Area high school gridiron leaders
Bulldogs, Raiders dominate defensive and offensive statistics, respectively Football coaches will never hesitate to tell you that one of the prime keys to a winning program is good solid defense, and Beth-Center might add a quick “amen” to that observation.
Defense has long been a trademark of the B-C program, and that is being shown again this year as the Bulldogs live up to their name on the field, to be the local defensive leader for the second week in a row.
In three games, Beth-Center (3-0) yielded only 26 points, and almost half of them (12) were scored by one team, Geibel Catholic. In the other two wins, the Dogs’ defenders have allowed single touchdowns in each. All 26 points have been in the second half (7 in 3rd, 19 in 4th).
That averages out to 8.7 points per game, the only area team with a sub-10 allowance.
The defenders will receive a strong test this week when they host Bishop Canevin, in a battle of unbeatens.
Canevin blanked Burgettstown 21-0 last week, and for the season, has allowed only 13 points (4.3) per game, while scoring 78, or 26 per game.
Figures are compiled for teams in the Herald-Standard coverage area and are taken from games covered by this newspaper’s staff, or as reported by coaches and statisticians.
While B-C has maintained its leadership for another week, a big jump was made by the Laurel Highlands defense.
The Mustangs got away to a slow start on offense, but defensively they have jumped all the way up to second this week from sixth a week ago. They routed Derry, 30-6, and have now allowed 41 points and a 13.7 per game average, to be second only to B-C on defense.
LH was collared in its first start, 28-0, by West Allegheny, but has allowed only single scores per game since. The six that Derry scored were the first points the LH defense has allowed in the second half.
Rounding out the top five on defense are Waynesburg (49-16.3), up from ninth a week ago; Carmichaels (52-17.3), down two places, and Uniontown (54-18.0), up from 11th.
Offensively, Waynesburg downed Southmoreland 48-6, and took over the lead from Beth-Center, which dropped to third. Waynesburg is the first local team to top 100 points for the season, having 103 in three games (34.3), less than one point ahead of Turkeyfoot.
The Rams routed Bishop Walsh, Md., 60-28, to average 34.0 points for the two games they have played.
Completing the top five are Beth-Center, down from first last week (81-27.0), Mapletown, down from second (78-26.0), and Jefferson-Morgan, up from seventh (69-23.0).
Some individual achievements of the past week included:
-Long TD Run – 63 yards, Donte Valentino, California, vs. Carmichaels; 55, Scott Throckmorton, Waynesburg, vs. Southmoreland.
-Pass-Run TD – 74 yards, Bob Virgili to Ethan Virgili, Carmichaels, vs. California; 69, Jimmy King to Dan Huygens, Southmoreland, vs. Waynesburg.
-Kickoff Return TD – 75 yards, Jarrod Moskola, Jefferson-Morgan, vs. Geibel.
-Pass Interception Return TD – 67 yards, Brad Trump, Albert Gallatin, vs. Mount Pleasant; 48, Zack Novak, Mapletown, vs.. West Greene; 45, Scott Cree, Waynesburg, vs.. Southmoreland.
-Field Goal – 32 and 23 yards, Ryan Robowski, Uniontown, vs. Belle Vernon; 24, Vic Fiano, Laurel Highlands, vs. Derry.
-Kick Points – 7, Robowski (PAT, 2 FG), vs. Derry; 6, Nick Patton, Waynesburg (PAT) vs. Southmoreland.
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GRID NOTES: The 34 points Waynesburg scored in the first quarter against Southmoreland were not only the most by any team in one quarter so far this season, they were as many as Frazier has scored altogether and more than Laurel Highlands (32), Belle Vernon (9), and Southmoreland (8) has in three games.
Two WPIAL teams have not allowed a point in three games with Thomas Jefferson, outscoring its opponents 129-0, and Upper St. Clair, 117-0. …Two teams scored their first points of the season last week, Leechburg in a 33-8 loss to Riverview, and North Catholic 40-6 loss to Rochester. …Twelve teams got their first wins last week, including California, 32-29 over Carmichaels; Laurel Highlands, 30-6 over Derry; Mount Pleasant, 30-26 over Albert Gallatin; and Monessen, 35-7 over Frazier. …Some local teams are having trouble getting points in one quarter. Connellsville, Brownsville and California have not scored in the fourth quarter, Geibel in the third and Frazier in the second. …On the other side of the coin, Southmoreland, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown have not allowed a point in the fourth quarter.
There are 27 teams still unbeaten in the WPIAL. Perfectos include Penn Hills, Woodland Hills, Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair and Latrobe in Quad-A; Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin, Franklin Regional, Hampton, Moon and West Allegheny in 3-A; Burrell, Seton LaSalle, South Park, Greensburg Central Catholic, Jeannette, Aliquippa, Center and Mohawk in 2-A and Beth-Center, Bishop Canevin, Serra, Rochester, Fort Cherry, Western Beaver and Springdale in 1-A.
That number will drop by at least three this week when Hampton plays at Franklin Regional, Seton LaSalle at South Park and Canevin at Beth-Center.