Scholastic football highlights
Waynesburg hosts Jeannette in matchup between unbeaten teams The perfect ranks continue to dwindle, and their numbers will go down by at least two more this week.
At the halfway point of the scholastic football season, there are 18 teams with perfect records. But that will change this week with the big clash locally taking place at Waynesburg, where the Raiders host Jeannette in a match of 5-0 teams.
Waynesburg stayed perfect last week with a 27-3 walloping of Charleroi, while Jeannette dittoed on Chartiers Valley, 28-7.
The unbeatens include:
Class Quad-A – Bethel Park, Penn Hills, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Upper St. Clair and Woodland Hills. That lineup will drop by one on Friday night when Bethel Park plays Central Catholic. Also, Woodland Hills is at Connellsville, Penn Hills meets Norwin and Upper St. Clair plays Trinity.
Class 3-A – Thomas Jefferson, Hopewell, New Castle, Knoch and Pine-Richland. The ranks dropped by one last week when Greensburg Salem nipped Uniontown, 9-7. This week’s matchups include Thomas Jefferson-Chartiers Valley, Hopewell-Blackhawk, New Castle-West Allegheny, Knoch-Hampton, and Pine-Richland-Valley.
Class 2-A – Waynesburg, Jeannette, Seton-LaSalle and Aliquippa. Three teams were bounced from the lineup last week when East Allegheny lost to Northgate, 18-14; Aliquippa beat Beaver 40-29 and New Brighton lost to Center 26-22. This week, along with Jeannette at Waynesburg, Seton-LaSalle plays South Fayette and Aliquippa meets Beaver Falls.
Class A – Carmichaels, Duquesne, Springdale and Monaca. Last week, Carmichaels beat Mapletown, 40-7; Duquesne downed Wilkinsburg, 41-14; Springdale beat Serra, 48-7 and Monaca stopped Cornell, 40-14. This week its Carmichaels vs. Jefferson-Morgan, Duquesne vs. Brentwood, Springdale vs. Wilkinsburg and Monaca vs. South Side Beaver.
On the other side of the coin, there are still 17 teams looking for their first win of the season, five each in 4-A and 3-A, four in 2-A and three “A” teams.
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After five weeks, Carmichaels is still setting the offensive pace, and Waynesburg is toughest on defense.
The Iron Mikes scored 212 points in five games, an average of 42.4 every four quarters, and lead by a touchdown and PAT over runner-up Waynesburg (175, 35.0).
Beth-Center (133, 26.6), Brownsville (123, 24.6) and Uniontown (104, 20.8) round out the top five. A week ago, the top five were Carmichaels, Waynesburg, Beth-Center, Uniontown and Brownsville.
Defensively, Waynesburg is the only team giving up less than 10 points per game, allowing five opponents 45 points (9.0 average). Belle Vernon has ceded 50 points (10.0 per game), followed by Uniontown (74, 14.8), Carmichaels (77, 15.4) and California (90, 18.0).
Last week, the lineup was Waynesburg, Belle Vernon, Connellsville, California and Uniontown.
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Some top efforts by local players last week included:
Long TD Run – 70 yards, Will Murray, Brownsville, vs. Southmoreland; 66, Carson Thomas, Brownsville, vs. Southmoreland; 64, Bryan Golden, Waynesburg, vs. Charleroi; 55, Scott Piper, Albert Gallatin, vs. Fox Chapel.
Punt Return TD – 79 yards, Carson Thomas, Brownsville, vs. Southmoreland.
TD Run With Fumble – 60 yards, Kevin Leonard, Geibel Catholic, vs. West Greene.
Field Goal – 35 yards, Dan Hagerman, Southmoreland, vs. Brownsville; 24, Paul Briczinski, Laurel Highlands, vs. Yough.
TD Passes – 3, T. J. Martinak, Frazier, threw 24 yards to Justin Knight, 18 to Riley Tidholm, and 15 to Buck Erdley.
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Achievements from around the WPIAL included:
Pass interception TD – 75 and 60 yards, Dave Smith, West Greene, vs. Geibel; 88, Pat Kimutis, Trinity, vs. Ringgold; 88, Shane Rooney, South Fayette, vs. Steel Valley; 86, Shane Murray, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, vs. Connellsville; 84, Ryan Abels, Elizabeth-Forward, vs. McGuffey.
Kickoff return TD – There were three returns of the opening kickoff, 90 yards, Mike Byrd, Gateway, vs. Penn-Trafford, 85, Ken Lewis, Penn Hills, vs. Hempfield, and 85, Bill Davis, Seneca Valley, vs. North Allegheny. Also, 84, Mike McAfoose, Franklin Regional, vs. Indiana.
Punt return TD – 84 yards, Scott Fichter, North Hills, vs. Shaler.
TD Run – 85 yards, Ryan Mendel, Brentwood, vs. Leechburg; 82, Bobby Helt, Pittsburgh CC, vs. Connellsville; 79, Chance Varner, Trinity, vs. Ringgold.
Passing TD – 96 yards, Pete Winowich to Matt Kenney, Thomas Jefferson, vs. Peters Twp.; 85, Chris Street to Mike McAfoose, Franklin Regional, vs. Indiana; 80, Jim Gallagher to Joe Jumal, Thomas Jefferson, vs. Penn-Trafford.
TD Run with fumble – 64 yards, Dave Mator, Springdale, vs. Serra.
Field goal – 37 yards, Adam Bonfanti, Greensburg Salem, vs. Uniontown; 37, Steve Collage, Elizabeth-Forward, vs. McGuffey; 34, Pat Humes, Pine-Richland, vs. Hampton.