Conference Preview: 4A Greater Allegheny
Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 7, Gameday Hub, News, pfn
Garrett Dollin | August 18, 2024
It was a busy and eventful offseason for the Greater Allegheny Conference. Since December, the GAC has added three teams, while also losing four. McKeesport comes over after winning the 4A Big Seven in 2023, while Knoch and West Mifflin make the move up from 3A. As for the losses, Armstrong and Kiski Area head up to 5A, with North Catholic and Highlands moving down to 3A.
Mars Fighting Planets
2023 Season: 10-3 Overall (6-0) Lost to Aliquippa in 4A Semifinals
Head Coach: Eric Kasperowicz
Key Players Lost: Evan Wright, Jacob Maple, Conor Hartle
Key Players Returning: Luke Goodworth, Ayden Yocum, Eric Kasperowicz Jr, Sean Franklin, Gabe Hein
2023 Recap / What to Expect: The Fighting Planets took a big step forward in 2023, winning their first conference title since 2015. Following a first round victory over Central Valley, Mars came up short against eventual state champion Aliquippa. Heading into 2024, Eric Kasperowicz’ squad will look to bring home their first WPIAL championship. Senior QB Luke Goodworth was one of the top passers in the WPIAL, posting a 55% completion percentage, 2159 yards, 22 TD, 5 INTs. Running backs Ayden Yocum and Eric Kasperowicz Jr will once again provide strong production behind Mars’ solid O-Line. Look for the Fighting Planets to pick apart opposing defenses in their quest to Acrisure Stadium.
Coach Kasperowicz says “The 2024 Fightin’ Planets are looking to build off of last year’s semi-final loss to Alliquippa and taking the next step towards a championship”.
McKeesport Tigers
2023 Season: 11-2 Overall (6-0) Lost to Aliquippa in 4A Championship
Head Coach: Matt Miller
Key Players Lost: Brady Boyle, Courtney Dunn, Keith Spell
Key Players Returning: Anthony Boyd, Kemon Spell
2023 Recap / What to Expect: Senior Anthony Boyd will look to have another strong year after posting 1300 yards and 12 TDs in 2023. Sophomore RB Kemon Spell burst onto the scene in his freshman campaign, posting 37 carries for 500+ yards and 12 TDs. Spell’s season was so impressive that he received offers from Florida State, Michigan, Pitt, West Virginia, UNLV, Michigan State, Akron, Marshall, and Wisconsin. However, in early August, Spell would announce his commitment to play for James Franklin at Penn State. WR/DB Jaivien Robinson has also received an early offer from Duquesne. McKeesport ranked #2 in PAFootballNews’ 4A Preseason Rankings, just behind #1 Aliquippa. If McKeesport’s young O-Line can hold it down, the Tigers backfield will be nearly impossible to stop.
Coach Miller says “Exciting year to come… we are young up front but we have loads of experience at the skill positions.
We return Anthony Boyd who rushed for 1300 yards and scored 12 TDs last season – Anthony Cromerdie who made big plays on both sides of the ball last year- Valdez Stuvaints who will be a 3 year starter for us and we will count on him to make plays all over the field and lastly, we have Kemon Spell who has earned numerous power 5 offers from Michigan Florida State Pitt and Penn State to name a few”.
West Mifflin Titans
2023 Season: 7-5 Overall (5-1) Lost to Elizabeth Forward in 3A Quarterfinals
Head Coach: Rod Steele
Key Players Lost: N/A
Key Players Returning: Armand Hill, Jaiden Brown-Demery
2023 Recap / What to Expect: The Titans will make the jump up to the 4A level with stars on both sides of the ball. Sophomore RB Armand Hill rushed for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns, including a 495 yard performance against Hopewell. Following that game, Hill received an offer from Penn State, and has since been offered by Pitt, West Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, among many other D1 schools. However, that doesn’t mean that scoring against the Titans will be much easier. Senior Jaiden Brown-Demery also has a long list of D1 offers, and recently committed to Akron. Brown-Demery was voted as the Western Hills Conference’s defensive MVP and lineman of the year last season, and will look to add further awards to his resume. The Titans can be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming years with their young star studded roster.
Knoch Knights
2023 Season: 8-3 Overall (4-1) Lost to South Park in 3A First Round
Head Coach: Tim Burchett
Key Players Lost: Bennett Shaw, Tony Nicolazzo, Ethan Alwine
Key Players Returning: Codi Mullen, Jackson Bauman, Kaden Spencer
2023 Recap / What to Expect: The Knights had the biggest turnaround in the WPIAL last season, going from 1-9 in 2022 to 8-2. Despite this, Knoch suffered an upset by South Park in the first round of the 3A playoffs. Look for Senior QB Codi Mullen to lead the Knights to another successful season. As a junior, Mullen threw for over 1700 yards and 18 TDs while also posting over 500 yards and 5 scores on the ground. The Knights also return top receivers Jackson Bauman and Kaden Spencer, who combined for 1100+ yards and 12 TD’s in 2023. Although unlikely, Knoch will be a dark horse team to win the GAC in 2024.
Hampton Talbots
2023 Season: 3-7 Overall (3-3) Missed Playoffs
Head Coach: Steve Sciullo
Key Players Lost: Brock Borgo
Key Players Returning: Porter Kelly, Ray Kirsopp, Carson Potter
2023 Recap / What to Expect: The Talbots will likely encounter another down year after missing out on the playoffs in 2023. Hampton will return six offensive starters and seven defensive starters. from last season including Senior QB Porter Kelly and Jack Saunessey. Over the offseason, Kelly grew over four inches and gained 20 pounds. However, Hampton lost star RB Brock Borgo to graduation in the spring. In 2023, Borgo rushed for over 1,100 yards and over 3,300 in his career.
Indiana Little Indians
2023 Season: 2-8 Overall (0-6) Missed Playoffs
Head Coach: Brad Wright
Key Players Lost: N/A
Key Players Returning: Rocco Cosentino, Quinn Lipniskis
2023 Recap / What to Expect: Like Hampton, 2024 will likely be a year to forget for Indiana. In 2023, the Little Indians went winless in their conference games, only defeating the likes of Freeport and Shady Side. Following that week three win over SSA, Indiana only managed to score 7+ points in one game, a 28-21 loss against Highlands. During that 7 game losing streak, Indiana was outscored 265-61.
Standings Prediction:
- McKeesport
- Mars
- Knoch
- West Mifflin
- Hampton
- Indiana
Final Thoughts: The GAC is essentially seperated in three different tiers. McKeesport and Mars are the powerhouses who will battle for the conference title. Knoch and West Mifflin are newcomers who will be dark horse candidates to make some noise. Hampton and Indiana are rebuilding schools who will win a few games, but almost certainly miss out on the playoffs. Regardless, this is an exciting conference that you should keep an eye on.
Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews
You must be logged in to post a comment.