Trojans’ Layhue takes over TD Club lead
California shared the wealth in its 51-20 win over Monessen on Friday night with eight different players getting into the scoring column.
Jake Layhue led the way with three touchdowns and a two-point conversion for 20 points, which was enough to lift the senior past West Greene’s injured Colin Brady into first place in the Herald-Standard Touchdown Club standings after Week 4.
Layhue had only one rushing TD but came up big on defense after the visiting Greyhounds had whittled a 23-6 halftime lead down to three points. He ignited a 28-point fourth quarter with consecutive interception returns for touchdowns of 45 and 78 yards.
Layhue upped his season total to 64 points to move four ahead of the idle Brady (60).
Also scoring in the game for Caifornia were Lee Qualk with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, Spencer Petrucci, Zachary Geletei and Landon Abercrombie with one TD apiece, Christian Ross with two extra points and Eli Keene with on PAT and another defensive score by Malachi Peak who registered a safety.
Tying Layhue with 20 points last Friday was Deakyn Dehoet of Jefferson-Morgan who caught touchdown passes of 50 and 44 yards and ran for a 5-yard TD and a two-point conversion in the Rockets’ 42-8 win at Beth-Center.
Dehoet shot up into a tie for 11th place in the standings.
Three players scored 18 points, including two from Brownsville which snapped its 33-game losing streak with a thrilling 36-30 road win over Carrick.
Kaden Wimmer ran for a trio of touchdowns, including a 6-yarder in overtime to give the Falcons the victory. Harlan Davis scored on an 11-yard run and on a 66-yard pass from Wimmer and added three two-point conversions. His second TD catch and third two-point run tied the game late in the fourth quarter to force the overtime.
West Greene’s Billy Whitlatch picked up the slack with Brady out of action by rushing for 242 yards and three touchdowns in the Pioneers’ 39-6 win at Bentworth. His 18 points pushed him into the a ninth-place tie in the TD Club standings with Uniontown’s Cam Jackson at 42 points.
Connellsville’s Jayden McBride is third in the overall standings with 54 points after scoring on a game-opening 82-yard kickoff return and adding a 21-yard TD reception in the Falcons’ 47-12 victory at Ringgold.
In a three-way tie for fourth place with 48 points apiece are Petrucci, Southmoreland’s Da’sjon Craggette and Elizabeth Forward’s Charlie Nigut.
Qualk sits alone in seventh place with 46 points while West Greene’s Johnny Lampe, who had two touchdown receptions in the win over the Bearcats, has sole possession of eight place with 44 points.
There were two note-worthy showings among local kickers.
EF’s Will Sinay booted a 24-yard field goal to give him five on the season which is three more than any other area kicker.
Mount Pleasant’s Jarett Garn was flawless with a six-for-six performance in extra points and a 33-yard field goal for nine total points in the Vikings’ 45-23 victory at Freeport.