Apollo-Ridge rushes for 4 scores, including game-clincher late, to defeat South Park
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Friday, October 17, 2025 | 10:40 PM
Apollo-Ridge’s Avery Grant leaps to attempt a tackle against South Park on Friday at South Park.
Apollo-Ridge’s Zak Myers carries the ball against South Park on Friday.
South Park’s Quintin Napper carries the ball against Apollo-Ridge on Friday at South Park.
Apollo-Ridge’s Avery Grant tries to take down South Park’s Quintin Napper on Friday at South Park.
Apollo-Ridge’s Alex Clawson looks to pass against South Park on Friday.
Apollo-Ridge’s Preston Clemens carries the ball as South Park’s Bobby Knapp tries to make the tackle Friday.
Apollo-Ridge’s Jaden McCray runs past South Park’s Jacob Raimondi on Friday.
Apollo-Ridge’s Preston Clemens scores a touchdown against South Park on Friday.
South Park’s Robert Lenzi looks to pass against Apollo-Ridge on Friday.
South Park’s Jacob Raimondi carries the ball against Apollo-Ridge on Friday.
Apollo-Ridge’s Alex Clawson carries the ball against South Park on Friday.
Apollo-Ridge’s Zac Myers holds off South Park’s Leland Stone as he carries the ball Friday.
Preston Clemens could have had two touchdowns had it not been for a goal-line fumble that his team recovered. With that in the back of his mind, he wasn’t going to let a surging South Park team complete a comeback.
After the Eagles cut the lead to 11 with under 4 minutes to go, Apollo-Ridge turned to Clemens on the third play of their drive. He received the handoff and let his frustration do the rest.
“I saw my line blocking, and I read the cut back, and I saw that kid,” Clemens said. “I was angry after the play before that where the ball popped out of my hands. I just ran through the kid and got in there.”
Clemens’ only touchdown of the game was the nail in the coffin as the Vikings (6-3, 4-1) went on to beat South Park (4-5, 1-4), 45-34, on Friday night.
Clemens’ game-sealing touchdown was one four on the ground for the Vikings, who amassed 279 yards rushing. He was the third-leading rusher behind quarterback Alex Clawson (97 yards and one touchdown) and Zac Myers (81 yards and one touchdown)
At halftime, the game was shaping up to be a classic shootout, with Apollo-Ridge holding onto a 28-21 lead. But in the third quarter, the game grounded to a halt, with only three drives taking place between both teams. The Vikings were able to build their lead to 10 with 5:54 left in the third after a Beck Andree field goal, but those would be the only points of the quarter.
After both teams punted on their opening possessions in the fourth, Clawson — who totaled 157 passing yards — led a five-play drive that resulted in one his three total touchdowns for the night. Two minutes later, however, with 3:54 remaining in the game, South Park’s Robert Lenzi forced his way into the end zone to cut the lead to 38-27 for Apollo-Ridge. The Vikings set up Clemens’ (5 carries, 57 yards) touchdown a little less than a minute later, at the 2:49 mark.
Lenzi led South Park with 250 scrimmage yards (187 passing and 63 rushing) and two total touchdowns. Quentin Napper was the game’s leading rusher with 152 yards and two touchdowns.
For Apollo-Ridge, Jaden McCray had three catches for 113 yards. Even with his team’s offensive output, he knows they need to be better.
“Our defense kind of let up a little bit,” he said, “ but our offense was able to keep up.”
After McCray ran in a 1-yard touchdown to give Apollo Ridge a 21-7 lead at the beginning of the second quarter, South Park scored 14 unanswered points. The first touchdown was a 29-yard run by Napper (143 yards in the first half). Then, Lenzi found Brody Dellarose for a 63-yard passing touchdown to knot the score at 21 with a little over three minutes left.
Apollo-Ridge will close the season against Ligonier Valley. South Park will end against Shady Side Academy.
Tags: Apollo-Ridge, South Park
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