Scholastic football highlights
Mikes second in tight WPIAL scoring race Close is supposed to count only in horseshoes and hand grenades, but now you can add the race for WPIAL offensive honors in football.
Just four-tenths of one point is all that stands between Carmichaels and a tie for first place, and one-half of one point prevents sole ownership of the lead for the WPIAL’s strongest offense after seven weeks of the season with two games left in regular season play.
After last week’s games, Penn Hills and Pine-Richland are tied for the offensive lead with 292 points and a 41.7 per-game average. Penn Hills moved up from fourth a week ago to share the lead after a 48-0 collaring of Connellsville while Pine-Richland beat Highlands 38-13 to advance from second for a share of first. Previous leader Thomas Jefferson dropped to third after a 22-14 win over Waynesburg.
Meanwhile, Carmichaels was blasting Monessen, 42-0, and stepping up one place to second with 289 points, an average of 41.3 per game. The Mikes’ lowest output so far was in the season opener, 33-10 win over Burgettstown.
Rounding out the top 10 are Thomas Jefferson (285, 40.7), Knoch (271, 38.8), Aliquippa (235, 33.6), Jeannette (234, 33.4), Woodland Hills (227, 32.4), Canon-McMillan (227, 32.4), Duquesne (224, 32.0) and New Castle (21.2).
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Along with its offensive status, Carmichaels also enjoys another honor this week – the only undefeated Class A team in the WPIAL. Until last week, the Mikes and Monaca shared that status, but while Carmichaels was blanking Monessen, 42-0, Monaca was losing to Western Beaver in overtime, 25-24, and now Carmichaels stands all alone in the perfect ranks.
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On the defensive side of the ball, Knoch beat Valley 42-6 and jumped from third to first, with an allowance of 34 points to seven opponents and 4.9 per game. Previous leader Pittsburgh Central Catholic dropped out of the top 10 after a 38-0 loss to Woodland Hills.
Completing the top 10 are Thomas Jefferson (38, 5.4), Penn Hills (42, 6.0), Hopewell (46, 6.6), Seton LaSalle (47, 6.7), New Castle (49, 7.0), Upper St. Clair (50, 7.1), Rochester (52, 7.4), Pine-Richland (54, 7.7) and North Hills (57, 8.1).
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Top defensive honors in any division of any section go to Pittsburgh Perry High, which blanked Pittsburgh Brashear, 47-0, for its seventh consecutive shutout, outscoring opponents 348-0, or 49.7 to 0 per game.
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Belle Vernon and Blackhawk are the WPIAL shutout leaders with four each, and Thomas Jefferson, Hopewell and Seton-LaSalle have three. Overall, Blackhawk, a 40-0 winner over Uniontown last Friday, has been involved in six shutouts in seven games, winning four and losing two. Their only non-shutout game was a 35-28 win over Moon in the second week of the season.
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There are now just 11 undefeated teams left in the WPIAL.
Quad A – Penn Hills, Woodland Hills and Upper St. Clair. Previous scores were Penn Hills 48, Connellsville 0; Woodland Hills 38, Pittsburgh Central Catholic 0 and Upper St. Clair 28, Fox Chapel 7. The lone loser was Bethel Park, 14-7, to North Hills. The big game comes up in two weeks when Woodland Hills goes to Penn Hills.
Class AAA – Thomas Jefferson, New Castle, Knoch, and Pine-Richland. It was TJ 22, Waynesburg 14; New Castle handing Hopewell its first loss, 18-0; Knoch 42, Valley 6; Pine-Richland 38, Kittanning 13.
Class AA – Jeannette, Seton-LaSalle, and Aliquippa stayed perfect, Jeannette 35-13 over Southmoreland, Seton-LaSalle 19-7 over East Allegheny, and Aliquippa 38, Quaker Valley 27.
Class A – Carmichaels, 42-0 over Monessen.
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There are still 11 teams seeking first wins, four in Quad-A, three in 3-A and 2-A and one in 1-A. Indiana (4-A) got its first win, 33-15, over Plum, while Chartiers Valley topped McGuffey, 37-19 (3-A), and Leechburg won over Serra Catholic, 35-13 (A).
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Three runners turned in outstanding games to pace their teams.
Brad Mueller, Mars, had in one night what would be an entire season for some runners. Mueller rushed for a school record 403 yards on 27 carries with seven of them totaling 226 yards on touchdown runs alone of 1, 65, 54, 4, 54, 6 and 42 yards.
Remaro Rush made like his name with TD runs of 50, 78 and 46 yards, a pass catch for 50 yards and a 65-yard pass interception as Northgate beat South Allegheny, 44-14.
Dionte Henry paced West Allegheny to a 43-7 win over Ambridge with TD runs of 9, 4, 9, 5 and 5 yards, and a 95-yard pass from QB Luke Palko.
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Some top efforts around the WPIAL included:
Passing TD – 95 yards, Palko to Henry; 77, Zack Bonatesis to Bryant Williams, Highlands vs. Pine-Richland; 75 and 70, Anthony Morelli to Dave Harvey, Penn Hills vs. Connellsville. Morelli threw only nine passes, completing five for 286 yards
Pass interception return – 80 yards, Ryan Mundy, Woodland Hills vs. Pittsburgh CC; 77, Cliff Polard, North Allegheny vs. Butler.
TD run – 80 yards, Seth Hunter, McGuffey vs. Chartiers Valley.Kickoff return TD – 95 yards, Quentin Odem, Farrell vs. Avonworth; 80, Nate Waldron, Rochester vs. Laurel; 75, Josh Allen, Yough vs. Derry.Punt return TD – 70 and 69 yards, Josh Kemp, Fort Cherry vs. Bentworth.
TD run with fumble – 60 yards, Gene Burfield, Avonworth vs. Farrell.
Field goal – 38 yards, Drew O’Data, South Fayette vs. Carlynton; 35, Pat Humes, Pine-Richland vs. Highlands.