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

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | 9:28 AM

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Class 6A

Norwin (1-4, 1-4) at No. 2 Mt. Lebanon (2-2, 2-2)

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

Norwin scored the opening touchdown against No. 1 North Allegheny, but couldn’t keep up with the Tigers’ skill and depth in a 49-13 loss. Connor Chrisman and Noah Vogel caught touchdown passes, and Nick Fleming completed 10 of 14 passes for 187 yards. … Trailing 27-17 at the half didn’t seem to bother Mt. Lebanon last week as the Blue Devils rallied to beat Central Catholic, 37-30. Joey Daniels was 16 of 20 for 343 yards and four touchdowns. He found Eli Heidenreich four times for 147 yards and a TD. Alex Tecza scored three times.

Class 5A Big East

Connellsville (0-5, 0-3) at No. 4 Penn-Trafford (3-1, 2-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday, Warrior Stadium, Harrison City

Penn-Trafford was supposed to play Sunday at Gateway but had to cancel because of covid-19 cases. The team could not practice until Wednesday. The Warriors have outscored their last two opponents, 94-6. QB Ethan Carr has passed for 566 yards and nine touchdowns. … Connellsville is coached by former Penn-Trafford star receiver Marko Thomas. The Falcons have been in games as they are averaging 25.2 points, but they’re yielding 46. Tailback Ky’Ron Craggette is one of the better ball carriers in the conference. Last week, Latrobe beat Connellsville, 29-26, when it forced Craggette out at the 1-yard line in the closing seconds.

Latrobe (2-2, 1-1) at Franklin Regional (3-2, 1-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Panther Stadium, Murrysville

This is a big game for both teams as they try to stay alive for one of the eight postseason playoff berths. Latrobe kept its hopes alive by rallying to defeat Connellsville, 29-26, in Week 5. Franklin Regional looks to rebound from a 32-13 loss at Woodland Hills. … Latrobe senior running back Dylan Gustafson rushed for 170 yards and scored three touchdowns. Bobby Fetter sealed the win with a 5-yard score. … Senior wide receiver Jeffrey Downs caught two touchdown passes from Trevor Brncic, but the Panthers struggled running against Woodland Hills.

Class 4A Big Eight

No. 4 Belle Vernon (4-1, 4-1) at Trinity (3-2, 2-2)

7 p.m. Friday, Hillers Field, Washington

Devin Whitlock fills the highlight reel, but Belle Vernon’s defense has four shutouts, most in Class 4A. Whitlock had four touchdowns in the first half last week against Ringgold, including a record 105-yard interception return. Don’t forget about tailback Dane Anden, who ran for 107 yards on just four carries. … Trinity only lost 10-7 to McKeesport and won big over West Mifflin and Washington. In the latter victory, Micah Finley ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a scoring pass in a 41-0 shutout. Connor Roberts threw for three touchdowns.

Class 4A Greater Allegheny

Greensburg Salem (1-4, 1-4) at Mars (4-1, 4-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Planet Stadium, Mars

Greensburg Salem has dropped three consecutive games since winning No. 700. Mars owns a two-game winning streak after falling to first-place Plum. … Greensburg Salem is playing a lot of underclassmen. Quarterback Hayden Teska is still learning and there is hope for the future. The Golden Lions must stop the Planets’ running game. … Mars can clinch a playoff berth by defeating Greensburg Salem and Indiana. The Planets rely on a strong running game led by senior Teddy Ruffner, who has rushed 1,034 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Class 3A nonconference

Valley (1-3) at Yough (1-4)

7 p.m. Friday, Cougar Mountain Stadium, Herminie

Valley is coming off a 19-6 loss to Derry. Muzzy Colosimo, the former Greensburg Central Catholic coach, will face back-to-back Westmoreland County teams for the first time since he left GCC. … Last week, four turnovers and a tough Southmoreland pass rush derailed Yough in a 24-0 loss. Quarterback Gamal Marballie passed for 116 yards but threw three interceptions. C.J. Waldier was held to five catches after pulling in 10 against Mt. Pleasant. The Cougars have dropped four straight. Freshman Tarek Crosby ran for a game-high 71 yards and caught five passes.

Class 2A nonconference

Ligonier Valley (2-3, 1-2) at Waynesburg (0-5, 0-5)

7 p.m. Friday, Raider Stadium, Waynesburg

Ligonier Valley’s first season back in the WPIAL won’t result in a playoff berth, but the Rams sure did get a few long bus rides. This is the first meeting between the schools. … With only one senior on the team, Ligonier Valley is looking towards the future. Sophomore quarterback Haden Sierocky continues to grow and coach Roger Beitel is eager to get him more games. … Winless Waynesburg relies on Breydon Woodson and Darnell Jackson. They rarely throw the football.

Class A Eastern

Bishop Canevin (3-2, 2-2) at No. 3 Jeannette (4-1, 4-1)

7 p.m. Friday, McKee Stadium, Jeannette

Bishop Canevin saw its playoff hopes hurt with a loss to Leechburg on Saturday. Jeannette rallied from a 21-0 deficit to hand Springdale its first loss of the season, 36-28. … Quarterback Willie Banks ran for a score and tossed a 40-yard strike to Andrew Jones in the 35-13 loss to Leechburg. … Jeannette coach Roy Hall said his team responded well from adversity. Defensive tackle Emilio Huerta had two interceptions and a fumble recovery to spark the comeback. A win would almost assure Jeannette of a playoff berth.

No. 1 Clairton (4-0, 4-0) at Greensburg Central Catholic (2-3, 2-3)

7 p.m. Friday, Centurion Stadium, Greensburg

Clairton hasn’t been tested since its opening-night scare against Jeannette. This has turned out to be a disappointing season for Greenburg Central Catholic. … The Bears return almost the entire team that won the WPIAL Class A title in 2019. They are coming off a 64-0 victory against Imani Christian. Dontae Sanders scored four touchdowns, running his season total to 14 in four games. … QB David Altimore rushed for two scores and passed for two more as GCC dumped Riverview, 41-20. Dan Dlugos has scored six touchdowns this season.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Bishop Canevin, Brownsville, Clairton, Connellsville, Derry Area, East Allegheny, Franklin Regional, Greensburg C.C., Greensburg Salem, Jeannette, Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mars, Monessen, Mt. lebanon, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Southmoreland, Trinity, Valley, Waynesburg, West Greene, Yough