Hempfield buckles down in 2nd half, closes out Franklin Regional

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, August 29, 2025 | 11:09 PM

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With bookend highs overshadowing mid-game lows, Hempfield went from nearly self-destructing to 2-0 with a commanding second half.

Big lineman Brock Heisler loved every gritty second of it.

“We knew we could out-physical them and size-wise,” said Heisler, the 6-foot-3, 260-pounder who is going to Harvard. “We started slow, but we had a big talk at halftime. I was confident in our guys.”

After the Spartans saw a blazing start get wiped out by turnovers and penalties, they changed gears and ran behind their staunch line to power their way to a 31-14 victory over Franklin Regional on Friday night in nonconference football at Panther Stadium in Murrysville.

“I am proud of the way we started and proud of the way we finished,” Hempfield coach Nick Keefer said. “The middle was filled with uncharacteristic penalties that we don’t tolerate in this program. We did what we needed to do.

“It was a total team victory.”

Using a power formation, Hempfield (2-0) pushed the Panthers (0-2) down the field to put the game away.

“You want to impose your will,” Keefer said. “Drive the ball down their throat and close the game out.”

With Heisler at left tackle and other linemen strengthening his side, the game plan was simple, Keefer said: “Run left.”

Hempfield, ranked No. 3 in Class 6A, scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to follow up a 28-23 win over North Hills.

Sawyer Leuthold gave the Spartans the lead for good, at 17-14, with a 40-yard field goal to cap a 13-play drive that chewed up almost seven minutes of the third quarter.

Hempfield opened the third and fourth quarters with lengthy, time-consuming drives and put up points on both to finally put away the Panthers.

An 11-play, 92-yard drive led to the insurance touchdown, an 8-yard run by Aidan Stinebiser to make it 24-14 with 6:04 to play.

Stinebiser ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.

“Our kids didn’t respond (to the running attack),” Panthers coach Lance Getsy said. “They were not reacting to what came at them.”

Jack Kopas, who had a touchdown catch earlier, returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown with 3:27 left to give the Spartans a 31-14 lead.

Xavier Smith, who had two sacks, also picked off a pass late and took it to the Panthers’ 5, fighting off defenders and having his pants pulled down as he was finally stopped.

Heisler, who had a sack and a fumble recovery in the win, tipped the ball to Smith.

The Spartans threw just seven passes on those two quarter-opening drives, instead pounding the ball with Stinebiser and quarterback Dom Detruf.

Detruf, who completed 10 of 17 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 50 yards.

“Dom sees the field so well and knows the plays, so he kind of knows where to go,” Keefer said.

Franklin Regional, a 5A team, stayed close with the Spartans for a half, taking advantage of mistakes and penalties.

The Panthers had four starters out because of injury or suspension from a skirmish last week with Plum.

“I hate to keep saying it but we’re very inexperienced,” Getsy said. “We had guys out, but we fought. We’ll do great things then follow it up bad things. Little things.”

Power back Jet Taylor was a bright spot for the Panthers as he rushed for 153 yards and a score on 20 carries.

Hempfield scored on its first two drives. Brayden Gerst stuffed the Panthers on fourth-and-1 from the Panthers’ 29 to give Hempfield a short field.

Stinebiser gained 21 yards on second down, then scored from the 2 for the opening points.

On their next possession, Detruf hit Andrew Jones for a 32-yard gain, then delivered a strike to Kopas for a 27-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Franklin Regional had an 11-play drive end on another fourth-and-1 with Jones making a stop for the Spartans.

Hempfield drove to the Panthers’ 6, but Detruf was intercepted by Oliver Leven.

A pair of 15-yard penalties on Hempfield helped to turn momentum in the Panthers’ favor.

“We’ll address that in practice,” Keefer said. “That is not what we do or who we are.”

Despite a sack by Smith, Franklin Regional finally finished a drive when Taylor scored on a 30-yard burst to cut it to 14-7.

Hempfield’s Lucas Simmons caught a pass over the middle, but fumbled at midfield and Austin Visnick recovered for the Panthers.

Seven Taylor runs later, Dom Devola found Austin McClure back shoulder for a 19-yard score to tie it 14-14.

Henry Mutschler had three catches for 92 yards, including a 66-yard catch, for Hempfield.

There was a lengthy delay with 7:44 left in the first half as medical staff tended to Franklin Regional tight end/linebacker Cole Devola, who went down on a rush by Hempfield. He was wheeled out on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance with a reported leg injury.

“Hats off to coach Getsy,” Keefer said. “He had a great defensive game plan to stop our skill guys. We made plays when we needed to and finished drives.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Franklin Regional, Hempfield