WPIAL Football Plays of the Week – Week Four

By: Bruce Markey
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 | 4:35 PM

At the end of the season, we won’t be looking back at Week 4 as one of “those” weeks with dramatic moments, miracle finishes and big games. In fact, 62 of the 67 games were decided by at least two touchdowns. Regardless, we were able to sift through the blowouts and find the three most meaningful plays from the weekend.

#1 Avella Eagles 26 – Jefferson-Morgan Rockets 21

How about those first place Avella Eagles? Wait, what? The Eagles got all they could handle from Jefferson-Morgan Friday night, but were able to move to 4-0 on the season, rallying from an early 14-0 deficit to defeat Jefferson-Morgan, 26-21. Driving late, Zach Thompson would pick off Jefferson-Morgan Quarterback Tyler Bowman inside the 5-yard line with just over one minute to go, preserving the win for the Eagles. Thompson added 3 receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

#2 Beaver Bobcats 34 – Beaver Falls Tigers 28

In a Saturday night matchup of two Top Ten, undefeated teams, Beaver edged Beaver Falls late, thanks in large part to a dramatic Darian Bradley 26-yard touchdown run with 1:26 remaining in the game. The drive capped a seven play, 61-yard drive that followed a huge defensive stop by the Bobcats’ defense. Bradley rushed for 182 yards and four touchdowns, but none were bigger than the last one, as he broke a tackle in the secondary, kept his balance and scampered into the endzone for the score. Beaver, who scored more points in the game than Beaver Falls had let up all season, is now 4-0. Beaver Falls drops to 3-1.

#3 Valley Vikings 9 – Freeport Yellowjackets 8

Recent history has been tough on the Valley Vikings, but 2012 has provided some shining moments for first-year Head Coach Chad Walsh. Friday night against Freeport was one of them. Behind a stellar defensive performance that limited #7 Freeport to just 49 total yards, Valley pulled off the upset of the weekend. Freeport led 8-0 at the half, but Valley rallied, scoring nine third quarter points, including Steve Colagrande’s 26-yard Field Goal, which proved to be the game winner.

Tags: Avella, Beaver, Beaver Falls, Freeport, Jefferson-Morgan, Valley