Week 2 of the 2021 WPIAL football season is in the books, and it was another impressive Friday for local quarterbacks. A trio of QB’s played their way onto the Super 7 Watch List, and were joined by a dynamic tailback who led his team to a comeback in one of Week 2’s marquee games.
At the end of the high school football season, we will honor seven local players who stood out the most during 2021.
The awards will go to the top player in each WPIAL classification, as well as the best performer in the Pittsburgh City League.
Leading up to that, each week, we will highlight players who are in the running for the prestigious postseason award.
So, let’s take one final look back at Week 2 before some conference play begins this Friday night, and the games take on a little more meaning.
Brad Birch, Gateway
Following an incredible freshman season at Jeannette, in which he passed for 1,676 yards and 28 touchdowns, while leading the Jayhawks to a WPIAL Class 1A title and PIAA silver, Brad Birch took his talents to Monroeville this offseason, transferring with his brother Brett to Gateway.
So far, Birch has been a more than welcomed addition for the Gators, and that continued Friday night.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound sophomore passed for 222 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for another score, as Gateway dropped rival Penn Hills, 41-13.
Birch is an intriguing prospect, who picked up an offer from Oregon during his freshman season. The Ducks pulled off an upset in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, beating No. 2 Ohio State.
Devin Whitlock, Belle Vernon
He is simply one of the fastest players you’ll find on a high school football field in the state of Pennsylvania, and Devin Whitlock put that speed on full display Friday.
Whitlock, a do-it-all athlete who can line up at quarterback, running back, receiver or defensive back for Belle Vernon, torched the Penn-Trafford defense Friday as the Leopards pulled off a huge 27-7 win over Class 5A’s top team.
The senior ran for 205 yards on 21 carries. He scored three touchdowns and also passed for 93 yards. Over the last two weeks, he has accounted for eight touchdowns, including seven on the ground.
Whitlock is perhaps not being recruited highly because of his size (5-foot-8, 165 pounds), but his versatile skillset did allow him to pick up his first Division I offer in June, as nearby Youngstown State reached out.
Anthony Mackey, Chartiers Valley
Anthony Mackey is not the same guy as Anthony Mackie, the actor beloved for his role as Falcon in the Marvel movie universe.
But Mackey sure does like to go to the air.
Mackey passed for 284 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Colts to a 35-34 overtime win over Keystone Oaks Friday.
His fifth touchdown of the night, to Abe Ibrahim, and the ensuing extra point, ended up being the difference. Ibrahim, by the way, was on the receiving end of 229 of Mackey’s 284 yards.
Mackey, a senior with a 4.4 GPA, has an offer from Carnegie Mellon and interest from several other schools. This was his best passing game by far in 2021, but he did rush for 202 yards and a touchdown in the previous two weeks.
Gannon Carothers, Central Catholic
In a game that aired on News Radio KDKA, Central Catholic found itself trailing rival Pine-Richland 28-7 in the first half.
But then Gannon Carothers showed up, and showed out.
Carothers, Central Catholic’s senior tailback, ran for 244 yards on 24 carries, scoring twice. He also hauled in a 58-yard touchdown pass and returned a kickoff for more points, as the Vikings rallied to topple the Rams, 49-35.
This year, Carothers has run for 350 yards and three scores.
See previous Super 7 Watch lists: Week 1
KDKA Radio’s coverage of WPIAL football continues this week with the Quest for the Best Show at 6 p.m. on Thursday night. On Friday, Dan Zangrilli, Johnny Lee, Robert Mangino, Dorin Dickerson and Cale Berger bring you live coverage of Peters Township at Penn-Trafford. You can hear the show, and the game, on 100.1 FM and 1020 AM News Radio KDKA.