WPIAL Friday Night HighLights for 9/26

By: Bruce Markey
Saturday, September 27, 2014 | 5:29 AM

We hit the midway point of the 2014 WPIAL football regular season with points a plenty. Offenses around the district continue to amass record setting numbers with good solid defenses creeping closer to the endangered species list. Friday night saw 12 teams score over 50 points and five of those teams eclipsed the 60 point plateau. And that doesn’t even include the traditional 70+ point total for Clairton. With those mind-numbing numbers, here are some of the top performers from the Fifth Friday of the season.

Connor Slomka – Pine-Richland

On the night that Pine-Richland quarterback Ben DiNucci was named MSA Sports/Pro Grass Football Player of the Month, it was the run game that helped keep P-R undefeated. Connor Slomka rushed for 168 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 9, 5 and 8 yards as the Rams won the Class AAAA Northern Eight Conference battle of the unbeaten with a 32-15 triumph over the visiting North Hills Indians.

Eli Mencer – Altoona

With both Altoona in Quad-A and Hollidaysburg in Triple-A off to good starts at 3-2 overall, it’s time for the HighLight to give a little love to Blair County. Eli Mencer rushed for 225 yards and scored on a 7-yard run as the Mountain Lions came from behind to beat the visiting Norwin Knights 30-21 to move into a tie for fourth place in the Class AAAA Foothills Conference.

DiAngelo Mitchell – West Mifflin

it was bounce-back time for West Mifflin as they were coming off their first loss of the season going into a key Class AAA Big Nine Conference road game. And bounce back they did as running back DiAngelo Mitchell ran for 279 yards and scored three touchdowns on runs of 77 which erased a 14-0 deficit, 33 yards and a 9 yard jaunt that would be the eventual game winner as the Titans came from behind for a 35-28 victory over the Belle Vernon Leopards.

Riley Stapleton – Indiana

While it seems the quarterbacks get all of the love from the media and the winks from the cheerleaders, lets shine the HighLight on a wide receiver who enjoyed a big night. Indians’s Riley Stapleton caught 8 passes from Jacob Zilinskas for a total of 145 yards and three of those catches went for touchdowns before allowing brother Dylan to catch a TD pass late in a 35-14 victory for the Little Indians over the host Greensburg-Salem Golden Lions in a Class AAA Greater Allegheny Conference tilt.

Kaezon Pugh and DiMantae Bronaugh – Aliquippa

A pair of junior running backs who are averaging over 100 yards a game this season in the same backfield turned it up when the lights were shining brighter in Aliquippa’s biggest test of the season. Kaezon Pugh rushed for 179 yards and two 50+ yard touchdowns while back-mate DiMantae Bronaugh ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns of 37 and 65 yards as the Quips won the Class AA Midwestern Conference battle of the unbeaten 55-14 over the visiting New Brighton Lions.

Brayden Thimons – Highlands

His numbers were not jaw-dropping, but when Highlands needed big plays early and especially late, quarterback Brayden Thimons came up golden. Thimons connected on only 5 of 11 passes, but those 5 completions went for 127 yards and included an 88-yard touchdown pass to Chris Fick in the first quarter, then a 5-yard scoring pass to Jordan Lineburg with 17 seconds left that kept the host Golden Rams perfect with a 28-27 Class AA Allegheny Conference thriller over the previously undefeated Apollo-Ridge Vikings.

Malik Wells – Washington

In a Class AA Interstate Conference clash of 4-0 teams, host Washington proved it’s well was far from running dry with big plays on both sides of the ball…Malik Wells that is. Wells scored on a 9-yard run in the third quarter that put Wash High up to stay, then added a 17-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter to go along with his forced fumble that helped turn the tide in a 34-15 victory for the Little Prexies over the Mount Pleasant Vikings.

Cordell Cummings – Beaver Falls

He spells his first name with a ‘C’, not a ‘K’ like somebody area football fans once knew, but Cordell Cummings sizzling performance helped slash and dash Laurel’s upset hopes. Cummings rushed for 260 yards and scored five touchdowns on runs of 71, 1, 57 and 62 yards plus he returned a fumble 14 yards for a score as the host Tigers slammed the Spartans in a Class AA Midwestern Conference fray 39-27.

Hunter Cenname – Waynesburg Central

After back to back weeks of hunting for an upset and just coming up short against the top two teams in the Class AA Interstate Conference in Washington and Mount Pleasant, Waynesburg Central tracked down that elusive ‘W’ on Friday. Hunter Cenname rushed for 228 yards and scored four touchdowns on runs of 14, 63, 4 and 87 yards as the Raiders pounded the host Charleroi Cougars 49-7.

Brett Brumbaugh – South Fayette

As he gets closer and closer to becoming the WPIAL’s all-time leading passer and leading touchdown tosser, it was just another day at the office for the hit-man in a Class AA Century Conference contest. Brett Brumbaugh connected on 13 of 15 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns of 7, 47, 10 and 66 yards and the visiting South Fayette Lions cruised to a 21st consecutive victory in a 41-7 downing of the Carlynton Cougars.

Tags: Aliquippa, Altoona, Beaver Falls, Highlands, Indiana, Washington, Waynesburg Central, West Mifflin