McKeesport runs past Chartiers Valley, earns rematch with Thomas Jefferson

By: Bob Orkwis
Friday, October 31, 2025 | 11:11 PM

It might have taken top-seeded McKeesport a bit to get on track in its WPIAL Class 4A first round contest Friday at Weigle-Schaeffer Stadium, but once the Tigers found their stride, they ran away from No. 8 Chartiers Valley for a 44-7 victory.

“It was a great offensive performance tonight, even though we didn’t have the ball that much,” McKeesport coach Matt Miller said. “We were able to move the ball pretty consistently.”

McKeesport had a short field on its second possession, and junior Kemon Spell capped off a two-play, 33-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown run.

The Colts then used a trick play to tie the game.

Chartiers Valley ran a halfback option, and Owen Weagraff found Julius Best open down the right sideline for a 55-yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7 early in the second quarter.

After that, McKeesport scored 37 unanswered points.

Quarterback Matt Miller started the spurt with an option run for a 16-yard touchdown.

Then Miller found Javien Robinson for a 61-yard score to put the Tigers in front 21-7.

Coach Miller though the touchdown pass was a big play in the game.

“The big touchdown pass to Javien was kind of the thing that broke this open,” he said. “He made a great move to get open and then he adjusted perfectly for the ball.”

On the next drive, with Chartiers Valley back to punt, a high snap ended up getting kicked out of the end zone and McKeesport held a 23-7 halftime lead.

Spell, who de-committed from Penn State last month but has 18 other Division I offers, took over in the second half.

He scored on runs of 31, 6 and 10 yards to put the mercy rule and the running clock in play with the 44-7 score.

“Kemon is Kemon,” Coach Miller said. “He always does some big things for us every game.”

Spell carried 19 times for 185 yards. His four touchdowns brought his season total to 27.

Miller had a touchdown run and a touchdown pass and finished with 100 yards through the air.

Coach Miller said being a coach’s son has helped the younger Miller in his first year as a starting quarterback.

“He’s been really solid for us, and he made a lot of really good audibles,” the coach said. “You know, a coach’s son, he’s been around it here since he was a waterboy.”

Senior quarterback Luke Miranda paced Chartiers Valley (7-4) with 114 passing yards but was intercepted twice, by Spell and Robinson.

“Our defense is a very physical group; they kept us a little bit off balance,” Miller said. “We were able to make tackles in the open field and force them into third-and-long situations.”

The Tigers ended up with three turnovers on the night.

McKeesport (8-3) moves into the semifinals where a familiar for awaits, No. 4-seeded Thomas Jefferson.

The two teams met in the regular season, when TJ won 16-7 in Week 2. An injured Spell played only three snaps. The Tigers and Jaguars also met in last year’s Class 4A championship game, which Thomas Jefferson won 28-7.

Coach Miller is happy moving on to the semifinals, and despite the rivalry, it didn’t matter who the opponent will be next week.

“Kemon being healthy and getting everybody back is a key,” he said. “Right now, you’re just happy to keep playing. It doesn’t matter who you play, when you play, where you play. You’re just happy to keep playing.”

Tags: Chartiers Valley, McKeesport