WPIAL Football First Round Recaps 2013

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 2, 2013 | 1:00 AM

The four week journey on the Highway to Heinz is underway as the orange barrels have been replaced with spread offenses and suffocating defenses. All 32 First Round games in the 2013 WPIAL Football Playoffs are in the books from Friday night. Here are ALL of the game recaps from those postseason contests that were heard here on the MSA Sports Network.

Thanks to Paul Paterra, Adam Hoerner, Mark Schaas, Greg Warnock, Scott Briggs, Mike Krcil, Glenn Thompson, Pete Blais, Mark Uriah, Troy Clardy, Sean Meyers, T.J. DiStefano, Bobby Fox, Randy Gore, Rich Mastowski, Bob Orkwis, Rob Matzie, Brian Mroziak, Terry Neary, Mike Porembski, Josh Rowntree, Bob Barrickman, Adam Gusky, Aaron Anderson, Bob Gregg, Matt Vandriak, Don Conde and Don Rebel for their help on these recaps!

WPIAL CLASS AAAA First Round:

Upper St. Clair Panthers 44 – Kiski Area Cavaliers 13
Upper St. Clair scored all of their 44 points in the first half and rested all their starters in the second half to defeat Kiski 44-13.  USC’s Trever Morrow had 11 carries for 157 yards and 5 TD,with the longest being from 61 yards out.  Mike Krenn also had a 39 yard TD run for the Panthers.  Max Herold was 6 for 6 in extra points, and Kiski also had a snap go over their punters head to give USC a Safety.  For Kiski, who finishes their season at 5-5, Patrick Turner had an 80 yard TD and finished with 107 yards rushing on 10 carries.  Joe Brungo caught a 25 yard TD pass from Chad Kuhn and finished with 5 receptions for 95 yards.  Upper St. Clair (10-0) will move on to face North Allegheny (7-3) in the Quarterfinals

North Allegheny Tigers 28 – Bethel Park Black Hawks 0
Senior running back Isaac Weaver rushed for three second half touchdowns and the North Allegheny defense pitched its second consecutive shutout as the reigning three-time WPIAL champion Tigers blanked the Bethel Park Blackhawks, 28-0, in the opening round of the Quad-A playoffs. The eighth-seeded and host Black Hawks were playing without starting quarterback Levi Metheny who donned a large cast on his right arm during pre-game warm ups as Bethel Park turned to senior Sam Polen as the starting signal caller.  Midway through the first quarter, Polen and the Black Hawks marched the football on a 10-play drive to the North Allegheny 3-yard line for a 1st and goal.  Moving the football primarily on the ground on the 39-yard drive, Bethel Park ran three straight times but were stopped at the NA 1-yard line. On 4th and inches, running back Alex Minton was stopped for a 2-yard loss by NA lineman Paul Blendinger and the Tigers defense held for an important goal-line stand. Early in the second quarter, the Black Hawks appeared to have scored the game’s first touchdown when Minton raced into the end zone for an apparent 28-yard scoring run, but a holding penalty brought the touchdown back keeping the game scoreless.  Bethel Park ultimately turned the football over on downs at the NA 27-yard line with 8:32 to go in the quarter. As the defensive struggle continued, the Tigers mounted a drive with a 4:58 remaining in the first half.  On the march, senior quarterback Cage Galupi made two key completions, a 26-yard pass to tight-end Paul Blendinger and a 35-yard strike to receiver Elijah Zeise at the Bethel Park 1-yard line.  One-play later, Galupi plunged into the end zone on a QB keeper at the Tigers had a 7-0 lead with 1:39 to play in the second quarter. In the second half, the Tigers took command of the game behind a defense that forced three turnovers and the running of Isaac Weaver. The senior tailback scored on jaunts of 1, 60, and 40-yards to give North Allegheny a 28-0 lead by the 9:12 mark of the fourth quarter. Weaver finished the night with six carries for 121 yards, averaging 20-yards per carry. Defensively, the Tigers held Bethel Park to just 176 yards of total offense.  Running back Alex Minton was a bright spot for the Black Hawks, rushing for 90 yards on 21 carries. With the win, North Allegheny improves to 7-3 on the season, while Bethel Park’s season ends for the second straight year with a loss the Tigers.  Bethel Park finishes 6-4 for the season. Up next for the Tigers are the top-seeded Upper St. Clair Panthers next Friday night in the WPIAL Quarterfinals.

Woodland Hills Wolverines 35 – Pine-Richland Rams 14
Woodland Hills held a slim 6-0 lead at halftime. But the fireworks began when Trevon Mathis returned the opening kickoff of the second half 86 yards for a touchdown. Art Thompkins also exploded for 116 of his 136 rushing yards in the second half. Thompkins scored 16, 29 and 33 yard TDs as the No. 4 Wolverines (8-2) defeated No. 13 Pine-Richland (5-5) in the first round of the WPIAL Playoffs at the Wolvrena on Friday night. The Wolverines used a run heavy, ball control offense to out gain the Rams 293-285. Woodland Hills quarterback, Harry Randall ran for 90 yards, including a 5 yard first quarter touchdown. Randall also completed 8 of his 9 passing attempts for just under 70 yards. Ben DiNucci completed 25 of 32 passes for 248 yards, D’ondre Gastion caught 11 passes for 88 yards and Connor Slomka rushed for 46 yards and 2 touchdowns for Pine-Richland. However, the Woodland Hills defense was opportunistic, forcing 2 Rams turnovers. Woodland Hills will play fifth-seeded Seneca Valley in the WPIAL quarterfinals next Friday.

Seneca Valley Raiders 36 – Hempfield Spartans 10
The Seneca Valley Raiders defeated the Hempfield Spartans Friday night by a final of 36-10 in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.  Hempfield had the chance to take a big lead early in this game as Seneca Valley’s first three possessions ended on two fumbles and a turnover on downs.  However, despite the great opportunities, the Spartans only led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter and that is when the Raiders started to figure things out.  Two touchdowns by Brad Hensler and a one touchdown by Eric Mrkonja gave SV the 22-3 and they never looked back.  The loss ends Hempfield’s season with a final record of 6-4 while Seneca Valley improves to 9-1 and moves on to face Woodland Hills in the next round.

Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings 56 – Baldwin Highlanders 10
Central Catholic opened the game giving up 27 points all season long, including 3 straight games with a shutout. But Baldwin’s offense came out on fire, with two long drives resulting in a Jacob Elk touchdown and a 7-0 lead. That score would stand through the end of the first quarter before Central Catholic would explode. The Vikings would score four touchdowns in the 2nd quarter while only giving up a field goal to take a 28-10 lead into the half. Central Catholic would start the second half with the football and it was total domination, totaling up 4 touchdowns in a 56-10 route. The Vikings were led by their rushing attack, with 421 yards rushing in the game. They were led by Luigi Lista-Brinza, who rushed for 119 yards and touchdown. Riley Redman added 101 yards and 2 scores and Grant Foster ran for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns. Central Catholic quarterback may have been the star of the night in limited duty, going 3-3 for 93 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 100 yards on 4 carries with 2 additional scores.

Gateway Gators 33 –  North Hills Indians 21
Delvon Randall’s 72-yard kickoff return with 6:15 remaining gave the Gators the lead and Jimmy Moore’s 4 TD pass of the game sealed the victory for Gateway in this 1st round match-up. Gateway led 20-7 at halftime, before a pair of touchdown runs by Montae Frank put North Hills in front 21-20. Frank capped of a long Indians drive with a 10-yard run with 6:26 left in the game. But Randall’s heroics: 11 later on the ensuing kickoff put gateway into the quarterfinals for the 12th consecutive season. Moore continued his stellar season, throwing for 289-yards and connecting with Ricky Rogers, Montae Nicholson, Randall and Anthony Davis on scoring strikes. For the year, Moore has thrown 23 touchdown passes and no interceptions. Frank paced North Hills with 160-yards rushing to go with his two scores. The 10th seeded Indians ended their season at (5-5). The Gators, the #7 seed, improved to (8-3) and will face #2 Pittsburgh Central Catholic next week at a site and time to be determined.

McKeesport Tigers 54 – Peters Township Indians 28
Just how potent is the McKeesport Flexbone offense? Pretty darn potent. The Tigers scored touchdowns on their first eight possessions in this victory over Peters Township. Mikell Moore paced the Tigers’ offense with 22 carries for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Allen Wright had four carries for 97 yards and three touchdowns and Quarterback David Queen added 81 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns. Peters Township was led by backup Quarterback Tim Swoope – who played for an injured Cory Owen – and completed 16 of 33 for 222 yards and three touchdowns all to tight end Max Augenstein. McKeesport will now play Penn Trafford in the Quarterfinals. The Tigers defeated Penn Trafford 34-14 in week four.

Penn-Trafford Warriors 22 – Penn Hills Indians 16
#11 seed  Penn Hills Indians raced out to a quick start against the #6 seed Penn Trafford Warriors Friday night in class Quad A first round action as Shawn Featherstone returned a fumble recovery 25 yards just 48 seconds into the game. Penn Hill’s lead was carried into the second quarter but with 7:52 left in the first half, Penn Trafford took advantage of a Penn Hills special teams miscue. A bad snap on 4th down sailed over the head of Penn Hills punter Isiah Jones and Penn Trafford’s Timmy Vechhio recovered the fumble at the Penn Hills 2 yard line and dove into the end zone tying the score at 7-7. Penn Trafford would take the lead with 1:27 left in the half as sophomore quarterback Brett Lafoon scored on an option keeper to give the Warriors a 14-7 lead at the half. Penn Hills would close to within 4 points at the 4:54 mark left to play in the 3rd quarter as the Indians took the opening second half kickoff and marched right down the field and settled for a Marshall Thompson 24 yard field goal to make it 14-10. The Indians would regain the lead with just 1:38 left to play in the game as Shawn Featherstone scored his second TD of the game on a 2 yard run that capped a 15 play 67 yard drive. Penn Hills kick after the TD was blocked by Penn Trafford. The Indians seemingly had a quarterfinal berth within their grasp with just  98 seconds left to play, but Penn Trafford wasn’t done. With just :27 seconds left to play Penn Trafford’s Timmy Vecchio scored his second TD on a 23 yard pass and run from QB Brett Lafoon. Penn Trafford added a 2 point conversion to take a 22-16 lead. Penn Hills tried valiantly to to pull off the victory, but Billy Kisner’s pass to the end zone was tipped away by Penn Trafford’s Timmy Vecchio as time expired to seal the win for Penn Trafford and a quarterfinal matchup with McKeesport at Norwin on 11/8.

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WPIAL CLASS AAA First Round:

West Allegheny Indians 38 – Hollidaysburg Golden Tigers 6
In a game book-ended by pick-sixes, top-seeded West Allegheny (10-0) showed off its depth defeating Hollidaysburg (3-7) in a WPIAL Class AAA First Round contest. Sean Orsini intercepted Josh Bickley two minutes into the opening quarter for a touchdown, and D.J. Opsatnik tacked on what would prove to be the game-winning point, starting a perfect night for the Indians kicker. Chayse Dillon would add touchdown runs of 1 and 32 yards, and it was 21-0 after 12 minutes of action. Head coach Bob Palko wasted no time spreading the wealth, giving Armand Dellovade a chance in the second period, and he capitalized from three yards away at the 9:39 mark. Andrew Koester got into the act on the next offensive possession, hooking up with Tyler Scanlon for a 10-yard score that activated the mercy rule for the second half. Opsatnik would cap his night with less than a minute before halftime with a 32-yard field goal. After a scoreless third, the Golden Tigers spoiled the shutout bid two minutes into the fourth quarter when Mitchell Augustine made backup QB Jake Cunningham pay for his interception with six points, although the conversion run would fail. Believe it or not, West A boasted no 100-yard performers, though Koester was efficient going 6-of-11 for 92 yards. The Indians will meet Indiana in the Quarterfinals next Friday night.

Indiana Little Indians 28 – Ringgold Rams 14
Jordan Casses returned an interception 25-yards for a game sealing touchdown with 50 second remaining as visiting Indiana stunned Ringgold Friday night 28-14 in a Class AAA opening round playoff game. DeQuan West led the Little Indians with 131 yards on the ground and scored a pair of touchdowns on 2-yard runs. Sean Thompson broke a 7-7 tie in the third quarter with a 1-yard run as Indiana scored 21 points in the final two quarters. Nico Law led the way for the Rams hitting on 12 of 26 passes for 141 yards. Law scored the games first touchdown on an 81-yard scoring run as Ringgold’s season ends at 7-3. Indiana improves to 5-5 and will now have to face top-seed and defending champion West Allegheny in the Quarterfinals next week.

Franklin Regional Panthers 42 – Montour Spartans 21
Franklin Regional overcame an early 14-7 deficit scoring 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 28-14 halftime lead over Montour. Charan Singh rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two touchdown passes. Colin Jonov caught a touchdown pass, had a 55 yard touchdown run and added a 66 yard interception return as the Panthers prevailed 42-21 over the Spartans. Tynen Greer paced Montour with 78 yards rushing and two touchdowns, one rushing and one passing. Franklin Regional moves on to the next round of the playoffs as Montour finishes their season at 5-5.

West Mifflin Titans 47 – Moon Tigers 42
664 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Those were the combined rushing numbers of West Mifflin’s Jimmy Wheeler and Moon’s Cole Blake in this opening round game at Titan Stadium.  Wheeler, the WPIAL’s leading rusher coming into the playoffs, ran for 359 yards on 30 carries and scored 6 TD’s.  Blake, the 5th leading rusher during the regular season, carried 43 times for 305 yards and scored 4 TD’s.  In a game reminiscent of the 2009 WPIAL Class-AAA Championship between West Allegheny and Mike Caputo vs Hopewell and Rushell Shell, the two backs were given the football early and often daring the opposing defense to stop them.  It looked a lot like the team with the ball last would win, but that wasn’t the case.  With :21 seconds left, Moon had a 2nd and 10 at the Titans 31-yard line, but DiAngelo Mitchell broke up a pass intended for the Tigers Kyle Bondi at the 10-yard line.  Moon had one last desperation play on 4th and 15 from the Titans 36, but Aleksei Yaramus’ pass fell incomplete, and the #5 seed held off the #12 seed for the win.  West Mifflin (9-1), will continue on the Highway To Heinz where they’ll meet #4 Franklin Regional in the Quarterfinals.  Moon, who was making their first playoff appearance since 2006, finishes 6-4.

Thomas Jefferson Jaguars 39 – Hampton Talbots 0
The Thomas Jefferson Jaguars advanced to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Triple A football playoffs with a dominating 39-0 win at home over the Hampton Talbots on Friday night in the opening round.  The Jaguars, seeded #2, scored three times in each half, all coming on the ground.  Junior tailback Austin Kemp scored four times, on runs of three, three, 10, and one yard in the win over the #15 seeded Talbots, the wildcard entry.  Equally impressive was the Jaguar defense, which pitched its fifth shutout of the season as it stymied the Hampton offense on each Talbot possession.  Thomas Jefferson (10-0 on the season), will play the Highlands Golden Rams, who defeated New Castle in other first round action, next Friday at a site to be determined.  Hampton ended its season at 4-6.

Highlands Golden Rams 24 – New Castle Red Hurricane 19
Elijah Jackson rushed for 107 yards and scored on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Blake Leri and the Highlands defense kept the vaunt New Castle offense in check as the Golden Rams stayed alive in Round Two with a five point victory at home over the Red Hurricane. The Leri to Jackson touchdown put Highlands up to stay with a 7-6 lead after one quarter. A 10-0 second quarter gave the Golden Rams a 17-6 lead after two quarters. One New Castle pulled to within 17-12 in the third, a second touchdown pass from Leri, this time to Jordan Lineburg on a 42-yard strike in the fourth quarter gave Highlands a cushion to hang on after a late ‘Canes score. New Castle’s season ends with a 7-3 record while Highlands improves to 7-3 and will face second-seed Thomas Jefferson in the Class AAA Quarterfinals on 11/8.

Central Valley Warriors 40 – Belle Vernon Leopards 7
Riding big plays on defense and special teams, the Central Valley Warriors handled the Belle Vernon Leopards, 40-7. Down 14-0 midway thought the second quarter due largely to two interceptions, Belle Vernon added to their list of miscues when Philip Taylor muffed a punt. The Warriors recovered at the Leopard six-yard line, and John George hit JaQuan Pennington for a four-yard TD moments later. George’s 23-yard touchdown run just before halftime gave Central Valley a 26-0 lead at the intermission. In the third quarter, Jordan Whitehead returned an interception 96 yards for one score, then added an 82-yard punt return for another score. A late Leopard touchdown prevented a shutout, but the damage was done. Whitehead added 69 yards on five catches, while Preston Johnson ran in for two scores. Central Valley advances to face Mars in the second round.

Mars Fighting Planets 38 – Elizabeth Forward Warriors 21
The Mars Planets advanced into the WPIAL Quarter Finals Friday night with a 38-21 win over the Elizabeth Forward Warriors.  The Planets jumped out to a first quarter 14-0 lead on touchdown runs of 10 yards by Joshua Schultheis and 39 yards by Matt Parish.  Just when it looked like the Planets would dominate the game, the Warrior’s JaQuan Davidson went to work in quarter number two.  The Pitt recruit led his team on a ten-play, 80 yard drive – then  intercepted a Mars pass and took the Warriors 51 yards in six plays to get within 14-13 as wide receiver Matt Bernadowski tossed a three yard pass to Anthony Brown – the extra point was blocked.   The Mars defense then put the stop on Davidson and company as Jason Lozzi returned an interception 53 yards near the end of the half.  On the next series Davidson appeared to be injured after he was stopped while trying to pick up a first down on a quarterback sneak.  He staggered off the field, but returned to play the play of the half on defense.  Apparently he regained his equilibrium during halftime as he came out and started the second half by again leading the Warriors on an 80-yard drive, capping it off with a 3 yard run, and tossing a pass to Brandon Barr for the two-point conversion tying the game at 21.  That would be the last time the Warriors would threaten Mars.  The Planets took just over three minutes to take the lead back on an 8 yard run by Lozzi – and three minutes later, a three yard run by Schultheis made it 35-21.  The Planets Matt White added a 23 yard field goal half way through the fourth quarter to seal the win.

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WPIAL CLASS AA First Round:

Aliquippa Quips 41 – South Park Eagles 0
The Aliquippa Quips continued their dominance this season winning their first round playoff game against the South Park Eagles, 41-0. The Quips scored on the opening drive of the game as Shawn Price hauled in a 34-yard touchdown reception from Darrien Fields. After a South Park fumble on the ensuing possession, the Quips and Terry Swanson turned it into points. Swanson put the Quips up 14-0 on a 39-yard touchdown run. South Park’s offense continued to struggle and after an Eagle punt, Aliquippa’s Dravon Henry rushed in from 16 yards out to out the Quips up three scores, before the end of the first quarter. Soon after in quarter two, another South Park turnover (a fumble from Greg Pantuso) resulted in another Aliquippa score as Swanson scored again on a rushing attempt, this time from 19 yards out. A couple minutes later, Henry would also find his way to a second touchdown, running in from 45 yards to make it a 35-0 score. The second half saw both teams empty their benches with the running clock. The Quips would find the end zone once more thanks to fullback Anthony Barton’s 5-yard run. South Park’s offense couldn’t get much going against a tough front of Aliquippa. The Eagles had numerous giveaways and turned the ball over on downs on several occasions. For the Quips, Terry Swason had 5 carries for 100 yards and Dravon Henry carried 7 times for 98 yards. They’re now 10-0 on the season as South Park finishes their 2013 season at 5-5. The Quips draw Quaker Valley next week for the second round next Friday, the November 8th. You can catch it hear on the MSA Sports Network.

Quaker Valley Quakers 29 – New Brighton Lions 15
Quaker Valley made history by hosting its first ever WPIAL playoff football game and it was worth the long wait as the Quakers defeated New Brighton, 29-15 in a AA first round contest Friday night at Chuck Knox Stadium in Leetsdale.  The Lions opened the scoring on a 23-yard first quarter field goal by Gavin Pritchard before Quakers junior quarterback Dane Jackson scored his first of two touchdowns on a 33-yard run nearly mid way in the second period to make it 7-3 at the half.  New Brighton regained the lead on a Payton Fath 1-yard run, 9-7, midway through the 3rd quarter.  The lead lasted all of 12 seconds as Chris Conlan, son of former Penn State and Buffalo Bills star Shane Conlan, scored on a 96-yard kickoff return to give Quaker Valley a 14-9 advantage.  But, another Fath 1-yard run gave the lead back to New Brighton, 15-14.  However, two 4th quarter touchdowns by the Quakers were the difference.  Jackson scored on a 30-yard gallop and running back Gennaro Trovaro added a 5-yard run.  Senior Gabe Greco started at quarterback for New Brighton after missing five games with a broken ankle.  He threw three interceptions in his return.  Quaker Valley, 8-2 moves on to the quarterfinals to meet the top seed in undefeated Aliquippa.  New Brighton ended its season at 6-4.

Mount Pleasant Vikings 48 – Valley Vikings 14
It was a struggle early for the #4 seed Mt Pleasant Area Vikings but they win the battle of the Vikings 48-14 over the #13 seed Valley Vikings Friday night at Viking Stadium. Mt Pleasant took a 13-0 lead after the 1st quarter on a Tyler Mellors 1 yard TD run at the 6:49 mark and a Ryan Ballew 7 yard TD run with 19.7 seconds left. Valley would answer scoring the twice in the second quarter to keep game close. Devin Houser got Valley on the board at 10:59 with a 9 yard TD run making it 13-7. Houser would add a second TD run of 1 yard at the 4:50 mark of the second giving Valley the 14-13 lead, but that would be the last time Valley would score. Mt Pleasant regained the lead at 2:19 on a Tyler Mellors 4 yard TD run. Ryan Gumbita would hit Mellors for the 2-point conversion making it 21-14 Mt Pleasant at the half. The second half belonged to Mt Pleasant as they scored twice in both the 3rd and 4th quarters. Mellors got his third touchdown of the night at 9:42 of the 3rd period from 14 yards out making it 27-14 after a missed extra point. Ryan Ballew found the endzone for the second time on the evening at 2:36 from 11 yards out. Gumbita would complete the 2-point conversion pass to Trevor Salopek giving Mt Pleasant a 35-14 lead after three quarters. Mellors capped off his big night at 8:04 of the 4th quarter with his fourth rushing touchdown from 15 yards out. After a blocked extra point MP led 41-14. The last score of the game came at the 4:50 mark on a Brett Fess 22 yard touchdown run giving Mt Pleasant the 48-14 victory. Mt Pleasant had 461 yards of total offense to 248 yards for Valley. Tyler Mellors had 28 for 221 yards and 4 touchdowns. Mt Pleasant improves to 10-0 and will take on the #12 seed Beaver Bobcats next Friday at a site and time to be determined. Valley finishes the season at 6-4.

Beaver Bobcats 42 – Shady Side Academy Indians 21
The Class AA Number 12 seed Beaver Bobcats out of the Midwestern Athletic Conference dealt the Number 5 seed Shady Side Academy Indians of the Allegheny Conference their second loss of the season with a 42-21 win at Farrell Stadium in Fox Chapel on the campus of Shady Side Academy. The Indians for the second week in a row would score first.  Quarterback Tucker Gillman and Running Back Dennis Briggs would lead a textbook time consuming opening 80 yard drive of 7:04 capped off by a Gillman to Matt O’Conner touchdown pass. Beaver would answer with a 9 play 52 yard drive of their own when Quarterback Alex Rowse’s hit Dylan Goff from 11 yards out to tie the score at 7.  Less than a minute later Goff would have the game changing play on defense halting a Shady Side drive with an interception which lead to a Rowse touchdown pass to Luke Schiedemantel as Beaver would score 42 straight points enroute to the win. Rowse was 19 of 30 for 294 yards and 3 Touchdowns.  Rowse would also rush for a score.   His only blemish came late in the second quarter when he was intercepted in the end zone.  The defense who most likely played their most complete game of the season bailed him out with a stoppage forcing Shady Side to turn the ball over on downs with little time left on the first half clock. Bobcats freshman Running Back Darius Wise once again stepped up with 9 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown to lead all Beaver receivers.  Javon Alexander would be the leading rusher with 8 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown. Shady Side would score twice in the final quarter with the mercy rule in effect. Much to the surprise of many the normal rotation at quarterback for the Indians never materialized as Chuck Calabrase would not take a snap in the game.  The other surprise came with running back Jarred Brevard the Indians leading rusher on the season never touching the ball offensively and only playing in a handful of plays total on both offense and defense.  Brevard did not appear injured.   Briggs, a University of Pittsburgh recruit would be the leading rusher on the night for Shady Side with 18 carries for 68 yards.  Indians quarterback Tucker Gillman would throw 3 interceptions all leading to scores finishing 6 of 15 for 70 yards.  The Bobcats outgained the Indians 457 to 213 in total yards.  Beaver improves to 7-3 on the season.  Shady Side Academy finishes the season 7-2.

South Fayette Lions 49 – Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions 0
The No. 2 seed South Fayette Lions displayed their prolific offense early and often in a 49-0 victory over Greensburg Central Catholic in the opening round of the WPIAL Class AA playoffs on Friday. South Fayette, the top scoring team in the entire WPIAL, found the end zone less than two minutes into the contest, and added three more touchdowns before half. Lions junior quarterback Brett Brumbaugh passed for 145 yards and three touchdowns, while Grant Fetchet, JJ Walker and Jasper Wolfe all rushed for scores in the victory.

Seton-LaSalle Rebels 35 – Washington Little Prexies 27
Tyler Perone passed for 353 yards and four touchdowns, leading Seton-La Salle to a 35-27 win at Washington.  The Rebels took a 13-7 lead into the lockerroom on scoring passes to Rick Mellick (42 yards) and Tom Rizza (15 yards).  Washington quarterback Jonathan Spina snuck in from a yard out to tie the game and his PAT put the Little Prexies in front just two minutes into the third.  The lead lasted all of 18 seconds.  After a short completion and a personal foul penalty, Perone found Danzel McKinley-Lewis open on the right hashmarks behind the coverage for a 38-yard touchdown.  When WHS turned the ball over two plays later, SLS took more than  three minutes off the clock and Mellick scored from a yard out to push the lead to 27-14.  McKinley-Lewis got behind the coverage on the left hashmarks late in the quarter for 58 yards and a Rebels’ 35-14 lead after three.  Spina and Malik Wells ran for short touchdowns in the fourth pulling the Little Prexies to within 8 points, but the sixth WHS turnover ended a final minute threat as Tom Rizza picked off Spina, the fourth interception of the night.  Perone was 19-for-36 for 353 yards and one touchdown.  McKinley-Lewis caught three passes for 111 yards and the two scores.  Kevin Curran caught four passes for 63 yards, Rizza four for 38.  Seton-La Salle takes on Century Conference champion South Fayette in the WPIAL Quarterfinals.

Yough Cougars 57 – Kittanning Wildcats 42
In the third highest scoring game in WPIAL Playoff history, visiting Yough made even more history with the first postseason victory in school history in a wild game at Kittanning High School. Cougars quarterback Tyler Donahue enjoyed another huge game as he hit on 15 of 19 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns, plus he ran for 141 yards and two scores including a 42-yard touchdown run AND he returned a kickoff 86 yards for Yough’s first touchdown of the night. The game was deadlocked at 20-20 after a wild first quarter before Yogh took control and outscored Kittanning 23-8 in the second and third quarters combined. Clayton Waldron rushed for 142 yards for Yough and scroed three times as the Cougars improved to 6-4 and will play in the WPIAL Quarterfinals for the first time ever next week when they face Beaver Falls. Zane Dudek rushed for 198 yards for Kittanning and scored three times while quarterback Braydon Toy hit on 14 of 18 passes for 114 yards and rushed for a pair of touchdowns as the memorable season ends for the Wildcats with a final mark of 9-1.

Beaver Falls Tigers 50 – Summit Academy Knights 26
Beaver Falls raced to a 43-6 halftime lead and cruised to a 50-26 1st round AA victory over Summit Academy Friday night at Geneva College’s Reeves Field.  Running back Peter Lyons scored on runs of 12 and 20 yards and WVU recruit Sage Curry caught a 58-yard pass for a score to aid the Fighting Tigers early on.  Beaver Falls senior quarterback Dan Stratton threw for 140 yards in the first half before Tigers coach Ryan Matsook gave his starters the rest of the evening off.  Summit Academy, which finished 5-5, got two touchdowns from back Larry Richardson including one on an 80-yard run.  The Knights also got a 66-yard touchdown reception from Lemuel McFadden.  Akron recruit Elijah Cottrill, after missing the first eight weeks with a knee injury, caught his first touchdown of the season on an 11-yard grab.  The 8-2 Tigers advance to the quarterfinals next week to face Yough.

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WPIAL CLASS A First Round:

Sto-Rox Vikings 36 – Avella Eagles 7
Sto Rox (10-0) stayed undefeated with a 36-0 win over Avella (6-4) in the first round of the McDonald’s WPIAL Class A playoffs. Senior running back Brenden Blair scored on runs of four and thirty-four yards. He also took a shovel-pass 56 yards for a score. The WPIAL’s career-leader in touchdown passes and passing yards, Lenny Williams completed 9 of 13 for 194 yards and three touchdowns, including an 80-yard toss to Mallory Claybourn. Avella’s lone score came on an 81-yard flea-flicker from quarterback Santino Paris to Zach Thompson. The Eagles storybook season, which saw them reach the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in 37 years, comes to an end at the hands of the Vikings, who are looking to reach the WPIAL finals for the third year in a row.

Apollo-Ridge Vikings 42 – Beth-Center Bulldogs 28
Apollo Ridge defeated Beth Center 42-28.  The game was highlighted by five big plays made by QB Jesse Zelonka of AR.  Zelonka had TD runs of 54 yards with 7:46 remaining in the first quarter and 70 yards with 11:40 remaining in the second. In addition, he added TD passes of 52 yards to Alex Smith with 6:43 left in the second, 48 yards to Tre Tipton with 10:49 left in the second and 83 yards to Tipton with 8:20 left in the third.  Beth-Center was up 14-7 in the first, before AR scored 35 unanswered points to go up 42-14.  BC Started the fourth quarter by scoring 14 unanswered points to cut the deficit to 42-28.  BC drove the ball deep into AR territory with 6:00 left, but a holding penalty backed them away from the goal line and AR answered with two sacks to turn it over on downs. Some Finals Stats: AR QB Jesse Zelonka – Passing 183 yds 3 TDs and Rushing 156 yds 2 TDs. BC RB Anthony Welsh – Rushing 130 yds 2 TDs

Clairton Bears 33 – Frazier Commodores 14
The Clairton Bears started their quest for a 6th WPIAL title in a row with a 33-14 win over the Frazier Commodores on Friday Night at Neil Brown Stadium. Sophomore Aaron Matthews lead Clairton with 135 yards rushing, 59 yards receiving and scored 4 touchdowns.   The game was tied at 8-8 until the Bears scored 4 touchdowns within less than 7 minutes of game time spanning from the 2:40 mark of the 2nd quarter to the 8:51 mark of the 3rd quarter to blow the game open.  Raymone Clifford also scored for the Bears.  Charlie Manack in his final game for the Commodores threw for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Dakota Hixson caught 10 passes for 107 yards and 2 scores for Frazier whose season ends at 7-3.  Clairton at 9-1 has now won 73 of its last 74 games and advances to the WPIAL Quarterfinals to play Fort Cherry.

Fort Cherry Rangers 13 – Carmichaels Mighty Mikes 12
Friday night’s matchup between Fort Cherry and Carmichaels turned out to be one of the most exciting opening-round contests of the 2013 WPIAL playoffs, regardless of classification. With around 30 seconds left to play, the Mighty Mikes drove into the Ranger half of the field trailing by just one point. However, the visiting team slammed the door on defense and held on for a 13-12 win. After a scoreless first quarter, Fort Cherry, which was one of three tri-champions out of the Black Hills Conference, broke up a shutout when senior superstar running back Koltan Kobrys made a diving catch on a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Heslin with 8:23 to play in the first half. Anthony Kampian’s successful extra point attempt put the Rangers ahead 7-0. The Mikes, who finished second in the Tri-County South standings, quickly quieted the visiting fans and brought their own supporters to life on the ensuing kickoff when senior wide receiver Tyler Aeschbacher fielded the ball at his own 22-yard line and sprinted up the middle through the Fort Cherry coverage unit for a 78-yard score. Unfortunately for the Blue and Gold, the PAT try was no good and the Rangers maintained a 7-6 edge with 8:07 showing on the second-quarter clock. The Rangers rebuilt its seven-point advantage with just 1:43 to play in the first half, when Heslin pounded in a two-yard scoring run that capped a long possession. A failed extra point conversion kept Carmichaels’ deficit 13-6, which wound up being the halftime score. After neither team scored for the first 20 minutes of the second half, Carmichaels senior running back Brennan McMinn pounded in a two-yard touchdown run with 3:44 left in the contest. The Mikes lined up to go for two and take the lead, but McMinn came up short of the end zone on a draw play. Fort Cherry appeared as though they would be able to end the game with the ball in its possession as Kobrys ripped off a 38-yard run to set his team up with a first down deep in Mike territory. However, a botched snap gave the ball back to the home team with under two minutes left in the game. Carmichaels drove out of its own side of the field and got within striking distance of a victory, before turning the ball over on downs following an incomplete pass in the end zone. Kobrys eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark for the season after piling up 199 yards on just 20 carries. Most of his yardage came on runs of 33, 22, 51 and 38 yards. He also hauled in an interception and recovered a fumble on defense. Mike senior quarterback Brandon Lawless completed 18-of-38 pass attempts for 194 yards, but was intercepted three times in the defeat. Aeschbacher pulled in a game-high nine catches for 82 yards, recorded the kick return for a score and intercepted a pass on defense.

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans 24 – Western Beaver Golden Beavers 0
The Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans were very workmanlike in winning their first round WPIAL Class A playoff game over Western Beaver, 24 – 0 Friday night at Lt. J. C. Stone Field in North Park. Tight End Ronnie Meder caught two touchdown passes in the victory; 61 yards from Ryan Kirby and 34 yards from P. J. Fulmore to lead the Trojans offensively.  Jerome Turner scored on an eight yard run and Mike Tarasovich kicked a 32 yard field goal and three extra points to account for the rest of the scoring.  Western Beaver held their own with the Trojans for two quarters, trailing 10 – 0 at the half, but their inability to mount a scoring drive along with losing two fumbles during the second quarter did them in. North Catholic (10-0) advances to a second round game against Avonworth next Friday.  The Golden Beavers end their season at 5-5

Avonworth Antelopes 34 – Laurel Spartans 16
Avonworth (9-1) overcame 90 yards of penalties and three turnovers in a 34-16 win over Laurel (7-3) in the First Round of the 2013 WPIAL Class A Playoffs on Friday Night at Avonworth High School. Both teams’ offenses would look good early, as Avonworth would take the opening kickoff and march 80 yards on ten plays. Jesse Zubik would cap off the drive with an 21-yard touchdown run, giving the Antelopes the early 7-0 advantage. But Laurel would answer with a lengthy, eleven-play, 49 yard drive that took over 5 minutes off of the clock and be finished off by a Dalton Rosta 2-yard touchdown plunge. But over Laurel’s next 7 drives, they would only run 24 plays, going 3-and-out 4 times, punting 5 times, fumbling once and have the other drive end with halftime. The second quarter belonged Avonworth. Cole Pappas would hit a 33-yard field goal to increase their lead to 10-7 and 1:39 later, Matt Donovan would find Dalton Day for a 6-yard touchdown pass, extending the Antelopes lead to 17-7 at halftime. Noah Wertz would hit a 22-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter for Laurel, but Avonworth would respond with 17-straight points, putting the game away. The dagger was a 50-yard touchdown pass from Donovan to Zubik, who spectacularly weaved through tacklers before diving over the left pylon, giving the Antelopes a 24-10 lead. Pappas would knock through a 25-yard field goal and Moses Giles would go in from 4 yards out to give Avonworth a 34-10 lead. Laurel’s Clayton Sharek would score a late touchdown to end the scoring a 34-16. Zubik, who saw increased carries due to a knee injury to backup running back Tyson Kirk, would finish with 95 yards rushing, including one score and 79 yards receiving, adding another touchdown. Additionally, he had three punts of 67, 63 and 48 yards. Giles, who fumbled 4 times and lost one of them, ended up with 66 yards and a touchdown. Donovan finished 13-of-27 passing for 228 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Laurel received a solid performance from Rosta, who tallied 107 yards and a score on 13 carries. But leading rusher and quarterback Josh Dando finished with just 52 yards on 17 carries and went 8-of-16 for 65 yards passing. In all, the game saw 160 penalty yards on 18 flags, including 6 personal fouls and another that was inexplicably waved off on a late hit out of bounds. Avonworth, who has boasted an extremely balanced offense and the top defense in Class A all season, finished with 228 passing yards and 166 rushing yards. They out-gained Laurel 394-249 in total offense. The Spartans, who finish at 7-3, were playing in their first playoff game since 2009, when they lost to eventual Champion Clairton in the Semifinals. Up next for Avonworth is a rematch against Eastern Conference rival North Catholic. On October 4th, North Catholic defeated Avonworth 21-12 and clinched the win on a late interception return for a touchdown as the Antelopes were driving for the victory. The Semifinal matchup will be at a site and time to be determined on Friday.

Monessen Greyhounds 37 – West Shamokin Wolves 14
The Class A match-up between the 3rd-seeded Monessen Greyhounds and the 14th-seeded West Shamokin Wolves quickly became “The Clintell Gillaspie Show.”  Monessen’s bruising senior running back ran for three touchdowns – including two long runs (63 and 47 yds) in the first quarter – and hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass, leading the Greyhounds to a 37-14 win over the Wolves.  Monessen (10-1) also got rushing touchdowns from fellow seniors Javon Brown (20 yds) and Kayne Jackson (1 yd), but only converted one extra point.  Senior kicker Luke Doptis missed his first attempt, and Monessen was unable to cash in on their four subsequent two-point conversion attempts. For West Shamokin (6-4), they found themselves in an 18-0 hole after their first quarter of playoff action in school history.  However, on their first play from scrimmage in the second quarter, junior quarterback Alex Lasslo hit junior halfback Andrew Wingard for a 69-yard touchdown to bring the Wolves to within 11.  In the third quarter, they’d get as close as 24-14 after a six-minute, 13-play drive that culminated with Lasslo’s second TD pass of the game, this one to junior tight end Adam Crise. Monessen, though, would score on their final two drives to put the game out of reach. The Greyhounds will meet Neshannock next week.  The Wolves will have many starters returning next season, but may also find themselves back in Class AA when the WPIAL realigns.

Neshannock Lancers 40 – Brentwood Spartans 9
The Lancers have a date with Monessen for a second straight year in the quarterfinals after the home victory tonight at Bob Bleggi Stadium. Brentwood led after the opening possession, a nearly six minute drive with a Sean McGlaughlin 22 yard field goal. Neshannock went three and out on their first possession but Ernie Burkes’ punt pinned Brentwood at their own one yard line, on third down Connor McWilliams stepped on the end line on a passing attempt for a safety, the Lancers got a field goal from Jason Owery following the free kick to go up 5-3 after one quarter. The Lancers, playing their first ever playoff game at home, pulled away in the second. Burkes connected with Seth Dueitt for a 9 yard touchdown, he added scoring runs of 41 and 92 yards to put Neshannock up 26-3 at the break. Burkes connected with Dueitt again for a 16 yard score three plays into the second half. Eli Owens broke a 52 yard run to send the game to the mercy rule. McWilliams hit Bill Medeja for a 11 yard touchdown for the only Brentwood touchdown. Owens ran for 153 yards on 14 tries, Burkes had 9 carries for 140 yards, Neshannock ground out 383 yards rushing, the Lancers are now 8-2. McWilliams was 14 of 40 for 152 yards, Brentwood ends the season at 6-5.