If Upper St. Clair coach Mike Junko wanted to take issue with the WPIAL playoff pairings after receiving a No. 2 seed for the Class 5A tournament, it would have been hard for anybody to blame him.
After all, the Panthers (10-0) were the only team in Class 5A to complete an undefeated regular season, and they certainly weren’t facing any cupcakes on their schedule. Seven of their 10 victories are against playoff teams, and they are also the outright champion of the Allegheny Six Conference — widely regarded as one of the strongest conferences from top to bottom in WPIAL history, with five out of six teams making the playoffs. At one point in midseason, four of the top five spots in the PUP’s “Best in Show” rankings in Class 5A were occupied by teams from the Allegheny Six — and Upper St. Clair beat them all.
That being said, if you thought Junko would waste any energy whining or complaining about the WPIAL steering committee’s decision to award the No. 1 seed to Pine-Richland, you’re sorely mistaken.
“I don’t know that it meant that much to us, just because there are really good teams on both sides of the bracket,” Junko said. “I think our resume speaks for itself. While the No. 1 seed would have been nice, our goal is to earn the No. 1 position by playing the games. We’re going to have to play them all eventually at some point if we’re able to make our way through this bracket.
“There are human beings who make these decisions, and some of these things are subjective. You’re kind of at the mercy of the committee. I’m sure they would argue that their rationale made sense in the room. Who am I to judge? I wasn’t in the room.”
With its win against Class 6A No. 1 Central Catholic and a narrow 28-21 defeat against two-time defending Class 6A champion North Allegheny, Pine-Richland (9-1) had a solid case of its own for the top seed in Class 5A. Still, the seeding raises new questions about the weight of non-conference games in the eyes of the WPIAL steering committee — especially considering the Panthers’ overall body of work appears to outshine that of Pine-Richland, with wins against No. 3 Peters Township, No. 5 Bethel Park, No. 9 Franklin Regional, No. 10 Moon and No. 11 South Fayette as well as McKeesport, the No. 3 team in Class 4A.
Either way, as one of four teams to receive a first-round bye in Class 5A, Upper St. Clair is happy to have a much-needed week of recovery on tap while awaiting the winner of the matchup between No. 7 Penn Hills and No. 10 Moon in the quarterfinal round.
“I think regardless of the seed, I think the road is going to be kind of tough for everybody,” Junko said. “This is our first time having a bye week. It gives us a chance to heal up a little bit and address some issues and problems and fix some things along the way.”
According to Junko, junior running back Dante Coury is nearing a return from his injury sustained in a 21-7 win against Peters Township on Sept. 27, and the extra week off before the Panthers’ next game means he might even be ready for the start of the postseason. In his absence, sophomore John Banbury has filled in admirably while bringing a more physical rushing style to complement the slippery jukes and breakaway speed of star senior Julian Dahlem.
In the regular season, Dahlem led the team with 1,017 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns on 109 attempts, while Banbury rushed for 589 yards and seven TDs on 78 carries. Despite playing in only six games, Coury still tallied 554 yards rushing and eight TDs on 82 attempts.
“[Coury] is getting closer. The hope is maybe the [quarterfinal] round or the [semifinal] round if we’re able to make it there,” Junko said. “I think it’s been good for John’s development to get some more carries. I think when we do get Dante back, it’s going to make us that much better.”
Meanwhile, junior quarterback Ethan Hellmann has completed 45-of-81 passes for 859 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year, proving that Upper St. Clair is more than capable of throwing the ball when it needs to — like on his game-winning touchdown drive in the final minute to beat Bethel Park, 14-10, in a battle of unbeatens on Oct. 11.
But if you’re searching for the true centerpiece of the Panthers’ high-powered offense and punishing defense, look no further than senior guard-defensive end Nate Stohl. At 6 feet 3, 265 pounds, Stohl is an all-conference selection on both sides of the ball who has taken his game to a new level in his final high school season. His presence in the trenches provides the foundation for Upper St. Clair’s success while allowing players like Dahlem, Hellmann and Banbury to shine.
“I just nominated him for the Fralic Award,” Junko said about the award given to the WPIAL’s top senior interior lineman. “Defensively, you have to double-team him. And then there’s no guarantee that you’re going to keep him contained with the double team. And offensively, he moves so well. It allows you to put schemes together, getting him on the edge and getting downhill on people and pulling him all over the place — he’s just a special talent. My hope is that he’s recognized for it at the end of the year.
“I really think he’s one of the most special linemen I’ve had the opportunity to coach.”
After missing out on the postseason for the first time in 24 years despite finishing with an 8-2 overall record last fall, these Panthers have a newfound appreciation for playoff football. So when the time comes to put on the pads and buckle the chinstraps next Friday, Junko knows none of his players will be worried about the seed next to their name in the bracket.
“I think they have grown accustomed to being dismissed,” Junko said. “They’ve been written off so many times by the experts. They kind of feed off of it. They kind of have this ‘Upper St. Clair vs. everybody’ attitude about it.
“I think it certainly will be something that motivates them. The biggest thing I can say about them is, they want to prove it on the field.”
Peters Township’s McCullough a rare multi-purpose weapon
Several players around the area are known for making a major impact on offense, defense and special teams, but few do so better than Peters Township senior Nick McCullough.
Dubbed by Indians coach T.J. Plack as the “fastest player he’s ever coached” prior to the season, McCullough has made good on his coach’s praise with one of the biggest breakout seasons of 2024. McCullough led Class 5A No. 3 Peters Township (9-1) during the regular season with 40 receptions for 844 yards and 11 touchdowns to go with four interceptions and 20 pass breakups on defense.
Also an elite return specialist, McCullough has tallied a trio of punt-return touchdowns on the season, giving him 14 scores overall with 1,350 all-purpose yards for the defending WPIAL champions.
Milestone watching
With the start of the postseason just around the corner, some of the area’s top talents are on the verge of joining some exclusive company.
For Steel Valley senior Donald Barksdale, it has been another season to remember after he rushed for 2,061 yards with 37 touchdowns as a junior. Now, after rushing for 1,761 yards with 27 scores in the regular season, Barksdale is up to 4,789 yards rushing with 80 total TDs for his career, meaning he needs 211 yards on the ground for the Class 2A No. 4 Ironmen in a first-round showdown with No. 13 Washington to reach 5,000 yards rushing for his career.
As for Fort Cherry phenom Matt Sieg, the junior dual-threat quarterback is on his way to another stellar season after accounting for 63 total TDs while leading the Rangers to a 15-win season and their first WPIAL title as a sophomore. Despite playing the first month of the season with a broken thumb, Sieg has now passed for 871 yards and 16 TDs with three interceptions while rushing for 1,155 yards and 20 TDs on 141 carries.
That gives him 36 total TDs for the season and 143 for his career — and if you don’t think he can get to 150 in Class 1A No. 1 Fort Cherry’s first-round clash against No. 16 Brentwood on Friday, you don’t know Sieg.
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
