Central Dauphin tops our list this season. Look out for Gateway, Archbishop Wood, North Allegheny and Bishop McDevitt.
Archbishop Wood is coming off a hot finish to the 2011 season and is our pick as the No. 3 team in the state.
Photo by Ken Inness
15-1
Head coach: Glen McNamee
Team previewPut simply, 2011 was a magical season for Central Dauphin. The team overcame several nail-biters in the playoffs to emerge as AAAA champion. In 2012, a trio of key pieces is back in quarterback
Brandon LaVia, running back/linebacker
Zayd Issah and running back/cornerback
Drew Scales. To match last year’s success, Glen McNamee’s squad will have to rebuild its entire defensive line, which was a driving force behind last year’s team. Central Dauphin added its name to the
Pennsylvania state football champions for the past 10 years list.
2. Gateway (Monroeville)2011 finish: 9-3
Head coach: Terry Smith
Team previewIt was a tumultuous offseason for Gateway, as head coach Terry Smith was embroiled in controversy about his status as head coach and athletic director. It served to unify the team and could be a rallying point in 2012 for a team that returns nine starters on offense and 10 on defense. Quarterback
Thomas Woodson is difficult to defend; he has the luxury of throwing to Pittsburgh commit
Jaymar Parrish. Gateway ranks No. 3 on our June, 2011 list of the
Top 10 Pennsylvania football dynasties.
3. Archbishop Wood (Warminster)2011 finish: 14-1
Head coach: Steve Devlin
Team previewBy the end of 2011, there was not a better team in Pennsylvania than Archbishop Wood, and there are some people who think they could be the state’s top team again this fall. Without Brandon and Desmon Peoples, it’s unlikely this year’s team will be as explosive. Still, there’s plenty of talent, including Rutgers-bound defensive end
Nick Arcidiacono and impressive sophomore
Jake Cooper. Archbishop Wood must replace one player found on the list of
Pennsylvania Class of 2012 Division 1 football signees.
4. North Allegheny (Wexford)2011 finish: 14-1
Head coach: Art Walker
Team previewOne of the most consistent large schools in Pennsylvania during the last five seasons, North Allegheny will compete for a AAAA title again in 2012. Head coach Art Walker returns playmaking quarterback
Mack Leftwich, who came on strong as a junior, and 6-foot-5 lineman
Patrick Kugler, who is committed to Michigan. Junior Kevin Biggs is also one to keep an eye on; he is 6-7 and tips the scales at 285 pounds. Receiver/cornerback
Brendan Coniker brings leadership to both sides of the ball. Search for North Allegheny players on our list of
2011 Pennsylvania All-League football teams.
5. Bishop McDevitt (Harrisburg)2011 finish: 13-3
Head coach: Jeff Weachter
Team previewThe 2011 season was one of peaks and valleys for Bishop McDevitt: It was the only team to hand a defeat to Central Dauphin but it got hammered 52-0 by Archbishop Wood. Sophomore
Andre Robinson was impressive as a freshman last year and appears poised to be the next great running back from Bishop McDevitt, which has also produced NFL’ers Ricky Watters and LeSean McCoy. Receiver
Brian Lamelle and quarterback
Alec Werner are other key returners. Bishop McDevitt ranks No. 3 on the list of
Pennsylvania's Top 10 most consistent programs.
