'16 PA CB Damar Hamlin (Pitt Verbal)

[GowerND11]

Just made a nice tackle in run support to prevent a first down.

 

[KPENN]

Yeah, that's probably not fair. Purdue QBs have fared much better in the NFL than TAMU's.

Oh.

 

[NDohio]

Yeah, that's probably not fair. Purdue QBs have fared much better in the NFL than TAMU's.

Love it.

 

[GowerND11]

Central Catholic are the PIAA AAAA champs.

 

[TheChosen1]

Central Catholic are the PIAA AAAA champs.

Put on for his city. Now ship out to the Irish.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Cut the apron strings? Yeah, that's it!

I am laughing and will be about that inference, and this hit! What a delightful contradiction!

https://vine.co/v/iKM6F0t1AYM



<iframe src="https://vine.co/v/iKM6F0t1AYM/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script src="https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js"></script>

 

[Booslum31]

Cut the apron strings? Yeah, that's it!

I am laughing and will be about that inference, and this hit! What a delightful contradiction!

https://vine.co/v/iKM6F0t1AYM

<iframe src="https://vine.co/v/iKM6F0t1AYM/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script src="https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js"></script>

That hit is sick! Ofcourse he probably got showered with flags for targeting. He's a tough fella.

 

[IrishLax]

That kid he hit looks like someone's 12 year old little brother they pulled out of the stands.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

That kid he hit looks like someone's 12 year old little brother they pulled out of the stands.

Before or after the play?

Because it was last night, I believe and the competition was crisp.

I just hope the kid is okay.

PIAA Football Gameday: Class 4A Finals, Parkland vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic

December 18, 2015, 11:18 PM



DISTRICT 11 CHAMPION PARKLAND (14-1) VS. DISTRICT 7 CHAMPION PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC (14-1)

6 P.M. AT HERSHEYPARK STADIUM


AT STAKE: Parkland is seeking the second state title in program history. Pittsburgh Central Catholic, playing in its fifth state final in 13 years, is trying to win its fourth state championship.

THE STORYLINE

Parkland started this season as the team everyone in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference was chasing. The Trojans will end it by playing in the final PIAA football game of 2015.


Parkland reached this point on the strength of its Division I offensive recruits, quarterback Devante Cross and wide receiver Kenny Yeboah, and a defense that has stuffed almost every running attack it has faced. Pittsburgh Central Catholic has more than enough athletes to match up with the Trojans — its defenders alone have collected 100-plus Division I scholarship offers.

For all the skill-position talent that will take the Hersheypark Stadium turf Saturday, the play of Parkland's offensive and defensive lines will determine whether the Trojans upset the Vikings. Pittsburgh Central Catholic's smallest starting offensive lineman is 6-3 and 260 pounds, and its defensive front has similar size. The Trojans need to win enough battles at the line of scrimmage to let Cross on offense and their linebackers on defense make the plays they typically do.



PROBABLE STARTERS

PARKLAND

OFFENSE

WR, 15, Kenny Yeboah, Sr.

WR, 14, Nolan Ridgway, Sr.

LT, 79, Noel Brouse, Sr.

LG, 74, Pat Ferry, Jr.

C, 53, Alex VanWoert, Jr.

RG, 61, Drew Parry, Jr.

RT, 56, Steven Feher, Sr.

QB, 12, Devante Cross, Sr.

RB, 25, Erik DiGirolamo, Sr.

WR, 7, Rick Panella, Jr.

WR, 11, Zach Bross, Jr.

DEFENSE

DE, 3, D.J. Hohman, Jr.

DT, 79, Noel Brouse, Sr.

DT, 1, Jahan Worth, So.

DE, 72, Palmer Kerch, Jr.

LB, 25, Erik DiGirolamo, Sr.

LB, 8, Marios Delos, Sr.

LB, 21, Frank Guida, Jr.

CB, 12, Devante Cross, Sr.

S, 10, Ethan Imler, Jr.

S, 11, Zach Bross, Jr.

CB, 15, Kenny Yeboah, Sr.

PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC

OFFENSE

WR, 24, Bricen Garner, Sr.

LT, 73, C.J. Thorpe, Jr.

LG, 59, Jake Trautman, Jr.

C, 53, Donovan Slater, Jr.

RG, 55, Jake Hinish, Jr.

RT, 51, Kurt Hinish, Jr.

TE, 12, Rashad Wheeler, Sr.

QB, 16, Troy Fisher, So.

RB, 8, Ronnie Jones, Sr.

FB, 99, David Green, So.

WR, 2, Ron George, Sr.

DEFENSE

DE, 12, Rashad Wheeler, Sr.

DT, 73, C.J. Thorpe, Jr.

DT, 77, Jamain Stephens, Jr.

DE, 51, Kurt Hinish, Jr.

LB, 2, Ron George, Sr.

LB, 35, David Adams, Jr.

LB, 99, David Green, So.

CB, 20, Braxton Swann, Sr.

SS, 24, Bricen Garner, Sr.

FS, 3, Damar Hamlin, Sr.

CB, 7, Gunnar Frerotte, Sr.



PARKLAND (14-1)

Date, Opponent, Result, Score

Sept. 4, Dieruff, W, 51-13

Sept. 11, Northampton, W, 35-0

Sept. 18, Central Catholic, W, 28-14

Sept. 25, PM West, W, 63-20

Oct. 2, Whitehall, W, 42-28

Oct. 9, Liberty, L, 34-41

Oct. 16, Easton, W, 21-3

Oct. 23, Freedom, W, 38-7

Oct. 30, Nazareth, W, 28-7

Nov. 6, Emmaus, W, 35-12

Nov. 13, Delaware Valley, W, 28-10

Nov. 20, Easton, W, 37-0

Nov. 27, Wyoming Valley West, W, 63-21

Dec. 5, La Salle College High, W, 16-13 (OT)

Dec. 12, Upper Dublin, W, 30-14



PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC (14-1)

Date, Opponent, Result, Score

Sept. 4, Bethel Park, W, 28-13

Sept. 11, Shaler, W, 42-6

Sept. 18, North Allegheny, L, 17-24

Sept. 25, Fox Chapel, W, 56-0

Oct. 2, Connellsville, W, 56-7

Oct. 9, North Hills, W, 52-7

Oct. 16, Seneca Valley, W, 38-14

Oct. 23, Pine-Richland, W, 35-28

Oct. 30, Butler, W, 49-0

Nov. 6, Upper St. Clair, W, 49-0

Nov. 13, North Allegheny, W, 31-17

Nov. 20, Woodland Hills, W, 24-6

Nov. 28, Penn-Trafford, W, 24-17

Dec. 4, State College, W, 19-3

Dec. 12, Cumberland Valley, W, 24-7



KEYS TO VICTORY

PARKLAND TROJANS

1. Hold the line. Pittsburgh Central Catholic's defensive front of Rashad Wheeler, Kurt Hinish, C.J. Thorpe and Timothy Terry will try to bull its way into Parkland's backfield. Parkland's offensive line, especially along the interior, has to give quarterback Devante Cross at least a few seconds to make decisions if the Trojans are going to move the ball.

2. Keep it even on specials. Parkland played a solid game on special teams in last week's game against Upper Dublin. The Trojans don't need a game-breaking return to win, but they must keep the field position in their favor as much as possible.

3. Win first down. Pittsburgh Central Catholic quarterback Troy Fisher has the size and skill to hurt Parkland's defense, but he is only a sophomore. The more pressure the Trojans can put on Fisher to make plays on second- or third-and-long, the better their chances are of holding the Vikings in check.

PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS

1. Contain Cross. Parkland expects quarterback Devante Cross close to 100 percent Saturday, which means it can let him loose in the run game. The Vikings need to hold the edge when Cross takes off to prevent a long night of chasing him from behind.

2. Feed Ronnie. Senior running back Ronnie Jones is the Vikings' top option in a rushing attack that has averaged 240.7 yards per game and 6.8 yards per carry. If he carries 20-25 times Saturday behind his huge offensive line, Pittsburgh Central Catholic may be able to wear down Parkland.

3. Win 1-on-1 battles on the outside. Pittsburgh Central Catholic has two of the best defensive backs in the state in Bricen Garner and Damar Hamlin. If they keep tall wide receivers Kenny Yeboah and Zach Bross from making plays down field, the Trojans could have a hard time moving the ball.

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

1. Pittsburgh Central Catholic defensive back Damar Hamlin is the top uncommitted senior football player in Pennsylvania, according to 247Sports' rankings. Hamlin, ranked No. 4 in the state by 247Sports, has said Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Pitt are among his finalists.


2. Parkland has forced 19 turnovers during its nine-game winning streak, including at least one in every game. The Trojans have a plus-10 turnover margin during the streak.

3. Pittsburgh Central Catholic has won three PIAA Class 4A titles, tied with North Allegheny for the second-most in Pennsylvania's highest classification. A victory over Parkland would tie the Vikings with four-time champion Central Bucks West for the most 4A titles.


4. Parkland's defense has held opponents to 89.2 rushing yards per game and 2.88 yards per carry during its nine-game winning streak. The Trojans have been especially stingy during the postseason, allowing 68.6 rushing yards per game and 2.56 yards per carry.

5. Parkland wide receiver Kenny Yeboah became the first player in program history with a 1,000-yard receiving season thanks to his seven-catch, 101-yard game in the state semifinals. He needs 12 receiving yards Saturday to move into second place on Parkland's all-time list and 81 yards to surpass Tim Massaquoi (1,928) for the No. 1 spot.

STEPHEN MILLER'S PREDICTION

Much as it did against La Salle College High, Parkland's defense will keep it in a tight game until the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh Central Catholic's defense will be even better as the Vikings claim the final PIAA 4A championship before next year's move to six classifications.

PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC 20-17

KEITH GROLLER'S PREDICTION

Parkland has been remarkable in its resiliency and ability to find a way to get past every obstacle on the road to Hershey. It's a gritty, determined bunch that plays the game with great unity and passion.

It would be wonderful for these hard-working kids if they could find a way to get this one last monumental task done. This Pittsburgh Central Catholic team easily offers the biggest challenge the Trojans have faced all year.

The heart says Parkland will find a way. The brain says the Vikings have just a little too much, especially defensively.

PITTSBURGH CENTRAL CATHOLIC 21-17

Copyright © 2015, The Morning Call
This article is related to: High School Football,
College Sports,
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association,
The Pennsylvania State University,
Hersheypark Stadium,

 

[BeauBenken]

That kid he hit looks like someone's 12 year old little brother they pulled out of the stands.

Looks like the helmet doesn't even fit him.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

That hit is sick! Ofcourse he probably got showered with flags for targeting. He's a tough fella.

No, actually Pennsylvania requires their refs to be certified, sober, non-partial, free from mental defect, and to have corrected 20/20 vision. You know the opposite of the prerequisites for Division 1 College refs, (and NFL for that matter!)

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Looks like the helmet doesn't even fit him.

Before or after the hit?

 

[BeauBenken]

Before or after the hit?

After.

The hit was colossal. Kid almost did a full flip.

 

[drake29]

Lol kid got his mouthpiece knocked out.

 

[fightingirish26]

uhhhhh nd was just eliminated by him..
pride took his spot?

 

[Luckylucci]

Hamlin just tweeted that he's down to 3 with Pitt, PSU, and OSU. ND out, this must be because of Pride committing.

 

[NDRock]

Hamlin just tweeted that he's down to 3 with Pitt, PSU, and OSU. ND out, this must be because of Pride committing.

Yeah, just saw his tweet. When is Pride announcing (or did he already commit)?

 

[Luckylucci]

Yeah, just saw his tweet. When is Pride announcing (or did he already commit)?

Today at 4pm EST. My assumption is that he already committed and has even told some writers of his choice. Hence the confidence level of Scout to already have their commitment piece put together. It wouldn't surprise me if the staff hadn't already had a conversation with Hamlin about it, hence the dropping of ND.

 

[PANDFAN]

from all paid sites he had a spot regardless...so either something changed w/ that thinking, we may have someone else they feel good about(idk) or what....interesting

 

[Luckylucci]

I'm assuming its a mutual thing. ND would still take Hamlin, no doubt, he's a really good prospect but he's no longer a need. Also, Hamlin probably sees that ND has a bazillion DB's in this class and that keeps him closer to home. Apparently he has a GF and that is also factoring in to keeping him close to home. This was probably the little nudge he needed. Doubt he ends up at OSU.

 

[IrishFanJMercy]

from all paid sites he had a spot regardless...so either something changed w/ that thinking, we may have someone else they feel good about(idk) or what....interesting

Doesn't make much since to me for the staff to drop Hamlin. From all accounts everyone has said Hamlin was a take no matter what. Also after Troy Pride I think it would be wise to take one more guy who can play corner the only two corners left on our board are David Long jr. who said we our running third and Jordan Fuller who said he wants to play corner. Is the staff going all in on the Fuller + Kelly package deal?

 

[TheChosen1]

Like I said earlier, he's a flight risk if he commits anywhere but Pitt.

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I was under the impression he had a spot, but things can change. Haven't heard differently so don't want to assume. <a href="https://t.co/dDFKA5X1hY">https://t.co/dDFKA5X1hY</a></p>— Bryan Driskell (@BGI_CoachD78) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_CoachD78/status/680067903538855936">December 24, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

i asked BD and here was his response

 

[IrishFanJMercy]

Could also mean the staff is confident Russell will be back for another year?

 

[IrishLax]

from all paid sites he had a spot regardless...so either something changed w/ that thinking, we may have someone else they feel good about(idk) or what....interesting

The staff really liked him, and they had saved a spot. Loy (I think?) had said we were only taking 1 of Hamlin OR Pride, not both. I'm not sure that's 100% accurate, but it does look more like the case than I thought.

I believe they told Hamlin to shit or get off the pot. They had put a full court press on him and he was still dragging his feet. I also think he was turned off by the number of DBs we are taking in this class. So I don't think it's a coincidence he said what he did immediately after learning that we're taking Pride.

 

[Booslum31]

The staff really liked him, and they had saved a spot. Loy (I think?) had said we were only taking 1 of Hamlin OR Pride, not both. I'm not sure that's 100% accurate, but it does look more like the case than I thought.

I believe they told Hamlin to shit or get off the pot. They had put a full court press on him and he was still dragging his feet. I also think he was turned off by the number of DBs we are taking in this class. So I don't think it's a coincidence he said what he did immediately after learning that we're taking Pride.

Agree with this.

 

[Irishman77]

Like I said earlier, he's a flight risk if he commits anywhere but Pitt.

This

 

[Luckylucci]

FWIW, Loy is straight up saying that ND made a decision this week to only take 1 more CB.

 

[BobbyMac]

The thought of having to turn down Hamlin and or Long because of taking lesser prospects early in the cycle makes me queasy.

That's how it goes tho.

 

[anarin]

The thought of having to turn down Hamlin and or Long because of taking lesser prospects early in the cycle makes me queasy.

That's how it goes tho.

Lesser stars with high potential you mean?