5 things we learned in high school football Week 6: Trinity finds diamond with signature win

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, October 7, 2023 | 9:12 PM

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There’s a popular meme that shows two miners digging for diamonds, but one gives up within inches of striking it rich.

Trinity coach Dan Knause and his assistants thought the analogy was perfect for their Hillers, who hadn’t seen much reward despite their hard work. Would they give up or keep digging?

“We felt like that’s where we were, so we sent that message to the kids,” said Knause, who’s in his second year. “We said, ‘Look, we’re right there.’ ”

Trinity kept digging and found its first diamond with a 23-6 win over Thomas Jefferson on Friday. More WPIAL teams might be asking that same question as the season grinds along, but Trinity answered it convincingly.

The WPIAL scoreboard had a few surprising outcomes in Week 6, but the Hillers’ victory was certainly among them. Thomas Jefferson had won 17 in a row over Trinity, whose most recent win against the Jaguars came in 1987.

“We’ve challenged our kids that you have to get that ‘signature win,’ that you know you can play and beat the best of the best,” Knause said. “This is definitely a signature win for us, but we’ve still got work to do. We’ve got to make it mean something.”

The victory was the second conference win for Trinity (4-4, 2-2) and followed double-digit losses to McKeesport and Latrobe that Knause thought could’ve been closer. A 27-point loss to Peters Township also started well but ended badly.

“It was getting nauseating hearing, ‘Oh, man, that’s a lot closer than the score indicated,’ ” Knause said.

Playing up in class

Pine-Richland used to play Class 6A football not too long ago, and Rams coach Jon LeDonne said he wouldn’t be surprised if the Rams were there again someday.

“It is a district that younger families are moving to, there’s no doubt about it,” LeDonne said. “I think we’ll eventually be back in 6A, based on the number of kids in middle school and upper elementary school. If those numbers don’t hit us this year and bump us up (for 2024), then likely next cycle (in 2026).”

If it does happen, Pine-Richland showed it can compete with anyone. The Rams pulled off one of the bigger surprises of the season Friday by upsetting Central Catholic, the ultra-talented and top-ranked team in WPIAL Class 6A.

The Rams won 26-19 behind senior Ethan Pillar, who rushed for 297 yards and scored three times. Maybe more eye-opening was Pillar carrying the ball 56 times.

“It was just physicality on offensive,” LeDonne said. “Go get three or four (yards) a pop … and keep pounding it. We definitely kept their offense off the field.”

Central Catholic (6-1) had outscored its first six opponents 303-84. Pine-Richland (4-3) is the defending WPIAL and state champion in Class 5A.

Run, Ethan, Run

In WPIAL stadiums some 60 miles apart, the home fans were yelling for Ethan.

The WPIAL’s top two rushers in Week 6 shared the same first name, and both posted remarkable rushing numbers. While Pillar was wowing the Pine-Richland crowd, Beth-Center senior Ethan Varesko entertained his home fans.

Varesko rushed for 438 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries in a 52-37 win over Bentworth.

Both rushers are solidly built. Pillar lists at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds. Varesko is 5-10 and 195 pounds.

Getting defensive

The Peters Township defense allowed only seven points Friday, yet the Indians’ points-against average went up. That’s how good they’ve been.

Peters has allowed 27 points in seven games, or 3.9 per week. No opponent has scored more than a touchdown against them, which held true in Friday’s 40-7 win over Moon.

Consider, 53 teams across the WPIAL allowed more points Friday than Peters has allowed all season. The next-stingiest defenses belong to McKeesport (7.3 ppg), South Side (7.4), Steel Valley (7.7) and Belle Vernon (8.5).

Looking for a win

The WPIAL has 11 teams still searching for their first win, including a Fox Chapel squad that’s trying to shake off a particularly tough scoreless stretch.

The Foxes (0-7) were shut out for the fourth week in a row Friday, losing to Penn Hills, 61-0. In the past four games combined, they were outscored 195-0.

It’s surely a disappointing stretch for a Fox Chapel team that reached the WPIAL playoffs just two years ago.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.