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High school football notebook: Fantastic finish might earn Clairton’s Boyd state record
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Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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By Chris Harlan
Published: Thursday, November 8, 2012, 12:01 a.m.
Updated: Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Clairton senior Tyler Boyd would need to score 22 more times to reach the PIAA's career touchdown record, an enormous number that few score during an entire season. Yet, Boyd might have a chance, at least mathematically.
His senior season would have six more games should Clairton reach the PIAA championship game, a feat the Bears have accomplished each of the past four seasons. If Boyd were to average 3.7 touchdowns per game, he could surpass the 123 scored by Bishop O'Reilly's Bryan Belles, a senior in 1998 at the Wilkes-Barre school.
Is that possible?
“I guess,” Clairton coach Tom Nola said. “Hopefully, we've got six more games. He'd still have to average four a game. That's a lot.”
Boyd has 35 touchdowns this season through 10 games, an average of 3.5 per week. That number could have been higher, Nola said, had Boyd played an entire second half more than twice this season.
Boyd scored six touchdowns in last week's 58-6 playoff victory over Frazier.
Common thread
There's a social studies teacher in Manheim Township who might have an interest in Friday night's Mt. Lebanon-Seneca Valley matchup. Matt Davis has a connection with both coaches, Seneca Valley's Don Holl and Mt. Lebanon's Mike Melnyk. Davis was a standout wideout who played for Don Holl at Tunkhannock High School in the late 1990s. Later, Davis spent eight years as Melnyk's offensive coordinator at Manheim.
“It's amazing how similar they are,” Davis said. “They're two of the most creative offensive minds I've been around.”
Growing list
Franklin Regional's Dane Brown topped 4,000 career rushing yards last week, the third WPIAL player this season to reach the milestone. Boyd (4,749) and Springdale's Sean Dugan (4,262) are the others. Five rushers joined the club last season, growing the once-small list to more than 50.
Official visits
Central Valley wideout Robert Foster and Belle Vernon tackle Dorian Johnson are planning official recruiting visits to Pitt next weekend. Boyd will be visiting Wisconsin.
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