Beth-Center gets stingier on defense
Did you ever stop to think that the football field is one place in this world where stinginess is a virtue. The tighter you are, the more respect you earn.
And in that line, for the second week in a row, the same five that led in stinginess a week ago are in the same position this week, and they are even stingier. Beth-Center is again the Scrooge of scholastic football, followed by Laurel Highlands, Uniontown, California and Mapletown.
They are the defensive leaders among teams in the Herald-Standard’s coverage area, with figures taken from games covered by this newspaper’s staff, or as reported by scholastic coaches and statisticians.
A week ago, Beth-Center had allowed 9.8 points per game, the only one in the lineup with a sub-10 allowance. That figure dropped two points, to 7.8 per game, after the Bulldogs collared Fort Cherry, 36-0. In five games, B-C (4-1) has ceded 39 points, and 25 of them were in two games, 13 to Bishop Canevin in their only loss, and 12 to Geibel Catholic.
Laurel Highlands (3-2) held second on defense, with a 35-14 win at Mount Pleasant. The Mustangs have given up 55 points (11.0) in their run and over half of them (28) were in one game, in an opening night loss to West Allegheny. MPHS is the only other opponent so far to have scored more than once against the Mustangs.
Uniontown lost to Yough, but still held third on defense (15.8), California stopped Monessen, 26-13, and held fourth with 16.0, down from 16.8 the previous week, and Mapletown completed the top five with a 22-12 win over Carmichaels, and cut their allowance from 17.3 down to 16.2 per game.
LH has allowed only 13 points in the second half all season, all of them in the third, and just 21 in the second period in the same stretch, all by West Allegheny. At the same time, Uniontown has ceded just 23 in the second half in five games, all in the third period.
The second five on defense includes Albert Gallatin (16.4), Jefferson-Morgan (19.6), Carmichaels (20.0), Waynesburg (20.4), and Connellsville (23.6).
On offense, Waynesburg continued to be the most productive, but the others in the top five underwent a bit of a shuffle.
Waynesburg was a 32-22 loser to Jeannette, but still stayed on top with a 27.8 per game output, down from 29.3 the previous week. Beth-Center moved within two points of the Raiders after their win (25.8), climbing from a tie for fourth (23.3) a week ago.
Jefferson-Morgan had a 41-0 roll over Frazier and jumped up four places (20.8 to 24.8). Mapletown dropped one spot (from 24.5 to 24.0), and California held fifth place (23.8) from its tie for fourth last week.
Mapletown is the most productive team in the fourth quarter, scoring 63 there, compared to 57 in all the other three quarters combined.
The second five includes Brownsville (20.8), Carmichaels (19.6), Turkeyfoot (19.0 in four games), Geibel Catholic (17.2) and Laurel Highlands (16.4).
Offensively, Turkeyfoot ran into a real buzzsaw, losing 77-13 to Northern, Md.
Some individual efforts the past week included:
– Game Scoring – 24 points, Joe Fieck, Brownsville, 4 touchdowns vs. East Allegheny, on runs of 5, 24, 14, and 82 yards, carrying 19 times for 326 yards; 18, Scott Jones, Connellsville, vs. Norwin, on touchdown runs of 25, 30, and 14 yards.
– Field Goal – 32 yards, Rob Miele, Belle Vernon, vs. Derry; 30, Marc Mammarella, Brownsville, vs. East Allegheny; 29, Steve Champlin, Albert Gallatin, vs. Greensburg-Salem; 27, Mario Fragello, Geibel Catholic, vs. West Greene.
– Points Kicked – 10, Mammarella, vs. East Allegheny (7 PAT, 1 field goal); 5, Vic Fiano, Laurel Highlands, vs. Mount Pleasant (5 PAT); 5, Mario Fragello, Geibel Catholic, vs. West Greene (2 PAT, field goal).
– Kickoff Return TD – 83 yards, C.J. Jackson, Beth-Center, game opener vs. Fort Cherry.
– TD Runs – 82 yards, Fieck, vs. East Allegheny; 48, Jarrod Moskola, Jefferson-Morgan, vs. Frazier; 42, Ryan Geisel, Mapletown, vs. Carmichaels.
– Punt Return TD – 73 yards, Randy Rankin, Laurel Highlands, vs. Mount Pleasant.
– Pass Interception Return TD – 44 yards, Jarrod Jodon, 35, Rich Kolesar, both Laurel Highlands against Mount Pleasant.
– Pass-Run TD – 53 yards, Phil Shaw to Matt Szuch, and 36, Shaw to Ricky Walters, both Brownsville vs. East Allegheny.
GRID MISCELLANY – There are still 17 teams undefeated in the WPIAL, down three from last week.
The Quad-A unbeaten ranks dropped to three, after Penn Hills lost to Central Catholic, 20-7. Still unbeaten are Woodland Hills, this week’s opponent for Connellsville, a 35-7 winner over Penn-Trafford; Bethel Park, 23-13 over Shaler; and Upper St. Clair, 42-10 over North Allegheny.
Two 3-A teams were beaten, Moon 14-13 by Ambridge, and West Allegheny, 14-6 by Blackhawk. There are three unbeatens left, Thomas Jefferson, 45-0 over Peters Township for their fifth shutout in a row; West Mifflin, 32-14 over Ringgold, and Hampton, 42-14 over Indiana.
Six continued unbeaten in 2-A, South Park, 49-6 over South Allegheny; Greensburg Central Catholic, 31-0 over Washington; Jeannette, 32-22 over Waynesburg; Aliquippa, 26-6 over New Brighton; Center, 14-13 over Beaver, and Mohawk, 49-13 over Shenango.
Five stayed perfect in 1-A, Bishop Canevin, 41-12 over Chartiers-Houston; Duquesne, 60-20 over Wilkinsburg; Rochester, 25-7 over South Side Beaver; Springdale, 21-7 over Serra, and Western Beaver, 35-7 over Cornell.
First victories were recorded by Derry, 14-13 over Belle Vernon, and Ambridge, 14-13 over Moon, in 3-A; Freedom, 28-25 over Beaver Falls (2-A), and Monaca, 36-14 over Farrell (A). Eight teams are still looking for their first victories of the season.