High school football roundup for Sept. 19, 2020: Another big night for Shenango’s Watkins

By: Tribune-Review
Saturday, September 19, 2020 | 10:44 PM

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Thanks to the coronavirus-shortened schedule in place in the WPIAL this season, it’s going to be hard for WPIAL standouts to put up the kind of numbers they’re accustomed to.

Shenango’s Reis Watkins doesn’t need a full, 10-game slate to put up an eye-popping stat line, however.

Watkins surpassed the 200-yard mark for the second straight week, rushing 23 times for 227 yards and four scores as Shenango (2-0, 2-0) ran to a 44-0 victory over Fort Cherry (0-2, 0-2) in a Class A Big Seven matchup Saturday night.

Watkins, who has been playing running back and wildcat quarterback, also threw a touchdown pass for the second straight week. This time, he hit CJ Miller on a 31-yard scoring play.

Watkins scored on runs of 5, 28, 8 and 5 yards. Last week, he ran for 212 yards and a touchdown against Union.

Dalton Peters scored on a 70-yard fumble return for Shenango.

Springdale 40, Bishop Canevin 20 – Legend Ausk built the lead, Matthew Haus added some breathing room, and Cavin Kindler put the game away as Springdale improved to 2-0 with a Class A Eastern Conference win.

Ausk helped the Dynamos get out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. He hit Demitri Fritch with a 24-yard touchdown pass and Logan Dexter on a 7-yard scoring strike.

Bishop Canevin closed the game to 14-6 on a 28-yard touchdown catch by Xavier Nelson from Willie Banks. Nelson later scored on a 87-yard kickoff return and Banks scored on a fumble return in the fourth quarter.

Haus helped the Dynamos pull away by making two field goals for the second straight week. He nailed kicks from 42 and 32 yards out in the third quarter.

Kindler put the game on ice with a pair of touchdown runs late, a 13-yarder in the third quarter and an 8-yarder in the fourth. John Utiss also had a touchdown run for Springdale, which hosts Leechburg on Friday.

Ausk was 15 of 23 for 181 yards. Dexter had 116 yards from scrimmage – 74 rushing and 42 receiving. Fritch caught eight balls for 81 yards.

Western Beaver 22, Beaver 14 – A pair of big plays in the second quarter – one by Dom Benzio and another by Thad Gray – sparked Western Beaver past Beaver in a nonconference matchup.

Benzio broke a 7-7 tie with an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown. Gray widened the lead for Western Beaver (2-0, 1-0) with a 50-yard scoring run. Dakkari Bradford added a touchdown catch for Western Beaver.

Wyatt Ringer and Marco Mamone had touchdown runs for Beaver (0-2, 0-1).

Tags: Beaver, Bishop Canevin, Fort Cherry, Shenango, Springdale, Western Beaver