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Sunday, September 4, 2022 | 9:22 PM
Christopher Horner | Tribune-Assessment
Metal Valley quarterback Cruce Brookins carries for a landing in opposition to Sto-Rox on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in McKees Rocks.
Metal Valley senior quarterback Cruce Brookins believes in his skills on the soccer area. He additionally has nice belief in his offensive line.
That combo was on show in Week 1 within the season opener for the Ironmen in an exhilarating, 28-24 win at Sto-Rox in an early season Class 2A heavyweight showdown.
“I really like our line,” Brookins informed Trib HSSN’s Chris Harlan after the sport. “They had been opening up so many holes for me; I’d have to go feed them.”
In opposition to the Vikings, Brookins carried the ball 20 occasions for 186 yards and scored all 4 of the Ironmen’s touchdowns.
Almost each rating was a solution to a Sto-Rox lead.
Brookins scored on runs on 26 and 81 yards within the first half, a 1-yard landing within the third quarter that put Metal Valley up by three factors, after which one other 1-yard rating with lower than 3 minutes left in regulation for the successful factors.
“There is no such thing as a higher competitor than him,” Metal Valley coach Ray Braszo stated. “He at all times strides for perfection on and off the sector.”
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound quarterback and defensive again has dedicated to Kent State.
WPIAL Week 1 Honorable Mentions
Keegan Smetanka – Shaler
Shaler has found an attention-grabbing recipe for fulfillment on offense that has the Titans averaging 28 factors via the primary two video games — transfer the ball via the air and punch it into the top zone on the bottom.
The shifting it up and down the sector via the air half falls on junior quarterback Keegan Smetanka, who in Week 1, accomplished 22 of 36 passes for 313 yards, however no touchdowns within the Titans’ 28-24 win over Hampton. In two weeks, Smetanka has thrown for 469 yards and one landing.
Bret FitzSimmons – Central Valley
Simply when Central Valley opponents didn’t assume they needed to fear about Sean FitzSimmons wreaking havoc now that he’s at Pitt, right here comes youthful brother Bret able to preserve the household custom going of inflicting matches for Warriors foes.
In a showdown in opposition to Class 3A energy Avonworth in Week 1, FitzSimmons carried the ball solely 10 occasions, however ended up speeding for 209 yards. A lot of the injury got here on his 4 lengthy landing runs of 63, 29, 17 and 80 yards within the Warriors’ twenty ninth straight win, 37-22.
David Davis – Imani Christian
What a distinction every week makes. Imani Christian scored zero factors in a Week Zero loss to the Linsly College (W.Va.), however rebounded properly in Week 1 due to the massive time working of David Davis.
Solely a freshman, Davis did all of it in opposition to Brentwood. He carried the ball 17 occasions for 261 yards and three touchdowns, had one reception for 15 yards and returned a fumble for an additional rating because the Saints evened their document at 1-1 with a 36-21 win over the Spartans.
2022 HSSN Gamers of the Week
Week Zero – Conlan Greene, Metal Valley
Tags: Central Valley, Imani Christian, Shaler, Metal Valley
