Peters Township uses strong line play to upend West Allegheny

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, September 14, 2018 | 10:48 PM

Peters Township is relatively young at the skill positions.

But the fifth-ranked Indians are experienced on both lines, and that allowed their youth to shine in a 42-28 win over West Allegheny on Friday in Class 5A Allegheny 8 Conference action in Imperial.

Sophomore quarterback Logan Pfeuffer completed 12 of 16 pass attempts for 199 yards and two touchdowns. Both scoring tosses went to junior receiver Josh Casilli, who hauled in seven catches for 135 yards.

“We did exactly what I said we had to do — stay out of third-and-longs (and) move the ball on first downs,” Peters Township coach TJ Plack said. “We were able to run the ball and (Pfeuffer) was able to complete a couple passes. … We took care of the ball, ran the ball and played good defense.”

Junior running back Ryan Magiske rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns on a dozen carries for Peters Township (2-1, 3-1).

West Allegheny fell to 2-1 in both league play and overall.

“They came out physical and we knew it,” West Allegheny coach Bob Palko said. “I think their execution offensively, I thought they did a good job. They’re a very senior-oriented (team), and they’re a good football team.”

Peters added to its two-score halftime lead when Pfeuffer connected with Casilli on a 22-yard touchdown pass at 8:54 in the third quarter.

But West Allegheny rallied. Kam Kruze had a 9-yard touchdown run and then threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Drevon Baldwin that cut the deficit to 35-28 with 26 seconds to play in the third quarter.

Seth Luksik restored Peters Township’s two-score lead with a 1-yard touchdown run at 10:08 in the fourth quarter, and West Allegheny got no closer.

“We are a pretty fast defense,” Plack said. “We’re able to get to the ball, and our secondary is very good. We just have some good ballplayers. We’ve got the same system we’ve had. We’ll cause some team fits, but we’re football players.”

The game’s first snap was a harbinger of the big plays that would follow. Pfeuffer found Casilli behind the West Allegheny defense for a 65-yard touchdown pass to give the team a 7-0 lead just 17 seconds into the game.

West Allegheny drew even at 7:12 when a batted-down pass ended up in the hands of Mateo Vandamia, who took it 32 yards to the end zone to make it 7-7.

But Peters Township regained the lead with Magiske’s 4-yard touchdown run at 2:58, and then Logan Clark returned a fumble 12 yards to increase Peters Township’s lead to 21-7.

Magiske added another 4-yard scoring scamper to cap a methodical 10-play, 58-yard drive that pushed Peters Township’s lead to 28-7 at 7:24 in the second quarter. But Kruze found Baldwin all alone behind the defense for a 55-yard touchdown pass at 5:53 to cut the deficit to 28-14.

“I think we could have laid down too, but we didn’t. We fought and we made it a game,” Palko said. “But I thought the better football team tonight won, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Jesse Geleynse is a freelance writer.

Tags: Peters Township, West Allegheny