Southmoreland stays perfect, holds off Derry in penalty-filled game

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, September 26, 2025 | 11:10 PM

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The Southmoreland and Derry football teams did not wait for mid-June to celebrate flag day.

The teams combined for 27 penalties (Derry 14 and Southmoreland 13) during their WPIAL Class 3A Interstate Conference battle Friday.

But it was two Southmoreland touchdowns in the first quarter and a solid defense that helped the Scotties stay perfect and defeat scrappy Derry, 23-11, on Friday at Trojan Stadium. Southmoreland improved to 6-0, 1-0, and Derry slipped to 3-3, 0-1.

“I do not think many people expected us to be 6-0,” Southmoreland coach Dustin Shoaf said. “My job is to correct our mistakes, and I will get it fixed.

“My kids went out and competed in all three phases of football: offense, defense and special teams.”

Junior quarterback Dawson Wolfe completed 12 of 19 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, Averyon Darnell rushed for 47 yards and a score and Liam Smith booted a 38-yard field for the Scotties.

Wolfe tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Stanley Betters for a 7-0 lead.

The Scotties made it 14-0 late in the first quarter when Darnell scored on a 3-yard run.

The 65-yard drive featured 14- and 28-yard passes from Wolfe to Makel Darnell and a 16-yard run by Averyon Darnell.

“We knew we could not give up big plays, and we did,” Derry coach Mike Arone said. “We were our own worst enemy at times. Too many penalties.

“I thought defensively, for most part, held our own. In the second half, we could not do anything offensively. Kudos to them for what they did defensively in the second half.”

The Trojans drove into Southmoreland territory twice in the first half only to turn the ball over.

Derry’s defense got the Trojans on the scoreboard when senior tackle Dylan Pitzer sacked Wolfe in the end zone for a safety.

Stanley Chapman set up the Scotties’ final score of the first half when he intercepted an Anthony Sacco pass.

Liam Smith capped the short drive with a 38-yard field goal to make it 17-2.

The Scotties opened the second half with an impressive 72-yard drive.

Wolfe connected on a 30-yard scoring strike to Ty Whoric for a 23-2 lead. The score was set up by a 38-yard pass to Betters.

“I put a lot of trust in my offensive line,” Wolfe said. “I also have receivers that go up for the ball.”

Derry took advantage of a bad snap in punt formation to trim the lead to 23-9. Max Doherty capped the 8-yard drive by plunging in for the 1.

Doherty finished with 128 yards, 103 coming in the first half.

Another special teams blunder gave Derry another safety, cutting the deficit to 23-11 with 7:50 left.

A snap in punt formation sailed over Makel Darnell’s head and toward the end zone. Darnell kicked the ball out of the end zone.

But the Scotties defense stood tall. Wolfe had a 78-yard interception return wiped out by a holding penalty.

Southmoreland’s Jackson Mickens rushed for 56 yards and was a force on defense once again.

“We overcame a lot of adversity, but that has been our theme all season,” Mickens said. “We got punched in the mouth sometimes, but we are always going to bounce back. We were not going to quit. We have things to clean up.”

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Derry Area, Southmoreland