Trib HSSN football team of the week for Oct. 28, 2024

By: Don Rebel
Monday, October 28, 2024 | 8:50 PM

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Trib HSSN football team of the week – Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils

Coach: Greg Perry (1st season)

Result: Mt. Lebanon 42, Norwin 20

Record: 3-3 in Class 6A, 3-7 overall

#Earned: The Blue Devils were left for dead twice this season, following an overtime loss to Canon-McMillan that dropped them to 0-5 overall and after Week 7 when they were 1-3 in Class 6A and 1-7 overall following back-to-back competitive losses to North Allegheny and Penn Hills. With two weeks remaining and still alive for a playoff berth, first-year coach Greg Perry told his team it was starting fresh at 0-0. Win two games and make the playoffs. Lebo won at Hempfield in Week 8, 42-20, and then knocked off Norwin on Friday by the same score. Against the Knights, the Blue Devils left little doubt as they scored 20 points in the opening quarter and added 22 more in the second to lead at halftime, 42-0. The back-to-back victories evened Mt. Lebanon’s 6A record at 3-3, good enough for a tie with Seneca Valley for third place, a tie that goes the Blue Devils’ way because of a Week 5 win over the Raiders.

Statistical standouts: Mt. Lebanon has been led all season on offense by junior quarterback Patrick Smith, a dual threat QB who has done plenty of damage with both his arm and legs this season, including in the first half against Norwin. Smith connected on 7 of 11 passes for 183 yards and three touchdown tosses, two to senior wide receiver Noah Schaerli of 57 and 40 yards and a 52-yard scoring strike to senior wide out Billy Robertson. For the night, Schaerli caught five passes for 117 yards and has 815 yards receiving and eight touchdowns on the year. On Friday, Smith also led the ground attack with 185 yards rushing on 13 carries and two scoring runs of 61 and 68 yards. For the season, Smith has thrown for 1,462 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus he leads the Blue Devils in rushing with 972 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Last year: A year after leading Mt. Lebanon to a perfect season and WPIAL and PIAA gold in 2021, Bob Palko stepped down as the Blue Devils coach. Former Elizabeth Forward bench boss Mike Collodi took over the program for the 2023 season. Lebo got off to a great start, stunning Gateway in Week Zero and then following that victory up with wins over Bethel Park and Moon for a 3-0 start. However, the team struggled the rest of the season, losing five of its final seven games to end up 5-5. The Blue Devils were 1-3 in 6A games, but with tiebreakers, they were able to finish in fourth place and earn a playoff spot. In the 2023 Class 6A semifinals, the season came to an end with a loss to regular season champion Central Catholic, 42-7. In the offseason, Collodi resigned after only one year as Blue Devils coach and former Seton LaSalle and Keystone Oaks coach Greg Perry was hired.

Remember when: The Mt. Lebanon football program is steeped in tradition with eight WPIAL championships, which is tied for fifth place on the all-time list. The Blue Devils captured gold twice in this century, three years ago in 2021, which included their only PIAA title, and nearly a quarter-century ago when Lebo defeated Woodland Hills in the 2000 Class 4A finals in the last high school football game played at Three Rivers Stadium. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the sixth and final title won by legendary head coach Art Walker in 1984. It was a repeat performance for Mt. Lebanon after winning it all in 1983 as well, but it was hardly a dominant performance. The Blue Devils finished the regular season with a ho-hum 6-3-1 record. They then pitched back-to-back shutouts over Penn Hills and Bethel Park to reach the finals at Three Rivers Stadium. There they defeated a nine-win Gateway team, 20-12.

Week 9 honorable mention

West Allegheny Indians

A week after Montour surprised Aliquippa with a dramatic win that ended the Quips’ 27-game conference winning streak, 36-35, the Spartans were stunned in another Class 4A Parkway Conference classic by neighboring West Allegheny. Following an opening-quarter touchdown by Montour, West A eventually tied the game on a touchdown by senior running back Brock Cornell. The game went to overtime where Roman Police scored the game winner on an 8-yard run as the Indians handed the Spartans their first loss, 13-7, and forced a three-way tie for the conference title. For their efforts, West A was given the No. 8 seed in the upcoming eight-team 4A playoffs.

Steel Valley Ironmen

All looks right again for the men of steel as Steel Valley looks poised for a third straight trip to the WPIAL Class 2A championship game. Or should we call them, the brothers of steel? Following a 1-3 start, the Ironmen have won six straight and finished in second place in the Class 2A Allegheny Conference behind South Park with a convincing win over South Allegheny. Senior Donald Barksdale rushed for 208 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns, while his brother, junior Da’Ron Barksdale, carried the ball 10 times for 153 yards and two scores as the Ironmen dominated the Gladiators, 45-7.

Neshannock Lancers

In the de facto Class A Big 7 Conference championship game between Lawrence County rivals who entered the contest with perfect conference records of 5-0, host Neshannock squeezed the life out of Laurel on its way to a business-like victory, 27-7. The Lancers scored a touchdown in each of the four quarters and only a late Spartans score ruined what would have been a third shutout this season. Neshannock junior quarterback Jino Mozzoccio connected on 12 of 16 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns and junior running back Anthony Eakin rushed for 158 yards and scored twice in the win that lifted the Lancers to the Big 7 crown and eventually, a Class 4A No. 4 seed.

2024 HSSN Teams of the Week

Week 8 – Montour Spartans

Week 7 – Woodland Hills Wolverines

Week 6 – Ellwood City Wolverines

Week 5 – Central Catholic Vikings

Week 4 – Central Valley Warriors

Week 3 – South Allegheny Gladiators

Week 2 – Jefferson-Morgan Rockets

Week 1 – Bethel Park Black Hawks

Week Zero – Blackhawk Cougars

Tags: Mt. lebanon