WPIAL AAA Interstate Top Player Performances of the Week
Congratulations to this week's top players! We're covering the best performances from Friday's football action (using all statistics entered as of the time of writing). Enjoy!
Ryan Messina's Big Game Leads Elizabeth Forward over Yough
Starting off the list is Elizabeth Forward's Ryan Messina, who we judged to be the best player in the league this week. Messina threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns while completing 84.6% of his passes, and also rushed for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Messina and Elizabeth Forward will take on Southmoreland at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup will pit Messina up against the Scotties' star signal caller Anthony Smith. With so much talent on the field, fans are surely in for an exciting game. The only thing left to see is who brings home the W.
Gamescore: 46.97
A Constellation of Stars for Elizabeth Forward
Another Elizabeth Forward player making an appearance on this list is Charlie Nigut. He rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries, and also picked up 89 receiving yards. He didn't just play on offense: he also made two total tackles and defended two passes.
If the past is any indication, Nigut could be in store for another big game when he takes on Southmoreland on Friday. When Nigut last faced the Scotties back in September of 2023, he picked up 96 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 45 yards and two touchdowns.
Gamescore: 32.03
Smith Came Up Big in Southmoreland's 28-7 Victory
Southmoreland picked up their fourth consecutive win on Friday thanks in part to Anthony Smith. Smith turned in nothing short of a gem, throwing for 284 yards and three touchdowns. He is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in the last three games he's played.
Southmoreland's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-1. Smith and Southmoreland will face off against Elizabeth Forward at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Gamescore: 27.83
Keeping Smith company is Elliot Premus, a fellow Southmoreland player. He picked up 52 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also punched in a rushing score. He didn't just play on offense: he also made five total tackles (1.0 for loss) and defended a pass.
On the year, Premus has caught 8 touchdowns while averaging 100.1 receiving yards per game. He's made a big improvement compared to last season: at this point last year, he was only averaging 20 receiving yards per game.
Gamescore: 26.37
Other Notable Players
- Alex Dziadyk: 2 sacks and 10 total tackles (2.0 for loss) (Gamescore: 24.75)
- Christopher Climes: 2 sacks and 6 total tackles (4.0 for loss) (Gamescore: 24.25)
- Connor Stokes: 95 yards receiving, 1 TD (Gamescore: 23.83)
- Makel Darnell: 116 yards receiving, 1 TD (Gamescore: 21.98)
- Jace Brown: 2 sacks and 6 total tackles (3.0 for loss) (Gamescore: 21.50)
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
