5 things we learned in Week 2 of H.S. football

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, September 11, 2021 | 7:29 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Time inevitably erases memories from blowout games with lopsided scores, regardless of whether you’re on the winning or losing side.

That has been Greg Perry’s experience in his 30 years of coaching, but the Keystone Oaks coach says memories from wild games like Friday night’s against Chartiers Valley stick around much longer. Even though KO lost a one-point heartbreaker in overtime, Perry said he’d take contests like that for his kids anytime.

“In this day and age, there are so many blowouts,” Perry said. “There are too many 35-nothings, 42-nothings, that you relish games like this. It makes them fun to play, whatever side you’re on. Yeah, somebody has to lose, but that was a great game and these kids will remember that game forever.”

Chartiers Valley won 35-34.

Playing at home at Dormont Stadium, Keystone Oaks went for the win in overtime, but the 2-point conversion failed when the direct snap to the running back was fumbled. That sealed the outcome of a nonconference game that featured 10 touchdowns and was tied at 7-7, 14-14, 21-21 and 28-28.

“This was fun,” Perry said. “They score. We score. They score. We score. We get an onside kick and go ahead. They throw long bombs and score. First play of overtime, they score. Second play of overtime, we score. For entertainment, the people who paid to get into that stadium got their five dollars’ worth.”

KO had won 31-0 in Week Zero and 35-0 in Week 1. Yet, Week 2 on the football schedule had a number of nail-biting finishes.

Frazier and North Catholic celebrated one-point wins, Ringgold and Hempfield each won by two and Hampton stayed unbeaten with a three-point win. In seven other games, the margin of victory was also single digits.

“It was enjoyable to see kids compete and hear the crowd again,” Chartiers Valley coach Dan Knause said. “It was an old-fashioned high school football game. Kids from both sides fought their tails off.”

Chartiers Valley had possession first in overtime and scored on a 10-yard pass from quarterback Anthony Mackey to wideout Abe Ibrahim. The touchdown was Ibrahim’s fourth of the game. Joseph Krug’s extra point gave the Colts a 35-28 lead.

Keystone Oaks answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by senior Tyler Perry, the coach’s grandson. The Eagles went for two but a fumbled snap ended their hopes.

“After the game, as a staff we were so exhausted,” Knause said. “We recognized that it was our first overtime game in our five years together.”

‘Chip on his shoulder’

Central Valley’s Landon Alexander already owns two WPIAL titles and a state championship. If Friday was a preview of weeks to come, he’ll surely contend for the WPIAL rushing title this fall. But so far, colleges haven’t jumped on board in recruiting the 6-foot, 190-pound senior running back.

Alexander’s lone college offer came in February from UMass. His coach believes the star rusher should have more offers and says Alexander has used a perceived slight as motivation.

“I think he took this recruiting thing as a little chip on his shoulder,” coach Mark Lyons said. “He’s not getting the recruit (offers) he thought he would, and that’s OK. They’ll come now. I say this all the time: He may not do well in shorts and the 40-(yard dash) and the vertical leap, but you put him in pads and put him in the game of football, he’s pretty special.”

Alexander rushed 23 times for 221 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-12 win over Aliquippa. His carries included a 75-yard run.

Losing streak snaps

The longest active losing streak in Western Pennsylvania high school football ended Friday when Uniontown defeated Carrick, 41-6. The Red Raiders, who left the WPIAL this fall for an independent schedule, had lost 35 consecutive games.

The team hadn’t won since Oct. 14, 2016.

Uniontown went 0-2 last season in a pandemic-shortened schedule after three consecutive 0-10 seasons in 2017-19. The Red Raiders also lost their final two games in 2016 and their opener this season, 34-0 to Perry.

Uniontown is among a few teams along with Butler and Albert Gallatin that in recent years decided to take an independent route hoping to find success against some non-WPIAL teams.

Remaining on Uniontown’s schedule are games with Albert Gallatin, Brashear, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold, Washington and a rematch with Carrick.

The longest active WPIAL streak belongs to Ambridge, which lost its 26th consecutive game Friday.

Back to 100%

Payton Wehner’s freshman year ended with a badly broken leg in the WPIAL championship, an ambulance ride to the hospital and surgery to insert hardware. Ten months removed from breaking both bones in his lower leg, the Central Catholic quarterback declared himself 100% ready and proved it true Friday.

The first-year starter rushed for two touchdowns, threw for two more and helped the top-ranked Vikings erase a 28-7 deficit in a come-from-behind win over Pine-Richland. His TD runs were 13 and 1 yard, and his passes covered 23 and 58.

“I couldn’t wait to get back on the field,” Wehner said earlier this season. “All through therapy, all through just sitting at home watching film, throwing while sitting down, I couldn’t wait to get out here.”

His father, Jim Wehner, is an assistant coach for Central Catholic.

Adding 2 plus 2

A 200-yard rushing game remains rare in the WPIAL. Yet, this week, there were two 200-yard performances in the same game.

Riverview senior Dean Cecere and Carlyton junior Shawn Curry both reached the mark in their game Saturday in Oakmont. Cecere had 213 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Curry ran for 256 yards and four TDs on 25 carries.

Carlynton won 35-12.

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.