Trib HSSN football player of the week: Gabriel Jenkins
#Earned: It was a big week for Gabe Jenkins. It began with him making his college choice, then it continued with an outstanding performance in the season opener against highly ranked Clairton. With his team trailing 6-0, Jenkins put Imani Christian up for good in the second quarter when he burst up the middle then outran the Bears defense down the left sideline for a 37-yard touchdown run. With the Saints leading by seven in the fourth quarter, Jenkins flipped field position with an 88-yard run. He capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown toss to Da'Juan Craighead to seal the deal for Imani Christian in a victory at Clairton, 19-7. Jenkins did most of his damage on the ground, rushing for 211 yards on 16 carries and touchdown. He also had the touchdown pass.
What coach says: "The long run in the fourth quarter," Imani Christian coach LaRoi Johnson said about what stood out from Jenkins in the season opener. "He broke a lot of tackles to make that big run happen."
"It's been good. He's learning the position well," Johnson added of the offseason move of Jenkins from running back to quarterback. "We are working to continue to make improvements, but he has taken the challenge of the position.
"He plays the game with tremendous confidence and instincts. He also can play multiple positions in any scheme. Most importantly, the thing he cares most about is winning."
Background: This past Monday, Jenkins made a verbal commitment to Penn State, joining former Saints teammate Dayshaun Burnett and current senior teammate David Davis in Happy Valley. As a sophomore last fall, Jenkins led Imani Christian in rushing with 1,283 yards on 122 carries for an average of 10.5 yard per carry. He also had six receptions for 221 yards (36.8 yards per catch) and was tops on the team in scoring with 18 touchdowns in helping the Saints to an 11-1 overall record, a Class 3A Allegheny 7 Conference title and a spot in the 3A semifinals. Jenkins also completed his only pass attempted for 5 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 469 yards on 39 carries as a freshman with seven touchdowns. Jenkins played baseball and was an accomplished wrestler when he was younger. He is considering playing basketball this winter and running track in the spring.
WPIAL Week Zero Honorable Mentions:
Evan Devine, David Dennison, Santino Nowozeniuk (Bethel Park)
One was the top passer in the WPIAL, another was the second-leading rusher in the district and a third was the top receiver in Week Zero. Together, this Bethel Park trio was too much for Seneca Valley to handle. Senior Evan Devine connected on 15 of 28 passes for 359 yards and two touchdowns, senior David Dennison rushed for 238 yards and four scores and junior Santino Nowozeniuk caught five passes for 160 yards and a touchdown as the Black Hawks opened the season with an offensive barrage in knocking off visiting Seneca Valley, 43-26. Shout out to junior Will Sabatos for BP, who had seven catches for 127 yards.
Kemon Spell (McKeesport)
You've seen the pregame huddles where players get fired up and bark about getting off to a quick start in a game. McKeesport junior running back Kemon Spell took that message to heart and began his and the Tigers' season with a bang. Saturday at the Wolvarena in Turtle Creek, Spell returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. On his first two carries in the opening quarter, he scored on runs of 56 and 80 yards. In all, Spell rushed for 292 yards and scored five touchdowns as McKeesport rolled past Delaware Valley, 51-24.
Linkon Keller (Connellsville)
Football coaches, especially early in the season, look for contributions in all three phases of the game. They want guys who can shine on offense, on defense and on special teams. Connellsville junior running back, wide receiver and safety Linkon Keller was a bright light in all aspects of the team's season opener at Latrobe. Keller scored three touchdowns -- an 18-yard run, a 55-yard interception return and a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown -- as the Falcons stunned the Wildcats, 28-13.
Charles Rush (Avella)
On opening night and in the first of two games this season against rival Mapletown, Avella junior quarterback Charles Rush lived up to his name and showed off his arm. Rush ran for 134 yards on 13 carries, with most of that total coming on an 84-yard touchdown run. He also connected on 6 of 9 passes for 132 yards and touchdowns on tosses of 14, 46, 30 and 28 yards as the Eagles soared to a home win over the Maples, 41-6.