The Top Ten Performances from the 2022 PIAA State Championships
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Tyshawn Russell PA #12 ATH #2 HEIGHT 6'2" WEIGHT 185 POS ATH CLASS 2023 View Profile Tyshawn Russell Instagram Twitter State: Pennsylvania School: Bishop McDevitt Tyshawn Russell Tyshawn Russell 6’2″ | 185 lbs | ATH Bishop McDevitt | 2023 State…
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Continue ReadingTyshawn Russell Tyshawn Russell 6’2″ | 185 lbs | ATH Bishop McDevitt | 2023 State PA showed up, caught four passes for four touchdowns, against arguably the best secondary in the state of Pennsylvania. There isn’t much more to say.
I saw Russell light up an Imhotep secondary back in week One, only to end his phenomenal year scorching an even finer-tuned Aliquippa defense. Russell simply couldn’t do more. He showed he can separate when running short/intermediate routes. He showed he can hit home runs with his stride. He even showed he’s capable of working through contact both at the LOS as well as through the duration of his route. His performance meant the most to me.
Highlights
Love the performance put on by Josiah Trotter Josiah Trotter 6’2″ | 220 lbs | LB St. Joseph’s Prep | 2023 State PA . He took every rep, every opportunity on the field, and made the most of it. We already know how good he is, the score was run up, yet there is Josiah Trotter Josiah Trotter 6’2″ | 220 lbs | LB St. Joseph’s Prep | 2023 State PA , playing like the score was 0-0 the entire contest. I counted at least 12 solo tackles, not counting the numerous assists he was in on from his MLB spot. Trotter cemented his role as the leader of a State Championship football team. His constant communication, energy, and motor exemplified it.
People seriously came away upset or disappointed with Stone Saunders Stone Saunders 6’2″ | 200 lbs | QB Bishop McDevitt | 2025 State PA ‘ performance in this State Title matchup. I get it, the young man has garnered the most attention of any underclassmen in the state. Expectations are high. Yet you can’t go without appreciating the level that Saunders plays the position.
10 of 16 passing, many of his incompletions stood out, if I’m being honest. Aliquippa dogs in his face, yet Saunders was able to flaunt his quick delivery and launch the ball 50 yards just out of reach of more touchdowns.
Speaking of touchdowns, the sophomore threw five in this one, four to Tyshawn Russell Tyshawn Russell 6’2″ | 185 lbs | ATH Bishop McDevitt | 2023 State PA . Saunders threw two questionable interceptions in this one, three total. We want that number down, yet in perspective, this kid played a hell of a game Thursday night, against one hell of a defense.
I could make the case that Wisloski’s complete performance at State’s should be higher than where he’s currently placed.
Wisloski, along with help from Wes Barnes Wes Barnes ATH Southern Columbia Area | 2023 PA , carried the offense to the tune of 221 total yards of offense.
19 carries, for 160 yards and a score, while catching a 60-yard seam ball for another score in this one. Can’t go without mentioning how he covered Westinghouse’s best weapon in Sincere Smith Sincere Smith 6’1″ | 175 lbs | WR Westinghouse | 2023 State PA , both in coverage as well as close to the LOS. Wisloski also chipped in trustworthy reps at both kick and punt returner. This young man was too much to handle.
Samaj Jones Samaj Jones 6’0″ | 215 lbs | QB St. Joseph’s Prep | 2024 State PA hardly broke a sweat, yet led an offensive attack that proved to be too much for Harrisburg to handle. First play of the contest, Jones set the tone with a QB keeper that went 65 yards for a score. The explosive play set the tone for what was an explosive display of offense. Jones would only throw four additional touchdowns to four different receivers. The top-ranked quarterback in the class of 2024 earned his ring while hardly moving off his first read.
Highlights
This young man proved his rank to be a miss. Ryan Palmieri Ryan Palmieri 5’10” | 175 lbs | ATH Pine Richland | 2023 State PA proved what I thought wouldn’t be possible, that a QB/ATH, with this stature, could dominate a defense like Imhotep’s. An interception read beautifully by Palmieri was taken back for a score, a score that would flip momentum of this game. Add additional quality reps from his safety spot and you have a quality night from your backend safety. That’s only one side of the ball. The zone-read mesh sets worked to a tee, Palmieri was patient yet decisive when picking which holes to exploit. The 5’10, unassuming senior QB finished runs harder than some 200+ pound backs would. Palmieri was testing the Imhotep DBs deep too, something I didn’t think I’d see Friday night. Wheel routes were hit timely and accurately. This kid was ready to secure a title, he wasn’t worried about rankings, or size, or names. He produced like a madman. I’d rerank Palmieri into the top 250 at the very least if I could rerank prospects after States.
Riley Robell Riley Robell 6’3″ | 300 lbs | OL Bishop McDevitt | 2023 State PA ‘s performance in this one blew me away. In all honesty, the entire Bishop McDevitt front seven deserves this honor, but no one more deserving than the James Madison commit. Incredible off the snap, Robell was often 2-3 yards into the backfield, either free or engaged, by the time Tikey Hayes received the handoff. This was damn near every other play. Beautiful hand placement, Robell locked out his arms and shed easily, not letting the Aliquippa run game get off the ground. When he wasn’t completely engulfing running backs, Robell would hold his gap to let studs like Regan, Werner, and Kephart clean up the play. This was my first real look at Robell, I came away impressed.
A dominant performance put on by Ryan Cory Ryan Cory 6’4″ | 285 lbs | OL Pine-Richland | 2024 State PA and the rest of the Pine-Richland offensive line. In my preview, I mentioned the game would be won in the trenches. It proved to play out this way. Huge credit to Ryan Cory Ryan Cory 6’4″ | 285 lbs | OL Pine-Richland | 2024 State PA ‘s performance, it makes me feel secure with his top three positional rank. Cory might deserve a bump in overall rank too. Awesome technical discipline. Cory didn’t move away from his coaching and try to do too much solely because of the competition he was up against. He stayed the course, trusted his technique, and bullied the elite talent that lined up across of him. Palmieri’s offensive performance could be attributed to this kid’s game.
You can praise St. Joseph’s Prep top to bottom when evaluating its State Title performance. One matchup that intrigued me was stud pass rusher Terrell Reynolds Terrell Reynolds 6’2″ | 230 lbs | DL Harrisburg | 2023 State PA against either Kevin Towns Kevin Towns 6’4″ | 290 lbs | OL St. Joseph’s Prep | 2024 State PA or Joey McMahon Joey McMahon 6’7″ | 280 lbs | OL St. Joseph’s Prep | 2023 State PA . Joey McMahon Joey McMahon 6’7″ | 280 lbs | OL St. Joseph’s Prep | 2023 State PA was up for the challenge. His pass-protection reps against Reynolds prove that there are levels to elite football. McMahon combined a blend of quick feet and strong hand placement to negate almost everything Reynolds threw at him. Reynolds is the type of pass rusher that could potentially wreck a game. The Hawks had an answer for him, the answer was 6’7 tackle, Joey McMahon Joey McMahon 6’7″ | 280 lbs | OL St. Joseph’s Prep | 2023 State PA . Great performance.
Jaieon Perry
Jaieon Perry
Jaieon Perry will see a ranking solely based on his performance in this one. Perry came down with a ridiculous catch in this one that finally opened up this matchup. Both offenses were stagnant, yet Perry took it upon himself to make a play. Perry came away with other catches as well. Perry forced numerous stops from his linebacker spot, setting the tone on defense as well. Perry eventually came away with the game-sealing interception in this one. cementing his MVP performance in my opinion. He left a lasting impression on me.
Honorable Mention
Tough to pick top ten performances between 12 teams. That’s proven by having Marquese Williams Marquese Williams 5’11” | 190 lbs | RB Bishop McDevitt | 2023 State PA in the honorable mention section of this piece. That being said, Williams was relatively bottled up in this one until the second half. His 50-yard run completely broke any momentum that Aliquippa was attempting to build. Old-school football tells you to trust your elite running back to close out games for you, McDevitt eventually did so and closed out the ball game with the ball in Marquese Williams Marquese Williams 5’11” | 190 lbs | RB Bishop McDevitt | 2023 State PA ‘ hands.
Highlights
This was far from an elite performance from arguably the best player in the state. That being said, Belle Vernon Area came away with a Title win and Quinton Martin Quinton Martin 6’3″ | 200 lbs | ATH Belle Vernon Area | 2024 State PA had a huge say in said victory. BVA’s offense relies heavily on sweeps, east-to-west running that suits Quinton Martin Quinton Martin 6’3″ | 200 lbs | ATH Belle Vernon Area | 2024 State PA ‘s ability to read running lanes on the fly, as well as his overall athleticism. Neumann was quick to the football, however, and closed fast on Martin. Martin still garnered most of the yards for BVA, most of the first downs as well. Martin flashed that elite playmaking ability when he reeled in an incredible interception off of Mekhi Wharton Mekhi Wharton 6’5″ | 215 lbs | QB Neumann-Goretti | 2024 State PA ‘s first pass of the day. It’s worth mentioning Martin reeled in the only offensive touchdown of this football game, while also contributing in the return game as a gunner and a return man.
I can make the case that Aiden Johnson Aiden Johnson 6’2″ | 215 lbs | DL Belle Vernon Area | 2024 State PA deserves to be higher on this list. TFLs for days. The 6’2 pass rusher had his work cut out for him, having to bring down 6’5 Mekhi Wharton Mekhi Wharton 6’5″ | 215 lbs | QB Neumann-Goretti | 2024 State PA each rep. Neumann Goretti attempted to negate Johnson’s rush and limit his impact by leaving him unblocked on the weak side. A motor that was revving countered Neumann’s attempt to throttle his production. Johnson ended up stuffing NG linemen on the most crucial play of the game, forcing Mekhi Wharton Mekhi Wharton 6’5″ | 215 lbs | QB Neumann-Goretti | 2024 State PA into his own linemen to cause a fumble at the one yard line. His performance in this one will be remembered when I rerank the 2024 class.
Ronald Burnette made a tough performance look easy in this one. The 5’9 junior back scored three times in this one, providing all of the scoring for the Steam Rollers. What impressed me more than his three scores, the way he toted the rock angrily with each opportunity that was given to him. Burnette Jr. often turned 5-yard runs into 10-yard first-down carries solely because he was unwilling to stop churning his legs. This is one tough back that is going to see a boost in rank in time. Power base, with a low center of gravity, Burnette reminds me a ton of Kahseim Phillips Kahseim Phillips 5’9″ | 185 lbs | RB St. Joseph’s Prep | 2024 State PA at SJP, that’s high praise coming from me.
Wes Barnes Wes Barnes ATH Southern Columbia Area | 2023 PA ‘ performance might be a bit overshadowed by Braeden Wisloski Braeden Wisloski 5’10” | 185 lbs | ATH Southern Columbia | 2023 State PA ‘s awesome outing. Yet Wes Barnes Wes Barnes ATH Southern Columbia Area | 2023 PA put on a solid performance on both sides of the ball. Barnes racked up 105 yards on the ground, ripping 6 yards per carry while running in one score. Barnes has a sweet TFL in this one too. He’s a prospect that was relatively unknown on my end, glad that got to change.