That's all she wrote (for the regular season). It's about time to look ahead to the 2021 WPIAL football playoffs. But first, we take on last glance back at the top performers from Week 9 of the high school football year.
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.
Previous Watch Lists: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8
Sam Miller, Peters Township
Miller, a Columbia baseball recruit, had a fantastic night both through the air and on the ground Friday.
The senior quarterback passed for 289 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 74 more and another score, as Peters Township dropped South Fayette 35-7.
The win clinched a playoff spot in the Class 5A postseason.
So far this year, Miller has passed for 1,648 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the ground, the versatile quarterback has gone for 438 yards and four more touchdowns.
Nijhay Burt, Steel Valley
A previous honoree on the Super 7 Watch List, Burt continues to dazzle in 2021.
On Friday night, in one of the biggest games of the season, he helped lead Steel Valley to a monster win.
Burt ran for 192 yards to lead the Ironmen to a 28-7 win over Serra Catholic in a matchup of previously unbeaten teams.
The WPIAL's regular season rushing champ, Burt has gone for 1,812 yards and scored 31 touchdowns, also the top mark in the district.
The 6-foot, 175-pound senior has offers from Buffalo, Duquesne, Seton Hill, Walsh and Bluefield State.
Jaren Brickner, Beaver Falls
Beaver Falls, the defending WPIAL Class 2A champs, wrapped up a solid regular season with a 6-3 record, losing just once in conference games.
Jaren Brickner has been a big reason why.
On Friday, Brickner led the WPIAL in passing yards for Week 9, tossing the ball for 358 yards and four touchdowns in a 58-0 win over Riverside.
Brickner, a junior who also plays safety, closed the regular season third in the WPIAL in passing yards with 1,840. He passed for 18 touchdowns and also ran the ball for 333 yards and another six scores.
A lefty, Brickner has received some college interest already, completing a visit to Kent State in September.
Julian Duggar, Penn Hills
There's been a very consistent run of strong quarterback play at Penn Hills High School over the years, and Dugger is carrying that torch nicely in 2021.
On Friday, he slung the ball for 260 yards and four touchdowns, as the Indians picked up a key Class 5A Northeast Conference win over Kiski, 42-22.
Penn Hills is playoff bound with a 6-3 record, finishing in a three-way tie for the Northeast Conference title.
What makes Dugger so intriguing? He's only a sophomore, and is already getting some college interest.
While he has spread out the passing love to his teammates this year — including Raion Strader's 200 receiving yards Friday — his favorite target is his brother, Jaden, who leads the team in receiving.
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 North Hills. You can hear the show, and the game, on 100.1 FM and 1020 AM News Radio KDKA.
Take a look at highlights's from last week's KDKA Radio Game of the Week, as Belle Vernon topped McKeesport.
