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High School Football Notebook: North Carolina might lose two recruits from WPIAL
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Two district linemen who had made verbal commitments to the University of North Carolina are now looking elsewhere.
Woodland Hills' Mike Dykes and Perry's Cameron Holland both chose North Carolina in the summer. But since Tar Heels coach John Bunting has been fired, they are reconsidering their choice.
"I'm just going to reevaluate," said Holland, who chose North Carolina over Pitt.
Dykes said, "I'm still looking at North Carolina, but I've decided to look at other places. I want to see what my options are."
Dykes already has set up a few official visits to other schools. He will go to Northwestern and Mississippi next month.
Elsewhere in recruiting, Greensburg Central Catholic receiver-defensive back Nick Sukay is still set on Penn State. Sukay committed to the Nittany Lions in the summer, but a few reports last week had Sukay starting to look elsewhere. Sukay, though, was at Penn State yesterday meeting with the coaches -- and his mother said her son was still committed to Penn State.
Kasperek decides
New Brighton lineman Zac Kasparek (6 feet 6, 295 pounds) has made a verbal commitment to the University of Akron. Kasparek chose the Zips over Toledo, Marshall and Cincinnati. In choosing Akron, Kasparek will get to play with his brother for one season. Kris Kasparek, a redshirt junior, is the Zips' starting tight end.
Harrisburg loses
Harrisburg was ranked either No. 1 or 2 in Class AAAA for the first 11 weeks of the season. The Cougars also were ranked nationally for a while this season. But their season ended Saturday with a 20-18 loss to Bishop McDevitt in a District 3-6 semifinal.
A little too much celebration hurt Harrisburg late in the game. Harrisburg's Carlos Smith caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Nate Brown to bring the Cougars within 20-18 with 3:39 remaining in the game. But Brown went to the back of the end zone and took off his helmet in celebration, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty.
Thus, Harrisburg had to try for two points from the 18. A pass fell incomplete.
Two games in three days
Parkland, the No. 3-ranked Class AAAA team in the state last week, lost to Easton, 17-15, in a District 11-2-4 subregional semifinal. Easton will play Liberty in the title game Saturday, and it will be Easton's second game in three days.
Easton also will play Phillipsburg (N.J.) in their annual Thanksgiving day rivalry game. This is the 100th Easton-Phillipsburg game.
Easton has been in the same situation in other years and always plays its Thanksgiving game against Phillipsburg.
Who needs a coach?
If any WPIAL school is looking for a new head coach, they might want to contact Tim Brennan.
Brennan, 47, has been a highly successful coach at Bishop Kelly High in Boise, Idaho. He had won two Class 4A state championships in a row and was going for a third consecutive before his team lost to Pocatello, 30-0, in the title game Saturday night.
Brennan is leaving Bishop Kelly after the fall semester and moving to Pittsburgh to be with his wife, Denise, who recently got a job in the area. Brennan had a 126-34 record in 15 seasons at Bishop Kelly.
Brennan apparently will be looking for a job in the WPIAL.
"I'm not retiring," Kelly told the Idaho Statesman newspaper. "I would go crazy if I didn't have the opportunity to coach and be around kids."
First Published November 20, 2006 12:00 am
