Jeannette cruises past Charleroi to improve to 4-1

By: Dave Mackall
Friday, September 22, 2023 | 11:16 PM

Jeannette’s steady climb back to respectability took another step forward Friday night.

Is the WPIAL’s winningest football team all the way back?

“I’m not ready to say it yet,” Jayhawks coach Tommy Paulone said. “The progress is pleasing, but we know there’s still work to do.”

Payton Molter threw three touchdowns passes to Kymon’E Brown, including one on the Jayhawks’ first play from scrimmage, and Jeannette rolled to its third consecutive victory, a 35-7 decision against visiting Charleroi.

Molter, who also contributed a 14-yard touchdown run, hooked up with Brown for scoring passes of 38, 29 and 11 yards and finished 8 of 19 for 158 yards for Jeannette (4-1). One of his two interceptions resulted in a 67-yard return for a touchdown by Daniel Hudock, accounting for Charleroi’s only score.

Noah Sanders led the Jeannette ground attack with 152 yards on 14 carries as the Jayhawks avenged last season’s 24-20 loss to the Cougars (0-4), who again were attempting to get Tyler Aeschbacher his first coaching victory at Charleroi.

“Week by week, we’re bringing more and more parts together,” said Aeschbacher, the Cougars’ third coach in as many seasons. “Jeannette is trying to bring it back, just like we are. They’re a really good team.”

Jeannette is tied with Aliquippa for the WPIAL’s all-time lead in victories with 774. The Jayhawks have won 10 WPIAL championships and two PIAA titles but stumbled when several key players transferred following their most recent trip to a PIAA championship game in 2020.

After an 11-2 season that year, ending with a 32-20 loss to Steelton-Highspire in the PIAA Class A title game, Jeannette combined for just four victories over the next two seasons.

The Jayhawks, with eight players who were freshmen on that 2020 squad, appear ready for a comeback, having won four of their first five games this year. Jeannette was coming off a 54-0 rout of Frazier a week ago.

“We are making progress,” Paulone said. “The adversity this senior group has been through has hardened them, and it shows in every game. They play hard in every game. They’re coming out and performing.”

Michael Mason, like Molter, is among the group that was part of Jeannette’s 2020 team and added a 2-yard touchdown run for the Jayhawks. He’s expressed joy in seeing his school rebound from some tough times.

“We’re learning a lot. Every year, we’re never satisfied,” Mason said. “I’m not saying we’re back, either. Because we have to focus on one game at a time. It drives us because we’re not happy with it, people aren’t happy with it, and we need to make a change.

“And we have.”

After Charleroi failed to sustain a drive on its first possession, Jeannette got on the board in a hurry as Molter tossed a short pass to Brown on the left side and the sophomore wide receiver raced 38 yards for the game’s first score.

A 29-yarder from the duo later in the quarter boosted the lead to 14-0.

Hudock stepped in front of a pass in Charleroi territory and raced untouched 67 yards for the Cougars, cutting the Jeannette lead to 14-7.

But Mason’s 2-yard run in the second quarter increased the Jayhawks’ lead to 21-7 at halftime.

Molder scored in the third on a 14-yard keeper to make it 28-7 before throwing his third TD pass to Brown, an 11-yarder, in the fourth quarter.

Despite the outcome, Aeschbacher said the Cougars are committed to turning around the season with half their schedule remaining.

“So proud of the way they play,” he said of his team. “There comes a point where we probably, as coaches, have got to do a better job of knowing who we have and try to put our guys in the best position possible. We just need to go back to work and get better and better each week.”

Tags: Charleroi, Jeannette