Mt. Lebanon defeats Central Catholic to secure 3rd place, home playoff game in Class 6A

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, October 27, 2018 | 1:06 AM

Mt. Lebanon took advantage of early turnovers and a sloppy first half of play by Central Catholic en route to upsetting the Vikings, 17-7, on a rainy night at Highmark Stadium.

Central Catholic fumbled on the second offensive play of the game, then again on the first play of its second drive. The Blue Devils took advantage of that second turnover two plays later, when Seth Morgan connected with Lucas DeCaro on a 27-yard touchdown pass at 9:16 of the opening quarter.

The Vikings tied the game with 8:55 remaining in the first half, when John O’Rourke rumbled 27 yards for a touchdown. But Mt. Lebanon answered back, when Morgan connected with DeCaro again with 2:29 left in the second quarter to take a 14-7 lead.

On the next Blue Devils’ drive, with time ticking down in the first half, Morgan found Sam LaSota on a 14-yard pass to get the ball to the Central Catholic 6. On the final play of the half, Casey Sarsdal made a 23-yard field goal to give Mt. Lebanon a 17-7 lead.

Central Catholic looked to be within three points at 5:13 of the third quarter, when Eddy Tillman broke a 40-yard run for a would-be touchdown. But a block in the back penalty negated the play, and the Vikings turned the ball over on downs at the Mt. Lebanon 33.

Mt. Lebanon’s defense held the Vikings in check all night, practically eliminating the passing game.

“The defense has played well all year,” Mt. Lebanon coach Mike Melnyk said. “We tried to avoid giving up the big play.”

Central Catholic didn’t complete a pass until the fourth quarter, and Gus Sunseri, who was making his second straight start of the season in place of Dom Pieto, was held to 27 yards passing.

“We feel he gives us the best chance to win,” Vikings coach Terry Totten said about the decision to stay with Sunseri at quarterback.

Despite the tough night passing, Sunseri rushed for 120 yards.

“We prepared for a physical game,” Melnyk said. “Even if you stop them on one drive, they’ll keep grinding you.”

Morgan and DeCaro both had big offensive nights for the Blue Devils. Morgan completed 19 of 29 passes for 219 yards, while DeCaro had nine catches for 117 yards.

With the win, the Blue Devils (5-5) secured third place in Class 6A and wrapped up a home playoff game, as well. Mt. Lebanon, Central Catholic and Seneca Valley all finished with 5-3 conference records.

“We wanted to take care of our business and finish third, since it’s the best we could do,” Totten said.

Despite the loss, the Vikings will host a playoff game in the first round. Central Catholic (7-3) defeated Seneca Valley earlier this season, slotting the Vikings fourth in the conference. A rematch between the teams will be in store for the opening round, since Seneca Valley finished in fifth place.

Mt. Lebanon will open the playoffs with a rematch against No. 6 Canon-McMillan, which the Blue Devils defeated in their conference opener.

Matt Vandriak is a freelance writer.

Tags: Central Catholic, Mt. lebanon