WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Three 2016

By: Bruce Markey
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 | 11:09 AM

The third official week of the WPIAL slate perhaps did not feature the same level of drama as the previous week, but the action was still fast and furious. Many of these outcomes in conference play will have major playoff implications as the season progresses. This installment features a prolific rusher capping off a historic performance, a QB using his legs to guide his team to an upset win, a lengthy kickoff return that set the tone for the second half, and a pair of MSA Sports preseason honorees connecting on a decisive score. Here are the WPIAL plays of the week.
 

1. Mapletown 39, Avella 33
Dylan Rush has been prolific for the Maples thus far this season, as he’s already eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau in just four games. Mapletown needed all of his yards, 388 to be exact, in their shootout win against Avella. With his squad clinging to a one-score lead in the final minutes, Rush found paydirt on a 25-yard run, his fifth touchdown.

The Greene Sports Network’s Jason Tennant, Lanfer Simpson and Emily Bennett detail the game-clinching scamper:

2. Knoch 21, Highlands 14
The Knights scored one of the biggest upsets of the week by knocking off Highlands. Leading Knoch to it’s first win of the season was QB Mac Christy, who turned in a Herculean effort on a 58-yard touchdown run that staked his team to a two-score lead in the third quarter.

WISR-AM 680’s Scott Briggs and Dave Bacon provide the description of the long score that catapulted Knoch to its triumph against the Golden Rams:

3. Moon 21, Hampton 7
After back-to-back lopsided defeats, the Tigers turned in a much better effort last week, a victory against the Talbots. Chief among the improved performance was a game-changing play to begin the second half. On the kickoff, Moon’s Alex Bianco darted 96 yards into the end zone. His score put Moon in command , and the Tigers closed it out for their first win of the season.

The Hampton Talbots Sport Network’s Dennis Fischer paints the picture of Bianco’s special teams strike:

4. McGuffey 24, Mt Pleasant 17
With playoff spots at a premium in Class 3A, the matchup between the Highlanders and Vikings took even greater significance. Late in the third quarter, host McGuffey turned to a pair of MSA Sports Kennywood Preseason All-Stars, as quarterback Marcus Czulewicz connected with receiver (and accomplished kicker) Teague Nicolella on a 9-yard score. That score proved to be the difference, as McGuffey held on for the crucial Interstate Conference win.

WJPA-FM 95.3’s Bob Gregg has the call of the winning touchdown: