WPIAL Plays of the Week – Week Twelve 2015

By: Bruce Markey
Tuesday, November 24, 2015 | 12:52 PM

The 2015 WPIAL football season began in early September, and every team’s ultimate goal at that time was to advance to Heinz Field to play for a championship. The teams that accomplished that objective were determined on Friday, as eight teams advanced from the semifinals. The majority of the contests were competitive, with several coming down to the final minutes. To that point, this week’s edition of the top plays includes a final-minute touchdown pass for a team building a reputation for comeback victories, a spectacular run by a quarterback to give his team the lead, a long return touchdown on the opening kickoff, and a defensive stop on the final play of the game. Here are the best of the best from the WPIAL semifinals tilts.

1. Penn-Trafford 38, Pine-Richland 34

In the quarterfinals, the Penn-Trafford Warriors staged an improbable comeback against McKeesport, prevailing in overtime. This week, the Warriors surrendered the go-ahead touchdown to Pine-Richland with just 52 seconds left in regulation. Trailing by three, P-T marched down the field, however, and put itself in position for a shot at the tying field goal. The Warriors were not content with playing for overtime, however, as quarterback Brett Laffoon found Tyler Bruno wide open in the corner of the end zone for the winning score with just seven seconds left, punching the Warrriors’ ticket to the championship game for the first time since 1997.

WHJB-FM 107.1’s Sean Meyers and Jimmy Lee Santorella detail the dramatic play that sent Penn-Trafford to Heinz Field:

2. Jeannette 22, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic 14

The Jayhawks trailed 14-0 to the undefeated Trojans in the third quarter, until Jeannette quarterback Gio Vanne Sanders nearly single-handedly turned around the momentum. After the Jayhawks scored a safety and a touchdown, Sanders turned in a spectacular 4-yard run that put his squad in the lead. Sanders would later add another touchdown, sending Jeannette back to Heinz Field to compete for another title.

MSA Sports Sam Hall and Kyle Dawson have the call on the Spotlight Game, at the 2:02:33 mark of the broadcast:

3. Central Catholic 24, Woodland Hills 6

The Wolverines and Vikings were ranked first and second, respectively, in the state in Class Quad-A, so this matchup figured to be a tightly-contested affair. While Central Catholic ultimately prevailed by a comfortable margin, it was the first play of the game that provided all the scoring the Vikings needed. Ron George took the kickoff 75 yards for the touchdown, staking Central Catholic to a lead it would never relinquish.

The Woodland Hills Sport Network’s Adam Gusky and Fred Guy provide the commentary for the first, and also most crucial, play of the contest:

4. South Fayette 27, Steel Valley 19

The Lions have won 44 consecutive games, and have won handily in the vast majority of those affairs. After suffering a lopsided defeat earlier in the season, the Steel Valley Ironmen pushed South Fayette to the brink in the rematch. Trailing by eight points in the final seconds, Steel Valley called a run for their star DeWayne Murray on fourth down from the 3-yard-line. The Lions’ defense came up with the stop, however, to allow South Fayette to continue its pursuit of a third-straight title.

WJPA-FM 95.9’s Bob Gregg and Mark Uriah detail the final play of the game, as the Lions sealed the outcome: