The "Wildcat" offense is the rage at every level of football these days, but it's old hat at West Allegheny High School.

Although the "Wildcat" has become popular around the country the past few seasons, mostly after the University of Arkansas started using it with Darren McFadden, West Allegheny has been using the offense for six years. It worked with Dorin Dickerson, now a senior tight end at Pitt, when he played at West Allegheny -- and it's working these days with Mike Caputo.

Caputo, a junior running back, rushed for 297 yards last Friday against New Castle, with most of the yardage coming out of the "Wildcat." In the offense, a running back takes a direct snap from center.

West Allegheny coach Bob Palko and his staff aren't claiming to be inventors of the "Wildcat," but Palko said, "All I know is we've been running the thing longer than Arkansas."

Palko said assistant coach Mark Davis came up with the idea to use the offense when Dickerson played for West Allegheny. Dickerson, who graduated in 2006, was a running back at West Allegheny.

"We don't use [the Wildcat] all the time and we don't do it every year," said Palko. "It depends on the players you have and it just happens to be we're using it more this year."

Caputo carried the ball 40 times against New Castle.

"We didn't expect to have him carry it that much, but the other kid [Mike Cherokee] we use got hurt on the opening kickoff," Palko said.

The victory against New Castle lifted West Allegheny's record to 4-1 -- and Caputo has been one of the main reasons for the Indians' successful start. He is one of the top-five rushers in the WPIAL with 848 yards and also is a standout at strong safety.

Caputo (6 feet 1, 190 pounds) fell into the Indians' lap, moving from the Blackhawk School District to West Allegheny this summer.

"We knew from watching him in summer workouts that he was a good player," Palko said. "But when we put the pads on, we were like, 'Wow.'

"I know how everyone wants to project players and what they'll be in the future as far as college levels. So, what is he? He's a football player, that's all I know."

West Allegheny plays Blackhawk tonight.

Retired Riverview football coach Jake Cappa spends many Friday nights watching one of his three sons coach high school football. It's a practice that puts a lot of miles on his car.

"I'm pretty much everywhere," Cappa said. "But I enjoy it."

Cappa has three sons who are coordinators at different schools -- two in Western Pennsylvania and one in Eastern Pennsylvania.

John Cappa, former head coach at Shady Side Academy, is the offensive coordinator at Valley. Jason Cappa is the defensive coordinator at Riverview. Jason's twin brother, Jeff, is the offensive coordinator at Wissahickon High in Eastern Pennsylvania.

• It's eerie how this season is so much like last year for the Penn Hills football team. A year ago, the Indians came into the season with high hopes, started 1-3, but came back to make the WPIAL Class AAAA semifinals.

This year, Penn Hills had high hopes again but started 1-3, losing to the same teams as last year. Then in the fifth game last Friday, Penn Hills beat Plum, 28-7. In the fifth game a year ago, Penn Hills also beat Plum. And the score? 28-7.

• West Shamokin still hasn't reached the end zone this season, scoring three points in five games. Maybe the scoreless streak will end tonight. The Wolves play winless Summit Academy.

• Kyle Schmitt, a former Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 lineman at Derry High School, has Atholton High (Columbia, Md.) off to a 4-0 start in his first year as head coach. The team won only three games last year. Schmitt was recently named the Baltimore Ravens High School Coach of the Week.

Penn State landed one of the top linebackers in the country this week when Khairi Fortt of Stamford, Conn., made a verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions. Georgia was his other finalist.

One thing that might have helped Penn State was Fortt's official visit to Georgia last month. Fortt wasn't exactly pleased with a few of Georgia's players who served as his hosts for the weekend.

"Two guys left me," Fortt told The Advocate newspaper in Stamford. "I was left at a dorm party with people I didn't know. Once I was just walking alone in the streets. Georgia is a school in the south, in a top conference, the SEC, the weather is warm, I have a lot of family there and the academics are good. It was all how I connected with the players."

While Brett Favre continues to make headlines, his nephew broke records this past weekend in Mississippi.

Dylan Favre, a senior at St. Stanislaus High, set a Mississippi record for career touchdown passes (108) and career passing yards (9,419) in a game against Greene County. He completed 40 of 48 passes for 506 yards in the game.

Dylan is not being recruited by Division I colleges, mainly because he is only 5 feet 10, 180 pounds.

Margo Malone is only a sophomore at North Hills and her sister, Shannon, only a freshman, but they are two of the top runners in WPIAL cross country. They finished 1-2 at the Central Catholic Invitational Saturday, have performed well at other meets and invitationals and are expected to do well at the WPIAL championships in a few weeks.

The sister act will expand by one next year when Mary, now an eighth-grader, joins the North Hills team. She is reputed to be on par with her sisters' talents.

The Malones' father, Paul, has long held the nickname "Moses."

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