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Jeannette players earn spots in all-star games
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Keith Barnes can be reached via e-mail or at 724-853-2109.
But he won't be the only player from the Jayhawks' backfield playing in a postseason all-star game.
Jeannette fullback Mike Matt has accepted an offer to play in the inaugural ESPNU High School All-American Game on Jan. 5 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, just outside of Orlando, Fla.
"It's obviously a great honor, and it's a credit to the (Jeannette) program throughout the year," Jeannette coach Ray Reitz said. "I think a lot of times, our kids get slighted, but I think it's a great opportunity for them."
Matt will take the field with Aliquippa's Jonathan Baldwin, Trinity's Andrew Sweat and Christian Wilson of Montour, who were all invited to take part. More players will be invited later.
"I was pretty surprised," said Matt, whose father, Russ, played in the 1974 Big 33 game and later roomed with former Steelers coach Bill Cowher at North Carolina State. "I think my size (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) helped me to get some looks, and I think my coach helped me out some, too."
It's a long way from where Matt was this past November.
When Jeannette defeated Greensburg Central Catholic to win the WPIAL Class AA championship at Heinz Field, players jumped on top of each other in a huge celebratory pile, while Matt was forced to stand off to the side.
That day, Matt was leaning on a pair of crutches, the result of a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear to his right knee that occurred during a 42-14 victory over Waynesburg on Oct. 6.
"It was real frustrating," Matt said. "It was probably the worst time of my life."
After surgery to repair the knee, Matt watched as his team not only won its first WPIAL title since 1983 but played in the PIAA Class AA championship game for the first time.
Matt had 46 carries for 285 yards and two touchdowns before being injured. Despite playing only six games, he received enough exposure to garner interest from several Division I colleges, including Buffalo, Pitt and Tennessee.
That's what happens when you are in the same backfield as Pryor, one of the most-prized recruits in the nation.
"All these people (college coaches) coming in (to Jeannette) may get our kids an opportunity in this sport they wouldn't normally get," Reitz said. "There's a stigma when you play Single-A or Double-A that they don't play the competition, so I think it's just a great opportunity for our kids."
All the attention thrust upon Pryor, coupled with the subsequent run to the state championship game, certainly helped defensive back Davonte Shannon, who'll head to Buffalo in the fall with a football scholarship.
And with Pryor and Matt headed to high-profile postseason all-star games, it increases the chance that others will get noticed.
"It was great because I got to see a different coach every day," Matt said. "I got to give a lot of guys my highlight tape, and it was a great chance and a real good opportunity."
