Clairton routs Riverview to keep hot streak going

By: Sean Saputo
Friday, September 15, 2023 | 11:43 PM

After returning to form last week in a runaway victory over Our Lady of Sacred Heart, putting back-to-back shutouts and an 0-2 start in the rear view, the Clairton Bears made a number of big plays and racked up 487 yards of offense in route to a 35-3 victory over the Riverview Raiders.

“There’s a ton of talent on the field,” said Wade. “If you look at (Drahcir) Jones, (Michael) Wright, (Michael) Ruffin and (Zae-Mear) Correll, at any moment, any of them can get the ball and go to the house. We have a lot of firepower.”

Riverview, which was without the WPIAL’s third leading rusher, Landon Johnson, opened the game in plus territory after a short kickoff. The Raiders started strong, entering the Clairton red zone while taking more than six minutes off the clock.

However, that promising start was derailed by a stop on fourth and short.

“At the end of the day we just have to make plays,” Riverview coach Trevor George said. “We made a few, but just not enough. We have to fix our mistakes and focus on next week and go 1-0.”

On the ensuing drive, Clairton marched downfield in about two minutes, and Michael Wright connected with Donte Wright for a 25-yard touchdown. After a failed extra-point attempt, the score sat at 6-0.

The score remained 6-0 entering the second quarter, but the big plays kept coming as the Bears put up 16 in the second: a 70-yard screen that went for a touchdown from Wright to Ruffin and a 17-yard pitch and catch form Wright to Correll.

The Bears’ scoring ended in the third after Jones ran 57 yards for a touchdown 16 seconds into the quarter, and Ruffin ran 56 yards for his second of the night.

After the mercy rule went into effect, the Raiders’ Drew Hunter finished the game’s scoring with a 36-yard field goal.

Wright tossed for 242 yards and three touchdowns on 9-for-13 passing, with Correll catching 130 of those yards and a score.

Jones led the Bears with 154 yards on 11 carries.

Next week, Clairton travels to Leechburg and looks to, as Wade said, “keep getting better each week.”

On the other side, Riverview meets Frazier.

Looking towards that game, George said, “they’re big up front and like to throw a lot, but we just have to play assignment-sound and make plays.”

Tags: Clairton, Riverview