WPIAL football playoffs roundup: Gateway holds off Shaler in 1st round

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, November 1, 2019 | 11:58 PM

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Derrick Davis scored twice in the fourth quarter as No. 2 Gateway avoided being upset in its Class 5A first-round playoff game with a 35-21 victory against No. 15 Shaler (4-7) on Friday night.

The game was tied at 14 heading into the final quarter.

Davis ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns while Bryson Venanzio threw for 193 yards and ran for a touchdown. Darin Mizgorski threw for 173 yards and a touchdown for Shaler. Gateway (9-2) will face No. 7 Bethel Park (7-3) in next week’s quarterfinals.

Class 4A

South Fayette 52, West Mifflin 0 — Drew Franklin rushed for 138 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 2 South Fayette (10-1) to the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal playoff win against No. 7 West Mifflin (5-6). Naman Alemada added 170 passing yards and two touchdowns for South Fayette, which led at halftime, 38-0. Tyrell Ogletree ran for 130 yards for West Mifflin.

Class 2A

Washington 21, Shady Side Academy 7 — Zack Swartz ran for two touchdowns, and Chance Cohen scored on a 13-yard run as No. 1 Washington (11-0) won a WPIAL Class 2A first-round game over No. 16 Shady Side Academy (5-5). The Little Prexies will play No. 9 Freedom (8-3) in the quarterfinals next week.

Neshannock 31, Serra Catholic 13 — Jason Nativio passed for 191 yards and two touchdowns and had a rushing touchdown for No. 4 Neshannock (9-2) in a WPIAL Class 2A first-round victory over No. 13 Serra Catholic (6-5) at Bob Bleggi stadium.

Nativio had an 88-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Weatherby with four seconds remaining in the third quarter to give the Lancers a 24-6 lead. He connected with Cam’Ron Owens on a 38-yard strike in the fourth quarter.

Braden Gennock had 159 rushing yards on 25 carries and a touchdown for the Lancers.

Ray Holmes paced Serra Catholic with 193 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. Eagles quartrerback Max Rocco was 13 of 23 passing for 244 yards.

Brentwood 28, East Allegheny 19 — Aiden Wardzinski scored all four Brentwood touchdowns — two rushing, one receiving and one on a 41-yard interception return, to lead the No. 5 Spartans to the Class 2A first-round playoff victory against No. 12 East Allegheny (7-4).

Wardzinski rushed for 116 yards as Brentwood (9-2) led 14-13 at halftime. John DiNapoli threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns to Michael Smith for East Allegheny.

Riverside 42, Burgettstown 35 (OT) — Nathan Sciarro caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Ben Hughes in overtime as No. 14 Riverside (7-3) upset No. 3 Burgettstown (9-1) in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs. Hughes threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns and tied the game in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard run while teammate Hunter Nulph added 115 rushing yards.

Jake Lounder threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 120 yards and a TD for Burgettstown, which led at halftime, 28-14.

McGuffey 54, South Side 23 — Nathan Yagle scored on two 39-yard runs, an 18-yard reception and an 87-yard kickoff return to lead No. 6 McGuffey (9-2) to the WPIAL Class 2A first-round playoff win over No. 11 South Side Beaver (5-6).

Yagle ran for 150 yards while McKinley Whipkey added 141 rushing yards and a TD. As a team, South Side rushed for 403 yards. McGuffey will play Riverside in next week’s quarterfinal game.

Class A

Cornell 32, California 27 — Savon Wilson’s 27-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter lifted No. 4 Cornell (9-1) to the WPIAL Class A quarterfinal win over No. 5 California (7-4) at West Allegheny. Zaire Harrison threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing TD for the Raiders.

Jaedan Zuzak paced California with 131 rushing yards and one touchdown. Cornell will face Clairton in the semifinals.

West Greene 36, Greensburg Central Catholic 0 — Ben Jackson rushed for 212 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 2 West Greene (10-1) to the Class A quarterfinal shutout against No. 7 Greensburg Central Catholic (7-4). Jackson scored on one of two West Greene fumble recoveries in the first quarter; Austin Crouse added the other. Kolin Walker added 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

It was West Greene’s first playoff win since 1993.

Tags: Brentwood, Burgettstown, California, Cornell, East Allegheny, Gateway, Greensburg C.C., McGuffey, Neshannock, Riverside, Serra Catholic, Shady Side Academy, Shaler, South Fayette, South Side, Washington, West Greene, West Mifflin