Apollo-Ridge’s Logan Harmon has night to remember

By: Michael Love
Saturday, October 5, 2019 | 8:51 PM

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Not too many WPIAL running backs have had the type of game Apollo-Ridge junior Logan Harmon did Friday at conference rival Valley.

Despite losing three fumbles, Harmon put Apollo-Ridge on his back with 344 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries in a 35-28 victory.

“Logan’s a workhorse, and we’re never going to go away from him,” Apollo-Ridge coach John Skiba said. “He’s our heart and soul. I kept looking at him, and he kept saying, ‘I’m all right. I’m all right. I’ll get it back.’ ”

Harmon had 13 runs of more than 12 yards, including a 33-yarder in the second quarter and the winning touchdown run of 57 yards with 7 minutes, 25 seconds left in the fourth.

That TD, his final one of the game, came on Apollo-Ridge’s first play after Valley’s Justin Hooper darted 58 yards to tie the score in the back-and-forth affair.

Harmon’s big night gave him 947 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season.

His 344 yards are the second-best single-game total in the WPIAL this season. West Greene’s Ben Jackson collected 359 yards and four scores in a Week 4 victory over Monessen.

Steel Valley’s Nyzair Burt came close to Harmon’s total in Week 5 with 340 yards in a 41-7 win over South Allegheny.

With the win, Apollo-Ridge clinched its first playoff trip since 2016 and the 15th in program history.

A win and a comeback

After losses to Jeannette and Greensburg Central Catholic the past two weeks, Springdale returned to winning form with a 55-14 rout of Northgate on Friday.

The Dynamos improved to 5-2 overall with three regular-season games remaining.

“The past two weeks were challenging against two very good teams, and the guys were able to get some confidence back with this win,” Springdale coach Seth Napierkowski said.

The victory, Napierkowski said, also was special with the return of sophomore Logan Dexter after he recovered from a hip/pelvis fracture suffered in the Week Zero win over Deer Lakes.

Dexter, a two-way starter, was cleared Monday and played a majority of the first half before the Dynamos subs took over.

“He was saying those muscles were sore from lack of use the past couple of weeks, which we expected,” Napierkowski said. “The plan was to ease him back in and make sure he felt as good as possible. It was just good to have him back on the field.”

Less is more

Weir, W.Va., outgained Plum, 314-165, on Friday, but the Mustangs pulled out a 30-27 victory.

Plum improved to 3-4, bouncing back after losses the past two weeks to Class 5A powers Penn-Trafford and McKeesport.

Reed Martin scored on a short run and returned a punt for a touchdown, Billy Guzzi ran one in from 32 yards, Max Matolcsy caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Jake Miller, the defense recorded a safety and Jason Jackson sealed it with an interception.

Guzzi had 70 of the Mustangs’ 122 rushing yards, and Tyler Kolankowski’s four extra points proved key.

Knights have control

Despite Northwest 8 losses the past two weeks, including Friday’s 42-7 setback to Class 4A power South Fayette, Knoch controls its destiny for a WPIAL playoff spot.

The Knights, tied with Blackhawk for second in the conference at 4-2, can clinch Friday with a home win over New Castle (4-3, 2-2) in their conference finale.

Knoch built conference equity with victories over Blackhawk, Beaver, Highlands and Ambridge. The win over Blackhawk would be key for a tiebreaker.

Closing in on a record

Burrell quarterback Alex Arledge passed for 229 yards and two touchdowns in Friday’s 34-18 loss to Mt. Pleasant.

He has 1,493 yards on the season, 155 shy of the single-season school record of 1,648 by Garyn Ehrlich set in the Bucs’ 2004 conference-title season.

Arledge will go for the record Friday, when Burrell hosts Freeport in a critical Big East (3A) clash. The Bucs and Yellowjackets are 3-3 and tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the conference.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.