Some of the best running backs in Central Catholic history never did it.

Not Andrew Johnson. Not Lamont Smith. Not Eugene Jarvis. All went on to play Division I college football. None did what Andrew Ehrenberg did for Central Catholic on Friday night — start for the Vikings as a freshman.

The opportunity opened for Ehrenberg after running backs Dom Timbers, now at Woodland Hills, and Jeff Knox, left school prior to the start of the season. While opening the season 2-1, coach Terry Totten found a way to make the running game go with Kyle Wilson and Dom Maggio, but Ehrenberg kept catching his eye. In limited duties in the first three games, he averaged 6.8 yards per carry.

Totten decided to turn to Ehrenberg, who became the starting running back on the defending WPIAL and PIAA champion. Ehrenberg, 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, responded by gaining 46 yards on 14 carries in Central Catholic’s 10-9 victory over previously undefeated Upper St. Clair.

“He has good balance, a lot of good instincts for a running back,” Totten said. “He’s a tough kid, intelligent.”

No wonder. Ehrenberg comes from good stock. His father, Rich, played running back for the Steelers after a solid career at Colgate University.

Will Ehrenberg remain in Central’s starting lineup• Totten is making no promises.

“As long as he is doing the things day we ask him to do in and day out,” Totten said. “That is how you earn jobs.”

Valley’s season has its twists and turns

Valley is 3-1 through four weeks of the season, but the Vikings haven’t had the same team on the field in consecutive weeks yet.

“This team has had a lot of different obstacles in front of it since the first day of camp,” Valley coach Troy Hill said. “People just don’t know. We have fought through a lot of adversity. But the teams that can handle that adversity are the teams that are going to have a run for the playoffs.”

Senior running back Tracey Durand, a bruising force who ran for 389 yards in a game last season, has yet to play a down due to ineligibility.

He could return by the Shady Side Academy game Oct. 11.

Senior wide receiver Anthony Saunders missed Friday’s game against Deer Lakes as he sat out for disciplinary reasons.

Saunders is expected to return next week.

Rising quarterback Dom Stokes, who gave the Vikings’ passing attack a lift, could be out until the last game of the season with a broken hand.

Valley has used senior Brad Marzullo at quarterback.

A few players have quit, leaving a team with low numbers even more thin.

“A lot of different things happened this year,” Hill said. “We have new rules. Some kids decided not to come out, and some don’t want to stick it out. We have to work with the guys we have here.”

Due to the changes and dicey lineup, Valley is back to not having a real identity.

“We’re a team that will do whatever it takes to get the ‘W,'” Hill said. “It might be run one game; might be throwing the next. It doesn’t matter how much we win by; as long as we win.”

Valley hosts Summit Academy (0-4, 0-4) next week.

Finding a way

Meanwhile, Totten has his team — ranked No. 4 in Class AAAA by the Tribune-Review, on a three-game winning streak, despite the loss of quarterback Nolan Krivijanski (knee) in the opener. Backup David Smyers found a way to lead his team to victory while failing to complete a pass in the first half and getting sacked twice in the second half. Smyers showed his toughness during the final scoring drive by fighting off Upper St. Clair defenders who had him wrapped up at midfield and lateraling to Maggio for a 15-yard gain.

“Smyers is a good kid,” Totten said. “He works hard and the decision-making process is getting a little easier for him.”

Totten made no promises before the season, but he likes what he sees.

“Before the season, I told everybody we would play hard,” he said. “They are playing hard and giving us the effort we require and things have worked out of late.

“You ask the kids to defend the (Central Catholic) tradition, and (Friday night) it worked out.”

Strong start

The John Gaillot era at Freeport is off to an impressive start. The Yellowjackets are 3-1 under the first-year head coach.

Freeport last started 3-1 in 2002, when the Yellowjackets went 7-4 and advanced to the WPIAL Class AA quarterfinals.

To complement a smothering defense, Freeport has built a ball-control offense around a stable of running backs.

Bruising fullback Austin Shockey rushed for 105 yards on 12 carries in a 21-14 win Friday night at Burrell. Speedy running backs Andrew Teorsky and Tom Blythe combined for 108 yards and a touchdown in that victory.

“We have had kids step up,” Gaillot said. “They’ve been waiting for their opportunity, and they seized it. Our backs have been running hard all year.”

The offensive line also has played well. However, two-way lineman Miles Smolic (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) will be evaluated Monday after suffering a knee injury in the Burrell game.

Good mix

Gateway coach Terry Smith, whose Gators are ranked third nationally by USA Today, points to the combination of talent and experience as the chief reason his team is 4-0 and running over opponents, 187-31.

“We’ve never had as many experienced guys up front on both sides,” Smith said. “For me, defense wins championships. For six years, we’ve averaged 35 and 42 points a game, and we don’t have a championship to show for it.

“The guys are playing fast, and they’re playing hard. They’re really aggressive, led by (senior linebacker) Dorian Bell, the best player we’ve had since I’ve been here. I’ve been around Gateway football for a long time, and I can’t imagine there’s been a better football player to walk the halls.”

Smith was a wide receiver on Gateway’s 1986 WPIAL championship team, the last time the school won a football title.

Remember him?

Highlands saw first-hand how talented Kiski Area’s Tarique Godson is when the shifty junior scored three touchdowns against the Golden Rams Friday night.

Highlands won the wild game, 48-31, but the team has to wonder what a player like Godsen could do for its offense.

Godsen attended middle school at Highlands and was slated to go to high school there before he moved to Kiski Area.

He is the nephew of former Valley basketball great Tom Pipkins.

Welcome back, Joe

Avonworth lineman Joe Donovan is expected to play for the first time this season Friday when the fifth-ranked Antelopes (4-0, 2-0) visit Springdale (3-2, 2-0) in a key Class A Eastern Conference game.

The senior suffered a freak injury when he fell through a glass door at his home about two weeks into training camp. Avonworth coach Jason Kekseo said Donovan lost about five pints of blood after he cut the brachial artery on his arm.

“The kid almost died,” Kekseo said. “He is such a tough kid, and we’re looking forward to getting him back.”

Knoch hurting

Knoch has come face-to-face with the injury list, and the banged-up Knights slipped to 1-3 after a 41-20 loss to Seneca Valley Friday.

Star running back Tim McNerney is out with a knee injury, and fullback Kevin Broduer, a key linebacker, is out with an injured ankle.

Both players could return next week.

Add wideout/safety Michael Gallagher (hip) and tight end/linebacker Preston Saxon (broken jaw) to the list as well.

“It’s a ripple effect,” Knoch coach Mike King said. “You have experienced guys hurt. You’ve got young guys in the ball game. They’re trying to make things happen, but there’s not that experience to hang onto the ball, or to do the right things in the clutch.”

Historic victory

No. 8 Butler won the 500th game in school history by defeating Canon-McMillan, 18-0, on Friday at Art Bernardi Stadium. Butler has been playing football since 1905 and most recently won a WPIAL title in 1977, when the Golden Tornado shared the crown with Penn Hills on the basis of a 7-7 tie. Butler’s most recent outright WPIAL title was in 1950.

A secret no longer

Before training camp, Kiski Area coach Harvey Smith took wide receiver Jeff Jackson on a tour of several colleges to get acquainted with coaches who had not heard about the 6-1, 180-pound senior.

Last season, even though Cavaliers quarterback Josh Vick passed for more than 2,200 yards, Jackson played behind receivers James O’Quinn, Tyler Emmerson and Clark Cribbs.

Jackson will be well known soon after an outstanding performance in a 48-31 loss to Highlands on Friday. Jackson caught eight passes for 181 yards, including catches of 53 and 31 yards while he was double-covered.

Jackson also can be breathtaking on kick returns, including a 90-yard runback on opening night against No. 3 Bethel Park.

Extra points

Valley has added a padded wall behind its far end zone at Memorial Stadium after safety concerns. The padding covers a brick wall. … Ford City’s Sean Kriley scored five TDs Friday, tying 2006 graduate Derek Bush’s single-game school record. … Shady Side Academy has allowed the third-fewest points in Class AA (7). … Ford City is one win shy of tying Richland for most consecutive Allegheny Conference wins (23).

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