Elizabeth Forward blanks previously unbeaten Southmoreland in 1st-place showdown
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Friday, October 17, 2025 | 11:08 PM
Elizabeth Forward’s Tyler Scott celebrates with Ryan Messina (16) after Messina’s touchdown run against Southmoreland on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Messina spins out of the tackle attempt by Southmoreland’s Ty Whoric on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Jaydyn Clark makes a shirt-tail save on Southmoreland’s Averyon Darnell on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Messina stretches to the end zone past Southmoreland’s Averyon Darnell on Friday.
Southmoreland’s Stanley Betters beats Elizabeth Forward’s Aaron Ulmer for a catch Friday.
Southmoreland’s Makel Darnell makes a tackle on Elizabeth Forward’s Landon Honick on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Messina throws a 2-point conversion as he’s being pulled down by Southmoreland’s Justin Hribal in tow Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Messina throws against Southmoreland on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Messina breaks the tackle attempt by Southmoreland’s Dawson Wolfe on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Messina clears the Southmoreland defense for a touchdown on Friday.
Southmoreland’s Makel Darnell pulls in a catch over Elizabeth Forward’s Aaron Ulmer on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Messina breaks into open field against Southmoreland on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Landon Honick gets past Southmoreland’s Maker Darnell on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Messina gets outside with a block from Landon Honick on Southmoreland’s Cam Lee on Friday.
Southmoreland’s Jake Hull breaks up a pass intended for Elizabeth Forward’s Landon Honick on Friday.
Elizabeth Forward set the tone early in Friday’s WPIAL Class 3A Interstate Conference first-place showdown against Southmoreland.
The Warriors won the toss, and coach John DeMarco decided to put their offense on the field.
The decision proved to be a good one.
The Warriors put the ball in senior quarterback Ryan Messina’s hands, and he drove his team 90 yards for the game’s first score en route to a 42-0 victory to clinch the conference title.
Messina carried the ball seven times for 65 yards and completed a pass to Anthony St. Angelo for 10 yards and Aaron Ulmer for 5 yards during 10-play drive. Rocco Thompson finished the drive with a 2-yard run.
“We wanted the ball to start the game,” DeMarco said. “Our offense heard all week about Southmoreland’s defense, and they are good. But they had something to prove.”
But the deflating moment of the game for the Scotties (8-1, 3-1) came on their first possession.
They drove to the Warriors’ 29 when disaster struck. The snap sailed over quarterback Dustin Wolfe’s head for a 16-yard loss, and the Scotties never recovered.
“Coaching here for years, if a momentum swing occurred against them, it would deflate them and it did,” DeMarco said. “Our defense got after them and made it tough on them.”
The Scotties could not find their rhythm on offense. A penalty, a missed block, an overthrown pass or ankle tackle stymied them. Elizabeth Forward’s defense was the biggest reason they sputtered.
The Warriors (8-1, 4-0) put the game away with a 19-0 spurt during the final 4 minutes, 46 seconds of the first half to grab a 26-0 lead.
Thompson scored his second touchdown of the game on a 3-yard run to complete a 49-yard drive. He finished with 60 yards on the ground.
Messina then raced 47 yards for a score to make it 20-0, and following a fumble, Messina scored on a 15-yard scramble.
The senior quarterback rushed for 193 yards on 22 carries and completed 14 of 19 passes for 160 yards. His main targets were St. Angelo (four catches for 69 yards) and Landon Honick (five catches for 44 yards).
Messina added a third score on the game in the third quarter on a 6-yard run, and Gio Thompson scored on a 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
“Our offense wanted the ball,” Messina said. “We had a statement to make. Southmoreland is a good team, but our defense played outstanding.”
Southmoreland rushed for a minus-22 yards. Wolfe completed 6 of 19 passes for 102 yards.
“We faced some adversity,” Southmoreland first-year coach Dustin Shoaf said. “I did not do a great job coaching. Now it is my job to get them back, and we start the week 1-0.
“Messina is a great quarterback, and he was hard to handle. That’s a good football team.”
The Scotties clinched second place in the conference despite the loss.
Southmoreland concludes the season by hosting Greensburg Salem next week, and Elizabeth Forward hosts Mt. Pleasant.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
Tags: Elizabeth Forward, Southmoreland
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