QB Terrelle Pryor (official thread)

[osugrad21]

Jeannette is led by junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who has completed 71 of 123 passes for 1,226 yards and 13 touchdowns. Pryor also leads the Jayhawks with 1,083 yards and 17 touchdowns on 118 rushing attempts.

"Terrelle reminds me of Vince Young," said Reitz, referring to the former University of Texas and current Tennessee Oilers quarterback. "He's only a junior, but has already received numerous collegiate offers. He's even going to the Ohio State-Michigan game, and both teams have offered a scholarship. Terrelle will be playing in the NFL someday."

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[OSUnumber45]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

"Terrelle reminds me of Vince Young," said Reitz, referring to the former University of Texas and current Tennessee Oilers quarterback. "He's only a junior, but has already received numerous collegiate offers. He's even going to the Ohio State-Michigan game, and both teams have offered a scholarship. Terrelle will be playing in the NFL someday."

Link

Don't they mean the Titans?

[Buckskin86]

Next season, scouting service gurus will tell you that Jeannette's Terrelle Pryor will likely be ranked among the top 50 basketball seniors in the country, and the top 100 football seniors.

Football or basketball, everyone wants Pryor
Friday, November 17, 2006

By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Terrelle Pryor was talking to a guidance counselor at Jeannette High School recently when Pryor told him what happened the previous day.

"He told me he got a scholarship offer from the University of Nebraska for football -- and the University of Connecticut for basketball," said Rick Klimchock. "I told him I've had some good days in my life, but I don't know if I ever had a day like that."

But such days are becoming common for Pryor.

Western Pennsylvania hasn't seen a combination football-basketball athlete like Pryor in more than 25 years. The WPIAL has produced its share of two-sport stars in that period of time, but no one has been recruited as heavily as Pryor in football and basketball. Some of the nation's premier programs are offering him scholarships.

And no one has enjoyed the lofty national reputation that Pryor has in both sports. Next season, scouting service gurus will tell you he will likely be ranked among the top 50 basketball seniors in the country, and the top 100 football seniors.

Consider this: Ohio State, the No. 1 football team in the country, offered him a scholarship a few months ago, and Ohio State basketball coaches are now starting to show interest in him. Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Rutgers, Clemson and a few others already have offered him a scholarship for football. Pitt, Penn State, Clemson, Miami and a few others also have offered him a scholarship for basketball. And he's only a junior.

Pryor, a quarterback-defensive back in football, has led Jeannette to the WPIAL AA football semifinals. The Jayhawks play Brentwood tonight.

"I've been in this scouting business since 1977 and I can't think of anybody like him," said Joe Butler of Metro Index Scouting in Pittsburgh. "It's been a long, long time since this area has seen someone with his athleticism and talent level in both sports."

As for top two-sport WPIAL athletes, Aliquippa's Darrelle Revis -- now a starting cornerback on Pitt's football team -- comes to mind from a few years ago. But he wasn't that highly recruited in football and his basketball offers were from schools such as Akron and Western Kentucky. Go back to the 1980s when Darelle Porter was a two-sport standout in the City League. He had a few scholarship offers from football, but not from big-time schools. He eventually played basketball at Pitt.

Legend has it Ringgold's Joe Montana, an NFL Hall of Famer, also was a basketball talent. True, but his basketball recruiting becomes more fictitious over time. He wasn't even the top player on his Ringgold team and wasn't as highly recruited in basketball as Pryor.

To find a Western Pennsylvania football-basketball star recruited like Pryor, you might have to go back to Tom Clements, a 1971 graduate of Canevin who went on to play quarterback at Notre Dame. Bob Jacoby is now the football coach-athletic director at Bishop Canevin and was an assistant football coach during Clements' days at the school, which was a member of the Catholic League back then.

"He was terrific in both sports," Jacoby said. "He had a lot of offers in both sports. Here's what his decision came down to: Football at Notre Dame or basketball at North Carolina. [Notre Dame coach] Ara Parseghian wanted him for football and [North Carolina coach] Dean Smith for basketball."

Less than a year ago, Pryor was intent on playing basketball in college. In January of his sophomore year, he made a verbal commitment to Pitt to play basketball. But he has since rethought his decision and reopened his recruiting.

Pryor's star is rising in football with a tremendous junior season. He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards (1,082 on 115 attempts) and thrown for more than 1,000 (71 of 121 for 1,232 yards).

"I like playing football now more than before," Pryor said.

In a quarterfinal victory against Aliquippa last week, Pryor had 215 of Jeannette's 243 offensive yards.

"If ever I saw a game where one guy beat the other team, that was it," said Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac. "If you're going to ask me how good he can be as a quarterback? I don't know how well he throws the ball to play that position in college. But with his size and ability, he sure looked like Vince Young to me.

"As an athlete and just a football player, he's as good as I've seen in a long time."

Klimchock was Jeannette's basketball coach until resigning after last season.

"People have wondered if he could play quarterback in football, but it looks like he might be able to," Klimchock said. "He's never even gone to any of these summer football camps to be seen by colleges."

Pryor is a guard-forward in basketball who averaged 21 points a game as a sophomore. Scout.com ranks him as the No. 19 junior in the country.

The question Pryor gets asked most often is what sport will he play in college.

"I'm real tired of hearing that question," he said with a chuckle.

Right now, he is saying he wants to try both sports in college and would like to be either a quarterback or receiver in football. He said he will probably only consider colleges that will let him play both. But the two-ball trick is tough to master in college.

"He's a good perimeter player in basketball with size," Butler said. "In football, he could play quarterback, H-back, wideout, tight end, defense. It depends on how big he gets. He has options that most young men don't have."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06321/739140-49.stm

[Buckskin86]

WPIAL Class AA Semifinal: Jeannette coasts to an easy 47-28 victory
Saturday, November 18, 2006

By David Assad, Tri-State Sports & News Service

The Jeannette Jayhawks were given the 'rock-star' treatment after routing Brentwood last night, 47-28, in the WPIAL Class AA semifinals at Elizabeth Forward.

Jeannette players ran into the stands to meet their adoring fans after a game that was not as close as the final score. The Jayhawks led, 47-7, after three quarters.

One of the players walked out of the bleachers holding a Heinz ketchup bottle in anticipation of the trip to the WPIAL title game Friday at Heinz Field.

Junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor led Jeannette to seven touchdowns on its first seven possessions, and he only needed to throw one pass.

"I actually wanted to pass more, but it doesn't matter. I like passing, but I like running," said Pryor, busy after the game having his picture taken with children at the request of their parents.

Pryor rushed for 114 yards on nine carries, scoring three touchdowns. This included an electrifying 45-yard run in the second quarter.

Jeannette drove 72 yards after the opening kickoff to lead, 7-0. Pryor scored the touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak. Pryor threw a 23-yard pass to Davonte Shannon that put the ball at the Brentwood 1. He also kept the drive alive by scrambling 18 yards on third down-and-8 from the Jeannette 30.
Jordan Hall then returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown with 5:42 left in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead. Brentwood cut it to 14-7 when Eric Coxon passed 15 yards to Akeem Moore on fourth- -and-goal on the first play of the second quarter.

But the Jayhawks came right back with a 70-yard drive. Hall's 22-yard cutback run for a touchdown raised the lead to 21-7 with 8:04 left until halftime.

A 7-yard Brentwood punt gave Jeannette the ball at Brentwood's 29, which led to Pryor's 5-yard touchdown run with 5:06 left in the first half. Shannon added a 5-yard touchdown off a lateral to make it 34-7.Pryor then scored by going 45 yards untouched with 1:52 left in the half for a 40-7 lead.

Brentwood (10-2) had its 10-game winning streak snapped. The Spartans gave up more points than they had in their previous six games.

"Everybody played well, what else can I say," said Jeannette coach Ray Reitz, who almost seemed surprised by his team's domination.

"We have great athletes, and the kids are playing well right now. Terrelle [Pryor] is a tremendous athlete, but we've got other kids.

"You want to take Terrelle away, we've got other kids. Terrelle can throw the ball very well, but there are other things he can do. We just haven't had to have him throw the ball."

Brentwood (10-2) drove to Jeannette's 25 to open the second half, but gave the ball up on downs. Hall responded with a 75-yard touchdown run to enable the mercy rule to go into effect at 47-7 with 7:32 remaining in the third quarter.

Hall finished with 121 yards on six carries.

Da'Von Moore scored meaningless fourth-quarter touchdowns for Brentwood on a 75-yard run with a screen pass, a 63-yard punt return and a 9-yard pass from Coxon with 59 seconds left.

Jeannette's defense relentlessly pressured Coxon, sacking the Brentwood quarterback nine times for minus-71 yards.

"That was just an old-fashioned butt-kicking there," Brentwood coach Kevin Kissel said. "I told our kids all week that [Pryor] was a tremendous athlete, but they have other athletes and they have a good line. That kid ran for a lot of yards, but he obviously didn't do it on his own. They just took it to us."

Jeannette gets a rematch in the final against Greensburg Central Catholic. Jeannette beat the Centurions, 7-2, Oct. 27.

"They want to play us again," Reitz said.

"It will be a great game. [It's] two teams from the same conference [Interstate] that don't like each other. We'll see what happens."

"We showed everybody that we can play on a dry field," Pryor said.

"And we can play defense. Being a Jayhawk is about heart. That's how we play."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06322/739503-365.stm

[wadc45]

Scout $

11/20

Sophmore football and basketball highlights.

My take: FOOTBALL - Physically...very impressive. Would not rule out the idea of him growing into a DE, and can already hit like a ton of bricks. Extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands despite heing such a large target for defenders. I agree with others that you can still see what looks like a basketball player playing football when you watch these clips, but it appears the rest of his game has started to develop, in which case I am anxious to see some junior film. Not a lot of clips of him throwing the ball, but does seem to have a decent motion and throws fairly accurately on the run. BASKETBALL - Great instincts and awareness. Good handle on the ball, great body control when driving and can certainly play above the rim. Shows good instincts passing the ball as well and is a heck of a finisher. I don't think there is any doubt he could contribute to the Buckeye basketball team as well. I think Pryor, because of his size and athleticism...and the fact he could add depth to the basketball team, should be one of our top football targets in '08.

[osugrad21]

Link

Stopping Pryor priority for GCC
By Paul Schofield
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Stopping Jeannette quarterback Terrelle Pryor -- even slowing him down -- won't be easy when Greensburg Central Catholic (11-1) meets its Interstate Conference rival Friday in the WPIAL Class AA championship game Friday at Heinz Field. The trouble is there is more to the Jeannette football team (11-1) than the talented junior.
"He has speed and moves. We have to attack him. We have to get the entire defense flowing to him," Greensburg Central Catholic inside linebacker Mike Verdun said.
But he added: "We have to be aware of him, but be ready for the entire offense. They have other players who can hurt you. We'll get ready like it's just any other week."


Last week, Jeannette sophomore running back Jordan Hall emerged as a threat, scoring three touchdowns. "We're playing well," Pryor said. "We're excited about playing them on a dry field. It's going to be a challenge."
Jeannette defeated Greensburg Central Catholic, 7-2, on a rainy night Oct. 27.
Verdun said he's confident that defensive coordinator Dan Mahoney will devise a scheme to slow down Pryor. Outside linebacker Max Suter said the defense has to stay in its lanes.
"If we don't do that, he'll be able to cut back on us," Suter said. "It's like playing special teams."
Inside linebacker Dane Corbett said Jeannette and Pryor seem to be playing with a lot more confidence since the most recent game between the teams.
Corbett and Verdun will try to clog the middle and force plays to the outside.
"We're watching more film this week," Corbett said. "I'm going to study their offense and try to find some tendencies."
Even if there are no tendencies, Corbett won't have any trouble finding praise for Pryor, who has caught the eye of opposing coaches throughout the WPIAL.
Brentwood coach Kevin Kissel said before last week's semifinal game, "We never played against a player like him before."
Pryor rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns, and left Brentwood defenders on the ground in his wake.
Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac said some players can make coaches look good. He said usually one player can't win a game by himself, but he changed his mind after Pryor rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the Jayhawks' 19-14 victory in the quarterfinals.
"He's a terrific player," Zmijanac said. "They do a great job fitting him into their offense. He's not their entire team, however. He has great players around him."
Pryor also had a big game in the first round of the playoffs. The junior quarterback completed 10-of-14 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown and ran 18 times for 184 yards and another score to pace a Jayhawks attack that totaled 406 yards against Laurel.
Greensburg Central Catholic coach Muzzy Colosimo knows what Pryor can do. Pryor rushed for 124 yards and completed 4 of 7 passes for 44 yards as Jeannette upset Greensburg Central in the regular season.
"Terrelle is an athlete," Colosimo said. "He makes you miss. He's a good player."
Pryor has completed 72 of 124 passes for 1,249 yards and 13 touchdowns, and has rushed for 1,198 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Pryor has become one of the hottest junior prospects in the state, and he has received football scholarship offers from numerous schools, including Ohio State, Pitt, Rutgers, Clemson, Nebraska and Penn State. He's also a nationally ranked top-15 basketball prospect.

[Buckskin86]

Pryor the center of attention
By Paul Schofield
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, November 22, 2006


A Michigan football coach walked into Jeannette High School on Monday to look at film of junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
The coach hadn't seen Pryor play in person, so wanted to watch some tape. He was impressed.

"They offered him a scholarship on the spot," Jeannette coach Ray Reitz said. "He said he'll be back next week."

Penn State assistant coach Tom Bradley stopped by Tuesday. He wanted some film, too.

The stream of college coaches -- football and basketball -- finding their way to Jeannette has been non-stop this fall. And it likely will continue for another year.

Pryor has received football offers from numerous schools, including Ohio State, Pitt, West Virginia, Penn State, Connecticut, Nebraska and Florida, and basketball offers from Pitt, Penn State, Ohio State and Clemson. Reitz expects Pryor to receiver many more.

"Everyone wants him," said Reitz, while taking a break from preparing Jeannette to battle rival Greensburg Central Catholic in the WPIAL Class AA title game Friday at Heinz Field.

All Reitz has to do is turn on a videotape of Jeannette's past two playoff games, and coaches will sit in amazement.

He scored six touchdowns -- three in each game -- and all were spectacular runs.

Against Aliquippa, he sprinted untouched on his first two scores. Then, he made the Aliquippa defense look silly on his 84-yard run, faking out defensive back Donovan Norman and making a move that turned around defensive back Jonathan Baldwin.

Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac said Pryor's one of the best he's seen.

Against Brentwood, Pryor scored three more times, and he was innovative on one. After racing 28 yards on the option, he pitched to teammate Davonte Shannon, who completed the 35-yard scoring play.

"Terrelle is amazing," Shannon said. "I was blocking for him downfield, and he was about to get tackled when he made eye contact with me. That's when he pitched it to me."

Guard Dayton Wolfe said Pryor has had numerous great runs the past two seasons -- too many for him to count.

"It's the best feeling when the line gives him running room, because that means we did our job and he did his," Wolfe said. "We get upset when we don't protect him and he has to scramble."

Scrambling is a part of Pryor's game that opposing defenses can't forget about.

When sophomore running back Jordan Hall was at Southmoreland, he remembered that the coaches' gameplan concentrated on Pryor. Hall transferred to Jeannette prior to this season

"Terrelle is so quick and can go the distance at any time," Hall said. "When we figured up a gameplan at Southmoreland, it was designed to stop him.

"He's the fastest guy on the team. Once he gets free, no one in the WPIAL can catch him. All the runs against Aliquippa were important because they brought us back."

Although those runs were important, his most memorable run was "The Hurdle." Every player and coach at Jeannette agreed that run was simply special.

"No doubt that was it, his hurdle of a Washington High School player last year," Shannon said. "It was a pass play, and he scrambled out, and he literally jumped over a kid. It was great. He comes out and wows the crowd every game. We wait for him to do it every game."

Said Wolfe: "That run was amazing because I never seen someone get jumped over before."

Pryor just smiled when asked about the run.

"I saw the kid was short, and when he ducked his head, I just jumped over him," Pryor said. "It wasn't planned."

Pryor praised the offensive line for opening up holes and giving him time to throw, and he credits the wide receivers for their downfield blocking.

"I can't do it by myself," he said. "Everyone does their part."

Pryor has rushed for 1,205 yards and 20 touchdowns and has completed 72-of-123 passes for 1,146 yards and 13 TDs.

Hall said Pryor can do anything, including throwing the ball.

"He's an accurate thrower, and he's got a gun," Hall said.

Shannon said he especially remembers a Pryor pass against Laurel that helped Jeannette pick up a significant first down.

"It was fourth down, and he dropped back, eluded the rush by running back and forth, and then, spotted a receiver," Shannon said. "He makes everyone else on the team play harder because he's a great player. And he's become more of a leader. I'm glad I'm his teammate."



Paul Schofield can be reached at pschofield@tribweb.com or (724) 853-2109.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_480937.html

[Poz79]

BG $

11/23

Terrelle missed The Game due to the flu. He says he'd like to go to an Ohio State basketball game and see the campus.

[osugrad21]

Link

Class AA championship preview
By Paul Schofield
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, November 23, 2006

Some college football fans are hoping for a rematch of Ohio State and Michigan for the championship of college football. Without a playoff system, however, that may not occur, and Ohio State's opponent must be decided by a computer.
High school football fans at Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic won't have to worry about anything similar happening.
Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic will slug it out for the second time in four weeks 1:30 p.m. Friday at Heinz Field, trying to settle the question of which is the best team in Westmoreland County and, more importantly, WPIAL Class AA.


Jeannette is going after its seven title, Greensburg Central Catholic its first. Jeannette (11-1) won round one on Oct. 27 when it defeated then No. 1 (WPIAL and PIAA) Greensburg Central Catholic (11-1), 7-2, in the mud at McKee Stadium in Jeannette.
Many people, including Greensburg Central Catholic coach Muzzy Colosimo, wondered what would have happened on a dry field.
Those skeptics will find out in the rematch. Colosimo isn't the only person hoping for a dry field. Jeannette wants one, too.
"We want to play them on a dry field," Jeannette quarterback Terrelle Pryor said. "We've showed we're pretty good on a good playing surface."
Jeannette ran over Brentwood, 47-28, in the semifinals last week, and defeated a good Aliquippa team, which was ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL and PIAA, 19-14, in the quarterfinals.
For the first time since 1999, two Class AA teams from the same conference will meet for the title. Waynesburg defeated Washington in that game.
"It's going to be a great day for football fans from Westmoreland County and for the Interstate Conference," Colosimo said. "Truthfully, when the WPIAL announced the pairings, I told my players that if we get through our side of the bracket, we'd be meeting Jeannette.
"Usually when I say things, I'm always wrong. But I saw film of Aliquippa and I didn't think the Quips were too physical."
Both teams managed to maneuver their way through the playoffs. Jeannette knocked off Laurel (22-14), Aliquippa and Brentwood. Greensburg Central Catholic has defeated Shenango (50-16), Mars (38-19) and Ford City (23-20).
Pryor, who has emerged as the most-coveted junior in the state, leads a Jeannette offense that ran through Brentwood in the semifinals.
Pryor threw and completed only one pass against Brentwood, but he rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns. His pass was for 23 yards to Davonte Shannon.
"We wanted to throw more," Pryor said. "It doesn't matter. I like running and throwing."
Jeannette got big contributions from numerous players against Brentwood. Sophomore running back Jordan Hall scored three touchdowns and rushed for 118 yards. Others with good runs in the game were Kenny Grant, James Derry and Jerry Harris.
"We have other players who can hurt you if you try to take away Terrelle," Jeannette coach Ray Reitz said. "We played well last week. We have nice balance. This team has worked hard all season and we're playing our best football."
Greensburg Central Catholic senior running back Max Suter, a Syracuse recruit and a top baseball prospect, has been the Centurions' main man during the season and playoffs.
Because of an injury to quarterback Cody Catalina before the fifth game of the season, Colosimo had turned to Suter, his most reliable and durable runner. The three-year starter has responded in a big way. Suter surpassed the 5,000-yard mark for his career by rushing for 294 against Ford City
"Max is a great player and individual," Reitz said. "He's a great competitor and does everything at full speed."
Greensburg Central Catholic dropped a 24-20 decision to South Park in last year's title game. Colosimo opened up the playbook, running a couple successful gadget plays, and had a chance to win the game in the final minute.
But when the game ended, four interceptions, three in the second half, proved costly for Greensburg Central Catholic.
Colosimo said there is no advantage for either team playing at Heinz Field. He said in last year's game, his team just ran out of time.
"That loss made us work harder in the offseason," Greensburg Central Catholic linebacker Mike Verdun said. "That was a tough loss and we're looking forward to another shot."
Colosimo said that Jeannette did a lot of things well in the first meeting. He was surprised Pryor threw as well as he did in the rain.
"They were better up front than we thought," Colosimo said. "They were disciplined and very well-coached.
"We're playing against a team that has great tradition. Jeannette has won six WPIAL titles. We haven't won one yet, but what a great place it would be to win our first title and defeat our biggest rival in doing so."

[CleveBucks]

Congratulations to Terrelle and Jeannette

Jeannette defeats archrival for Class AA title

Jeannette proved it's the best football team in WPIAL Class AA -- no matter the condition of the field.

Terrelle Pryor scored two touchdowns, and the Jeannette defense limited Greensburg Central Catholic running back Max Suter to a season-low 25 yards rushing to lead Jeannette to a 24-14 victory in the AA championship game Friday at Heinz Field. Jeannette also showed any doubters that its 7-2 victory over GCC at muddy, sloppy McKee Stadium wasn't a fluke.

Jeannette (12-1) advances to the PIAA playoffs where it will meet the winner of the District 9 championship game at 7 p.m. Friday at Offutt Field in Greensburg. Karns City and Brookville play today at Clarion University for the District 9 title.

It was the seventh time in school history that Jeannette has won a WPIAL title. The most recent came in 1983 when it defeated Bishop Canevin, 6-0.

Greensburg Central Catholic (11-2), which never has won a WPIAL title, finished as the Class AA runner-up for the second consecutive season. It lost to South Park, 24-20, last year.

"This is pretty special," Jeannette running back Jerry Harris said. "This is all I've been dreaming of since I was playing midget league. Defeating your archrival makes it better. We proved we were the better team both times."

There was much discussion about that first meeting between the schools. Greensburg Central Catholic coach Muzzy Colosimo wondered what would have happened on a dry field. Colosimo got his wish, but the result was the same.

"We were the speed team and it was wet that night," Jeannette coach Ray Reitz said. "(And even though) they were the big team, we beat them that night. I made a statement that I thought we could beat them worse on a dry field, which became bulletin board material. But that's what I felt in my heart. Our kids were angry over the mud/dry field situation."

Reitz's team proved its coach right, shutting down Greensburg Central Catholic's potent offense for the second time this season.

Pryor, the electrifying junior, played a superb game. He rushed for 143 yards and completed 7 of 13 passes for 179. His 70-yard touchdown with 6:36 left put the game out of reach, but his arm was the difference in the game.

After Greensburg Central Catholic had cut Jeannette's lead to 10-8 midway through the third quarter, Pryor tossed a 68-yard pass to Nick Spino on third-and 8 to the Jeannette 22.

Four plays later, Harris scored on a 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal with 3:38 left in the third quarter to push to lead to 17-8.

"That was a big drive," Reitz said. "I sensed we were a little flat. We made the plays when we had to.

"We felt coming in that if we played great defense, that we could take care of business. Our defense played great and kept us in the game."

Greensburg Central Catholic's defense kept Pryor in check until the fourth quarter. That's when he made one of his highlight-reel runs. Pryor ran left and cut back to his right and outraced Greensburg Central Catholic defensive end Evan Alm to the end zone.

"I saw Suter and Sukay coming over strong, so I broke off Suter's tackle and cut back," Pryor said. "I was off to the races."

Colosimo said Pryor's ability to scramble and keep plays alive made it tough on his defense.

"He runs around so much and your players tend to leave and come up sometimes to make a tackle," Colosimo said. "It's hard to stop a runner like that who runs so well."

Pryor said it looked like Greensburg Central Catholic had spies on him. But he said that he got great blocks from his linemen the entire game.

The game started out the way the first meeting began, with Greensburg Central Catholic getting a first-quarter safety when the snap in punt formation sailed away from punter Patrick Garner, who was tackled by Jared Pleskovitch in the end zone.

"I'm not a superstitious guy, but when that occurred I got a sick feeling in my stomach," Colosimo said.

And like the first game, Greensburg Central Catholic didn't capitalize on good field position. In fact, Jeannette's defense forced a turnover when Jason Marquis' tackle forced Suter to fumble and linebacker Davonte Shannon recovered at the GCC 45.

Jeannette took advantage of the break and grabbed a 7-2 lead when Pryor scored from the GCC 3 on the first play of the second quarter.

Jeannette extended its lead to to 10-2 at halftime when Anthony Petrulak kicked a 31-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. The score was set up by Pryor, who intercepted a Cody Catalina pass.

Nick Sukay's 69-yard punt return, highlighted by a great block by Pleskovitch, helped rally Greensburg Central Catholic to within two points in the third quarter. Catalina capped the 16-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge with 7:24 left in the quarter. Jeannette defensive back T.J. Burns denied GCC a two-point conversion when he picked off Catalina's throw.

After Jeannette stretched its lead to 24-8, Greensburg Central Catholic used a three-play drive to cut the Jeannette lead to 24-14 with 5:26 left when Catalina tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Suter. Catalina was 3 for 3 during the drive for 62 yards. He finished the game by completing 13 of 24 passes for 132 yards.

But Jeannette recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Suter, who caught four passes for 28 yards, said there were too many blue Jeannette jerseys around him -- that's why he couldn't find much running room.

"Max is a great runner," Reitz said. "We did a great job running to the football. What we told the players was not to get deep in the backfield and to slide along the line of scrimmage. The players did it to a T.

"Then, we came hard off the edges and turned him in to the pursuit because he's a great cut-back runner. Our players did a great job containing a very good back."

Jeannette's Terrelle Pryor consoles Greensburg Central Catholic's Max Suter after the Jayhawks defeated the Centurions, 24-14, in the WPIAL Class AA championship game Friday at Heinz Field.

[AMISH-SLAYER]

I saw him play yesterday on FSN Pittsburgh. He is a very impressive athlete. The one thing that sticks out is how smooth he is. It almost looks like he is jogging as he pulls away from people.

[osugrad21]

WPIAL Playoff Notebook: Jeannette QB shines at Heinz
Saturday, November 25, 2006

By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Jeannette's Terrelle Pryor is a kid of few words. But he was the talk of the WPIAL championships last night.

Pryor, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound junior quarterback, had 322 yards offense as Jeannette defeated Greensburg Central Catholic, 24-14, in the WPIAL Class AA title at Heinz Field. Pryor completed 7 of 13 passes for 179 yards and rushed 22 times for 143 yards.

Steelers running backs coach Dick Hoak helped Jeannette win a WPIAL title 50 years ago and watched yesterday's game from the press box and the sideline.

"I don't know if I've ever seen a player like him," Hoak said "A guy who can play football and basketball like he does, and he's only a junior. He needs to learn some things as a quarterback, but he's like a young Vince Young. His speed is so deceiving. It looks like he's just gliding, but he's outrunning everyone on the field."

Pryor has 2,773 yards offense: 1,428 passing and 1,345 rushing.

post-gazette

[osugrad21]

Link

WPIAL Class AA final: Pryor engagement results in Jeannette victory

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Lake Fong, Post-Gazette
Jeannette quarterback Terrell Pryor crosses the goal line to complete a 70-yard scoring run as Greensburg Central Catholic's Adam Palcic trails the play in the fourth quarter of the WPIAL Class AA title game yesterday.
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Another chance. That was all Greensburg Central Catholic wanted.
Behind an all-around standout performance from junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor, however, Jeannette (11-1) proved to be the better team. It rose from a No. 9 seed to WPIAL Class AA champion yesterday at Heinz Field with a 24-14 win.
The win brought Jeannette its seventh WPIAL title and first since 1983.
Pryor, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound standout in football and basketball, ran through and around the Centurions (11-2), with 143 yards rushing and 179 passing, accounting for 322 of Jeannette's 361 yards of total offense.
Conversely, Greensburg Central Catholic's offense sputtered, as was evidenced by senior running back Max Suter managing only 25 yards. He entered the game with more than 2,200 yards this season.
It was the second win for the Jayhawks against Greensburg Central Catholic this year, complementing a 7-2 victory Jeannette earned on a muddy field in the regular-season finale.
"I feel like a boxer who said I wanted a rematch, and then I went in without my gloves on," Greensburg Central Catholic coach Muzzy Colosimo said. "They didn't do too much differently than the first time.
"The same kid ran around and did all the things he was supposed to do and we just didn't make the plays."
That kid, of course, was Pryor. All one needed to do was see the way Pryor floated through the Greensburg Central Catholic secondary midway through the fourth quarter on a 70-yard scoring run.
The potent Greensburg Central offense was stymied in the first half, accumulating only 68 yards. Just 8 of those came on the ground.
That was the key in a first half that ended with Jeannette clinging to a 10-2 lead. Jeannette scored first-half points on a 3-yard scoring run by Pryor and a 31-yard field goal by Anthony Petrulak, after falling behind, 2-0, in the first quarter when a snap soared over punter Pat Garner's head and he was tackled in the end zone by Jared Pleskovitch for a safety.
The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter. Greensburg Central scored on a 1-yard run by quarterback Cody Catalina to make the score 10-8, but Jeannette retaliated right away, pushing its lead to 17-8 on a Jerry Harris 2-yard run. There was an 8-yard touchdown run by Suter late to close the gap to 10 points, but the reality is that the door slammed when, just before that, Pryor went 70 yards for the touchdown.
Asked if Pryor was the best athlete ever to wear a Jeannette uniform, Jayhawks coach Ray Reitz, a Jeannette graduate, never hesitated.
"Yes, he's as good as I have seen," the coach said before offering a qualifier in the postgame news conference. "But, look at these other players sitting up here. There is a guy like Jerry Harris and a guy like [receiver] Davonte Shannon who Terrelle goes up against every day in practice and they make him better. They are great athletes in their own right, and what they do makes him better."
Pryor agreed: "These kids right here," he said, pointing at his teammates on the interview podium. "Well, these kids make me better."

[westbuck04]

I don't know whether or not he can be a quarterback in college or not, but he's starting to gain the support of some pretty smart people. Just a few quoutes from one of the articles grad posted:

"I don't know if I've ever seen a player like him," Hoak said "A guy who can play football and basketball like he does, and he's only a junior. He needs to learn some things as a quarterback, but he's like a young Vince Young. His speed is so deceiving. It looks like he's just gliding, but he's outrunning everyone on the field."

Scott Milanovich, a former quarterback at the University of Maryland who played briefly in the NFL, also watched the game from the press box.
"Without putting him on a pedestal, he does remind you of Vince Young," Milanovich said. "His mechanics aren't great, but when I think back of when I was young, my mechanics were terrible, too. College coaches can teach you that stuff. He has all those other things that you can't teach."

West Allegheny coach Bob Palko, whose son, Tyler, is Pitt's quarterback, watched from the sideline.
"Absolutely, he can be a quarterback at the big-time college level," Palko said. "The more you see him play football, the better he gets."

I can't wait to see his junior film...

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

Jim Tressel and Co. can especially teach you how to become a great QB