In a rare battle of undefeated teams, Chartiers-Houston at Clairton, the Bears (4-0) stomped the Buccaneers (3-1) as badly as everyone else they’ve faced this season, winning 48-0 in front of a sold out Neil C. Brown Stadium last Friday night.
While storms rolled through the region causing many to be without power; Clairton’s high-powered offense electrified the home crowd.
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| MAN AMONG BOYS—Clairton quarterback Desimon Green threw four touchdown passes in the Bears 48-0 win over Chartiers-Houston. (Photo by William McBride)
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When you talk about football talent in the WPIAL, the first name in the conversation has to be Desimon Green. At 6-5 and 230 pounds, Green often looks like a man among boys. He draws comparison to the Tennessee Titans Vince Young and Ohio State’s Heisman trophy candidate, Terrelle Pryor. Green completed 5 of 9 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns. He carried the ball only five times for 60 yards.
Clairton took the opening kickoff and marched down the field. Brandon Small, who rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns, opened the scoring with a 6-yard run. The biggest sleeper in the WPIAL this year may be Josh Page. Page caught touchdown passes of 32 and 22 yards.
Chartiers-Houston was the epitome of sloppiness Friday night, gaining more penalties yards than total offensive yards.
Clairton, the WPIAL and PIAA No. 1 Class A team, has forced the mercy rule in all four games. Under the rule, the clock runs continuously in the second half when a team gets ahead by 35 points or more. Clairton has outscored its opponents, 204-12 and they are averaging over 50 points a game.
Clairton owns the state’s longest winning streak at 19 games and may be the best team in the state and one of the top teams in the country. The Bears, a traditional WPIAL football powerhouse, won WPIAL titles in 2006, 2008 and 2009. They have played in two consecutive PIAA championship games, and claimed the state gold last season.
Defensive coordinator Wayne “Rinky” Wade saw his unit produce another shutout. Clairton has now produced a shutout in 18 of its past 36 games. It could be argued that no WPIAL or City League team has ever looked as dominant defensively as this group of Grizzly Bears. Is Clairton just too good for Class A competition?
“No, Rochester is better than Clairton,” said Chartiers-Houston coach Terry Fetsko. “Clairton showed poor sportsmanship. We didn’t have our best night. We have a good running tandem with Joey Joscsak and Garrett Vulcano. I would like to get another crack at them on a neutral site.”
Many experts feel that Clairton is the class of the WPIAL. Better than Woodland Hills, North Allegheny, Hopewell and Aliquippa. Westinghouse and General Braddock dominated the 1950s and ’60s. Penn Hills dominated the 1970s. Aliquippa in the 1980s and the new millennium seems to belong to Clairton.
“I have never seen this much speed and talent on a high school team,” said athletic trainer Tammy Ridgley. “We have Trenton Coles, the fastest player in the state, Brandon Small, Josh Page, Bishop Neal, Karvonn “Mud Puppy” Coles, Deon Ellis, Brian Boyd and Pitt recruit Desimon Green.” Maybe it is time to mention Green in the same breath as Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino, Dwight Collins, Lavar Arrington, Bill Fralic, Eugene Jarvis, Justin King, Darrelle Revis and Pryor.
Good fortune has been with Clairton as late coach Demonje Rosser looks over the team. Rosser was shot and killed March 26, 2009 and the crime remains unsolved. His spirit is still with the players and community. Many people, including most of the Clairton players, believe that the only way the Bears will lose this season will be if the team beats itself.
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