Trojans race past Maples, 63-8
Mapletown’s Ryan Carter (1) can’t stop California’s Cochise Ryan from hauling in a pass during the first quarter Friday night in Tri-County South action.
The Trojans’ Ben Bilitski (50) and an unidentified teammate (53) bring down Mapletown’s Dylan Rush Friday night.
Mapletown’s Lane Powell can’t bring down California’s Cochise Ryan (10) Friday night during first-quarter action.
Mapletown’s Dylan Rush is gang tackled by several California defenders during the second quarter.
Dave Stofcheck
California’s Jelani Stafford (5) has an open field in front of him as Mapletown’s Chuck Lash (2) prepares to attempt a tackle. Stafford scored three touchdowns in the Trojans’ 63-8 victory over the Maples to move into second place in the Herald-Standard Touchdown Club standings with 80 points, 30 behind Mapletown’s Dylan Rush.
Mapletown’s Chuckie Lash (2) returns a kickoff against California during their game last season.
Dave Stofcheck
California running back Jelani Stafford scored a pair of rushing touchdowns Friday night.
COAL CENTER — The high school football season hasn’t reached its midpoint, but Mapletown’s George Messich is already thinking about the playoffs.
“California has a team that can make a deep run through the postseason,” Messich said, moments after the Trojans roughed up his Maples, 63-8, Friday night.
California finished the game with 496 yards of total offense, and six different Trojans scored at least one touchdown.
California improves to 5-0 overall, and 3-0 in the Tri-County South standings.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind they’re one of the top five teams in Class A,” Messich said. “You look at most schools in Class A, they maybe have one or two kids who are really special athletes. California has one of the best power backs (Jelani Stafford) I’ve seen in 30 years, their defense is loaded with speed, they can throw the ball, and their receivers can fly.”
Stafford, a 6-foot-1, 265-pound junior, bulled his way to 155 yards rushing on just seven carries. He scored on runs of 29 and 55 yards.
Over a 7:30 span of the first quarter, California’s Jonathan Wood scored on a 26-yard run, Colin Phillips fired touchdown passes to Cochise Ryan and Jordan Campbell, and Stafford scored his first touchdown, as the hosts jumped out to a 28-0 lead.
“Our kids worked really hard to install this offense,” California coach Darrin Dillow said. “On any play, we have four kids who can carry the ball.”
It didn’t matter who carried it for California. Sophomore Lucas Qualk came off the bench to score a pair of rushing touchdowns.
California played an impressive defensive game as well, as it forced five Mapletown turnovers, and kept star running back Dylan Rush in check.
Rush ran for a WPIAL-record 524 yards last week in a Mapletown win over Avella. Against California, Rush was held to 87 yards on 19 attempts, with 56 of those yards coming on a scoring run early in the final quarter.
Mapletown (2-3, 1-2) falls into a tie for fifth place with Monessen in the Tri-County South. The Maples host Greene County rival Carmichaels next Friday.
“We still have a shot at the playoffs,” Messich said. “After a win or a loss, we go back and watch film and start preparing for our next opponent come Monday morning.”
California begins a key three-game stretch starting next Friday with a trip to Monessen. The Trojans then host Carmichaels in a game that will likely determine the Tri-County South championship, and follow that with a non-section home game against Big Seven powerhouse Rochester.
“We are getting a lot of reps in practice, but we’re still making a lot of wrong reads,” Dillow said. “We had three touchdowns called back (against Mapletown), and we had three called back against Avella too. We’re still making too many mistakes.”
Tri-County South
Mapletown 0 0 0 8 — 8
California 28 21 7 7 — 63
First Quarter
CAL: Jonathan Wood 26 run (Dustin Mock kick)
CAL: Cochise Ryan 53 pass from Colin Phillips (Dustin Mock kick)
CAL: Jordan Campbell 85 from Colin Phillips (Dustin Mock kick)
CAL: Jelani Stafford 29 run (Dustin Mock kick)
Second Quarter
CAL: Austin Grillo 83 run (Dustin Mock kick)
CAL: Jelani Stafford 25 run (Dustin Mock kick)
CAL: Lucas Qualk 11 run (Dustin Mock kick)
Third Quarter
CAL: Jelani Stafford 55 run (Dustin Mock kick).
Fourth Quarter
M: Dylan Rush 56 run (Ronald Burkholder-Walter run)
CAL: Lucas Qualk 30 run (Dustin Mock kick)