Nike 5 Days to Friday Game of the Week
Teams: Gateway Gators (Monroeville, Pa) at McDowell Trojans (Erie, Pa.)
Where: Gus Anderson Field in Millcreek Township
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Pennsylvania ranking: #2 Gateway, #56 McDowell.
Key matchup: McDowell QB A.J. Fenton (Wisconsin-bound) vs. Gateway LB Doran Bell (Ohio State bound).
Fun facts: This is first meeting between the two teams. … Gateway coach Terry Smith not only is a graduate of Gateway, but he played receiver at Penn State. … Gateway has allowed just 21 points the last five games combined. … McDowell is averaging just below 10 yards per carry (9.78) for the season (234 carries, 2,288 yards).
5D2F page: Click here.
Pennlive.com story in 5D2F: Click here.
Video: Dorian Bell
By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
They’re talking trap in Erie, Pa. this week. Not the sandy kind on the links, but a trap game for Pennsylvania’s No. 2 team.
The Gateway Gators, led by Ohio State-bound standouts Dorian Bell and Corey Brown, take a long bus ride Friday to take on the potent McDowell Trojans in a Nike 5 Days to Friday showcase game in Erie.
McDowell, led by Wisconsin-bound A.J. Fenton, who has rushed 94 times for 876 yards and 13 touchdowns thus far, is 4-2 thus far.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder had 283 yards on 20 carries in a 55-20 win over Greater Latrobe last week. Fenton will likely be a running back in college though he’s been thrown into the quarterback spot for McDowell and has completed 13 of 29 passes for 340 yards and four scores.
Fenton was moved to quarterback to help with the explosiveness of senior running back Alex Schmude (5-10, 180), who has a team-high 924 yards on just 75 carries (12.32 average) and 10 touchdowns. The Trojans utilize the triple opiton.
Schmude outdid Fenton with 291 yards on just 14 carries and four scores last week as the duo went for almost 600 yards combined.
The Trojans average 381 yards rushing per game and to keep defenses honest, they average a whopping 26.1 yards per completion as well.
Don’t count on McDowell to move the ball quite so easily against Gateway (6-0), which recorded its second shutout of the season with a 42-0 win over Hempfield (Greensburg) last week.
The Gators, led by linebacker Bell (6-1, 220), have allowed just 38 points all year (6.3 per game). Bell has 47 tackles thus far, six sacks and 19 tackles for loss.
He’s not bad on offense as well with a team-leading 459 yards rushing and eight scores in just 20 attempts, an almost ridiculous 22.9 average per carry.
Bell rushed just three times for 31 yards and a score last week, acquiescing to senior scatback Brian Williams (5-7, 155), who broke loose for a career day with 309 yards rushing and four scores.
The Gators also have a potent passing game led by junior quarterback Robert Kalkstein, who has been nearly flawless with 63 completions in 79 attempts (80 percent) for 818 yards and 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Brown, a fluid 6-1, 185 pound receiver, is Kalkstein’s favorite target with 22 catches for 386 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Gateway coach Terry Smith believes this may be the school’s most talented team. It also includes Indiana-bound Colin Rodkey and B.J. Stevens, who has verbally committed to Miami of Ohio.
With the team’s much-anticipated game with McKeesport in two weeks, some think this first-ever matchup with McDowell could catch Gateway by surprise.
Smith promises the Gators will be hungry as ever.
A constant battle cry is last year’s bitter season-ending 35-34 loss to eventual state champion Central Catholic.
“Having that bad taste in their mouth makes them work even harder,” Smith told YourSouthHills.com.
If that loss 11 months ago doesn’t resonate, this should: McDowell lost just 19-13 to McKeesport two weeks ago. McKeesport has won five straight since losing 14-7 to Ohio power Colerain (Cincinnati) at the Kirk Herbstreit Classic. Colerain is ranked 48th nationally. McKeesport is No. 13 in Pennsylvania.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.