is now. Now it's Devine, Boldin, Lewis, Ochocinco, Andre & Chris Johnson, Dumervil, Hester, Garcon, Reed, Gore, McGahee, Rolle, Portis, Santana & Sinorice Moss, Santonio Holmes, Vilma, Rodgers-Cromarte, etc., etc. Just a few guys from Florida. I played WPIAL football when it was king. I am still proud of the area and all it stands for. But, I watch your games on Fox via satellite. Believe me, you can't compete down here. They'd wup you in August or December on the surface of you choice!

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written by ochotexto, September 06, 2010 - 07:02 PM

You sound like a yinzer who forgot where you came from. All those players you name are pedestrian when compared to the greats who've passed through here. There are also a lot of "current" WPIAL players in the NFL. Sure., Florida is better now., people moved., but there is still some good football and great coaching going on around here. Why bite the hand that fed you ? You trying to impress your neighbors or does it make you feel better about yourself.?

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written by Florida Yinzer, September 06, 2010 - 10:12 PM

Hey Ocho, go ask Coach Novack or Coach Churpak if they'd like a steady diet of what they got last weekend! Better yet bring your team down to play one of ours. Not trying to impress anyone - just stating what I've seen - backed up by what you just saw. By the way, maybe it's time you move out of your mothers basement.

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written by ochotexto, September 06, 2010 - 10:41 PM

Some of us didn't "have" to leave like you., and I'll bet nobody in your old hood even cared. You're one of those guys who sits by the pool now with a wine spritzer with a Stillers shirt and Penguins hat ., telling people from Florida how great you were. And all about the sammiches with the fries on them.You're no yinzer., just a sellout. , and probably arent even from here. You take a little too much pleasure in Floridas recent success., not being from there. I'll bet those 2 fine coaches would love another shot., they aren't quitters like you. I'm gonna enjoy some good football Friday at the CC -Bethel game., go watch your track meet games. How dare you call yourself a yinzer.

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written by Ironman, September 07, 2010 - 04:07 PM

There is no doubt that Florida football is much better than here in southwestern PA. I've seen plenty of Florida high school football games on television to see plenty of size, speed and skill.

Please keep in mind that enrollment for high schools in Florida average 2000 to 3000 kids. School districts in many parts of the country are county sized school districts. In PA, they are defined by townships, boroughs and cities. They are bigger high schools down there than up here.

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