Jeannette's Pryor generating awe

Jeannette coach Ray Reitz has been around long enough to remember when Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett was playing for Hopewell High School. He never has seen anything to match what Terrelle Pryor did Friday night in a WPIAL Class AA playoff game.

"I always thought Tony Dorsett was the best I've ever seen play high school football, but I think Terrelle surpasses him," he said. "What he did Friday against a team that can run was amazing."

Former Swissvale coach and Yough athletic director Bill Priatko has been watching high school football in western Pennsylvania for three decades. He said he never has seen a better show.

"That's one for the ages," Priatko said when contacted Saturday.

Terrelle Pryor, the Jeannette quarterback who is considered the top high school recruit in the U.S., totaled 421 yards of offense (331 rushing, 90 passing), ran for five touchdowns and threw for two more in a historic 70-48 victory Friday against Aliquippa at Highlands High School's Golden Rams Stadium.

Priatko, who played for the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns and Steelers during his professional playing career, took a call Saturday morning from NFL official Tom Stabile, a Natrona Heights native who was the clock operator for the game.

"Tom Stabile called me and said he couldn't believe what he saw," Priatko said. "I agreed. It was a great game and an amazing performance."

Terrelle Pryor's effort brought back memories of Har-Brack's Cookie Gilchrist, who rushed for 294 yards on 15 carries, scored five touchdowns and kicked seven extra points in a 68-33 victory against Vandergrift on Oct. 30, 1953. That game was played at Har-Brack Field, later named Nick Staresenic Stadium, in Natrona Heights that sits behind the press box of Golden Rams Stadium.

Terrelle Pryor's yardage could have been more, but he lost 33 yards and a touchdown when Jeannette was penalized for holding on his 47-yard run in the fourth quarter. He lost another shot at a score and 20 more yards when he decided to take a knee at the Aliquippa 24 after gaining 23 yards with less than two minutes left in the game.

"He's incredible," Reitz said. "It's phenomenal what he did. You can't describe it."

The game turned out to be the highest-scoring game in WPIAL playoff history, and it had its share of other heroes.

Aliquippa sophomore quarterback Rasheem Jones completed 13 of 22 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns. Jonathan Baldwin, who is a Division I prospect, caught six passes for 180 yards and three scores. Jeannette running back Jordan Hall ran for 182 yards and three scores, and Kenny Grant added two scores.

But Terrelle Pryor left Aliquippa coach Mike Zmijanac nearly speechless.

"This isn't the WAC (Western Athletic Conference) and this isn't Boise State and Fresno State playing," he said. "We scored 48 points and made them play into the fourth quarter, anyway. And I'm sure we gave them a little bit of a scare. I don't know what to say after I watched Terrelle Pryor do that to an Aliquippa team."

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