Hopewell leaves Southmoreland frustrated with rout in WPIAL Class 3A 1st round

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Friday, October 31, 2025 | 11:18 PM

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A hand-drawn sign taped to the bleachers at Russ Grimm Field flapped in the wind below the student section.

“Nightmare on Hopewell Street,” it read, playing on a Halloween theme for the playoff opener.

The sign was on point.

Southmoreland’s latest bid at a postseason victory was another bad dream as the seventh-seeded Scotties were flattened by No. 10 Hopewell, 42-6, on Friday night in the WPIAL Class 3A first round.

Hopewell (7-4) hadn’t tasted victory in the playoffs since 2012. Southmoreland (9-2) still hasn’t tasted it since its program began 61 years ago.

The frustration was palpable, the question marks large, after the game.

The Scotties were turned away again, moving to 0-7 all-time in the postseason — 0-6 since 2019 — as they fell behind early and struggled to finish drives against the Vikings and their standout sophomores.

“Things didn’t go our way,” Scotties first-year coach Dustin Shoaf said. “Don’t take anything away from our kids. They fought all night. I don’t think the score is indicative of how we played.”

Asked why the program can’t win a playoff game, Shoaf said, “It’s my job to find that answer.”

Hopewell used basics to advance in the bracket — it will play No. 2 Imani Christian (10-0) in the quarterfinals — with ball control, long drives and a sound rushing attack.

The Vikings ran for 205 yards.

Their defense bottled up the Scotties’ rush, limiting them to 54 yards on the ground.

“Our defense played with a lot more intensity tonight,” said Hopewell sophomore running back Nasir Wade, who ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries and scored on a fumble recovery. “We watched a lot of film and knew what they were going to come out in. We were prepared.”

Hopewell showed off two other sophomores in the win. Quarterback James “BooBoo” Armstrong — a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder who has seven Division I college offers, including Pitt and Penn State — ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, while linebacker Brody Rock (6-2, 220), back from an injury, was disruptive in the second half and made an impact in other ways.

Armstrong was playing on a sore ankle.

Rock caught a 32-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-10 to open the scoring and had two of the Vikings’ five sacks.

He also completed a pass on a fake punt.

“My staff had us ready to play,” Hopewell second-year coach Matt Mottes said. “My offensive coordinator (Zach Rosa) is a 25-year-old kid. He had a game plan, and we executed it.

“It was an overall team win. We grinded it out and got back to basics.”

As for Rock, who suffered a fractured skull in a freak scooter accident earlier in the year, Mottes said he gave the team a lift.

“He missed seven games,” Mottes said. “We unleashed him tonight. There wasn’t any film of him.”

Hopewell led 14-0 on Rock’s reception and Armstrong’s 31-yard run that also came on fourth down (and 1).

After three three-and-outs, the Scotties lost a fumble on their fourth drive and Wade — yes, he is related the Clairton Wades — took it to the end zone for a 20-yard score and a 21-0 lead with 7:37 left in the first half.

“It bounced right to me,” Wade said.

Said Shoaf: “The fourth down and the fumble recovery; that’s not who we are.”

Southmoreland cut the lead to 15 on a bobbled touchdown grab by sophomore Averyon Darnell from junior Dawson Wolfe with four minutes remaining in the half.

Early in the third, the Scotties caught a break but couldn’t pounce. A muffed punt was recovered by senior Cam Lee at the Vikings’ 17. But three straight negative-yardage played forced a fourth-and-21, and Liam Smith’s 38-yard field goal was short.

Hopewell made it 28-6 by capping a thorough, 12-play, 78-yard drive with a 2-yard TD by Wade.

After Rock stuffed the Scotties with a 13-yard sack, Armstrong scored from the 1 two plays later to make it 35-6.

“(Rock) flew around and made some big plays,” Shoaf said. “

The Vikings put the game out of reach with a 21-point fourth.

Wade capped the scoring with a 41-yard burst.

“Coach Shoaf is young and he’s still learning,” Mottes said. “He is going to be a really good coach here some day.”

Armstrong accounted for 144 yards: 90 passing (7 of 14), 54 rushing (17 carries).

Sophomore Avery Bokor had four catches for 54 yards.

Junior lineman Aris Haniotes had three sacks in the win.

Wolfe finished 7 of 17 for 82 yards.

Shoaf is already thinking about the offseason and next year.

“These kids had laid a foundation here,” Shoaf said. “They’ve created a culture that wasn’t here in the past. I am proud of them for that.”

Southmoreland’s nine wins are a school record for a season.

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

Tags: Hopewell, Southmoreland