Win over Aliquippa shows Penn Hills moving in right direction
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Sunday, September 29, 2024 | 11:01 AM
Penn Hills’ Naytel Mitchell celebrates after breaking up a pass against Aliquippa on Sept. 20 at Penn Hills High School.
Penn State football head coach James Franklin watches from the Aliquippa sideline on Sept. 20 at Penn Hills High School.
Penn Hills’ Naytel Mitchell carries past Aliquippa’s Joseph Work next to Derek Selby Jr. on Sept. 20 at Penn Hills High School.
Penn Hills quarterback Jay’Mere Ellis never planned on shying away from his responsibilities. The Indians football program gives him plenty of challenges.
“I knew what I was signing up for by playing on both sides of the ball,” Ellis said. “I came in with a different mindset. I wanted to work harder. When other people were sleeping, I wanted to be up working with my brothers.”
Ellis feels like the Indians started to show their potential during their 21-13 Week 4 win over Aliquippa. Mistakes and misfortune that plagued the Indians during the first month of the season didn’t come back to bite Penn Hills.
The Indians have weathered their 0-3 start and are ready to focus on competing for a Northeast Conference title. Penn Hills halted Aliquippa’s 27-game regular season winning streak at Yuhas McGinley Stadium.
“We had to keep our heads high and trust each other,” Ellis said. “If we come out as a team, we can play with anybody, and we showed it on Friday. We had a good week of practice. We kept our heads high every time we messed up.”
There were plenty of signs Penn Hills (2-3, 1-0) wasn’t in for a typical night against the defending Class 4A state champion. Penn State football coach James Franklin and assistant coach Terry Smith, a former Gateway standout, coming in to watch a quarter on a helicopter doesn’t happen every Friday night.
“It was crazy,” said Ellis, who passed for 112 yards and two touchdowns. “We didn’t know they were coming. It was a good experience for them to come and see us play. We were able to show our skill and show out for them.”
Penn Hills coach Charles Morris said he wanted to keep his kids in the dark about Franklin coming in. The Indians played with an extra jolt of energy, surging to a 21-0 lead before ultimately winning by eight points.
“I didn’t tell our kids he was coming in,” Morris said. “I wanted to keep it a surprise. I want to give our kids an opportunity to showcase what they are capable of doing. They may not all be Penn State recruits, but it will open up some eyes and some phone calls may be made.”
Quips running back Tikey Hayes, who committed to play for the Nittany Lions, was out with an injury.
Penn Hills (2-3, 1-0) played stifling defense for the first three quarters.
“We aligned in certain formations,” Morris said. “We stressed tackling and made sure we wrapped when tackling.”
The Indians scored first when Carter Bonner caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Ellis with five seconds left in the first half. Touchdowns from Martel Palmer and Naytel Mitchell stretched the lead to 21-0 by the end of the third quarter.
Morris said Ellis has been strong at quarterback. Penn Hills has played a two-quarterback system, with Devin Harris also getting playing time.
“He knows our offense,” Morris said. “He’s been here for three years. That’s always given him a leg up. He knows the formations and knows how people are lined up correctly. They understand the concept of how to prepare for the offense.”
Tags: Penn Hills
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