Gators vs. Mikes features area’s leading rushers
The local statistical races have started to heat up a little, that is all except in one category. Carmichaels’ Bobby Hathaway looks to be the runaway winner for the rushing title this season. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior can go over the 1,000-yard mark with another 100-yard effort against visiting Geibel Catholic on Friday. Hathaway has run for 904 yards and 14 touchdowns on 94 carries for an average of 9.6 yards at attempt.
Hathaway ran for 130 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Carmichaels’ 42-0 win at Monessen last Friday, and rang up 202 yards and four TDs two weeks ago when the Mikes recorded the school’s 400th all-time football victory with a 35-7 romp at Jefferson-Morgan.
One fact perhaps local football fans didn’t realize is that Friday’s game between the Mikes and Gators will actually feature the area’s TWO leading rushers and another running back who has recently gone over the 200-yard mark in a game.
Geibel’s Dan Chorba accumulated 206 yards on 21 carries against visiting Mapletown last week to up his season total to 691 yards in 107 attempts for a 6.5 average. The 5-8, 185-pound, hard-nosed senior took a beating from opposing defenses in rushing for 800 yards last year, but kept getting up and coming back for more. He’s on pace to top that mark this year.
Chorba ran for 128 yards two weeks ago when to help the Gators upend Frazier and snap a 19-game losing streak.
Chorba leads a group of three runners who have rushed for over 600 yards in 2002. California’s Ryan Robinson (100-615) and Uniontown’s Bill McLee (604-112) are the others. Rounding out the top five is Beth-Center’s George Hilverding (586-107), who is 52 yards ahead of teammate Mike Higinbotham (534-99), giving the Bulldogs the top one-two punch in the area.
Hathaway’s teammate Colby Giles is seventh with 497 yards and 10 touchdowns, and is followed by Waynesburg Central’s Cory Walsh (491-91), Brownsville’s Dougie Patterson (462-64) and Laurel Highlands’ Cory Nesser (461-103), who has made a significant jump the past few weeks.
The passing, receiving and scoring races have all become two-player sprints.
Mapletown’s Drew Denham continues to lead in passing yardage with 888 yards. He’s completed 84 of 163 throws (52 percent) for nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
Laurel Highlands’ Matt Humbert, who missed one game due to injury, has jumped back in the hunt in trying to defend his title with 840 yards. He’s connected on 77 of 159 passes (48 percent) and has thrown five touchdowns, but 10 interceptions.
Beth-Center’s Garrett Balas (45-98-640) is 200 yards behind Humbert.
Not surprisingly, Denham’s and Humbert’s favorite targets – the Mustangs’ Antwjuan Cox and the Maples’ Gerod Buckhalter – are far ahead of the pack in receptions.
Cox has pulled in 37 passes for 467 yards and two scores, while Buckhalter has caught 34 balls for 448 yards and seven touchdowns.
Ten receptions behind Buckhalter and in third place is his Mapletown teammate, Andy Latusek (24-200-1). Rounding out the top 10 are Beth-Center tight end Jordan Sweany (21-356-1), Laurel Highlands’ Tony Patitucci (20-193-0), Mapletown tight end Jayce Donley (16-162-1), Waynesburg’s Scott Cree (15-316-5), Uniontown’s Junior Mayes (15-260-2), Geibel’s Ardie Renze (14-229-2), Brownsville running back Carson Thomas (14-168-0) and Albert Gallatin’s Eddie Robinson (14-148-1).
The scoring race, predictably, has come down to Carmichaels’ deadly backfield duo of Hathaway and Giles. The latter led early in the season, but the former has taken over the top spot.
Hathaway has scored 16 touchdowns, including one receiving and one on an interception return, and three two-point conversions for 102 points.
Giles has put up 14 TDs, including three on receptions and one on a punt return, and five two-point conversions for 94 points. That’s 28 points ahead of the third-place tie of Buckhalter and Higinbotham (66). The only other players to top 50 points are Albert Gallatin’s Vaughn Jones and Thomas with 54 apiece.
Sweany pulled an unusual feat when he recovered a fumble in the end zone for the second time this season two weeks ago at Avella. He also leads the area with 15 extra-point kicks.
The top field-goal kicker is Belle Vernon’s Jon Fowler, who has made six, including three from beyond 40 yards with two from 48 and one from 44. Southmoreland’s Danny Hagerman has connected four times, all from between 25 and 39 yards.