McKeesport’s Kemon Spell scores 6 TDs in win over Mars, wavers on Penn State commitment

By: Liam Belan
Friday, October 10, 2025 | 11:49 PM

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McKeesport’s Kemon Spell battled some injury issues early on in the season, but he looked to be at his very best on Friday night against a top Class 4A opponent in Mars.

The Tigers and the Fightin’ Planets are not only top teams in the WPIAL, but also the top two squads in the Greater Allegheny Conference. Spell, who tallied six total touchdowns and 420 all-purpose yards, was the difference maker in a dominant 56-31 victory.

“We came into the week dominating, watching film and going through different things to get ready to execute for Friday. Then, you saw what we did,” Spell said. “My linemen up front were great, so thanks to those guys. We’ve been in the weight room since who knows when, so thanks to those guys up there.”

After the game, Spell said his commitment to Penn State, which he made in August of 2024, was wavering.

“Not 100 percent with Penn State anymore,” Spell said. “I will be taking visits and everything else, so we’ll see.”

Spell, considered the No. 1 running back recruit in the country by 247sports, has offers from more than a dozen top programs. He added Georgia to his list of suitors this week.

Pine-Richland receiver Khalil Taylor, another top recruit who had previously committed to Penn State, said earlier Friday that he has decommitted from the Nittany Lions.

The win put the Tigers (5-3, 3-0) in the driver’s seat to win the section with games left against Indiana and Knoch. Javier Everett and Akeem Cochran also scored touchdowns for McKeesport on the night.

“This means a lot,” McKeesport coach Matt Miller said. “We really wanted this one. We haven’t been playing our best football over the last couple of weeks, but we’re getting everybody healthy, and we were fired up. When we’re ready to roll, I feel like we’re a pretty tough team.”

On the other side for Mars (6-2, 2-1), coach Eric Kasperowicz acknowledged the skill of the Tigers from top to bottom as his attention will now turn to a home matchup with Hampton.

“This is behind us,” he said. “We’ll go watch film, get better, but we have to get a move on to Hampton because I don’t know how playoffs are, but I think we have to win next week to get in. That’s our focus.”

Jameson Garvin powered in for two short touchdowns while Ayden Yocum added two more scores, including a 95-yarder with two minutes left to play.

The Tigers wasted no time in getting on the board when Spell plunged into the end zone from 8 yards out just three and a half minutes into the contest. Mars then went backwards 5 yards on its first drive, and McKeesport again found the end zone when Spell ran in a 5-yard score.

The Fightin’ Planets showed some life at the end of the opening frame as they marched down the field behind Yocum and QB Colin Yurisinec’s connection with leading receiver Gabe Hein. That culminated in a 2-yard touchdown for Garvin on the first play of the second quarter.

However, the Tigers fired back with another touchdown before Mars got back on the board.

Spell broke a 25-yard run with 6:26 left in the first half before Mars’ Frank Knezovich split the uprights on a 31-yard field goal to make his squad’s deficit 20-10.

The game got out of hand in the remaining 3:24 of the first half, however, as the Tigers managed two more touchdowns. Everett scored from a yard out after Spell broke off a 51-yard run and was brought down at the 1. With the score at 28-10, the Tigers forced a quick stop and got the ball back for one more drive.

Quarterback Matthew Miller saw a matchup that he liked against the Mars secondary and chose to split Spell out wide late in the second quarter. After the star running back beat his man, Miller lofted him a pass that left nothing but green grass in front of him.

That score was 66 yards and came with just eight seconds left in the first half. It was a backbreaker to Mars.

The Fightin’ Planets came out swinging in the third quarter, putting together another impressive drive to open the half which culminated in another touchdown from Garvin before a McKeesport fumble resulted in another quick Mars strike. That made it an 11-point game at 35-24, and the Tigers were on the ropes a bit when they went for a lengthy fourth down.

Another star recruit for McKeesport, four-star Javien Robinson, came up clutch on that play as he battled through a pass interference call to make an athletic grab and move the chains. On the next play, Cochran took an end around 33 yards to the house to snatch the momentum back for McKeesport, which was celebrating its homecoming as well as the 20-year anniversary of its state championship team.

The Tigers posted the next 14 points to really pull away, with Spell adding an 87-yard punt return touchdown and a 55-yard touchdown scamper to bring the score to 56-24. With 2:17 left, Yocum broke a 95-yard touchdown run against the backups for the Tigers to conclude the scoring at 56-31.

Tags: Mars, McKeesport