Westmoreland County don’t miss high school football matchups for 2021 Week 6

By: Tribune-Review And Paul Schofield And Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, October 6, 2021 | 6:05 PM

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Class 6A

Baldwin (1-5, 1-2) at Hempfield (2-4, 0-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Bill Abraham Field at Spartan Stadium, Hempfield

The Spartans dropped their third consecutive conference game, falling at Canon-McMillan, 45-27. Baldwin picked up its first win of the season by scoring on a blocked punt and fumble return to rally for a 21-10 victory against Norwin. … Jake Phillips tossed two touchdown passes, both to Ian Tuffs, and scored on a 22-yard run in the Spartans’ loss. Elijah Binakonsky scored on a 72-yard run and rushed for 123 yards. Phillips completed 16 of 28 passes for 176 yards and Tuffs had eight catches for 99 yards. Keith Mincini returned a fumble 17 yards for a score and Kam Allen iced the win with an 8-yard run. Baldwin is coached by former Derry coach Tim Sweeney.

Norwin (2-4, 0-3) at 4-North Allegheny (3-3, 1-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Newman Stadium, McCandless

Returning to the field after a covid shutdown and accompanying forfeit, Norwin appeared to have a winnable game last week, but a rough second half cost the Knights in a 21-10 loss to then-winless Baldwin. The Highlanders turned a blocked punt and lost fumble into points. Longsnapper Xander Smith had a touchdown catch and Joey Castle kicked a 26-yard field goal in the loss, the Knights’ third in a row. They are averaging 15.3 points a game. … North Allegheny was tripped up by Mt. Lebanon, a team it had beaten 11 straight times dating to 2005. J.R. Burton had a 61-yard touchdown run for the Tigers that cut the lead to 21-14, but the Blue Devils forged ahead. North Allegheny had had a rare up-and-down season. The Tigers had not lost back-to-back conference games since 2014.

Class 5A Big East

Connellsville (0-5, 0-1) at Latrobe (2-4, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Latrobe

Connellsville’s losing streak reached 12 games overall and 12 against conference opponents after the Falcons fell to Franklin Regional, 36-0. The game was 0-0 after the first quarter and 13-0 at halftime, so the team showed improvements. The Falcons have yet to score a point in a conference game this season and have just 47 points in five games. … Latrobe stayed close with No. 5 Gateway last week, trailing just 7-0 after the first quarter, but the Gators put up 27 in the second on the way to a rout. If the Wildcats follow a a pattern, they’ll win this week. They have gone win one, lose two, win one, lose two so far. Last year, Latrobe brushed by the Falcons, 29-26. Connellsville went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 5 with four seconds left, but Latrobe held with a thrilling goal-line stand.

Woodland Hills (1-5, 0-1) at Franklin Regional (2-4, 1-0)

7 p.m., Friday, Panthers Stadium, Murrysville

The Panthers snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating Connellsville, 36-0. Woodland Hills, which had lost a couple of close games, failed to contain Penn-Trafford‘s running game and fell, 27-6. It was the Wolverines’ fifth consecutive loss. … Franklin Regional quarterback Connor Donnelly scored two touchdowns and passed for a third to pace the Panthers to an easy win. The Bewszka brothers — Tyler and Zach — each scored two touchdowns. Deontae Williams scored the Wolverines’ touchdown against Penn-Trafford. Jeannette transfer Louis Callaway leads Woodland Hills with five catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Woodland Hills dropped two one-point decisions.

Class 4A Big Eight

1-Belle Vernon (5-0, 3-0) at Ringgold (3-3, 0-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Joe Montana Stadium, Monongahela

Belle Vernon methodically pulled away from previously unbeaten Laurel Highlands, 56-14, as sophomore backup running back ran wild with 247 yards and five touchdowns on 23 carries. Devin Whitlock also scored twice, once on a 67-yard punt return. Standout sophomore Quinton Martin is questionable with a knee injury. … After beating Uniontown, 42-0, Ringgold was bounced by McKeesport, 41-0, to fall to .500 for the second time this season. The Rams are averaging 20.5 points and allowing 15.8.

Class 4A Greater Allegheny

Greensburg Salem (4-2, 2-1) at Armstrong (4-2, 2-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Armstrong Stadium, Kittanning

A matchup of two of the top quarterbacks in the WPIAL is important to the playoff fates of both teams. Greensburg Salem quarterback Hayden Teska had thrown for 1,337 yards and 12 touchdowns. The second-leading passer in the WPIAL, he was just 12 of 29 last week, though, against Hampton. He faced a constant pass rush and was limited in what he did throwing deep. The Golden Lions had a four-game winning streak snapped as they attempted a 5-0 start for the first time since 2009, the last year they won a conference title. …Cadin Olsen, the River Hawks’ quarterback, threw for 144 yards last week in a 37-0 win over Mars, which continued a rare down season and fell to 0-6. Olsen has completed 61% of his passes for 1,166 yards and a WPIAL-leading 17 touchdowns against only four interceptions. Armstrong, going for a third straight win, is averaging 36.2 points and allowing 11.8.

Class 3A Allegheny

Valley (0-6, 0-3) at Derry (0-5, 0-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Trojan Stadium, Derry

Valley fell to Freeport, 33-6, last Friday. Jayden Richter helped the Vikings avoid the shutout with a 17-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter. Richter also returned a fumble for a score in Valley’s 36-9 loss to Shady Side Academy in Week 2. The Vikings have been shut out three times and have tallied just one offensive score in six games. … Derry also has been shut out three times this season. The Trojans were blanked 49-0 by Deer Lakes in Week 3, and after not playing Sept. 24, they were shut out by Southmoreland, 41-0, last Friday. Derry has surrendered 56.8 points a game, the most in Class 3A. Eric Catone rushed 18 times for 81 yards against Southmoreland. … Valley leads the all-time series 13-8. The teams first played in 1970. Derry won last year, 19-6.

Class 3A Interstate

Brownsville (0-5, 0-3) at 4-Mt. Pleasant (4-2, 2-0)

7 p.m., Friday, Mt. Pleasant Stadium, Mt. Pleasant

The Falcons scored their first points for the season against South Allegheny last week, falling 63-6. They’ve been outscored, 270-6, in the five games they played. The Vikings won their second consecutive game in the conference, rallying to defeat Yough, 27-14. … Aaron Alakson scored three touchdowns and rushed for 153 yards on eight carries against the Cougars. Senior Brent Garn caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyler Reese to clinch the win.

Yough 0-6, 0-3) at Southmoreland (4-2, 1-1)

7 p.m., Friday, Russ Grimm Field, Alverton

The Cougars moved Tristan Waldier back to quarterback from wide receiver and the offense clicked against Mt. Pleasant, which rallied in the second half to defeat the Cougars, 27-14. The Scotties rebounded from a disappointing loss to Mt. Pleasant to hammer Derry, 41-0. … Waldier tossed two touchdown passes, and he and running back Shane Swope combined to rush for more than 140 yards. Waldier completed 14 of 30 passes for 139 yards. Southmoreland quarterback Anthony Govern completed 8 of 15 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown, 13 yards to Isaac Trout.

Class A Eastern

Riverview (1-4, 1-2) at Greensburg Central Catholic (4-2, 2-1)

7 p.m., Friday, Centurion Stadium, Greensburg

The Raiders collected their first win of the season, a 42-12 thrashing of Imani Christian. Greensburg Central Catholic bounced back from a road loss at Bishop Canevin to blank Springdale, 35-0. … Running back Dean Cecere rushed for 221 yards and two touchdowns against Imani Christian. Quarterback Ben Hower completed 5 of 8 passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns. GCC’s Amari Mack rushed for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass from Tyree Turner, who threw for two scores. Danny Dlugos rushed for 110 yards and a score.

Springdale (3-3, 0-3) at Jeannette (1-5, 1-2)

7 p.m. Friday, McKee Stadium, Jeannette

The Dynamos hope to put a halt to a three-game losing streak, all in conference play, after a 3-0 start. Springdale also expects to have key contributors in senior tailback Logan Dexter, senior quarterback Legend Ausk, sophomore lineman Giovanni Galasso and senior wideout John Utiss back in the lineup after all four missed last week’s 35-0 loss to Greensburg Central Catholic. Sophomore Chase Weihrauch started at quarterback and finished with 87 yards on 20 carries. … Jeannette took one on the chin last Friday in a 53-7 loss to Leechburg. The lone score for the Jayhawks came early on as Tyler Horn threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Payton Molter. Jeannette’s lone win of the season came in Week 3, a 28-6 home victory against Riverview. The Jayhawks were shut out three times to start the season and are averaging 7.0 points through six games. … Jeannette has won all 13 meetings with Springdale in two clusters of games, 1980-85 and 2014-20.

Class A Tri-County South

Monessen (3-3, 2-1) at Carmichaels (4-2, 2-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Carmichaels Athletic Field, Carmichaels

Monessen had a hot streak halted at Mapletown as the Greyhounds fell, 15-8. Daevon Burke had an 80-yard touchdown run in the loss. Burke ran for 116 yards on 10 carries. This game didn’t happen last year because it was the first of three late-season forfeits by Monessen due to a shortage of players. … Carmichaels saw a two-game winning streak come to an end as the Mikes fell to West Greene, 41-20. Trenton Carter completed 14 of 30 passes for 136 yards in the loss. Carter has thrown for 800 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Mikes have put up at least 20 points in every game, including 54 against Waynesburg.

Tags: Armstrong, Baldwin, Belle Vernon, Brownsville, Carmichaels, Connellsville, Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Jeannette, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Monessen, Mt. Pleasant, North Allegheny, Norwin, Ringgold, Serra Catholic, Southmoreland, Woodland Hills, Yough