Westmoreland County don’t miss high school football matchups for 2022 Week 8

By: Paul Schofield
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 | 5:00 PM

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Class 5A Big East

Hempfield (5-3, 1-2) at Plum (3-5, 1-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Mustangs Stadium, Plum

The Spartans try to end a three-game losing streak to save their playoff hopes. They fell to Franklin Regional, 56-21, last week. Plum saw its playoffs hopes end with a 35-21 loss at Penn-Trafford. The Mustangs have dropped four consecutive games after starting the season 3-1. … Hempfield has played the past two games without quarterback Jake Phillips and center Logan Eisaman. Backup quarterback Keiran Lippman and wide receiver Daniel Katonka hooked up for two scores against Franklin Regional. Running back Gino Caesar rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown. Plum grabbed an early lead against Penn-Trafford last week but couldn’t contain the Warriors ground attack. The Mustangs like to run the ball too behind Eryck Moore, who has rushed for 945 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Norwin (1-7, 0-3) at 3-Gateway (6-2, 3-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Pete Antimarino Stadium, Monroeville

Last-place Norwin struggled to its fifth straight loss, falling 38-13 to North Allegheny. The Knights are allowing a conference-worst 31.1 points and have been shut out in four of their last five. The Knights did score first last week with Luke Denny grabbing a 26-yard pass from Jackson Pons. But the Tigers scored 38 straight before Stephen Rodgers’ 74-yard TD reception from Nick Urey closed out the scoring for Norwin. … Gateway played out of conference and suffered its second loss, 41-17, to Class 4A McKeesport. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak. The Gators led 10-0 but could not slow down the Tigers’ rushing attack of Bobbie Boyd and Jahmil Perryman, the latter of whom ran for 174 yards and three touchdowns. Jaquon Reynolds caught a scoring pass from Brad Birch for the Gators, who are seeking a co-conference title with Franklin Regional.

Class 4A Big Seven

2-McKeesport (8-0, 4-0) at Latrobe (5-3, 3-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Latrobe Memorial Stadium, Latrobe

McKeesport has emerged as a serious title contender behind a solid running game and defense. The Tigers have allowed just 36 points, the fewest in the WPIAL. Last week, the Tigers defeated Gateway, 41-13, without throwing a pass. They racked up 296 rushing yards, including 174 by Jahmil Perryman, who had three TDs, and returned a fumble for another score. Bobbie Boyd is one of the top two-way players in the state. … Latrobe can clinch a playoff spot with an upset. Led by record-breaking running back Robby Fulton, Latrobe toppled Connellsville, 43-13. Fulton broke the Wildcats’ single-season rushing mark of 1,226 yards set by Dave Cox in 1991. Fulton, who ran for 170 yards and two TDs, has 1,230 yards. Quarterback John Wetzel continues to round into form. He threw for 160 yards on 7- of-7 passing and three touchdowns last week. He also has presented a threat as a rusher. Corey Boerio, a Kent State wrestling commit, caught a TD last week.

Class 3A Interstate

1-Elizabeth Forward (8-0, 3-0) at Greensburg Salem (3-5, 0-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Offutt Field, Greensburg

The No. 1 ranked Warriors are coming off a 49-7 win against South Allegheny. They are eyeing a season-ending conference showdown with No. 3 Belle Vernon. They have scored 42 or more points in all games except the opener when they defeated Ringgold, 33-0, in a game called at halftime because of lightning. The Golden Lions have dropped four consecutive games after starting the season 3-1. They dropped a 42-21 decision to Southmoreland. Their playoff hopes are slim if they don’t defeat Elizabeth Forward. … Johnny DiNapoli scored three touchdowns and Diego Magwood twice for the Warriors against South Allegheny. Quarterback Zion White rushed for a score and tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Turner. Greensburg Salem rallied from an early 15-0 deficit to grab a 21-15 lead in the second quarter, but the Golden Lions allowed six touchdowns. Quarterback Cody Rubrecht and running back Rashad Canady each rushed for 96 yards.

South Allegheny (1-7, 0-3) at Mt. Pleasant (4-4, 1-2)

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

South Allegheny dropped its seventh straight, 49-7, to first-place Elizabeth Forward. The Gladiators trailed 43-0 at the half. Cameron Epps had a 48-yard touchdown run in the loss. The Gladiators are averaging just 9.3 points per game. … Mt. Pleasant, which can clinch a playoff spot with a win, has dropped three of its last four games, including a 55-7 loss last week against Belle Vernon. All of the scoring came in the first half. Jackson Hutter had a 74-yard run as the Vikings tied it 7-7. Belle Vernon held Robbie Labuda, who was Westmoreland County’s leading rusher at the time, to zero yards on eight carries.

Class 2A Allegheny

Burrell (5-3, 2-3) at Derry (0-8, 0-5)

7 p.m. Friday, Trojans Stadium, Derry

The Bucs are in the mix for one of the final two playoff berths from the conference. Steel Valley (5-0), Serra Catholic (5-0) and Ligonier Valley (3-2) have clinched. Burrell is tied for fourth with Apollo-Ridge and Imani Christian. The Bucs close out conference play next week at Apollo-Ridge. Burrell hopes to bounce back from last week’s 48-0 loss to Class 2A No. 1 Steel Valley and a setback to Ligonier Valley two weeks ago. The Bucs collected 113 total yards against the Ironmen, all on the ground. Devin Beattie led the way with 72 yards on 19 carries. … Derry is one of 10 WPIAL teams still searching for its first win of the season. The Trojans weren’t able to solve Imani Christian last week in a 44-17 loss. Senior Jordan Flack scored on a 1-yard run for Derry, while sophomore Damauri Robinson caught a 38-yard TD pass from fellow sophomore Blake Revoir, and senior Nate Gray booted a 31 yard field goal. Derry leads the all-time series, 4-3. The first time the schools played, in 1982, the Trojans won by the odd football score of 11-0.

Ligonier Valley (5-3, 3-2) at Imani Christian (4-4, 2-3)

7 p.m. Friday, UPMC Graham Stadium, Wilkinsburg

The Rams look to get on the winning track after dropping a 27-18 decision to Serra Catholic. The Rams played catch-up all game against the Eagles. They can clinch third place with a victory. Imani Christian tries to keep its playoff hopes alive and could finish third. Imani defeated Derry, 44-17. … Senior Haden Sierocky has rushed for 763 yards, caught 21 passes for 303 yards and scored 13 touchdowns for the Rams. John Jablunovsky has rushed for 478 yards and Nick Lonas 330. David Davis has scored 17 touchdowns to lead Imani. Dayshaun Burnett completed 14 of 26 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns against Derry. Its defense allows 33.3 points per game and scores 23.5.

Yough (2-6, 1-4) at 1-Steel Valley (7-0, 5-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Campbell Field, Munhall

The Cougars have lost four consecutive games and now face the top team in Class 2A. Yough dropped a 26-13 loss to Apollo-Ridge. Steel Valley posted its second consecutive shutout by defeating Burrell, 48-0. The Ironmen have allowed two touchdowns in the conference. They face a first-place showdown with Serra in Week 9. … Yough running back J.J. Waller rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown and also caught a touchdown pass against Apollo-Ridge. Quarterback Raidon Kuroda completed 10 of 18 passes for 122 yards. Steel Valley quarterback Cruce Brookins rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns and completed 5 of 8 passes for 127 yards to two scores against Burrell. He also added a 40-yard punt return for a score. Both touchdown passes went to Makhai Valentine, who finished with three catches for 109 yards.

Class A Tri-County South

Monessen (5-3, 4-1) at Mapletown (8-0, 5-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Mapletown Stadium, Greensboro

Monessen finds itself in a position to compete for the conference title after a high-scoring win over Jefferson-Morgan. Freshman TyVaughn Kershaw ran for 234 yards and scored five touchdowns to lead the Greyhounds to a 70-30 victory. He also threw a TD pass. The Greyhounds have been in some offensive shootouts. They beat California, 28-0, and West Greene, 65-25, and lost to Carmichaels, 40-36. … Mapletown is the only unbeaten team in Class A. The Maples are averaging 46.9 points and allowing 7.1. They have not scored less than 42 in any game this season. Running back Landon Stevenson is the second-leading rusher in the WPIAL (1,600 yards). A 4,000-yard career rusher, he scored six touchdowns last week in a 49-3 win over Bentworth.

Class A Eastern

Springdale (0-8, 0-4) at Jeannette (2-6, 2-2)

7 p.m. Friday, McKee Stadium, Jeannette

Winless Springdale sustained its ninth straight loss, falling 25-12 to Frazier. The Dynamos have lost by double figures in seven games this season. They made the playoffs last season and advanced to the quarterfinals. … With a win, Jeannette clinches a playoff spot. Jeannette stayed with Greensburg Central Catholic for a quarter, using its running game to keep GCC off the field. But the Centurions made some big plays and pulled away for a 44-0 victory. Noah Sanders has been a bright spot for the Jayhawks. Last week, he ran for 142 yards on 32 carries. Three starters did not play last week, including Michael Mason, a key running back and linebacker.

3-Greensburg C.C. (6-2, 4-0) at Riverview (3-5, 1-3)

Noon Saturday, Riverside Park, Oakmont

Playoff-bound Greensburg Central Catholic is proving to be one of the most dangerous offensive teams in Single-A. Last week, Jaydin Canady ran for 101 yards and scored four touchdowns, including a 90-yard pick-six and a 77-yard reception, in a 44-0 win over Jeannette. Da’sjon Craggette added 142 yards and two TDs for the Centurions, who are in position to win the conference. They have not won a conference title since 2010. … Riverview fell to 1-3 in conference play with a 57-12 loss to Leechburg and career 4,000-yard rusher Braylan Lovelace. The Raiders’ wins have come against Carlynton, Frazier and Summit Academy. Rocco Cecere and Carlo Buzzatto had touchdown runs last week for the Raiders. Buzzatto ran for 118 yards on 18 carries.

Nonconference

Class 5A 4-Franklin Regional (5-2, 4-0) at North Hills (3-5, 3-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Martorelli Stadium, West View

The Panthers are coming off their most impressive game of the season, defeating Hempfield 56-21 to clinch the Big East Conference title. They have won three consecutive games. Their losses were both in double overtime. The Indians had their three-game winning streak stopped in a 53-14 loss at Seneca Valley. They started the season 0-4. The Indians defeated Shaler, 35-23, and the Panthers lost a 42-41 decision to the Titans. … Panthers wide receiver Ayden Hudock scored four touchdowns against Hempfield – two receiving, one rushing and an 87-yard kickoff return. Quarterback Roman Sarnic tossed two touchdown passes and rushed for two scores. He rushed for 155 yards and threw for 199 yards. North Hills quarterback John Green completed 5 of 21 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Backup quarterback Kelly McCarthy was 2 for 2 for 77 yards and a score.

Penn-Trafford (5-3) at Class 6A 1-North Allegheny (7-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday, Newman Stadium, Wexford

The Warriors continue their rugged nonconference schedule by traveling to Class 6A No. 1 North Allegheny. The Warriors are coming off a 35-21 victory against Plum. North Allegheny rallied from an early deficit to defeat Norwin, 38-13. … The Penn-Trafford running tandem of Owen Demeri, who rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Conlan Greene, who rushed for 133 yards and three scores, was too much for Plum to handle. Greene also passed for 129 yards. North Allegheny’s Khiryn Boyd rushed for 96 yards and a score, and Tyree Alualu rushed for 61 yards and two scores.

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: Elizabeth Forward, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Greensburg C.C., Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Imani Christian, Jeannette, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mapletown, McKeesport, Monessen, Mt. Pleasant, North Allegheny, North Hills, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Plum, Riverview, South Allegheny, Springdale, Steel Valley, Yough