WPIAL Football Friday Playoff Summaries – 11/05/2016

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, November 5, 2016 | 1:02 AM

Four classifications opened up the Highway to Heinz with Quarterfinals contests while two other classifications kicked off the new Road to RMU with First Round contests. No matter which path was taken, there were some ‘eyebrow raisers’ on opening night of the 2016 WPIAL Football Playoffs. Here are recaps the the 31 high school football postseason contests heard here on the MSA Sports Network on a clear and comfortable first Friday in November.

A special thanks to Donny Chedrick, Kyle Dawson, Matt Shinkle, Tom Hays, Scott Briggs, Rob Gregory, Andy Stanko, Brandon Showers, Mark Uriah, Bob Gregg, T.J. DiStefano, Dennis Fischer, Bobby Fox, Adam Gusky, Rich Mastowski, Bob Orkwis, Greg Kuntz, Brian Mroziak, Matt Vandriak, Kevin Zielmanski, James Dotson, Jason Tennant, Randy Gore, Jimmy Lee Santorella, Josh Rowntree, Mark Schaas, Bob Barrickman, Jason Kern, Steve Nagler and Dan Zangrilli for their help on these recaps.

WPIAL CLASS 6-A Quarterfinals:

Pittsburgh Central Catholic Vikings  48  –  Norwin Knights  0 
Pittsburgh Central Catholic wasted no time in this one even without CJ for been the lineup. Vikings offense kept rolling too long touchdown passes on their first for offense of plays in the game. Troy fisher hitting Justice Evans for a 59 yard touchdown with the second play from scrimmage. And then on their fourth offense of play, fisher hits Evans once again for a 47 yard touchdown, and just like that it’s 14-0 Central Catholic. Fisher finished the game 8-10-192 yards and four touchdowns. Justice Evans had five catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Central’s defense stifled Norwin with their size advantage and they held Norwin to just 19 carries and 14 yards on the ground and forced four turnovers including a late second-quarter interception by David Adams.  He returned it 53 yards for the pick six. That put Central Catholic up 40-0 at the half. They just ran the clock from there. They added another score in the third quarter and with no scoring in the fourth quarter, they finished out their 10th win of the season as they move on to the semi finals with a 48-0 win over Norwin.  Norwin finishes 5-6 and their third straight playoff appearance. For Central Catholic it’s on to either Bethel Park or Pine Richland. Final score Pittsburgh Central Catholic 48, Norwin 0.

Pine-Richland Rams  35  –  Bethel Park Black Hawks  32
Pine-Richland’s Vittorio Orsini capped of a frantic fourth quarter with his second field goal of the game from 27-yards with: 01 remaining to give the Rams a 35-32 win over Bethel Park in the WPIAL 6A Quarterfinals at Bethel Park Stadium. The two teams combined for 32 points in the final quarter with each team scoring after impressive drives on their final possessions. The Rams led 14-12 at halftime and opened the lead to 23-12 in the third quarter after Bethel Park quarterback Cole Rogers was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone resulting in a safety. On the ensuing drive, Pine-Richland’s Jesse Meckler scored his 2nd touchdown of the game on a 51-yard run and the Rams led by 11 points after scoring twice in a 1:04 span. Rogers pulled the Blackhawks to within 5 early in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard TD run, but the subsequent two-point conversion attempt failed. Bethel Park had a bad snap after its first touchdown of the game and the Blackhawks would fail on four of their five conversion attempts in this contest. Junior Ray Falcone hauled in a 10-yard scoring pass from Max DeVinney to give Pine-Richland a 29-18 lead with 6:43 to go in the game. Bethel Park marched 74-yards in a minute on its next drive, capped off by a 16-yard touchdown pass from Rogers to Jeremy Wodarek. The run for two was stopped and the Rams led 29-24. Pine-Richland drove into Bethel Park territory after the ensuing kickoff and ended its drive when Orsini kicked a 25-yard field goal to give the Rams a 32-24 lead with 2:21 left. But there was no quit in Bethel Park. Rogers and fellow senior wide receiver Zach Taylor sparked a 67-yard drive that lasted: 42 and ended with Rogers hitting Taylor with a 10-yard touchdown pass with 1:33 left to pull the Blackhawks within 2. Bethel Park called timeout and finally converted a two-point attempt when Rogers barreled into the end zone to tie the game at 32-32. But the Rams would get the final drive and the final points, starting at their own 27-yard line with 1:27 left. DeVInney and Falcone were huge on the drive, connecting for 54 of the 63-yards on the drive and setting up Orsini’s heroics to give Pine-Richland the 3-point victory. DeVinney threw for 243-yards and two scores in the win, while Falcone caught 11 passes for 185-yards and a pair of scores. Meckler ran for 88-yards and two touchdowns for the Rams. Rogers paced Bethel Park with 208-yards through the air and 3 touchdowns to go with 38-yards rushing and another score. Taylor had 7 receptions for 114-yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort for the 4th seeded Blackhawks, who end the season with a (5-5) record. The 5th seeded Rams improved to (7-4) with the win and Pine-Richland gets a rematch with Northern 7 Conference foe Central Catholic in the 6A semifinals. The Vikings shutout Norwin 48-0 to reach the final four and top seeded Pittsburgh Central defeated Pine-Richland 48-35 at Highmark Stadium on September 30th during the regular season.

North Allegheny Tigers  42  –  Hempfield Spartans  7 
The second-seeded North Allegheny Tigers defeated the Hempfield Spartans, 42-7, in the Class 6-A quarterfinals at Newman Stadium on Friday night. Like they did when these teams met in week eight, the Tigers used an effective ground game and a bend-but-don’t-break defense to beat the Spartans. The win secures North Allegheny’s first appearance in the WPIAL semifinals since 2012. On the opening possession of the game, Hempfield drove to the North Allegheny 5-yard line but came up empty on a 4th and 2, turning the ball over on downs. Two plays later, senior quarterback Ethan Maenza sprinted 95 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 8:00 to play in the first quarter. The Spartans answered on their ensuing possession and scored on a 36-yard touchdown pass by Justin Sliwoski to Jordan Kempka to even the score at 7-7 with 5:38 left in the period. Later in the first quarter, North Allegheny regained the lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by senior tailback Mike Pope for a 14-7 advantage. Again hoping to respond to the Tigers score, Hempfield drove deep into NA territory early in the second quarter. With Hempfield facing a 4th and 5 at the NA 12-yard line, the North Allegheny defense provided a tide-turning play when senior Niko Mermigas intercepted a Sliwoski pass and raced 99 yards for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead. North Allegheny gained a strangle hold of the game in the second half with a power rushing offense that churned out 368 rushing yards and three more rushing touchdowns. Pope scored on a 5-yard run, and Turner White added touchdown runs of 31 and 43 yards to bring the final score to 42-7, North Allegheny. White finished the game with 101 yards and two touchdowns. Winners of eight in a row, North Allegheny improves to 9-2 on the season and advances to the WPIAL semifinals against conference rival Seneca Valley. Hempfield ends the campaign with a record of 5-6.

Seneca Valley Raiders  49  –  Mount Lebanon Blue Devils  43 
The sixth seeded Seneca Valley Raiders went on the road and edged the Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils in the opening quarterfinal round of the 6-A playoffs. The Raiders got off to a fast start as they scored on each of their first two drives, taking a 14-0 lead less than six minutes into the game on TD runs by Hank Royal and Jack Cook. After each team traded scores to give the Raiders a 21-7 lead, the Blue Devils would score 22 unanswered points to take their largest lead of the night, 29-21. However, Seneca Valley would respond with 22 point in a row of their own to re-take a 14-point lead, 43-29. Mt. Lebanon would make it close in the end by scoring with less than two minutes left in the game to bring themselves to within six points. But, their onside kick was recovered by Seneca Valley and the Raiders were able to salt away the clock. The Raiders’ Jack Cook passes for 242 yards and rushed for 93 yards. He threw for a pair of TDs and rushed for three TDs. Raiders RB Jack Royal rushed for 148 yards and two TDs and caught a Cook pass for a score as well. Blue Devils’ QB James Stocker completed 26 of the 40 passes he threw for 355 yards and five TDs. He also rushed for a TD. With the victory, Seneca Valley advances to the semifinals to face North Allegheny, a conference foe. North Allegheny defeated Seneca Valley in the regular season.

WPIAL CLASS 5-A Quarterfinals:

West Allegheny Indians  41  –  North Hills Indians  21 
The West Allegheny Indians advanced to the semifinal round of the WPIAL 5A football playoffs with a 41-21 win over the North Hills Indians on Friday night at DeMichela Stadium in Imperial.  After leading 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, West Allegheny, the #1 seed, scored three touchdowns in just over five minutes in the second quarter as the Indians ran out to a 31-7 halftime lead.  West Allegheny added a touchdown and a field goal in the second half while North Hills tried to play catch-up with TDs in the third and fourth quarters.  Will Weber had touchdown runs of nine and 34 yards, Nick Ross threw TD passes of 69 yards to Brandon Lipford and 48 yards to Mateo Vandamia, Ken White scored on a one yard run, and DJ Opsatnik added field goals of 22 and 16 yards to go along with his five extra points for West Allegheny.  All three of North Hills’ scores came in the air as Will Hirt fired touchdown passes of nine and 16 yards to Nick Santucci, and one of 31 yards to Tyler Brennan.  Dan Wagner was successful on all three point after attempts.  West Allegheny (10-0) will meet #4 seed Woodland Hills, a 17-3 winner over #5 Franklin Regional, next Friday at 7:30 at a site to be determined.  North Hills saw its season end at 6-5.

Woodland Hills Wolverines  17  –  Franklin Regional Panthers  3 
The Woodland Hills Wolverines (9-2) defeated the Franklin Regional Panthers (7-3) 17-3 at the Wolvarena on Friday night to advance to their 16th WPIAL Semifinal game in the program’s 30 year history. The Wolverines struck first on a 21 yard field goal by Chucky Hanchett just over halfway through the first quarter. The Panthers were able to tie the game with a 23 yard field goal by Dominic DiFalco, capitalizing on an interception by Justin Johns in the latter stages of the second quarter. Early in the third quarter, WH defense of back, Derek Caraway, intercepted Simon Behr at the Franklin Regional 47 yard line. Woody High turned that INT into seven points on a 3 yard touchdown run by Saeed Holt. The Wolverines took that seven point lead into the fourth quarter, and after forcing the Panthers to turn the ball over on downs, Woodland Hills chewed up nearly 9 minutes of the fourth quarter before ultimately punting with 2:18 to play in regulation. A beautiful punt by Michael Whiteherse pinned Franklin Regional back at their own 4 yard line. On the ensuing play, Simon Behr through his third interception of the night, as Rodney Denard returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. With the victory, Woodland Hills is now 18-0 in home playoff games. The Wolverines will take on West Allegheny next Friday night in a rematch from week 8. A game the Indians won 52-13.

Gateway Gators  38  –  Armstrong River Hawks  20
“Red” Ullom Field in Kittanning has never seen the home team win in post season play and that ‘curse’ stayed true tonight. The favored Armstrong Riverhawks lost to number 7 seeded Gateway Gators on their home turf to bow out of the playoffs early once again. On the first drive of the game Armstrong’s ‘Mr Do Everything’ Zane Dudek came down with some sort of injury and never saw the field again. The Gators were able to capitalize on the loss of the WPIAL’s leading rusher and the starting safety by taking their first drive 87 yards on 10 plays capped off by quarterback Brady Walker’s first of two one yard runs into the end zone and just like that the Gators led 7-0. The prolific passing Walker then on a later drive hooked up with Ahmad Wilson for 84 yards down to the Riverhawks one yard line where he took that second score in and the Gators took a 14-0 lead with 6:30 to go in the half. On their next drive the Gators took to the air and Brady Walker completed one of his two TD passes to Jaquan Brisker from 18 yards out. At the half Walker was 12/18 for 234 yds and 1TD and the Gators took a commanding 21-0 lead into the locker room. The Riverhawks though would come out inspired in the second half and do everything they could to get back into it. After forcing a three and out on the first Gators series the Riverhakws took to the skies when quarterback Michael Lhote hooked up with Ryan Pearce for 34 yards and a TD chipping into the lead, 21-7. The next Gators possession they’d muster one first down and on 4th and 6 at mid field they’d take a chance on a fake punt that Armstrong sniffed out and stopped. The next Riverhawks drive they’d go 5 plays for 52 yards and say no Dudek, no problem as Zac Aretz scored from 11 out making it a one score game, 21-14. The Gators would answer though when Brady Walker hooked up with Brisker again this time from 34 yards and make it a two possession game. That’s when the Riverhawks went back to the sky and Lhote hooked up with Derek Grafton from 37 yards out for his 2nd of two TD passes. They’d gamble after the TD though attempting a two point conversion that was no good making it 28-20. Gateway would then take over late in the third and into the 4th quarter where they capped off a 9 play drive with a Jordan Washington 20yd field goal putting the Gators up by two scores again. Armstrong wasn’t able to answer and that’s when Gateway went on a methodical clock burning drive of 8 plays and 66 yards taking almost 5 minutes of valuable fourth quarter clock where Rashaun Turrant scored from 3 out putting the icing on the cake and giving the Gators the 38-20 victory.  For Gateway Brady Walker finished 24/36 for 405 yds and 2TDs, Ahmad Wilson had 4 receptions for 145 yards and Jaquan Brisker added 10 receptions for 128 yards and 2 TDs to that mix. Michael Lhote for Armstrong finished 16/28 for 193 yds and 2 TDs while Shawn Giddings added 33 yards rushing and 36 yards receiving and Zane Dudek finished with 2 carries and 6 yards all on the first drive. Gateway will go on to face another 5A Big East section rival in McKeesport while Armstrong will finish their season 9-2.

McKeesport Tigers  31  –  Upper St. Clair Panthers  10
Three second half touchdowns helped the Tigers turn what was a close game at halftime into a run away victory, as for the second time in less than a month, McKeesport defeated Upper St. Clair.  It only took McKeesport :58 seconds to go 73 yards and put the game’s first points on the board.  Jayvaun Shears 52 yard run set the Tigers up in USC territory, and Ray Zellars 25 yard touchdown run put McKeesport up 7-0 on the first drive of the game.  The Panthers would answer back on the ensuing drive, but didn’t get the touchdown they wanted.  McKeesport’s defense stood strong, holding the Panthers to a field goal attempt after USC drove to the Tigers 8 yard line.  Jeff Howard would connect from 25 yards, to cut the Panthers deficit to 7-3.  USC had a chance to take their first lead of the night on their next offensive drive, but again the McKeesport defense would raise up to the challenge.  The Panthers had a 3 and goal at the Tigers 1-yard line with just under 9 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, but McKeesport came up with the goal line stand to preserve the lead.  The Tigers would then move the ball to the Panthers 32 yard line, but fumbled it away with 1:04 left in the opening half.  But on the first USC play after the fumble recover, John Harper came up with an interception at the Tigers 34 yard line.  Two plays later with under a minute left in the half and faced with a 3rd down and 19 at their own 26 yard line, it was Shears again coming up with a big play, as he broke off a 26 yard run.  McKeesport would drive all the way to the Panthers 1-yard line, before having to settle for a Caleb Schork 23 yard field goal with :03 left to close out the first half scoring, with the Tigers up 10-3.  The only score in the 3rd quarter gave McKeesport some breathing room, as Carlinos Acie’s 42 yard run put the Tigers up 17-3.  Down two scores and with his offense sputtering, USC’s Jim Render rolled the dice on a 4th and 2 at the Panthers 40 yard line with 10:32 left in the 4th quarter.  Again, McKeesport’s defense came up with the stop.  And just over 2 minutes later, the Tigers put the game away on Shear’s 21 yard touchdown run.  Shears added another 21 yard scoring run with 3:24 left to make it 31-3 McKeesport.  USC closed out the scoring with a late TD, as Jack Hansberry found Nick Toosi on a 4-yard pass to make the score 31-10 with 1:19 left in the game.  McKeesport improves to 8-2 with the win and will have another rematch on their hands in the Class-5A semi-finals when they meet Gateway, who the Tigers defeated 34-19 in Week 8.  McKeesport has now won the past 4 meetings with Upper St. Clair, and have also won 7 of their past 8 games in 2016.  Upper St. Clair finishes 2K16 with a final record of 6-4.  The Panthers have now been bounced in their playoff opener three straight years, with USC’s last post season win coming in 2013.

WPIAL CLASS 4-A Quarterfinals:

Thomas Jefferson Jaguars  35  –  Montour Spartans  0 
Coming into the contest at Thomas Jefferson on the first Friday night in November, TJ was trying to add another semifinal berth to an incredible run of semi berths over the course of the past 18 years in a matchup of perennial powerhouses in what was formerly Class Triple-A. The Montour Spartans came to Jefferson Hills as the No. 8 seed to battle the No. 1 Jaguars in Class 4A, and while a few years ago it would’ve been a dog fight, it wasn’t much of a contest for the 4A favorite, Thomas Jefferson. After forcing a first drive three and out, TJ got on the board first after Luke Petruzzi got it inside the 25-yard line to set up the first score, a 20-yard touchdown pass from Bobby Kelley to Zane Zandier to put the Jags up 7-0. In the second quarter, Kelley would have continued success throwing two scores, one of 50 and one of 10-yards to Jon Muehlbauer to give the Jaguars a 20-0 locker room lead. Thomas Jefferson got the ball to start the second half and extended the lead after two big runs by senior tailback Quinton Hill, who took his first second half carry for 43 yards to the Montour 22-yard line before on the next play taking it 22 yards to pay dirt to extend the TJ lead to 27-0. A few minutes later, Bobby Kelley, on a 4th-and-16 for TJ from the Spartan 20-yard line hooked up with senior Zane Zandier again for another 20-yard score and found Noah Palmer for two to start the mercy rule and it was history from there. For TJ it’s the 18th time in 19 years the Jags will compete in a semifinal, having won five of those, going on to win the crown in each of those seasons (2004, 2006-2008, 2015) and a few PIAA titles with it. Montour ends its 2016 campaign with a 4-6 record and looks forward to 2017. For the 4A favorite, it’s on to play West Mifflin next Friday night at a site and time TBA on the MSA Sports Network, a team TJ beat 35-14 in Week 9, a week ago, so to West Mifflin, the Jaguars say, “You’re next.”

West Mifflin Titans  19  –  Belle Vernon Leopards  0 
West Mifflin’s Darnell Carey returned the opening kickoff 99 yards, giving the No. 4 Titans (9-2) all the points they would need in a 19-0 victory over No. 5 Belle Vernon (7-3) in the WPIAL 4A Quarterfinals on Friday night at West Mifflin High School. West Mifflin, which defeated the Leopards 26-9 two weeks ago to secure an opening round home game, allowed Belle Vernon just 91 yards of offense in a sloppy, penalty-filled slugfest. After fumbling away their opening offensive drive, West Mifflin mounted a five-play scoring drive, capped off by a 47-yard touchdown pass from Gary Galiyas to a leaping Carey, giving the Titans a 13-0 lead. West Mifflin would pad the lead on their ensuing series, covering 64 yards over eight plays, with Galyias sneaking in the game’s final score on a 1-yard quarterback sneak. The second half brought no scoring, but continued a Belle Vernon trend of turnovers, as Quarterback Mike Fine was intercepted five times, including three by West Mifflin’s Parrish Parker. The game saw over 20 combined penalties, including 19 accepted for 205 yards and ten personal fouls. West Mifflin alone committed 12 fouls for 115 yards. Galiyas was 3-for-7 passing for 103 yards. The Titans rushed for 238 yards, but no player eclipsed 65 yards, as Titans coach Ray Braszo used eight different ball carriers. Carey had 128 yards of offense, including 94 yard on a pair of catches. West Mifflin advances to the WPIAL 4A Semifinals and will meet another Big 9 rival in Thomas Jefferson for the right to play at Heinz Field. In Week 9, the Jaguars defeated West Mifflin 35-14. Fine completed 9-of-24 passes for 53 yards, while leading the team in rushing with 14 carries for 29 yards. Alarmingly, Belle Vernon had 90 yards in penalties and just 91 yards of offense.

New Castle Red Hurricane  51  –  South Fayette Lions  43 
Marshane McElroy’s interception with 10 seconds remaining sealed the shocker for the Red Hurricane in their road upset over the second-seeded Lions. New Castle (7-4) advances to the 4A semifinals against sixth-seeded Ringgold. South Fayette finished the season 10-1. Geno Stone threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, as the seventh-seeded ‘Canes raced to a 24-0 lead. New Castle led, 24-7, at the half. But the Lions rallied, trading scores with the Red Hurricane and pulling to within eight on Noah Plack’s short touchdown reception from Drew Sexton late in the fourth quarter. South Fayette successfully recovered the ensuing onside kick and drove to the New Castle 16, setting up McElroy’s heroics. McElroy intercepted Sexton twice, the first returned 27 yards for a touchdown and giving New Castle a 51-35 lead with 2:33 to play. Stone was 9 of 10 for 256 yards and four touchdowns, and the senior rushed 17 times for 98 yards and two scores. Senior Garrett Farah had four receptions for 205 yards, including scoring catches of 79 and 25 yards. Junior Marcus Hooker carried 29 times for 214 yards and had a touchdown catch. Sexton, a junior, was 16 of 35 for 269 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions for South Fayette. Junior running back Johnny Beck rushed for 149 yards and three scores on 27 carries. Junior Noah Plack had five catches for 94 yards and two scores, while senior teammate Dan Trimbur had five receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Ringgold Rams  42  –  Mars Fighting Planets  31 
The Ringgold Rams avenged their playoff loss last season to the Mars Planets with a come-from-behind 42-31 victory in Butler County Friday night.  Both teams exchanged touchdowns in the first half and with 1:48 to go, Ringgold took their first lead of the game as quarterback George Martin hit Max Maciejewski from 13 yards out to make it 21-14.  Martin would toss 3 TD passes on the night.  But the Planets scored twice in 1:10  to take the 28-21 halftime lead.  The second half was all Ringgold after Mars got their only score on a 32 yard field goal from Caleb Brake.  The Rams shut down the Planets as Martin picked apart the Mars secondary figuring in all three of Ringgold’s second half touchdowns.  He threw two Td’s – one to Dalton Holt, and the other to Easton Fine, then ran in the final score himself with 5:27 to play and ice the game.  Mars got three touchdowns from Isaiah Johnson, one through the air and two on the ground.  Mars’ other TD came on a 33 yard pass from quarterback Noah Wright – who left the game with an injury last in the 4th quarter – to Ben Perdziola.  Ringgold’s highlight of the first half was an 82 yard kick-off return for a TD by Brian Vandusen.

WPIAL CLASS 3-A Quarterfinals:

Aliquippa Quips  42  –  South Park Eagles  7 
Conventional wisdom says to win in the playoffs you have to run the ball and play great defense. Aliquippa worked that game plan to near perfection in a 42-7 victory over South Park . The Quips scored on 5 touchdown runs and a pick six for their 42 total points. Davion Jones had three rushing touchdowns while Avante McKenzie had one of 71 yards and Xavier Harvey scored from 40 yards out. Harvey also scored on a 36 yard pick six for Aliquippa. Damon Smith scored for South Park on a 15 yard touchdown reception from Jordan Kmonk. The Aliquippa offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage led by senior Xavier Fisher. The Quips move on to face Derry in the class AAA semis next weekend.

Derry Trojans  33  –  Central Valley Warriors  20 
The 4th seeded  Derry Trojans defeated the 5th seeded Central Valley Warriors 33-20 in a first round WPIAL  3-A playoff game at Derry.  Owen Whitacre started the scoring for the Trojans with a 19-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.  Justin Huss added the extra point putting Derry up 7-0.  Tyler Balega scored twice for Derry in the 2nd quarter, first on an 11-yard run and then adding  a 5-yard touchdown run.  Both times the pat was missed and Derry led 19-0.  The Warriors got on the scoreboard when Danny Santia scored on a 19-yard run.  The PAT was good making the score 19-7 Derry.  In the 3rd Quarter Curtis Latshaw scored on a 1-yard run for Central Valley.  The PAT was successful and the Warriors were only down by a 19-14 score.  Tyler Balega scored twice in the 4th stanza for the Trojans, first on a 4-yard run and next on a 67-yard gallop.  Derry scored on a 2-point conversion following the fourth Balega TD making the score 33-14 for the Trojans.  Central Valley closed out the scoring in the 4th when Curtis Latshaw scored to make the final score Derry 33 Central Valley 20.  On the night the Trojans Tyler Balega rushed for 218-yards on 37-carries and four touchdowns.  Derry is now 11-0 and will play next Friday against top seed Alliiquippa.  Central Valley closes their season at 7-4.

Beaver Falls Tigers  42  –  Mount Pleasant Vikings  14 
It was a close 1st half of action between the #2 seed Beaver Falls Tigers and the #7 seed Mt Pleasant Area Vikings, but the Tigers took control in the 2nd half en route to a 42-14 win Friday night at Reeves Field on the campus of Geneva College. The Vikings got the first points of the game on a 64 yard TD pass from Johnny Yester to Keith Kalp making it 7-0. Beaver Falls would tie the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter on a 4 yd TD run by Torian Leak. The only score of the second quarter was by the Tigers at the 4:22 mark on a Derrell Carter 62 yd TD run giving them a 14-7 lead at the half. The second half was dominated by Beaver Falls and they never looked back. The Tigers scored twice in the 3rd frame on touchdown runs of 30 yds by Malik Shepherd and 11 yds by Torian Leak to make the score 28-7 after the three. Beaver Falls opened the the fourth quarter scoring on a Derrell Carter 28 yd TD run extending the lead to 35-7. Mt Pleasant added a Chris Wagner 5 yd TD run at 5:04 left in the 4th to make it 35-14. The Tigers capped the scoring with 1:09 left on a Malcolm Gandy 2 yd TD run making the final 42-14. Beaver Falls had 397 yards of total offense to 252 yds of total offense for Mt Pleasant. Beaver Falls improves to 9-1 and will take on #3 seed Keystone Oaks Friday at a site and time to be determined. Mt Pleasant ends the season at 7-4.   MP- 7-0-0-7     BF- 7-7-14-14

Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles  56  –  Apollo-Ridge Vikings  20 
Keystone Oaks outgained Apollo Ridge 501 to 251 in total yardage en route to a 56-20 win over the Vikings at Dormont Memorial Stadium on Friday night. The Golden Eagles were paced by quarterback Alex Smith, who was involved in seven touchdowns for KO – throwing for four and rushing for three.  Smith finished the night 14 of 25 for 256 yards while running for 161 yards. The 56 points scored by Keystone Oaks are the most they have scored this season.  Duane Brown played his final game for the Vikings rushing for 170 yards and two scores.

WPIAL CLASS 2-A First Round:

Steel Valley Ironmen  51  –  Beth-Center Bulldogs  14 
The Steel Valley Ironmen made quick work of the No. 16 seeded opponent in the form of the Beth Center Bulldogs in first round action on Friday night as the Ironmen took it 51-14. Steel Valley opened the scoring with a punt return for a touchdown following Beth-Center’s opening drive three-and-out. Ryan Harper, the QB for the Ironmen, threw three touchdowns combining for over 150 yards, while the rushing attack of Dewayne Murray was efficient, with Murray scoring two touchdowns to aid the Steel Valley offensive explosion. Paris Ford had a few TD’s as well among some other contributors for the top seed in 2A. Beth-Center has its season come to a close with Steel Valley moving on the quarterfinals in Class 2A next week, where the Ironmen will take on Laurel at a site and time to be determined, but it is on the MSA Sports Network.

Laurel Spartans  10  –  Chartiers-Houston Buccaneers  6 
Despite not scoring an offensive touchdown, the #9 Laural Spartans go on the road and defeat host #8 Chartiers-Houston 10-6. Laural won the coin toss and elected to receive. They went on an 18 play drive that was capped by an Andrew Perry 22 yard field goal and a 3-0 lead. After Laural had a 26 yard field goal attempt blocked, Chartiers-Houston drove the ball inside the Spartans 15 yard line only to turn the ball over on downs. Later in the first half, the Bucs drove the ball inside the 10, but had to settle for a 26 yard field goal attempt by Joey Dunn. Dunn’s kick sailed wide left and the Spartans continued to lead 3-0 late in the first half. With less than 15 seconds remaining in the half, the Bucs faced a 3rd and goal from the 1 yard line. Bucs running back, Spencer Terling was stopped short of the goal line and CH had to hurry to the line not having a timeout left. CH QB TJ Johnston leaped over the center for the Bucs touchdown and CH took a 6-3 lead into the half after having their extra point blocked. Both teams struggled offensively in the 3rd Qtr and the game remained 6-3 heading to the 4th. Backed up deep in their territory, CH lined up to punt out of their own end zone. Laural partially blocked the punt and had great field position at the CH 16 yard line. The drive stalled however and Laural lined up for a 27 yard field goal attempt by Perry. Perry’s kick sailed wide right and CH maintained their 6-3 lead. with 2:30 left in the game, CH faced a 4th and 2 from their own 45 yard line. AJ Myers had his punt blocked and Laural’s Spencer Jones picked up the ball and raced 25 yards for the go ahead score. Perry’s extra point made the score 10-6 in favor of Laural. Chartier-Houston saw their chances of winning evaporate when Johnston was intercepted by Jordan Dantico at the Spartan’s 29 yard line. From their, the Spartans were able to run out the clock on the legs of Jones. Final score Laural defeats Chartiers-Houston 10-6 and advance to the second round of the WPIAL 2-A playoffs were they will meet #1 Steel Valley.

Riverside Panthers  42  –  Avonworth Antelopes  7 
The 13th-seeded Avonworth Antelopes were methodical during the opening drive of their 1st-Round matchup with the #4 Riverside Panthers, mixing the run and the pass behind the leadership and the arm of QB Garrett Ray.  The Lopes took nearly 6 1/2 minutes off the clock as the drive culminated in a Ray 4-yard TD run to take the early 7-0 lead.  Unfortunately for Avonworth and Ray in particular, that was the only time they found the end zone all night.  Riverside rattled off 42 unanswered points the rest of the game en route to the victory.  The Panthers responded to the Lopes opening drive as QB Ben Hughes a 58-yard TD pass to Ricky Wass to tie the game.  Riverside got 21 points in the 2nd Quarter on a 9-yard TD run by LaMarcus Cleckley and TD passes of 10 and 22 yards to Woody Hughes and Wass respectively.  The latter 2 scores were the ultimate results of Garrett Ray turnovers.  The score stood at 28-7 at the half.  The Antelopes still had no answer for the Panthers as Riverside scored twice more in the 3rd Quarter on a Wass TD run an a TD pass from Hughes to Austin Dambach, which invoked the Mercy Rule.  Avonworth came close to cracking the scoreboard in the final frame, but a fumble by Matt Crilley aborted the Lopes’ closest threat.  Riverside’s 42-7 victory earned the Panthers a spot in the Class 2A Quarterfinals.  Their opponents next week will be the #12-seeded Freedom Bulldogs, who pulled off one of the shockers of the night by upending #5 East Allegheny.  Avonworth’s season comes to an end at 5-5 while the Panthers are now 8-2.

Freedom Bulldogs  38  –  East Allegheny Wildcats  21 
The 12 vs 5 upset held true into the WPIAL Class 2-A playoffs as the Freedom Bulldogs defeated the East Allegheny Wildcats, 38-21. Five rushing TDs for the Bulldogs and it was a big night for Dean Ward and Kyle Borgman as they combined for 49 carries, 333 yards and 4 touchdowns. Ward scored from runs of 5, 1 and 23 along with Borgman scoring from 1 yard. QB Zach Rosa added a 1 yard score for Freedom. A 37-yard FG from Zach Greene ended Freedom’s scoring. D1 recruit, TJ Banks had two scores in the game for the Wildcats – a 4-yard rushing score and a 12-yard reception. The only other score came from Taivion Boynes on an 82-yard reception from Tamaine Underwood. We see it in March Madness, we see it in the WPIAL playoffs. The 12 upsets the 5 and Freedom moves on.

Washington Little Prexies  35  –  South Side Beaver Rams  13 
Connor Bedillion threw for 141 yards and three touchdowns, leading #2 Washington to a 35-13 win over South Side Area.  Following an exchange of turnovers, Wash High opened the scoring as Bedillion capped the 60-yard drive with a six-yard TD pass to Jake Swartz. The PAT gave the Little Prexies a 7-0 lead with just under five minute left in the opening quarter.  After taking over on downs at mid-field, Wash High extended the lead to 14-0 when Nick Welsh broke free of a couple tacklers, got a hand down to stay upright and scored from 12 yards out.  Cole Campbell picked off Bedillion early in the second quarter and the Rams drove 56 yards in eight plays, all of the ground to cut the deficit in half.  AJ Crider pounded the ball in from one yard out for the score. Bedillion hooked up with Isaiah Robinson for a jump-ball 13-yard scoring pass with 1:45 to play in the half.  Isaiah Schoonmaker ran 54 yards for a touchdown on Wash High’s first possession of the second half, and the Bedillion/Robinson connection put the Little Prexies’ final points on the board with an 18-yard touchdown.  Crider broke free at the line and sprinted 47 yards for the Rams second score with just over 6:30 left to play.  All told, Bedillion went 9-for-11 and now has thrown 19 touchdown passes this season for Wash High (10-0).  Robinson, who also had an interception, caught four passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 13 for the year.  Schoonmaker finished the game with 128 yards on 11 carries and one touchdown.  Crider led South Side (4-6) iwth 93 yards on 18 carries and both Rams touchdowns.  Campbell and Matt Roach each had a dozen carries, Roach for 61 yards, Campbell for 51.  The Rams did not complete a pass in the game, losing starting quarterback Robby Heberle on the Campbell interception in the second quarter.  Wash High heads to the quarterfinals unbeaten for the third consecutive year.

Brentwood Spartans  46  –  Frazier Commodores  19
Brentwood forced two turnovers in the opening two minutes of the game and the Spartans rolled to a 46 to 19 win over Frazier on Friday Night at Herb E. Troy Memorial Field.  Austin Veatch and Dorian Bowie were the stars of the game for the Spartans.  Veatch scored 4 touchdowns, a pick six, 65 seconds in to the game and added touchdown receptions of 5, 25 and 40 yards.  Bowie threw for a touchdown, ran for a score and finished the night with 12 carries for 105 yards and also added 22 receiving yards. Chris Pierce and George Smalich ran for offensive scores for Frazier and Dalton Kmetz added a special teams score and he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone.  Frazier who advanced to the Semi-Finals in Class “A” in 2015, ends the 2016 season with a 5-6 overall record.  Brentwood improves to 8-2 and will face Washington in the quarterfinals.

Neshannock Lancers  60  –  Serra Catholic Eagles  21 
The 3rd seeded Lancers piled up a 40-0 halftime lead on the way to their 10th win of the season. Senior Sean Doran led the way with 201 rushing yards on 12 carries with 2 scores. Frank Antuono added 3 more touchdown passes, the Robert Morris recruit threw to to Pitt recruit Ty Sear and one to Danny Welker. Neshannock intercepted 4 Eagles passes, giving the Lancers D 25 picks for the year. Welker scored his 2nd touchdown on a 87 yard Pick 6, the 6th interception return for a td by Neshannock. Serra Catholic scored in the 4th quarter as Jaquae Jackson caught a td pass, senior Joe Houston scored on a 3 yard run and Malik Edmundson returned a kickoff 76 yards. Junior Jarred Staph set a Neshannock record with a 99 yard touchdown run to close out the scoring. Neshannock is now 10-1 and will meet CWNC in the quarterfinals, Serra Catholic ends at 5-6.

Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Trojans  14  –  Burgettstown Blue Devils  7
It was a historic night in Burgettstown, PA, as the High School that dates its origin to before the start of World War I hosted its first ever playoff game at Hill Memorial Stadium. Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic had no interest in a history lesson as they made the long trek to Burgettstown for a First Round Class 2A playoff game between the 11th seeded Trojans and the 6th seeded Blue Devils. All game, both defenses would be pushed back to under the shadow of their own goal post before they would bear down on defense and staunchly defend the red zone – classic bend but don’t break defense. The Trojans would strike first on the last play of the first quarter when Junior Quarterback Ryan Maziarz eluded the rush and moved to his right where he spotted Sophomore Wide Receiver Joey Porter, Jr., open in the right corner of the end zone for a  11 yard touchdown pass. The scoring drive was kept alive by a key fourth down conversion. The halftime score was 7-0 CWNC. The leading receiver for the Blue Devils was kept in check during the first half but Junior Ryan Lounder would announce his presence on the third play of the second half as he hauled in a 56 yard touchdown pass from Senior Brad McLaughlin to tie the score at 7. Later in the third quarter, Burgettstown successfully executed a curious fake punt on 4th & 11 from their own goal line to keep possession only to fumble on the next play. The turnover gave the Trojans great field position deep in Blue Devil territory. It appeared that the Blue Devils would survive the turnover but a pass interference penalty kept the drive alive for the Trojans and on the next play Joey Porter, Jr., caught his second 11 yard touchdown pass at the 5:41 mark of the third quarter. This pass was thrown by Sophomore Quarterback William Gipson who played the entire second half and provided an effective change of pace. Burgettstown had one final possession in the fourth quarter to tie the game but was pinned deep in their own zone. On third and long from their own 2 yard line, McLaughlin hit Junior Wide Receiver Jarred John for a 46 yard completion streaking down the right sideline. The drive moved into the Trojans’ half of the field until Gipson jumped a slant route for an interception that would secure the victory for Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic, 14-7, as they advance to the 2A Quarterfinals. Burgettstown finishes their season with a record of 4-6.

WPIAL CLASS 1-A First Round:

Clairton Bears 50 –  Avella Eagles  6
The Clairton Bears began their journey towards a third straight WPIAL title with a 50-6 win over #16 Avella in the first round of the 1-A WPIAL football playoffs. Avella tried to throw deep on its first play from scrimmage but Joran Hines intercepted the pass, and Clairton found the end zone less then 90 seconds later. The Bears scored touchdowns on their first six possessions of the game. Senior Noah Hamlin accounted for five total touchdowns for the Bears, all in the first half. He connected on three touchdown passes of at least 40 yards. Hamlin found Devlin Clifford for a pair of touchdown passes from 49 yards out on two separate occasions. Hamlin also connected with Joran Hines for a 44-yard touchdown. Hamlin scrambled for a pair of scores from 42 and 10 yards out. Kijafi Fuqua had a nine-yard touchdown run to open the scoring for the Bears. John Mull scored the lone touchdown for Avella with a 49-yard scamper for six. Garrett Geresti had big kick returns to midfield and inside the Clairton 10 for the Eagles. The Bears scored in the second half on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Bryson Koontz to Keishawn Wright. Hines and Andreas Wiggins each intercepted a pass for the Bears. Clairton meets #8 Fort Cherry in the 1-A quarterfinals next Friday night at a neutral site.

Fort Cherry Rangers  28  –  Sto-Rox Vikings  14
Fort Cherry quarterback Rhyan Culberson ran for 161 yards, including touchdown runs of 12 and 68 yards, to lead the Rangers to a first round playoff win over Sto Rox. After surviving two early turnovers, the Rangers defense set up the first score of the game when Nick Rogers intercepted a Brady Doubt pass over the middle and returned it to the Vikings 15 yard line. Two plays later, Culberson scored from 12 yards out to give the Rangers a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. Rogers scored twice in the final 38 seconds of the first half to put Fort Cherry up 21-0. The first came on a 7-yard reception from Culberson. Rogers’ second touchdown came when the Vikings attempted a 36-yard field goal with three seconds remaining. The snap was bobbled and the kick dribbled through the line. Most of the players from both teams stopped, thinking the play was over…except Rogers, who scooped up the ball and raced 75-yards for the score. Fort Cherry’s defense held Sto Rox to just two first downs in the first half, both coming on the Vikings’ final drive. Culberson’s 68 yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter gave the Rangers a 28-0 lead. Vincent Eggleton scored on a three yard run with 2:52 to play in the third, and Davonte Williams added a 35-yard touchdown run with 5:06 to play for Sto Rox. With the win, Fort Cherry advances to face top-seed Clairton in the quarter-finals next week at a site and time to be determined.

Northgate Flames  37  –  Mapletown Maples  0
Northgate combined a fantastic defensive effort with above average team speed to win its first WPIAL playoff game in 13 years on Friday night. The Flames scored at least once in each of the four quarters of its game with Mapletown to pick up a 37-0 victory. Senior wide receiver Mike Allen had a game to remember for Northgate (9-1). He opened the scoring a 19-yard touchdown run 7:09 into the contest. With 8:51 left to play in the second quarter, Allen pulled in an 11-yard touchdown catch to make the score 14-0. The veteran completed the offensive “hat trick” by throwing a 20-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Chase Rowsey with two seconds left to play in the third quarter. Allen capped his night with a 69-yard punt return for a score with 8:38 remaining in the contest. Northgate’s other touchdown came courtesy of a 24-yard scoring hookup between senior quarterback Stefon Adams and classmate Elijah Thomas with 3:13 left to play until halftime. Mapletown ended its season with a 5-6 overall record. The Flames will play the winner of Saturday’s California vs. Bishop Canevin game in the quarterfinal round.

Rochester Rams  39  –  Riverview Raiders  6
Rochester sputtered early on but a 74-yard touchdown run by Darius Goosby late in the first quarter spurred the Rams to a 39-6 victory over Riverview Friday night at Rochester Stadium.  The Raiders contended at the outset but were hit with a myriad of 5-yard penalties which helped derail any momentum the visitors could muster in the 1A first round game.  Chris Hayes scored on a 1-yard run early in the second period while Caleb Collins scored on short runs of six yards and one-yard later in the quarter to pace Rochester.  The first Collins touchdown was set up on a 60-yard pass from quarterback Ian Kouba to receiver Elijah Goosby.  After leading 27-0 at the intermission, the Rams scored midway in the third quarter on a 2-yard run by Hayes.  The mercy rule was initiated when Darius Goosby took the ball into the end zone from three yards out with 1:35 left in the third to make it 39-0.  Riverview avoided the shutout when running back Nasan Tibbens scored on a 75-yard gallop with 3:13 left in the game.  The wild card Raiders ended their season at 3-7 while the unbeaten Rams take their 10-0 record and 12-game winning streak dating back to last season into the quarterfinals against Imani Christian.

Imani Christian Saints  44  –  Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers  13
The Saints came marching in to Moon Area Tiger Stadium as underdogs, and they ran away with a convincing victory over Our Lady of the Sacred Heart 44-13. It was the first playoff appearance for both teams in their respective school histories. OLSH struck first, capitalizing on an Imani fumble on their first offensive snap, with a 7 yard touchdown strike from Tyler Bradley to Markus Jenkins. Imani responded immediately with a nine play drive capped off with a 9 yard pass from Kenny Robinson to Sam Fairley. On the next play, a backwards pass from OLSH led to a 32 yard fumble return for a TD by Asante Watkins to make the score 16-7. The Chargers fought right back, driving down the field deep into the red zone. However, the Saints held firm, stopping three run attempts from the one yard line to force a turnover on downs. It was all Imani from there, scoring the next 28 points and taking a 44-6 lead, enacting the mercy rule. Kenny Robinson went 15/21 for 276 yards with 2 TDs, both to Fairley, and an INT. He also ran for 51 yards and 2 rushing TDs. The WVU recruit had lots of help from his friends, including Jermaine Rodgers’s 13 carries for 145 yards and a TD. He also posted 66 yards receiving for Imani. The Saints outgained OLSH in yards 475-199 on the evening. The Imani defense also forced three turnovers and had three stops on fourth down. The Chargers finish the year with a 7-3 record, exiting earlier than desired in their first ever trip to the postseason. Imani Christian moves to 5-5 and advances to the quarterfinals to face #2 Rochester.

Jeannette Jayhawks  39  –  Shenango Wildcats  0
Kareen Hall rushed for 121 yards on 8 carries and 3 touchdowns to lead the Jeannette Jayhawks to a 39-0 win over the Shenango  Wildcats in the first round of the WPIAL Class A playoffs.  Ryan Swinton ran for a 65 yard TD on Jeannette’s first offensive play and finished with 101 yards on 3 carries.  Jeannette QB Robert Kennedy was 6 for 9 passing for 106 yards and ran for two touchdowns of 29 and 6 yards.  Kennedy also ended Shenango’s only scoring threat by intercepting a Maxwell Reamer pass in the end zone and returning it 44 yards.  Shenango ends their season at 4-6.  Jeannette (10-1) will now face the Springdale Dynamos (6-5) on the road to RMU.

Springdale Dynamos  50  –  Carmichaels Mighty Mikes  44
The Springdale Dynamos advanced to the WPIAL Quarterfinals with a wild, 50-44 come-from-behind win on the road at Carmichaels.  Defense was not the story in this one.  Carmichaels played a perfect first half offensively.  They used long scoring drives to eat up a ton of clock and scored on all three of their possessions. Their first possession of the game took over 7 minutes, and used 15 plays to move 64 yards. Quarterback Jonathan Christopher scored from 6 yards out and the Mighty Mikes were on the board, leading 6-0 after a missed extra point. The Mikes seemed to start good on defense as well as Springdale’s first two plays were a 2-yard sack and an incomplete pass.  But on 3rd and 12, the Dynamos put their explosive offense on display as Sammy Carey threw deep down the middle of the field to Devin Wilks for an 82-yard touchdown completion. The Dynamos took the lead with a Logan Panza extra point. Carmichaels got the lead back on another Christopher run, this time from the 1-yard line, and after Christopher ran in the 2-point conversion, it was 14-7. Springdale’s next drive stalled at the Carmichaels 15 when a 4th down pass went through the hands of the intended receiver. It would be the only time the Carmichaels defense stopped Springdale. Carmichaels added another 1-yard Christopher touchdown and 2-point conversion to go up 22-7. Christopher accounted for all of the Mikes’ first half points. A key part of the game came when Carmichaels kicked off to Springdale with only 49 seconds remaining in the first half. Instead of heading into the locker room up 22-7, the Mikes allowed Springdale to score quickly, using 4 offensive plays to cover 51 yards. The Dynamos scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Carey to Josh Harmon, changing the dynamic in both locker rooms. Carmichaels had dominated play with drives of 15 plays, 9 plays, and 14 plays. They ran over twice as many plays as Springdale, but led by only 9. The points continued to mount in the second half. The two teams traded touchdowns back and forth. Springdale’s Ben Sowinski scored on a 34-yard pass, Carmichaels’ Brennan Pelzer ran in a 55-yard touchdown. Harmon scored again for the Dynamos and Christopher added another 1-yard touchdown run for the Mikes. Sowinski’s 34-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, combined with a Carey 2-point conversion, tied the game at 36-36. Then came the only stop for the Springdale defense as Carmichaels turned the ball over on downs. With 8:33 remaining in regulation, Carey ran in a touchdown from 6 yards out to give the Dynamos a 43-36 lead. The Mikes got the lead back on another 1-yard Christopher touchdown and 2-point conversion. It was 44-43 with 5:32 to play. Springdale was on their own 46 yard line faced with a 3rd and 14 when Christopher broke up a pass that looked to be a great defensive play. The officials however called a critical pass interference, so instead of 4th and 14 from the Springdale 46, the Dynamos had 1st and 10 at the Carmichaels 33. Springdale would move down to the 2 yard line and appeared to be setting up for a game winning field goal instead of trying to punch the ball into the end zone. However, after a penalty backed them up to the 7, Carey found Harmon in the end zone on 3rd down, leaving just 3 seconds on the clock with Springdale up 50-44. For the Mikes, Christopher was involved in all but 6 of the Mikes’ points scored. He ran for 136 yards on 26 carries, scoring 5 touchdowns. He was also 6-7 passing for 56 yards. The Dynamos were led by Carey, who threw for 220 yards. He threw 5 touchdown passes and ran one in as well. Springdale will face an Eastern Conference foe in Jeannette next week in the Quarterfinals.