Clairton’s Brandon Murphy fielded a punt in the state semifinals and lateraled to teammate Donte Wright, who then tossed it back to Murphy for a 75-yard sprint to the end zone.
It was obvious, these Bears are both fast and fearless.
“They just do that on their own out there,” Clairton coach Wayne Wade said. “They’re improvising. Just being athletes, and that’s what we tell them: ‘Be an athlete. Try to make a great play.’”
Often, it works. So, Wade is OK with the risk.
“Why would I take that away from them?” he said. “That’s their asset on the field.”
Clairton’s not-so-secret power this season is an enormous advantage in team speed. Wade likes to say that five or six players on the defense could run a 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.
Opponents likely won’t disagree.
“That’s our edge on a lot of teams,” said Murphy, a linebacker who also returned a punt 81 yards last week.
That top-end speed has Clairton (14-1) in the state finals for the first time since 2016. The Bears face District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle (13-2) in the PIAA Class A final at 1 p.m. Thursday at Cumberland Valley.
The private school from Altoona is a familiar foe. Clairton’s two most recent trips to the state finals ended with losses to Bishop Guilfoyle. The Bears fell 17-0 in 2016 and 19-18 two years earlier.
“As a head coach, I’ve been there twice and this team has beaten us twice,” Wade said. “So, we’ll be ready.”
Clairton will try to contain a run-focused Bishop Guilfoyle offense led by Jake Kissell, a versatile 6-foot-3 senior who has 1,592 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns.
The team lists Kissell as a tight end, running back and quarterback. He has carried 235 times as either a traditional running back or wildcat QB. But he also tossed three touchdowns last week when sophomore quarterback Justin Wheeler Jr. was injured in a 35-0 win over Belmont Charter.
Wade said the Marauders’ offense looks much like he remembered from their previous PIAA matchups. Wheeler, the coach’s son, has 1,351 passing yards and nine touchdowns this season.
“They’re still well-coached,” Wade said. “They’re running their plays. Still the same stuff. Not much of that has changed.”
Clairton is a four-time state champion and has reached the finals for the eighth time overall. But nine years have passed since the Bears last reached the state finals, a wait that maybe felt even longer for Clairton.
Never mind that most WPIAL teams have never reached the state finals. The Bears last won a title in 2012.
“Everyone acts like we’re supposed to be there every year as one of the smallest public schools in Western Pennsylvania,” said Wade, adding that Clairton graduated 39 students last year.
“We understand the expectation,” he added. “Especially with Clairton folks, because they feel like we should win a championship every year. We preach and teach it, too. We feel like when we hit the field, we’re the best team in Single-A.”
Recently, Bishop Guilfoyle has worn that label.
The Marauders are defending PIAA champions after defeating Port Allegheny, 41-22, in last year’s finals. The state title was the team’s fifth overall, all won since 2014.
Clairton hopes to win this one in a hurry.
A sophomore star, Murphy returned two punts for touchdowns in last week’s semifinal win, but Clairton’s quickness overall might show most on defense. The Bears defeated Greenville, 57-0, last week while posting their 10th shutout of the season.
Clairton team stats credit Murphy and junior Darren Pinson with more than 100 tackles apiece. Senior defensive end Tahvaz Armstrong leads with eight sacks.
A week ago, Wright, sophomore Rheyjon Williams and senior Deon Lovelace-Pompey all intercepted passes.
Wade said he was optimistic that Clairton’s team speed might spark one more win.
“That’s been the case all year for us,” Wade said, “because our defense is so fast.”