Baldwin shuts out West Allegheny for 3rd straight win

By: Sean Saputo
Friday, October 4, 2019 | 11:38 PM

An 82-yard touchdown run by Angelo Priore on the first play of the second half provided the knockout blow as Baldwin scored a 23-0 win over Baldwin on Friday night, sealing its first three-game winning streak since 2005.

Priore’s touchdown was the decisive play, but the Highlanders (4-3, 3-2 in Class 5A Allegheny 8) got to the Indians (2-4, 2-4) late in the second quarter to open up a 13-0 halftime lead.

Naseer Penn was the receiving target for a 78-yard touchdown strike from Mason Stahl with 1 minute, 56 seconds left in the first half that gave Baldwin a 13-0 lead. The Highlanders focused on the run game early, but coach Loren Cooley saw the opportunity in the passing game late.

“We saw something that we liked in their defense,” Cooley said. “We just took a shot and went over top on them and executed it.”

Baldwin’s offense has the potential to be dangerous, which it showed Friday night with two quick-strike scores.

“We’re a very explosive offense,” Cooley said. “Angelo, Naseer, Jarren (Kelly) and Mason — pick your poison. We have playmakers offensively. They showed up today. We are starting to hit our stride.”

Priore was the featured offensive piece tonight, rushing for 168 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Stahl threw for 95 yards and a touchdown, while rushing 11 times for 68 yards and a touchdown that went for 32 yards to open the scoring.

Late touchdown by the Highlanders notwithstanding, the Indians dominated statistically in the first half, especially in time of possession. The Indians held a 16:28-7:32 edge at halftime.

A handful of mistakes did in the Indians, which is something coach Chris Lucas mentioned both before and after the game.

“Honestly, we made too many mistakes,” Lucas said. “We drove the ball on them. We continued to make mistakes. Holdings and false starts, we’re a team that needs to stay ahead of the sticks.”

Replacing the injured Nico Flati in the backfield, Kyle Marett did a superb job, rushing 14 times for 78 yards and also caught a pass for 59 yards.

“He’s been awesome,” Lucas said. “He’s a downhill runner, a hard runner, and he’s fast. He has all the tools.”

Sophomore quarterback Gavin Miller did his best to keep the Indians offense afloat, going 11 for 23 for 155 yards and an interception.

Despite the mistakes and still gaining nearly 300 total yards of offense, West Allegheny has to forget about being shut out for the first time since the 2016 WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals. The opportunity to play back-to-back nonconference games, beginning with Hampton next week, allows the Indians to patch some things up before its final conference clash in Week 9 against Moon.

“We have to focus on ourselves,” Lucas said. “We need to focus on improving every day and in practice. We, as coaches, have to hold the kids accountable for the mistakes that’ve been made so they don’t happen in games.”

The Highlanders take their winning streak back home next week to face rival Bethel Park.

“This conference, there is no easy game,” Cooley said. “Bethel Park has a great coach, tremendous offensive and defensive line, as well as playmakers. We need to have a great week of practice to prepare for them.”

Tags: Baldwin, West Allegheny